I don’t know about where you live, but electric bikes have invaded like a swarm of locusts here in Ventura, California. They silently climb steep trails with ease, zip along bike paths, and book it down city streets.
Most e-bikes have pedals that can be used to assist in the generation of motive power, and depending on an e-bike’s class (1, 2, or 3) and state laws, speeds are typically limited to 20-28 mph.
But there are also electric motorbikes that forego the pedals and rely purely on electrons to keep the wheels turning. A popular choice among teenagers here in Ventura is the Surron Light Bee X, a 100-lb electric dirtbike that’s delivered with a 16-mph speed limit but can be “hacked” to allow speeds of 50 mph or more. Some talented daredevils on Surrons rip endless wheelies down city streets, all but terrorizing local folks who complain endlessly about those “crazy kids” on NextDoor.
Enter the UBCO 2×2, an electric utility bike built by a company based in New Zealand that has a U.S. headquarters in Bend, Oregon. UBCO bikes were originally designed for use on farms and trails, their “utility” evident in the beefy trellis step-through frame, front and rear racks, and knobby tires.
What intrigued me about UBCO bikes is the “2×2” part – with a 1-kWh motor in each wheel hub, they are 2-wheel-drive. I’ve always wondered what it was like to ride a 2WD Christini dirtbike, so I figured the UBCO would give me a taste. Putting a motor in each wheel hub makes sense. It not only improves traction with two driven wheels but also simplifies packaging of the drivetrain since there is no chain or belt and no sprockets.
UBCO’s lineup includes four models. There are two off-road-only models: the 2×2 Work utility model ($3,999 for 2.1 kWh, $4,999 for 3.1 kWh) and 2×2 Hunt Edition ($6,499, 3.1 kWh only), a kitted-out model aimed at game hunters. And there are two street-legal dual-sport models: the 2×2 Adventure ($4,999 for 2.1 kWh, $5,999 for 3.1 kWh) and the 2×2 Special Edition ($6,999, 3.1 kWh only), which is the focus of this review.
The 2×2 Special Edition has a unique sage green paint job and includes several accessories that set it apart from the base-model 2×2 Adventure, including two Giant Loop Pronghorn straps for the front rack, a 12-liter center carry-all bag, a 30-liter rear rack bag, and a Peak Design smartphone mount.
You can buy an UBCO from a dealer, or you can have it shipped directly to your home, which is what I did (all orders incur a $450 shipping charge). It arrived in a recyclable cardboard crate and required minor assembly – straightening and tightening the handlebar, bolting on the turnsignals, and installing the mirrors, luggage, and smartphone mount.
Atop the tapered aluminum handlebar is a metal, color-matched nacelle that houses the LED headlight and a digital instrument panel, which has bar gauges for battery level and regenerative braking as well as readouts for speed, motor temperature, odometer, and clock. Pairing the UBCO app to the bike through a smartphone and then mounting it just behind the steering stem allows the rider to view a more vivid, feature-rich display and access functions like ride modes (Normal, Boost, and Eco) and regen level (Low, Medium, and High).
Even though it has a boxy frame, the UBCO 2×2 is narrow between the knees and has a compact cockpit thanks to its short wheelbase. The wide, plush solo seat is 32 inches high, and it flips up to provide more access to the center carry-all (which is the perfect size for two six-packs). Under the seat is a “field kit” with an owner’s manual and a toolkit.
Operationally, the UBCO is a breeze. Press the red button near the right grip “throttle” to turn the bike on, press it again to switch from neutral to drive, and then twist and go. Like many electric bikes, acceleration from a stop is brisk. The weight immediately shifts to the rear wheel, causing the driven front wheel to chirp or slip a bit as it tries to grab traction.
The 2×2 Adventure and 2×2 Special Edition are both street-legal, but their top speed is 30 mph (and therefore, they are classified as mopeds in most states). That’s just 2 mph faster than the mandated speed limit for Class 3 e-bikes, and it’s slower than most vehicular traffic even in a 25-mph zone. As a result, I relegated myself to the bicycle lane on city streets.
With tires that are just 2.75 inches (70mm) wide and a total weight of just 156 lb, the UBCO is effortless to maneuver. Since it looks like an e-bike, I took the UBCO on paved bike paths, local trails, and even the beach. Two-wheel-drive came in handy on sketchy, uneven single track and it was a revelation in deep sand – the UBCO just tractored right along where bigger, heavier, more powerful bikes with one driven wheel would have plowed the front and been a handful.
Where the UBCO struggled was on really steep hills. We have a few city blocks in Ventura that rival the steepest streets in San Francisco, and the UBCO didn’t have enough grunt to climb them. (In a side-by-side comparison with a Yamaha TW200 on UBCO’s website, UBCO claims the 2×2 produces 4 hp.)
GEAR UP | UBCO 2×2 Special Edition
Thanks to the UBCO’s low speed limit and light weight, it doesn’t run down the battery as quickly as faster, heavier electric motorcycles. On one ride, I cruised up the Ventura River Parkway Trail, a paved rails-to-trails bike path that goes from the beach in Ventura to the mountain town of Ojai, climbing from near sea level to about 1,000 feet. I kept the “throttle” pinned for most of the trip, and after 26 miles and 1 hour and 10 minutes of riding, the battery had dropped from 100% to 46%. The UBCO comes with a 10-amp fast charger that plugs into a normal 110V wall outlet, and a full charge takes 4-6 hours.
Living in a small surf town like I do, the UBCO is the perfect runabout because there are plenty of bike lanes, bike paths, and trails. Its racks and bags make it easy to tote gear down to the beach, bring beers home from local breweries, or pick up a few items at the store.
The UBCO has a steering lock, but our 2×2 SE test bike didn’t come with a key. There’s no “ignition” key either, so when parked there was nothing to stop some knucklehead from starting it up and riding away. I kept a Kryptonite New York Chain in the center carry-all and locked it up when necessary.
The UBCO certainly looks cool. Its mil-spec (ish) green paint and tubular trellis frame make it look like a two-wheeled jeep, and it received lots of double takes and “What’s that?” questions from folks on the street.
But the $6,999 price tag is a big ask for a street-legal electric motorbike that only goes 30 mph, especially if you end up riding in the bike lane most of the time. There’s a lot of competition in the two-wheeled EV world – the Surron Light Bee X costs $4,400, Super73 electric bikes cost $2,995-$4,595, and there are plenty of 28-mph Class 3 e-bikes out there for less than $2,000.
The UBCO 2×2 Special Edition is special, but not quite special enough to justify the price.
2023 UBCO 2×2 Special Edition Specs
- Base Price: $6,999
- Website: UBCO.com
- Warranty: 1 yr., unltd. miles
- Motor Type: Dual 1kW brushless DC air-cooled Flux2 motors (one in each wheel hub)
- Horsepower: 4 hp (factory claim)
- Battery: 3.1 kWh
- Max. Speed: 30 mph
- Max. Range: 75 miles (factory claim)
- Charge Time: 4-6 hrs. using included 10-amp fast charger (factory claim)
- Final Drive: Direct
- Wheelbase: 47.8 in.
- Seat Height: 32 in.
- Frame: Tubular aluminum alloy trellis
- Suspension, Front: Telescopic fork, coil-spring w/ hydraulic damping, adj. preload & rebound, 5.1 in. travel
- Rear: Dual shocks, coil-over-spring w/ hydraulic damping, adj. preload & rebound, 4.7 in. travel
- Brakes, Front & Rear: Single 203mm disc w/ 2 piston-radial hydraulic caliper, plus regeneration
- Wheels, Front & Rear: Spoked aluminum, 1.85 x 17
- Tires, Front & Rear: Tube-type, 2.75 x 17
- Curb Weight: 156 lb (factory claim)
- Load Capacity: 330 lb (factory claim)
