Jasion Thunder E-Bike review – Fat tire fun!

REVIEW – So bear with me….I’m new to e-bikes, and the Jasion Thunder E-Bike is my first experience with one. Excited was an understatement when it came to having the opportunity to review this e-bike! Am I a convert from traditional, pedal-powered bicycles? Does riding an e-bike have benefits? Did I grin ear-to-ear while riding the Jasion Thunder E-Bike? YES – on all three counts!

⬇︎ Jump to summary (pros/cons)
Price: $1799.00 $949.00 for the Thunder Combo (EBike+Rack+Fender+Rear basket)
Where to buy: Jasion Bike Company website

What is it?

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike is a fat tire, all-terrain electric bike that tops out at 30 MPH with a maximum distance of 80 miles. It’s capable of carrying 400 lbs and comes 85% assembled.

What’s included?

• eBike with pre-installed
  • Rear Brake Light and Turn Signals
  • Rear Wheel
  • Transmission
  • Kickstand
  • Display
  • Brakes
  • Handlebars
  • Front Adjustable Suspension
  • Wiring
• User Manual
• Front Light
• Seat
• 2-keys
• Battery
• 2 pedals
• 1 Front Wheel
• 1 Toolkit
• 1 Charger
• Rear rack
• Rear basket

Tech specs

Battery: 48V 18Ah
Range: 80 miles MAX
Hub Motor: 1800W Brushless Gear Motor
Total Payload Capacity: 400 lbs
Weight: 82 lbs
Recommended Rider Heights: 5’2″ to 6’3″
Tires: 26 x 4 Puncture-Resistant Tires
Throttle: Twist Throttle
Pedal Assist: 0 through 5
Top Speed: 30+ mph
Torque: 85 Nm
Safety: UL 2849
Front Suspension: Adjustable 80mm
Rear Suspension: None
Brakes: 180mm Dual Hydraulic
Sensor: Cadence
App: Jasion Smart App
Screen:
Seat: Ergonomic, Padded
Drivetrain: Shimano 7-Speed
Charger: 54.6V 2A
Frame: High Carbon Steel Step-Through
Battery: Removable 864Wh Lithium Ion
Recharge Time: 7-8 hours from empty
Lights: Front Headlight, Rear Brake Light, Turn Signals

Design and features

There are so many different types of e-bikes; you have foldable ones, fat tire ones, ones that look like mini motorcycles, some that are made for commuting, and even some that are designed not to look like an e-bike. Then throw in battery capacities, charging times, safety features, app control, frame types, brake types….the list is long, and I spent a lot of time diving deep into this rabbit hole.

I’m a bigger guy (6’1 with a sweet tooth), and I know some e-bikes just were not going to fit me or be comfortable for me. I’m also a “photography enthusiast” who likes to adventure off the beaten path to find nature and landscape pictures to take. So when the option to review the Jasion Thunder E-Bike came up, I enthusiastically said “YES PLEASE”!

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike is a fat tire beast of a bike, weighing in around 82 lbs. Since I opted for the Thunder Combo, I also received a rear rack, fenders, rear basket, in addition to the Jasion Thunder E-Bike. With everything installed, I’m guessing the bike was closer to 90 lbs. But because of its size and construction, it also had a payload of 400 lbs. This is more than enough to haul me and a couple of boxes of Hostess goodies around. My height puts me near the top limit of supported rider heights (5’2 to 6’3). For the most part, I was comfortable, but I wouldn’t mind having the seat a little further back.

I may invest in a suspension seat post that will put me back a tiny bit, and give me some rear suspension, as the Jasion Thunder E-Bike only has front adjustable (up to 80mm) suspension. I’m not riding on washboard trails or trails full of ruts, so I had no problem with the suspension setup. I do think the wide, cushioned seat helps with that, too!

I wasn’t sure if I would like the step-through frame. But with the rear rack and basket installed, as well as having my seat up high, swinging a leg over would be nearly impossible. It is so easy to get going with a step-through!

I’ve been a motorcycle rider for a long time, and it’s been a while since I last had my own motorcycle. It’s something that I’m looking into. But I was surprised how much riding the Jasion Thunder E-Bike reminded me of my motorcycle rides. I mean, it’s a beefy machine, it has a headlight, rear brake light, turn signals, a horn (not a bell), a speedometer, throttle, and hydraulic brakes. I just wasn’t expecting all that. If it weren’t for the pedals and the bicycle ergonomics, it would probably require a license and insurance.

The display is plenty bright and can show a lot of information like battery remaining (in bars), speed, distance, mode, and assistant indicators.

The Jasion Ride app connects to the Jasion Thunder E-Bike via Bluetooth, so you will need to be near the bike. Through the app, you can make finer adjustments such as customizing the top speed, PAS level limits, as well as setting the units and basic settings. You can turn the bike on and see elapsed metrics like mileage, minutes, and speed.

Shifting gears on the Jasion Thunder E-Bike is smooth with the Shimano 7-speed drive. I did not have to do any additional adjustments.

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike comes with a set of keys. Unlike a vehicle, the keys are not needed to “start” the bike, but rather to lock or unlock access to the battery. This makes sense to secure the battery, but also to charge the battery away from the bike. For example, if riding to work, once you arrive, you could pop out the battery, charge it up in the office, and then it’ll be ready for home.

Assembly, Installation, Setup

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike came in a large and heavy cardboard box. I found unboxing it works best by breaking down the sides to expose all the parts. A tool kits was provided that allowed for putting together the bike and making any adjustments. The bike comes almost completely assembled, with only having to mount the front wheel, and install the handlebars. If you get the combo package, then you’ll need to install the rear rack, and the rear basket. The only adjustments I needed to make were the front headlight and the rear fender.

Great job by Jasion to provide clear assembly instructions with pictures and descriptions. I think I had the basic Jasion Thunder E-Bike assembled in less than 30 minutes, but add another 15-20 minutes to install all the accessories included with the combo package.

Although the box is big, and it looks like there are so many parts, just take your time and follow the instructions and you shouldn’t have any issues.

Performance

After getting the Jasion Thunder E-Bike put together, I was eager to try it out. After reading about the PAS levels and how to switch between them, I set off on a short neighborhood ride. The speed limit in our community is 25 mph. I was past that in no time!

In the Jasion app, I could set speed limits for the different PAS levels, but I left the defaults on, and basically, maximum speed is available at any level.

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike has a cadence sensor that uses to speed of your pedaling to provide power. The other type of sensor is a torque sensor that uses the force of your pedaling to provide power. Since this is my first e-Bike, I didn’t have any issues with the cadence sensor. Maybe I’ll try out a torque sensor to experience the difference.

Ok, time to share an embarrassing story. The day after putting the Jasion Thunder E-Bike together and getting everything adjusted for me, some friends invited me to go on a ride with them. One of them had a similar (very similar) e-bike from a different brand, and the other had a traditional pedal-powered only mountain bike. Everything started great, but there was a gate that we had to navigate through, and I started to notice that my bike would not just stop….it would still creep forward even when I was at a standstill. I was confused, but we didn’t stay stationary long enough for it to be a problem. Then we needed to go up a decent incline, and I twisted the throttle and nothing happened; it was still hard to pedal – I wasn’t getting any help from the motor. I was losing momentum and really struggling to get this 90-pound bike up this hill. Well…I didn’t make it. I had to stop in the middle of the road, reboot the Jasion Thunder E-Bike, and try again. That’s when I noticed an icon of a figure walking a bike. After pushing the bike up the rest of the hill, I read the manual as I caught my breath. I  had inadvertently put it in Walk Assist Mode. Doh! I was able to switch it off and things got back to ‘normal’ for me. But it must’ve been confusing for those people watching me pushing this best of an e-bike up the hill instead of riding it with the throttle on.

The Jasion Thunder E-Bike comes with a twist throttle, again a similarity with a motorcycle. It was second nature to me, and I’m not sure if I would like a thumb throttle, but maybe a review for a different day. One thing I noticed, if the PAS was at any level other than zero, and I was getting on or off the bike while turning the handlebars, I would accidentally slightly twist the throttle, and the bike would feel like it’s getting away from me. It was an uneasy feeling, but muscle memory kicked in, and I either put the bike in PAS zero or carefully managed not to twist the throttle.The battery life indicator is measured in 5 bars. My rides usually are around 20 miles, and I have  4 bars of battery left. I tend to leave it in PAS of 1 or 2. According to the manual, each bar represents about 20% of battery life.

I did not feel confident with the braking power. It’s great that the Jasion Thunder E-Bike has dual hydraulic brakes, but it felt that there wasn’t that initial ‘bite’ when braking resulting in a longer time and distance before the bike actually stopped. I had to plan my braking in advance, and late corner braking was a little nerve-racking. I’m not sure if the brake lines just need to be bled to get any air out or if there is another adjustment that can be made.

Final thoughts

I have a friend who is adamant against e-bikes, often stating that it’s “cheating”. And while I can see his point of view, if I only used the throttle, the assistance level is entirely up to the rider. Do I want a workout? Then I would set the PAS to zero and work really hard pedaling a 90-pound bike around.

I found the Jasion Thunder E-Bike a great tool for exploring new areas. If I were on a pedal-only bike, I may not be willing to go down some trails or go up some hills to see what kind of picture I can take. But with an e-bike, I can zip down or zip up, check it out, and get back on the main trail. I find that I can go farther and arrive with more energy to go exploring.

Am I convert? Yes. I like to option of having assistance when I want it or need it. The Jasion Thunder E-Bike gets me out more often.

Does riding an e-bike have benefits? Yes. I get out more, am willing to go further, and arrive not entirely wiped out.

Did I grin ear-to-ear? Yes….and still do!

What I like about Jasion Thunder eBike

• Sturdy, well-made
• Long-lasting battery life
• Top speed

What needs to be improved?

• Heavy
• Wish for more places to frame-mount accessories
• Wish for a straighter handlebar to allow room to mount additional items
• Brakes felt squishy, not very confidence inspiring

Price: $1799.00 $949.00 Thunder Combo (EBike+Rack+Fender+Rear basket)
Where to buy: Jasion Website
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Jasion Bike Company. Jasion Bike Company did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.

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