Rickshaw Dual Motor E-Trike Test Ride: Throttle, Hills & Family Hauling Power

Les Takes the Rickshaw Dual Motor Out for a Ride

Some test rides tell you everything you need to know in the first thirty seconds. You watch the rider settle in, roll away, and you can see it on their face before they say a word. That was Les on the Rickshaw Dual Motor. Les is a rider from Long Beach who has been working his way through our trike lineup, and by his own description he's been having a ball doing it. This time he climbed onto the one he called the deluxe model, and I think that's a fair label for it.

For anyone new to it, the Rickshaw Dual Motor is the version of our EVRYjourney rickshaw built around two motors instead of one. According to the product page, it pairs a 750W front hub motor with a 750W rear motor for 1,500W of combined power, and it runs on two batteries rather than a single pack. Les didn't get into the spec sheet on camera. He did what most people do when they first walk up to a trike like this: he looked at what it actually does for you day to day. That's the angle I want to take here too, because specs only matter once you know what they mean on a real street with real people sitting behind you.

Lights, turn signals, and why they matter on a wide trike

The first thing Les pointed to was the lighting package. This trike comes with lights and turn signals, and on a machine this size that's not a luxury. A rickshaw is wider than a bicycle and it's longer than most trikes because of the passenger bench behind the rider. Drivers aren't used to sharing the road with something shaped like this, so the more clearly you can tell them what you're about to do, the better. A blinking turn signal says "I'm moving left" in a language every driver already understands. Hand signals still work, but when you've got both hands where they belong and a couple of passengers on board, a thumb switch is simply easier and more consistent.

Lights pull double duty. They help you see, sure, but on a family hauler the bigger benefit is being seen. Early morning school drop-offs in winter, a dinner ride that runs a little later than planned, an overcast beach afternoon: those are all times when visibility matters, and they're exactly the times a family is likely to be out on a trike like this.

Forward and reverse

Les made a point of showing that the Rickshaw Dual Motor goes forward and in reverse. If you've never ridden a long three-wheeler, you might not realize how big a deal that is. With a regular bike, when you pull into a tight spot you just lift the back end and swing it around. You can't do that with a trike this big, and you definitely can't do it with someone sitting on the bench. Backing out of a driveway, getting out of a parking space nose-first, repositioning in a crowded garage, turning around at the end of a narrow path: a reverse function turns all of those from a multi-point wrestling match into a non-event. If that feature is high on your list, our collection of electric trikes with a reverse gear is worth a look.

Room for passengers and room for gear

Then there's the reason anyone buys a rickshaw in the first place: the passengers. Behind the rider is a bench with room for people to sit facing forward and enjoy the ride. The product page describes it as fitting up to two adults or three kids, with a seatbelt to buckle them in. Les also flagged something people tend to overlook on first glance, which is the storage space underneath that passenger seat. It's an enclosed compartment, and on this model it closes with a latch.

That compartment is more useful than it looks. A family outing never involves just the family. There are jackets, water bottles, snacks, a change of clothes, a bike lock, maybe a small first-aid kit. If all of that has to ride on laps or hang off the handlebars, the trip gets awkward fast. Having a spot under the bench where it can disappear keeps the passengers comfortable and keeps the cockpit clear. If you're shopping specifically for something that carries people, our passenger e-trikes are grouped together so you can compare them side by side.

Les's verdict on who it's for

Les summed it up in one line: for people just starting a family, this is the way to go. I agree with him, and I'd add that "starting a family" covers a lot of ground. It might mean a toddler and a newborn's gear. It might mean three kids and a dog. It might mean grandparents who want to take the grandkids to the park without loading car seats. The common thread is that you want to bring other people along, and you want the ride to feel easy enough that you'll actually do it again tomorrow.

A few other details round out the package, all listed on the product page rather than covered by Les in the video: left and right mirrors, a step-through frame that keeps the entry low, hydraulic disc brakes, fat tires for traction on mixed surfaces, and a hitch attachment for add-on seating or trailers. The tires in particular are worth calling out. If you like the planted feel of wide rubber, our fat tire electric trikes share that same stable footprint.

Once Les had walked through the features, he set himself a simple challenge: ride throttle only. No pedaling, no help from his legs, just the thumb and the motors. I like this test a lot, and I wish more people did it before they buy, because it tells you exactly what the machine can do on its own. That matters for riders with bad knees, riders recovering from an injury, riders who are tired at the end of a long day, and anyone hauling a full load who wants the motors to do the heavy lifting. If throttle control is a must-have for you, browse our electric tricycles with throttle control.

Starting out in power assist level two

Les started in power assist level two and pinned the throttle. The road there ran slightly downhill, and here's the part he wanted viewers to notice: the trike stayed in control the whole way without him touching the brakes. It didn't run away from him, it didn't wobble, and it didn't feel like it was gathering speed faster than he could manage.

That's worth unpacking. On a lot of e-bikes, the throttle is a separate channel that ignores whatever assist level you've selected. On the ride Les filmed, the assist level clearly shaped what the throttle would give him. In level two, full throttle down a gentle grade settled into a steady, manageable pace rather than an ever-increasing one. For a trike that's going to carry kids, I see that as a real advantage. It means the assist level acts like a ceiling you set in advance. You pick the level that matches the setting, and then you can relax your thumb without worrying that the speed is going to creep up on you.

One honest caveat. Les was on a gentle slope, and he called it "slightly downhill" more than once. On a steep descent, you should be on the brakes no matter what a speedometer is telling you, and that goes double with passengers aboard. The point of his test wasn't that brakes are optional. It was that the trike behaved predictably when he let it roll, which is exactly what you want from something this size.

Bumping up to level three

Next, Les kicked it up to level three. The speed climbed to 16, and his first reaction was that he felt real comfortable at 16. He watched it dip to 14 for a moment and then come back up. With the throttle bottomed out and the road still tilting slightly downhill, 16 looked like the most he was going to get out of level three.

I'm glad he narrated those little fluctuations instead of picking the best number and repeating it. Real rides aren't laboratory runs. Wind, a slight change in grade, and the speedometer updating all move the reading around a bit. What I take away from this stretch is the shape of it: level two is a relaxed pace, level three adds a noticeable step up, and in both cases the trike holds a steady speed instead of surging.

For context, the product page lists a top speed of 20 mph, available with either the throttle or pedal assist. Les didn't push into the top assist level on the flat, so the numbers he saw in level three shouldn't be read as the ceiling of the trike. They're the ceiling of level three on that particular piece of road, which is actually the more useful number for most families planning a neighborhood ride.

How I'd use the levels on a real family ride

Here's how I'd think about it if I were setting out with passengers. In a busy neighborhood, around a school, or anywhere kids might dart out from between parked cars, a lower level keeps the throttle's top end tame. Your passengers get a smooth ride, and you get more reaction time. On an open bike path with good sightlines, step up a level and let it cruise. When the road tilts up or you're starting from a dead stop with a full bench, that's when the higher levels earn their keep, and I'll get into that in the next section, because Les tested exactly that.

The broader lesson from this part of the ride is that throttle-only riding on this trike is genuinely usable, not a gimmick. You can cover real distance without pedaling, and the assist levels give you a simple way to decide how lively you want that throttle to feel. If you're someone who wants that kind of control on three wheels, our full lineup of electric trikes is the place to start comparing.

Braking when you do need it

Even though Les rode that slight downhill without touching the levers, stopping power is still one of the first things I look at on a passenger trike. The product page lists hydraulic disc brakes on this model. Hydraulic systems generally take less hand effort than cable-actuated ones, which you'll appreciate on a long day or a long hill with a loaded bench. If brakes are a top priority in your search, our e-trikes with disc brakes are collected in one spot.

Les never once looked rattled during this stretch. He was chatting, watching the display, and making small adjustments. That relaxed body language tells you as much as any number. A rider who is fighting the machine stops talking. Les kept talking the whole time.

After the flat and gently downhill stretch, Les reached his turnaround point. Turning a long rickshaw around is its own small skill, and he handled it without any fuss, swinging wide and keeping the speed down through the arc. Then the route changed character. The way back went slightly uphill, and this is where things got interesting.

Level four on the climb

Les bumped the assist up to level four for the climb. His reaction was immediate, and he said it twice for emphasis: for a big trike, this has got the power. Really has the power and the torque.

I want to spend a minute on that word torque, because it gets thrown around a lot and it's the thing that matters most on a trike like this. Top speed is what people ask about. Torque is what they feel. Torque is the shove you get when you twist the throttle from a standstill, and it's what keeps you moving up a hill instead of slowing to a crawl. On a passenger trike, torque decides whether the ride feels effortless or labored. It's the difference between pulling away from a stop sign smoothly with two kids on the bench and feeling the trike bog down while traffic waits behind you.

Les wasn't hauling passengers on this run, so he was feeling that torque on a lighter load than this trike is built for. But his surprise is telling. He had been riding other trikes from our lineup, and stepping onto this one, the extra grunt on the climb was the thing that jumped out at him.

Two motors, three ways to use them

Les didn't go into which drive mode he was using in the video, so I can't tell you which one was engaged during his climb. What I can tell you is what the product page describes. The dual-motor system can run in a rear-drive mode for efficient cruising, a front-drive mode for extra traction on gravel or wet roads, and a dual-drive mode that puts both motors to work when you need maximum torque for steep hills or a full load.

That flexibility is the real story of a dual-motor trike. You don't have to run both motors all the time. On a flat beach path with nobody on the bench, one motor is plenty, and you'll save battery doing it that way. When the road gets steep or the bench gets full, you call in the second motor. It's a little like having a four-wheel-drive switch on a truck: most days you leave it off, and on the days you need it, you're very glad it's there.

Dropping to level one in the parking lot

As Les rolled back into the parking lot, he dropped the assist all the way down to level one. I want to highlight that, because it's exactly the right instinct and it's one I wish every new rider had from day one.

Parking lots are some of the trickiest places you'll ride. Cars back out without looking. Pedestrians walk between rows with their heads down. Shopping carts drift. A big trike moving at a brisk pace through all that is asking for trouble, no matter how well it handles. Dropping to the lowest assist level turns the throttle into a gentle, walking-pace tool, and it gives you all the time in the world to react. Les did that automatically, without making a show of it, and that's the habit I'd want any rickshaw owner to pick up.

Even in level one, though, Les came back with a big grin and the same observation: this rickshaw dual motor is quick. It is quick. He said it twice, the way people do when they're a little surprised by how much fun they're having.

Cruising speed and staying in control

Les recapped the outbound leg for the camera. When he went full throttle out on the road, he said, the trike got up to its cruising speed, which he put at about 15. Earlier, in level three, he'd watched it hold 16. I wouldn't read anything into the one-mile-an-hour difference. He was recalling the ride from memory while he rolled through the lot, and speeds shift with the grade. The important part is the consistency: whether it was 15 or 16, the trike settled into a steady cruise and held it.

And through all of it, he said, he felt totally in control the whole time. Then, still rolling, he added, I still do. It feels good to ride. That's the line from the video I keep coming back to. A big, powerful trike can be intimidating, and the worry most people have before their first ride is that the power will be more than they can handle. Les's experience was the opposite. More power didn't make him feel less in control. It made the ride feel easier.

He capped the test with a cheerful sign-off on camera, the kind you only get from someone who's genuinely enjoying himself: the Rickshaw, yeah, baby. I've watched a lot of test ride footage over the years, and that unscripted moment says more about how this trike feels to ride than any spec I could list.

A note on stability through the turns

Before I leave this part of the ride, it's worth noticing what didn't happen. Les turned around, climbed, came back through a lot, and never once had to put a foot down or catch himself. That's the quiet benefit of a three-wheel platform: you don't balance it, it just stands there. At slow speeds and in tight maneuvers, that stability is a big reason riders who have given up on two wheels find they can ride again. The usual trike rule still applies, though. Slow down before a turn, not during it, especially with a full bench.

When Les parked and walked back to the camera, his summary was straightforward. You could tell that this one had more power. Then he explained why that matters: it's a lot bigger trike, so you've got a lot more weight to move, and when you add passengers, you're going to need that extra power.

That's the clearest explanation of why this model exists that I could give you, and Les gave it in two sentences. Every person on the bench is more weight. Every bag under the seat is more weight. The frame that's long and strong enough to carry all of that is itself heavier than a standard trike. Put it together and you've got a machine that needs real muscle to feel light on its feet. Underpowered, a loaded rickshaw feels sluggish off the line and works hard on every incline. With enough power, the same load feels almost like nothing, and that's what turns a trike into something you reach for every day instead of once a month.

The honest gap in this test: no passengers

Les was candid about the one thing missing from his ride. He said he wished he'd had passengers so he could give them a thrill, too. I appreciate him saying it, because it's an honest limit on what this particular video can tell you. His throttle test and his climb were done solo. With a full bench, speeds on the hills will be different, battery use will be different, and the brakes will be working harder.

What Les's solo ride does tell you is how much headroom is there. If a trike feels like it has the power and the torque with just the rider aboard, that reserve is exactly what you'll be drawing on once you add people. The product page also has footage of loaded riding if you want to see the trike working with passengers, and I'd recommend watching it alongside Les's ride to get the full picture.

Capacity and range

Because this trike is built to carry people, weight capacity is one of the first numbers families ask about. Rather than quote a figure here, I'd point you to the current specifications on the product page and to our collection of high weight capacity electric trikes, where you can compare models built for heavier loads. Whatever the number, the practical rule is the same: add up the rider, the passengers, and the gear, and leave yourself some margin.

Range works the same way. The product page lists up to 80 miles on this model's two batteries, and it notes that each battery can be charged on the bike or removed and charged wherever is convenient. Treat any range figure as a best case. Throttle-only riding, high assist levels, a full bench, hills, and cool weather all pull that number down. The upside of a dual-battery setup is that even a demanding day of family riding leaves you with a comfortable cushion instead of an anxious eye on the battery gauge.

Growing the trike as the family grows

Les's point about young families has a second half that's easy to miss. Families don't stay the same size. The product page shows how this rickshaw can expand with an optional rear subframe that attaches to the hitch, so you can add a second passenger seat, a trailer basket, or a cargo basket. With a second row, it's described as fitting up to six children. A full roof is offered as well, for riders who want shade and weather protection; our trike canopies are the place to see those add-ons.

That ability to switch between more seating and more cargo is part of why I think of this model as a platform rather than a single-purpose trike. One season it's a school-run machine. The next it's hauling beach chairs and a cooler. If you lean more toward hauling things than people, have a look at our cargo e-trikes too, so you can see the range of options for carrying gear.

The part you can't put on a spec sheet

Les closed by saying he had fun test driving the Rickshaw Dual Motor, and then, as if to make sure the point landed, he said it again: this is fun.

I don't want to skip past that. When you're spending real money on something this substantial, it's easy to get lost in watts and amp-hours and payload numbers. Those matter, and I've tried to give you the important ones here. But the reason people keep riding a trike after the first month is that it's enjoyable. It's the reason a parent says yes to an extra loop around the park, and the reason a grandparent volunteers for pickup duty. Les has ridden a lot of our trikes, and the thing he kept coming back to on this one was simply how much he enjoyed it.

And notice what he wanted to do with that enjoyment. He didn't talk about riding it alone. He talked about wanting passengers so he could share the thrill. That's what this trike is built for: taking the fun of riding and making room for the people you'd most like to bring along.

After watching Les ride and digging through the details on the product page, here's how I'd sum up who this trike suits best.

It's a strong fit if you want to carry passengers regularly, especially kids, and you want those rides to feel effortless rather than like a workout. It's a strong fit if you live somewhere with hills, because that's where the second motor and the extra torque Les felt really pay off. It's a good match for riders who want to rely on the throttle, whether that's because of joint pain, limited stamina, or simply preference, since Les showed that throttle-only riding on this trike is steady and predictable. And it's a natural choice for anyone who values the confidence of features like turn signals, lights, mirrors, and reverse.

Things to think about before you buy

Les said it plainly: this is a lot bigger trike. Before you order, measure where it's going to live. Check your garage or storage space, the gate or path you'll roll it through, and how you'll turn it around at home. The reverse function helps a great deal here, but it's still a large machine, and planning its parking spot ahead of time saves headaches later.

Think honestly about how you'll use it. If most of your rides are solo and flat, you may not need two motors. If you picture a bench full of kids heading up the hill to school, or a long weekend loop with the family, the dual-motor setup is what makes those rides feel easy. Our full electric rickshaw collection lets you compare the options side by side.

Finally, think about getting on and off. A low step-through matters more than people expect, particularly for older riders and for anyone who'll be helping passengers in and out. If easy mounting is high on your list, our easy-to-mount e-trikes are worth browsing.

Try it the way Les did

Nothing replaces a real ride. Les learned more about this trike in five minutes on the road than he could have in an hour reading about it, and you will too. If you're near Southern California, come visit our store and take one out yourself. Try the throttle at a couple of assist levels, take it up a small grade, and practice a slow turn and a back-up. You'll know quickly whether it feels as good to you as it did to Les.

If you can't get to us, our 30-day test ride lets you ride at home, on your own streets, with your own passengers. That's honestly the best test of all, because the hill near your house and the kids in your family are what matter, not the ones in our video.

Not sure about fit? You can get fitted with a personal consultation, and if spreading out the cost would help, take a look at our financing options.

Les finished his ride smiling, still talking about the power and still wishing he'd had someone on the bench to share it with. That's the best review I can give this trike: the person riding it wanted to bring more people along. If that sounds like the way you want to ride, the Rickshaw Dual Motor deserves a serious look.