BikTrix Juggernaut FS Spec Review

BikTrix Juggernaut FS Review: Specs & Features

Frame and fork

The BikTrix Juggernaut FS features a step-thru frame made from aluminum. The rear suspension offers 120mm of travel. The copy on the BikTrix side can be a tad confusing. In some places they note that the rear shock provides 53mm of travel, while they also say that the frame offers 120mm of travel. The 53mm figure refers to how much the shock itself compresses, which is not the same thing as the wheel path as defined by the frame design. The amount of travel in the wheel path is what’s important.

The BikTrix Juggernaut FS comes in two different versions, one with fat tires (26 x 4-in. Maxxis Minions) and the other with mountain bike tires (27.5 x 2.8-in. Maxxis Rekons). The fat tire version comes with a 100mm-travel fork. This will give riders a comfortable and controlled ride over dirt roads and natural-surface paths. The step-thru MTB with 27.5-in. wheels receives a 140mm-travel fork, which is in keeping with what we would expect to see paired with a 120mm-travel frame. Most MTBs and eMTBs are built around either the same amount of travel front and rear or 20-30mm more travel in the fork than the frame.

Both versions of the Juggernaut FS come in two frame sizes, medium and large. That said, both sizes feature a substantial reach from the saddle to the handlebar of 51cm, which means riders shorter than 5 feet 9 may find themselves in a significant lean to reach the bar.

The 140mm-travel RST Titan fork is superior to most forks we see on all-terrain e-bikes. It features an air spring, lockout and rebound adjustment; the combination of the air spring and rebound damping mean that this e-bike will offer superior control on dirt.

Motor and battery

Arguably, the defining feature of the Juggernaut FS is the 1200W Truckrun mid-drive motor. This beast of a motor produces a whopping 220Nm of torque, making it one of the most powerful motors we’ve seen spec’d on an e-bike. With so much power on tap, the only hills it won’t be able to ascend will be those without sufficient traction.

If the Truckrun name isn’t familiar, don’t worry. They make the 500W mid-drive motor found in the Lectric XPremium.

This would be where we need to point out that according to the Three Class e-bike classification system used in most cities across the U.S., the BikTrix Juggernaut FS exceeds the 750W motor power limit.

The Juggernaut comes with a 1300Wh battery, which is huge by most standards, but here it is simply appropriate. Our rule of thumb for battery capacity is that we like to see a 1:1 ratio of battery capacity to motor power and it’s nice to note that the Juggernaut’s 1300Wh battery exceeds the 1200W motor’s power. Should that not be enough for the all-day rider, BikTrix offers an optional 884Wh range extender battery, which brings its total capacity to 2184Wh, which is ideal for the rider who wants to finish an all-day ride by lunch.

BikTrix estimates that the Juggernaut FS will give riders up to 62 mi. per charge and adding the range-extender battery will allow someone to cover 100 mi. in a single charge.

Drivetrain, brakes and wheels

Motor power can only do so much when it comes to propelling an 80-plus-pound e-bike uphill, which is what makes BikTrix’s decision to spec an 11-speed SRAM drivetrain such a good move.

There’s no doubt that a rider could shift into the Juggernaut’s biggest gear and simply use the motor’s substantial torque to climb the hills. That would be a bad move as it will cause excessive wear on the chain, cassette and chainring and result in needing to replace them far sooner than if the rider used all 11 gears. And that 40 x 42t low gear is substantially lower than we typically see on all-terrain models, which will make pedaling uphill more pleasant, independent of how much work the motor is doing.

With so much power on tap, it’s important to have powerful brakes not just to stop, but for controlling speed when entering turns. The Tektro Dorado 4-piston brakes are more powerful than traditional 2-piston brakes, and they are paired with 203mm rotors for maximum stopping power. The brake levers also feature electronic cutoff switches so that there’s no chance of the motor fighting the brakes.

Many shoppers will be initially drawn to the fat-tire version of the BikTrix Juggernaut FS because it’s easy to equate bigger tires with greater comfort. There are good reasons to look at the MTB version, though. The first reason is the 140mm-travel fork spec’d on the MTB version, as well as the fact that skinnier-tired version and at 82.2 lbs. it’s almost 4 lbs. lighter than the 86 lbs. of the fat-tire edition; both weights are the e-bike without the battery, which will likely add another 9-10 lbs. due to its ginormous capacity.

EBR’s BikTrix Juggernaut FS First Look Review:

The BikTrix Juggernaut is a sophisticated all-terrain e-bike. Whether someone chooses the fat-tire version or the mountain bike version, they’ll be heading into the countryside on one of the most powerful e-bikes we’ve seen. It will climb anything that can be called a road and maintain convincing control throughout.

How would someone choose between the fat-tire and the mountain bike version? It’s not a straightforward choice, that’s for sure. Anyone who is likely to encounter snow or sand will be better served by the big tires. But riders who will be riding terrain with lots of twists and turns, or plentiful mud would do well to pick the mountain bike edition.

There are always some features in any e-bike we review that give us pause. We can’t always see a way to improve them, but we take note, either way. With the BikTrix Juggernaut FS we have two concerns. Our top concern is for the safety of the rider and that of other riders or pedestrians should someone choose to ride this e-bike on a bike path or on trails in a park. This e-bike will reach speeds that could alarm anyone nearby, and perhaps even the rider.

Our other concern is just how frequently its owners will need to replace its drivetrain components. Its combination of power (1200W) and torque (220Nm) mean that it will wear out the chain, cassette and chainring faster than almost any other e-bike we’ve seen. Often, a rider can avoid replacing the cassette and chainring if they replace the chain frequently enough. The chain tends to cost 20 percent (or less) of what a cassette costs. But replacing the chain often enough to avoid cassette and chainring replacement may not be possible with such a powerful e-bike. Buyers of the Juggernaut FS will need to be prepared to develop a good relationship with a neighborhood bike or e-bike shop in order to keep it in good working order.

Based on our experience, the more technical the terrain someone wants to explore, the more sophisticated the e-bike needs to be. When we compare the BikTrix Juggernaut FS to the typical all-terrain e-bike that we review in the $1500-$2000 range, there is no doubt that this e-bike is more capable in every way.

For the shopper who is trying to decide between the mountain bike version of the Juggernaut FS and an eMTB, the difference comes down to whether someone wants a Class 1 e-bike that can be legally ridden in many parks and forests, or if someone wants to be able to use a throttle on occasion or wants to be able to go faster than 20 mph.

At nearly $4000, this BikTrix Juggernaut FS represents a significant investment. But thanks to its full-suspension frameset, 1200W mid-drive motor, 1300Wh battery, 11-speed drivetrain and 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes, its cost is justified. We’ll even go so far as to say that given all the quality packed into this e-bike, its cost-to-value score is very high.

With the BikTrix Juggernaut FS, riders will be able to explore places that would be a challenge to reach by any other means.