Here at the office, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to ride and drive some truly amazing vehicles, but every now and then, something different crosses our desk and finds its way into the garage. Working in the Lifestyle industry over the past few years has not only brought luxury and leisure vehicles onto our path, but also commercial and agricultural vehicles, allowing us to take a closer look at vehicles that not only help keep the industry afloat but also build the infrastructure around it.
No matter how much we gearheads love and aspire to own the latest and greatest vehicles money can buy or that fancy marketing can sell, some of the most important vehicles aren’t in those sectors; behind the scenes, many vehicles never get written about or seen in exciting YouTube videos, but are grafting in industries that rely on them to make a living and, in some cases, literally to keep the lights on. Vehicles are a huge part of making the world go round, helping out with physical labour and skilled trades, manufacturing, construction, mining, and maintenance. In these industries, it’s not the size, price, design or specifications that make them attractive, but mainly how they can help businesses save time and money.
For the last few weeks, our garage door has opened to Big Boy’s Elec-Trike 800W, an electric-powered, lightweight, low-cost, low-speed utility machine. Honestly, the trike has spent less time in the garage than any vehicle I’ve ever owned or tested, as our local community and farm life have adopted this little “ute” for everything and anything. The garage stayed open for the whole three weeks, as the trike was out for work several times a day at the stables, workshop, garden and even for quick supply runs.
So, without getting too creative, where do Big Boy see the Elec-Trike 800W fit in? With a 140 kg maximum load bin weight capacity and 60 km range, thanks to six lead acid batteries and the 800-watt motor, Big Boy sees the trike ready to service the hospitality industry, security, shopping malls, airports, factories, golf courses, beachfront sidewalks, and game farms (thanks to its silent motor).
Besides its simple specs and broad working environments, what practicalities and features does the trike have to offer?
For those heavier loads, the trike has a load bin that tips thanks to a clever gas strut and a tail gate that opens completely. Both the tailgate and load bin have two manual latches that you can lock for those bumpy roads. If you need a second set of hands, the trike has a fold-down seat that opens into the load bin with a backrest held in position by another simple gas strut. The rear seat is a hoot to ride in! I can definitely see many estate life kids who play golf take advantage of these trikes; I know I would.
In the cockpit, you’ve got your usual motorcycle switchgear with three speed and throttle modes, a basic digital LCD showing speed and range and a flat driver seat with six batteries keeping charge underneath. The little trike is equipped with drum brakes and a decent LED headlight that actually gets the job done. When parking or storing the vehicle, there is a handbrake and a steering lock for extra security.
Riding the trike is a blast, it has torque from low down right till you hit top end. Talking top-end, the trike will top out at 30 km/h in its top speed mode, which is more than fast enough for the applications it’s designed for, and it gets there extremely quickly. The riding modes are simple, with both speed and throttle sensitivity built into each of the three modes, one being the least sensitive and slowest and three being the most sensitive and fastest.
Out on the open gravel roads or open spaces, mode three is great, but when you are in a warehouse or factory, the least sensitive mode is preferred as the motor does accelerate instantly, which can be tough to modulate. To help manoeuvre in tighter spaces is a reverse gear, which triggers a hooter to warn the rest around you, which everyone found hilarious! We did find the front suspension a tad bit soft compared to the almost rigid leaf spring rear end, but for the price you pay, the trike can be forgiven twice over.
In the three weeks of riding the trike every single day, we only ended up charging the little guy twice, and even then, the battery wasn’t sitting at zero. On the left-hand side of the front seat, you’ll spot a plug point that connects to a normal wall socket charger, and from zero battery life, you are looking at 6 hours to full, but if you aren’t draining the battery fully, it’s easy to keep the battery topped up at the end of a working day.
We loaded the trike several times, and even then, with 140 kg plus and myself weighing 80 kg, the trike still cruised around the farm with ease, tugging over 200 kg onboard. As mentioned above, we used it in the garden, carrying many kgs of compost, and the local businesses around our area are all in the market for a couple of these trikes as Big Boy retail the Elec-Trike for just R19,999. “Under 20K!” You couldn’t build one yourself for that price; it’s the unusual practicality that you didn’t know you needed until now. The car wash down the road, the diesel workshop, the horse stable yard, the wedding venue, the church down the road and even the father-in-law were all interested. Well, the father-in-law actually ended up buying the demo, just for its quirkiness and all-round practicality…
Big Boy’s Elec-Trike 800W is a versatile little Mahindra-like bakkie and with a 1-year warranty and over 90 dealers across the country, it’s no wonder why Big Boy have got a winner on their hands. For more information on Big Boy’s Electric range, visit – www.samotorcycles.co.za
Big Boy Elec-Trike 800W
For more information on the trike that we tested in this article, click on the link below…
