Surface 604 Boar Electric Fat Bike Review Part 1 Pictures & Specs
The powerful Surface 604 Boar electric fat bike is in for testing & review!
It features a 500 watt / 750 watt peak motor, high capacity 48V 10ah lithium battery (upgradeable to 14ah for more range), Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, torque sensor pedal assist + throttle, and sturdy front and rear racks as standard.
The Surface 604 Boar is priced at $2,499 with free shipping anywhere in the US or Canada.
In this first part of the review you will get a detailed look at this bike with a BUNCH of pictures and the specifications.
Part 2 of the Surface 604 Boar review will give you info on the ride characteristics, results from the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this eBike.
Alright, let’s take a closer look at the Surface 604 Boar!
The Surface 604 Boar is an all terrain fat eBike (4.5″ wide tires) that also comes equipped with sturdy front and rear racks that make it a real workshorse of an eBike.
First of all let’s take a closer look at the frame that is constructed of hydroformed 6061 aluminum tubing.
Surface 604 designed the Boar with the avid outdoorsman in mind so they have partnered with outdoor apparel manufacturer Kryptek and use their Highland Camo pattern on the frame.
The camouflage effect is ‘specially designed for geographical regions and elevations that are varied and increases stealth in mixed terrain.’
The Boar comes in 2 different frame sizes, Small-Medium and Medium-Large with respective standover heights of 28.5” (730mm) 30” (760mm).
These are recommended for riders between 5’2″-5’7 and 5’8″-6’6″ respectively.
The hydroformed tubing has a distinctively shaped profile with a number of curves and angles.
The top tube has also been sloped down to create more standover height.
This adds some style to the frame design as well as some large connection points where the headtube, top tube, down tube, and seat tube meet.
Here you can see the strength of the welding where the top tube and the down tube meet the head tube. You can also see the neat and discreet in frame cable routing.
There is a gusset reinforcement between the top tube and the seat tube. Surface 604 eBikes are designed in Canada.
Here is a look at the aluminum fork that provides a 4 bolt attachment for the front rack on the front of the fork blades. The fork uses a thru axle design for front wheel lateral stability.
The front aluminum rack has a good size cargo area of 13″ x 9.25″ x 2″ (interior dimensions) for strapping items into or using a bag with. The front rack is rated to carry up to 50 pounds of cargo.
There is a strong looking rear alloy rack with plenty of space for panniers and a rack top bag (top dimensions of 15″ x 5.75″). The rear rack is rated to carry up to 50 pounds of cargo.
In this view you can also see the large semi-integrated downtube battery with a 48V 10.4Ah / 499Wh spec that houses the Samsung lithium-ion 18650 cells.
There is an upgrade option to 48V 14Ah / 672Wh using the same cells for an extra $200. This is the battery used in this testing & review and you can see the range test results in Part 2.
This is a good location for the battery because it is low and centered on the bike for more balanced weight distribution which helps with the bike’s handling.
At the top of the battery is the battery level indicator. There is also a battery level indicator on the handlebar display.
On the right side there is a USB charging port (covered by a rubber cover) so that you can charge your phone, tablet, or other USB powered device.
Once the battery is unlocked with one of the supplied keys it rotates to the left side of the bike for removal.
This is a view of the downtube with the battery removed. You can see the key in the battery lock (the bike comes with 2 keys) and the battery connection points at the top and bottom of the downtube.
When the 7.6 pound battery has been removed the bike weighs 61.2 pounds. The total bike weight with the battery is 68.8 pounds.
Here is a look at the battery removed from the bike with the charger. The charging port is at the bottom of the battery and the battery can be charged on or off the bike.
It takes about 5.5 hours to fully charge the 48V 10.4ah battery and about 7 hours to fully charge the 48V 14ah battery.
Now let’s take a look at the drive system.
This is the Bafang 500 watt / 750 watt peak fat bike specific geared rear hub motor that provides assist up to 20 mph. The motor provides up to 80 Nm of torque.
The Surface 604 Boar is a Class 2 electric bike which is pedal assist and/or throttle up to 20 mph and 750 watts max.
A feature highlight of all Surface 604 eBikes is that they use a torque sensor system for the pedal assist.
The torque sensor measures your pedal power and provides the proportional amount of assist based on the pedal assist level you are using. More on this in the ride characteristics section in Part 2 of this testing and review.
On the left side of the motor is the 180mm disc brake rotor for the rear Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brake.
The Boar uses a Samox 36T front sprocket, 170mm crank arms and also has a sealed Samox bottom bracket with a hollow spindle for a lighter design.
Wide Wellgo aluminum platform pedals provide a solid grippy surface.
This is the SRAM X5 rear derailleur that shifts through the 9 speed cogset with a 12 tooth to 34 tooth to give a wide gear range.
Kenda Juggernaut 26″ x 4.5″ fat tires are used front and rear. They have an aggressive tread for riding off road.
Fat tires can be run at low tire pressures for improved riding on sand and snow and these particular tires can be run as low as 5psi!
They sit on 26″ x 100mm single wall aluminum rims with cutouts. More on these ride characteristics in Part 2.
Slowing down the Boar is handled by the Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors front and rear. Here is a shot of the front disc brake.
The front wheel uses a thru axle design for lateral stability of the large wheel as compared to the traditional quick release system.
Now we will take a closer look at the handlebar control center. The handlebar has a wide stance with a slight rise.
The handlebar stem is 90mm, 35 degree fixed angle that aims to give a reasonably upright, comfortable riding position.
The LCD display is located in the center of the handlebars and provides the following information:
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- Battery level
- Odometer & trip distance
- Current speed, average speed, max speed
- Pedal assist level. There are 5 levels of pedal assist.
- Front light on/off switch
There is a USB charging port on the side of the display for charging a smartphone or other USB chargeable device.
On the left side is the rubber grip, Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brake lever, thumb throttle, and control pad.
The thumb throttle to the left of the control pad can be used as a boost for the pedal assist or it can be used as a pure throttle without pedaling.
The 5 pedal assist levels are changed using the + and – buttons on the left side of the control pad.
There is also a walk mode that will help you walk the bike up a hill or stairs at a few mph. It is activated by holding the minus button on the control pad for a few seconds.
The “i” button cycles through information on the display like trip distance, odometer, max speed, etc. And the light button turns on the front and rear light.
The Tektro Auriga brake levers have a reach adjustment to fit various hand sizes. There are sensors in each brake lever to stop the motor assist when either brake lever is engaged.
The right side of the handlebar features a rubber grip, Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brake lever, SRAM 9 speed trigger shifter, and bell.
Here is a closer look at the SRAM X5 shifter.
The Axendo front light runs off the eBike battery and it is attached to the front rack.
There is a solid looking kickstand which you can see here.
The Velo seat has a narrow profile for more of a performance ride style. Surface 604 offers a suspension seatpost upgrade option.
Surface 604 Boar Electric Bike Specifications
Frame: 6061 Aluminum hydroformed tubing with internal cable routing
Fork: Proprietary design, tapered steerer, custom 6061 aluminum fork
Motor: Bafang 500W rated, 750W peak power, geared rear hub motor. Fat bike specific. 80 Nm max torque.
Battery: 48V 10.4Ah / 499Wh Lithium-ion with Samsung 18650 cells. 48V 14Ah / 672Wh upgrade option (+$200).
Assist Options: 5 pedal assist levels with both torque sensor activated pedal assist and thumb throttle.
Speed: Pedal assist and/or throttle up to 20 mph which makes this a Class 2 eBike
Display: Color LCD display that provides information on the battery level, odometer and trip distance, current speed, average speed, max speed, pedal assist level (5 levels).
Drivetrain: 9 speed drivetrain (12t-34t cogset) with SRAM X5 derailleur.
Brakeset: Tektro Auriga hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors.
Tires: Kenda Juggernaut 26″ x 4.5″ tires
Seat: Velo branded narrow profile
Accessories: Front & rear aluminum racks rated at 50lbs / 22.7kg each, front light (powered by eBike battery), kickstand, and bell.
Sizes: Small-Medium: 28.5” (730mm) for rider heights 5’2″ to 5’7″. Medium-Large: 30” (760mm) for rider heights 5’8″ to 6’6″
Colors: Kryptek Highland Camo frame finish
Weight: Bike without the battery = 61.2 pounds. Battery = 7.6 pounds. Total bike = 68.8 pounds
Gross Weight Carrying Capacity: 285 pounds / 129kg
Price: $2,499 free shipping anywhere in the US or Canada. Large capacity battery, fenders, suspension seatpost are extra.
Now checkout Part 2 of the Surface 604 Boar review with info on the ride characteristics, the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts!
-Pete
Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you.
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[…] Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with large pictures and specifications to get a detailed look at this e-bike. […]