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Ecotric Explorer and Lark E-Bikes: Towing a Kayak and Family Rides
I review two Ecotric e-bikes, the fat tire Explorer and the Lark, and see if an e-bike can really haul my family and a kayak.
What’s in this video
Most of my channel is boats and kayaks, but I can’t park my truck everywhere, so I looked at e-bikes to reach spots I couldn’t get to before. Ecotric reached out about the Explorer. It’s built to carry gear and go from snow to sand to road: adjustable front suspension, 4 inch wide 26 inch tires, hydraulic disc brakes, fenders and a rear rack. My wife Katie got the Lark, a Class 2 bike with mechanical disc brakes, front and rear racks, a Shimano 7 speed, a battery blended into the frame and a vented shield that keeps loose clothing out of the tire.
Both have five pedal assist modes plus a throttle, which helps on grass or rough ground. My first mod was a hitch that bolts onto the rear axle nut. We pull a used kid trailer I got for about 40 bucks on Facebook Marketplace, with a safety strap to the frame. I also bolted a milk crate to the rack with u-bolts for groceries or fishing gear.
Then I found two kayak bike trailers on Marketplace and drilled the tongue for the same hitch pin. I hit 21 miles an hour towing a kayak, and pulling a 12 foot kayak into the wind felt effortless. I also show the S900 display parameter mode. I tweaked a few settings for testing, then put it back to factory.
Katie found the Lark easy and comfortable for someone who hadn’t ridden in years. Her one note: on the beach, fatter tires like the Explorer’s would be better.
Key moments
- 0:00 Introduction to e-bikes
- 1:00 Ecotric Explorer overview
- 2:13 Ecotric Lark overview
- 3:43 Riding and performance
- 4:41 Towing and cargo solutions
- 8:14 Performance testing
- 9:50 Family riding experience
- 12:15 User feedback and comfort
- 14:18 Conclusion and specs
Quick takeaways
- A bolt-on axle hitch lets one e-bike pull a kid trailer or a kayak trailer with the same hitch pin.
- The Explorer towed a 12 foot kayak at up to 21 mph, and into the wind it still felt easy.
- A milk crate u-bolted to the rear rack is a cheap way to carry rods, gear or groceries.
- In the S900 display settings, P01 and P02 are safe to change. Leave the other parameters alone unless you know what they do.
Gear from this video
- Ecotric Explorer
- Ecotric Lark
- Bike Kayak Trailer
- Bike Kid's Trailer
- Bike Trailer Hitch
- Ecotric E-Bikes On Amazon
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