To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Electric Bike Technologies. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Electric Bike Technologies products.

　　After covering so many bikes at Electric Bike Review, over time, they can start to blend tougher somewhat…So it is always fun and refreshing for us to see our 3 wheeled friends, the trike. Today we are checking out the Liberty Trike from Electric Bike Technologies. The Liberty Trike is a somewhat familiar face for those in the ebike world. Having been around as a favorite for affordability and mobility, the parent company has upgraded it bit by bit over the years to bring us the 2019 version we have today. So as just mentioned, it is quite affordable at $1,498, and it is indeed mobility oriented. That is thanks to the super low stand over height, narrow width, and portability for both short and long distance traveling. First, we will talk about that standover height. It’s very low to the ground and easy to approach. If you can get your leg over a single staircase step, then it should be okay for you to get over and onto the Liberty Trike. The wheels here are 16” which keeps things nice and compact as well. The overall width of the trike was kept narrow on purpose, to get in and out of small doorways and through skinny aisle or crowds of people, and this is something it does exceptionally well! The stem and handlebars are removable, as well as the battery, and the already compact trike can fold via the latch on the main frame tube to get it even smaller. I have heard stories of people easily stowing this in the trunk of a car, or even taking it on an airplane as we will talk about a bit more later. Seating on the Liberty Trike is nice and comfortable, thanks to the upgraded 11” wide saddle that now comes standard with a backrest. Pedaling is better too, the rear seat stay frame has been slightly changed so that now you have more heel clearance. Additionally, the crank arm itself has been refined to a longer American style crank so you get a more natural pedal motion, where as the older version, the pedaling action could feel like you were on a toddler trike. As you sit, you will see the simple controls, small grips, and the twist throttle on the right… I love that the handlebars have a rise to it so they come out and meet you nicely, even if you are taller. The stem is telescoping and easy to adjust as well as the seat with a quick release lever. For creature comforts, you get a nice chain guard to protect your clothing from getting eaten up by the chain. You also now get a front fender with a large mud flap to keep you dry and the dirt out of the way. One of the fan favorites is still here too, the rear basket. This is mounted on the battery rack and has nice strong tubing for carrying you bag or other items around. Another fan favorite is the many colors it comes in, there are 11 fun colors to chose from.

　　Driving the trike is a front hub-drive motor rated at 500 watts. This motor is encased in the wheel rim itself and has a torque arm to keep things stable and sturdy. Although the Liberty Trike is throttle only with no pedal assist, I really appreciate that it has a reverse mode where as most others don’t. It coms in really handy and it is setup in such a way that you can’t reverse during forward movement as a safety feature. The throttle here increases smoothly and you can control that level of power with 5 modes of throttle responsiveness. This is great if you need to dial it down for hanging out with a slow moving crowd at like a museum or something similar, yet you can dial it up and really get going for long stretches. The controller here is external which keeps battery replacement costs down, and it also makes maintenance easy. The same could be said about the external wiring here too. In the rear you have a 20 tooth sprocket, but the real interesting mechanical piece here are the brakes. In the front you have a Promax 300 160mm mechanical disc brake powered by the left brake lever and includes a motor inhibitor. However, to stop the rear, many appreciate the traditional style coaster brake. A coaster brake is where you stop the pedals (some people say pedal backwards) to engage the brakes. It feels natural to most, however there is no motor inhibitors on this rear brake, something I wish was present. There is a parking brake though, which is nice for loading and unloading.

　　Powering the trike is a 36v 8ah lithium ion battery pack. I love that this one has a metal enclosure to keep it protected. Also, the battery here has a handle and mounts securely on a sturdy metal plate. The battery is pretty lightweight so having it mounted in the rear makes turning easy. It is secured by lock and key and the key is also what turns the trike on in an ignition style. When I asked them about the lower 8ah rating, Electric Bike Technologies told me that it was actually done on purpose. For one, they riders found they weren’t using the full capacity of the battery on their average trips, and two, the 8ah rating meets federal regulations with the FAA so you can take the battery with you when you fly! This is nice since as a mobility trike, it stows away nicely, so it really makes the ultimate travel companion. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.

　　Operating the trike is simple. Once the battery is mounted, start by turning the key in the on position. From there, hold it ‘i’ button to turn on the display. The battery is shown across the top in 5 ticks, so 20% increments. Shown below that is you speed in MPH and the various levels of throttle assist you might be in, 0-5. To change the throttle assist, simply hit + or – button on the controls mounted on the left handle bar. Keep in mind, the throttle assist level controls the top speed too. This is great so if you are in a parking lot, or need to take it slow, you can have it… let’s say at level 2, and the throttle will go nice and easy without fast acceleration and keeps the top speed limited. Similarly, if you want to go full out, you can put it in level 5 and the throttle will act accordingly. Anyways, the display is not removable which is kind of a shame, but it is clear and easy to read. I also noticed there is a button on the left controls underneath that can act as a walk mode if you need to move the bike forward while carting it around.

　　Overall I found the Liberty Trike to be a wonderful trike built with purpose and thoughtfulness. I enjoyed the easy going ride but also have a lot of appreciation for the practicality of it all. The trike may not be for everyone however, so let’s go over the tradeoffs here to see if it is a good fit for you. Some riders will be turned off by no pedal assist, but I found the throttle to be something I wanted to make a priority anyway. When turning tightly, you have to shift your weight since it is such a small vehicle, this may be annoying for some riders wanting to take things a bit faster. And finally, I love the back brake, but I wish it had a motor inhibitor like the front does. I feel it would make the whole process more natural. Even with those tradeoffs considered, there is a lot of practicality and it is hard to argue with a $1,498 price point. With stellar online reviews and a lineage of reliability, this trike will likely appeal to many of the right people. A big thanks to Electric Bike Technologies for letting me try out the Liberty Trike!

　　As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Electric Bike Technologies Ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)A compact trike centered around mobility, portability, and reliability, thanks to its narrow wheel base, easy to use operation, folding aspects, and simple mechanicsIt is very low to the ground and easy to approach, if you can get your leg over a single staircase step, then it should be okay for you to get over and onto the Liberty TrikeThe overall width of the trike was kept narrow on purpose, to get in and out of small doorways and through skinny aisle or crowds of people, and this is something it does exceptionally wellThe stem and handlebars are removable, as well as the battery, and the already compact trike can fold via the latch on the main frame tube to get it even smaller, I have heard stories of people easily stowing this in the trunk of a car, or even taking it on an airplaneSeating on the Liberty Trike is nice and comfortable, thanks to the upgraded 11” wide saddle that now comes standard with a backrestPedaling has been improved, the rear seat stay frame has been changed so that now you have more heel clearance, also, the crank arm itself has been refined to a longer American style crank so you get a more natural pedal motionFan favorites like 11 different color options, folding capabilities, and rear battery rack mounted basket are still here, part of what made the original such a successFor creature comforts, you get a nice chain guard to protect your clothing from getting eaten up by the chain, you also now get a front fender with a large mud flap to keep you dry and the dirt out of the wayThe throttle here increases smoothly and you can control that level of power with 5 modes of throttle responsiveness, this is great if you need to dial it down for hanging out with a slow moving crowd at like a museum or something similar, yet you can dial it up and really get going for long stretchesI love the coasting brake that allows you to brake traditionally by pedaling backwards, you also get a front mechanical disc brake with a motor inhibitorBattery has been kept compact and with a lower amp hour rating so you can fly with your Liberty Trike and battery while following FAA guidelinesCost has been kept down, despite the upgrades this year, they have been able to maintain the affordable $1,498 MSRPThe brake setup is nice, but I do wish the rear coaster brake had a motor inhibitor to cut power to the motor like the front brake does, sometimes I just want to use the rear brake by itself, I didn’t have any problems doing so, but it would add peace of mind to have it there tooWhen taking tight turns or going at higher speed, you have to shift your weight since the setup is so compact and narrow, most of the time you may not need to worry about it, but for people wanting to go a bit faster, keep that in mindThere is no pedal assist here, just a throttle for electrical propulsion, however, this was not a big deal as I felt the throttle was more appropriate anywayA lot of external wires, none internal, but this is actually good for maintenance and folding I guessA very minor gripe here, but I do wish it had nicer aluminum alloy pedals, plastic pedals were chosen, likely to keep costs downOfficial Site: https://www.libertytrike.com/