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Changes to the RadExpand 5 Plus include a bigger, safer battery, the addition of a torque sensor, a more compact profile when folded, better security and a suspension fork.
Many of the features of the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus remain unchanged from the previous version, in part because it was already a terrific design. It still ships as a Class 2 e-bike with a maximum-assist speed of 20 mph and a half-twist throttle. It sports a 7-speed drivetrain with a roughly 260 percent gear range and hydraulic disc brakes paired to 180mm rotors.
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The Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus builds upon what was already a great design with the RadExpand 5. The upgrades don’t make this a completely different e-bike; they simply make a solid e-bike even better.
When we consider the features of an e-bike that we typically find would increase its value were they upgraded, our go-tos include the very changes they made to the RadExpand 5. The RadExpand 5 Plus comes with a safer battery with larger capacity for more range, a torque sensor to make the motor more responsive and riding more dynamic and hydraulic disc brakes for superior control, plus one detail we believe every folding e-bike needs: folding pedals.
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Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus Review: Specs & Features
Frame and fork
The frame on the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus hasn’t been changed, but that’s not to say that this model hasn’t evolved. The steel fork has now been replaced with a 50mm-travel suspension fork to take the sting out of bumps. This is a hydraulic fork, meaning the action of the coil spring is dampened by oil so that the fork doesn’t bounce like a pogo stick.
The RadExpand 5 Plus also enjoys an increase in weight capacity. It can now carry up to 315 lbs., with up to 225 lbs. of that being the rider.
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Motor and battery
The RadExpand 5 Plus’s motor remains unchanged. This is a 750W brushless, geared hub motor that produces 64Nm of torque. On an e-bike with bigger wheels, 64Nm might seem rather modest, but because the RadExpand 5 Plus rolls on 20-in. wheels, which are on the smaller side for an adult e-bike, 64Nm can accomplish more with those wheels than with 29-in. wheels.
One notable upgrade that we can’t see from photos is the addition of a torque sensor. Rather than waiting for the lag that occurs when a cadence sensor detects pedal motion, the torque sensor sends an immediate signal to the controller so that the RadExpand 5 Plus will accelerate on command and in proportion to the rider’s effort. It makes riding this e-bike a more thrilling and dynamic experience.
And while the motor is the same as the previous RadExpand, the battery is not. The RadExpand 5 Plus comes equipped with Rad’s new 720Wh Safe Shield battery. Rad Power Bikes’s new Safe Shield technology surrounds the cells with a resin to result in a “potted” battery. The resin is heat-absorbing, so if a battery begins to heat up, the resin helps to prevent the battery from reaching thermal runaway.
Rad Power Bikes now estimates that with the upgraded battery the RadExpand 5 Plus may offer riders 60 mi. or more per charge. Not only is this new battery certified to UL’s 2271 standard for batteries, the entire e-bike is now certified to UL’s 2849 standard.
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Componentry
The fork change does mean that the quick-release front wheel has been replaced with a bolt-on front wheel, but in the spirit of keeping this folding e-bike as compact as possible, Rad Power Bikes has added folding pedals to make the RadExpand 5 Plus as narrow a package as possible, once folded.
Drivetrain, brakes and wheels
Another notable upgrade from the RadExpand 5 is the decision to move from mechanical disc brakes with 180mm rotors to hydraulic disc brakes, still with 180mm rotors.
Unchanged from the previous edition is the 7-speed Shimano drivetrain with 14-32t freewheel.
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EBR’s Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus First Look Review:
As with the RadExpand 5, the Rad Power Bikes RadExpand 5 Plus is priced in that ultra-competitive $1500-$2000 segment where shoehorning value in can seem a bit like sitting on top of an overstuffed suitcase. The addition of a new, safer (UL 2271 and UL 2849) battery that may increase range by a third, a torque sensor, hydraulic disc brakes, a suspension fork and folding pedals is significant; this isn’t mere window-dressing.
When we look at the features we typically suggest can be improved—motor performance, battery range, brakes, and drivetrain—Rad Power Bikes has overhauled three of those four. We do prefer the 8-speed drivetrain found on the new Radsters, but criticizing the RadExpand 5 Plus for not having an 8-speed drivetrain is to miss the bigger picture. This was already a fine value and these new features make this e-bike an even more compelling buy now.
Rad Power Bikes still has stock of the RadExpand 5, so shoppers can choose to save several hundred dollar by going with the older version. And maybe that’s the best test of all for value: When considering whether we would spend more for the new features or save a few hundred bucks by going with the old one, the choice to us seems clear: The extra investment for the RadExpand 5 Plus is money well-spent.
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