RadRunner 2 Electric Hunting And Utility Bike Review

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review – Introduction

Are you looking for more information about the RadRunner 2 as an electric bike for hunting? Then this Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review is right for you.

Read further to discover exactly how well this electric bike performs as an essential and effective hunting tool.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: How Well Does This Electric Hunting Bike Perform In The Backcountry?

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The RadRunner 2 electric bike might look more like a moped or a regular commuter ebike for on-road riding but don’t be fooled by this first impression.

Behind an unpretentious exterior lies a very well-designed and thought-through electric hunting and cargo bike.

It’s certainly very versatile which is why RAD Power Bikes calls it their “Jack of all trades”.

It’s a true workhorse and RAD has emphasized functionality and utility in building an ebike that performs very well indeed in a variety of different settings while being sold at a very attractive price point.

This affordable step-through hunting ebike is nothing fancy but it’s reliable, versatile, and good at what it does.

It’s comfortable to ride and probably will last a long time.

Versatility is good, but we want to know what the RadRunner 2 brings to the hunting table to make our hunting trips easier and more successful, right?

So, let’s dive into my Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Hill Climbing Capabilities

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Let’s start with hill climbing which is an important aspect of hunting and riding through the backcountry.

ElectricBikeReview tested the hill climbing capabilities of the RadRunner 2 and came to the very positive conclusion: “It’s not purposely designed to be an aggressive hill climber but it did it anyway”.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Motor

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes edited by Electric-Hunting-Bike.com

The RadRunner 2 is equipped with a powerful 750 W motor that is engineered by RAD and designed in-house.

It’s a geared rear hub motor which makes the RadRunner 2 easier to handle, more forgiving and more beginner-friendly.

This electric hunting bike has an intelligent 4-level pedal assist system coupled with a low-profile cadence sensor.

This setup allows you to go steeper at lower speeds which can be very beneficial especially if you’re carrying a lot of weight while riding over rough terrain.

The RadRunner 2 hunting ebike comes with a half-twist grip throttle and generally runs very quietly.

There seems to be no strain even when under high output.

750 W not enough for you? Read my review of the Best Electric Hunting Bike.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Brakes

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes

The RadRunner 2 electric hunting bike has TEKTRO mechanical disc brakes with 180 mm rotors at the front and rear wheels installed.

These high-quality brakes are easy to work on and set up.

They’re also super adjustable and super “tunable”.

That’s very important because the performance of a mechanical disc brake heavily depends on how well it’s tuned.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Off-Roading Capabilities

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The RadRunner 2 was originally developed as a utility cargo bike. However, it’s perfectly equipped to offer some astounding off-road capabilities, too.

The powerful 750 W motor combined with exclusive Kenda tires give this ebike some good off-road capabilities. It can easily handle a light dirt trail or a fire road and it’s confident on mulch, grass, gravel, and sand.

When conducting the research for my Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review I fell in love with how nimble this electric hunting bike is.

Compared to the previous model, I only noticed a few changes.

The head tube is now just a little bit taller while the overall bike’s wheelbase is 1 inch longer. This makes the bike feel a little bit more stable, especially at speed. The ebike’s chainstay on the other hand is now 1/8 of an inch shorter.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Tires

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes edited by Electric-Hunting-Bike.com

The 20” x 3.3” exclusive Rad Power Bikes tires by Kenda K-Rad are smaller than your average fat tires but they have a nice tread with nice gaps and little knobs about 3 mm high for good traction.

These tires are puncture-resistant tires (4-ply with K-Shield puncture-resistant liner) that offer some nice dual-sport capabilities.

Please note that due to supply chain issues RAD Power Bikes might have to use tires with different branding.

The RadRunner electric hunting bike has aluminum rims with 36 holes and a width of 55 mm.

When tested in the field, the RadRunner 2 hunting ebike has proven itself to handle off-road terrain very well.

This ebike has great carving capabilities letting you explore any trails with hard-packed dirt, some leaves and branches, and even the occasional rocks.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Suspension

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The RadRunner 2 electric hunting bike has a rigid steel fork with no suspension but the rear tire and the cushioned seat absorb a lot of the bumps.

However, you do feel a lot of vibration in the handlebar.

Given that this hunting ebike is much more affordable than other electric hunting bikes I guess that’s the kind of compromise one has to make.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Seat

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The custom Rad Power Bikes moped-style saddle comes with extra padding, a fixed angle, and an integrated steel seat post.

This Millenium falcon style seat seems wider than usual and narrower or shorter from front to back.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Gearing

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes

The RadRunner 2 is a single-speed hunting ebike with no gearing.

It has a single-speed drive train with 52 teeth at the big front chain ring and a 16-tooth cog in the rear.

I would describe this as a medium setting comparable to gear 4 in a nine-gear setting.

This results in a nice “middle ground” gear ratio that’s comfortable on uphills and also when cruising on the flat. However, if you want an affordable electric hunting bike with a gearing system please read my article Best Hunting eBike Under $2000.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Cockpit

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My Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review wouldn’t be complete without an in-depth look at the cockpit.

Just like the overall ebike, the cockpit of the RadRunner 2 hunting ebike is very functional without any unnecessary gadgets.

Image: ©Outsider

It features Rad Power Bike’s custom LED display which is kind of very minimalistic but provides you with all the necessary functions such as a light switch, power, pedal-assist up and down, and battery levels.

The handlebar is made out of aluminum with 686 mm width, and 10′ rise, which I’d consider “high rise”.

The grips are made of durable ergonomic rubber.

One feature I especially love about the RadRunner 2 cockpit is the bell that’s neatly integrated into the brake lever.

It’s a cute little detail that was quite unexpected and put a smile on my face.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Load Capabilities

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes edited by Electric-Hunting-Bike.com

The RadRunner 2 has a 6061 aluminum frame with a maximum weight capacity of an impressive 300 lb.

Given the very attractive price tag of this electric hunting bike it can carry about the same amount of weight as many of its premium peers.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Rack

While with some other hunting ebikes the rear rack has to be purchased separately and fixed to the ebike manually, I like the fact that the RadRunner 2 comes with a Rear rack that’s already integrated into the rear frame giving it a much greater payload capacity.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Range Capabilities

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Depending on your style of hunting, the range you can cover with your electric hunting bike on a single battery charge might be more or less important to you.

However, it’s always good to know that you’re not running out of power unexpectedly, right?

According to Rad Power Bikes the RadRunner 2 can travel up to 25-45+ miles per charge.

The team from ElectricBikeReport has put this to the test and they found the following results:

When riding in Pedal Assist level 2 they managed to travel 46.65 miles with an average speed of 14.7 mph.
When riding in Pedal Assist level 4 they managed to travel 31.06 miles with an average speed of 16.7 mph.

These are quite impressive numbers and the range is probably enough for most hunting scenarios.

By bringing along a second battery you can, of course, always double your range as well.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Battery

Image: ©RAD Power Bikes edited by Electric-Hunting-Bike.com

The RadRunner 2 comes equipped with a solid 48 V 14 Ah battery that’s mounted right behind the seat post and delivers a total of 672 Wh.

Given my earlier assumption that 1 mile consumes approximately 20 Wh of energy, a single battery charge would give a theoretical range of 33.6 miles without pedaling.

The RadRunner also comes with the 48V, 2 Amp Rad Power Bikes smart charger that operates on 100V-240V AC power outlets.

The controller on the RadRunner 2 is Rad Power Bikes’ very own controller with 48 V and 750 W.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Speed Capabilities

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While speed might not be the most important factor for an electric hunting bike, I want to include it in my Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review.

The RadRunner 2 is originally designed as a cargo bike, i.e. a bike that can carry a lot of weight, gear, and hunt. It’s not designed as a speed racer.

I like the nice throttle power to help you pull off from zero or stand still.

The RadRunner 2’s top speed is 20 mph but, in the highest pedal-assist mode (4) it’s rather difficult to pedal fast enough to get more than 14-15 mph (because of the lack of any gearing).

You probably don’t want to ride much faster anyway when you’re carrying a lot of weight across some rough terrain, right?

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: RadRunner 2 Upgrades and Mods

The RadRunner 2 electric hunting bike comes equipped with

composite platform pedals with reflectors,
CrMo axle,
standard 9/16″ x 20 TPI threading and
50 mm + 30º (15 mm rise) STEM.

It’s also equipped to support a large variety of accessories and add-ons.

You can choose to add the extremely useful center console for superb storage of your gear.

We’ve already discussed the strength of the rear rack that comes with your RadRunner 2 as standard. You can purchase reliable Fremont pannier bags that can easily be attached to and removed from the rack if you don’t want to carry a backpack while riding.

The rack also supports a sturdy bench that can be used as a scooter-style seating if you wanted to take a passenger along with you.

To give your passenger something to hold on to, you might also want to add these sturdy passenger bars.

For the front of your electric hunting bike you have a plethora of options as well.

Overall, the RadRunner 2 fat tire electric bike gives you the ability to customize it to perfectly fit your hunting needs.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Can You Transport This Hunting eBike In Your Truck?

With a total weight of 65 lb (29.5 kg) and the battery weighing approximately 7.7 lb (3.5 kg) the RadRunner 2 is about as light or as heavy as many of the other high-performance electric hunting bikes on the market.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Legal And Money Matters

Warranties and guarantees differ quite widely between different brands of electric hunting bikes which is why I think it’s necessary to talk about them briefly in this Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review. Please note that the information in this review is accurate at the time of writing it but things might change in the future. So, please make sure you always check before making your purchase.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Warranties

The RadRunner 2 electric hunting bike comes with a 1-year warranty.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Money Back Guarantee

You can even try the Radrunner 2 hunting ebike risk-free for 14 days thanks to Rad Power Bike’s 14-day Free Trial offer.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: What I Like The Most

Dual leg, spring loaded, steel kickstand, which makes working on tires much easier
Integrated front and rear lights, integrated with battery
Cables are nicely wrapped to give a more neat and organized look

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: What I Like The Least

Half twist grip throttle.

There’s nothing wrong with a twist throttle but I am not a big fan of it myself. I think it’s just too easy to accidentally twist the throttle when walking next to your hunting ebike with the hands on the handlebar grips. Once you had that experience you’d probably be more inclined to agree with me.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Who Should Buy The RadRunner 2?

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: Available Sizes

The RadRunner 2 electric hunting bike comes with a single frame size of 18” and a Stand Over Height of 16.5”.

RAD Power Bikes recommends the RadRunner 2 for hunters with a body height between 4’11” – 6’2″ and an InSeam between 26.75” – 37”.

Radrunner 2 Electric Utility Bike Review: My Conclusion

I hope you found this Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review helpful in discovering what exactly this amazing electric hunting bike brings to the hunting table.

Please let me know if I missed any important aspect so that I can further improve this Radrunner 2 electric utility bike review to help more hunters along the way.

Happy Riding