Nireeka has added a monster fatty to its burgeoning line of eye-catching, but affordable carbon-framed ebikes. The new Mega lives up to its name with massive 26 x 4-inch beach and snow-worthy fat tires, dual suspension and a beefy 200-Nm (148-lb-ft), 1,500-W motor.
Design-wise, it looks like an interesting remix of a couple of Nireeka's other bikes, echoing the strangely-angled, sci-fi carbon frame shapes that make designer and CEO Max Shojaie's designs stand out from anything else on the market. Those huge hoops and mid-drive Bafang Ultra powerplant, as well as the all-round beefiness of the frame, recall the motorcycle-grade presence and sheer size of the Prime cruiser we reviewed in 2020.
The natty integrated rear tail/brake light is straight from the hub-drive Revenant – which I'm currently riding, with a review coming soon. The short fork and vertical-shock rear suspension design, however, are much closer to the company's flat-out enduro trail-blaster, the Nyx, suggesting that the Mega is designed for serious all-terrain action as well as shock-and-awe-grade size and speed.
On that note, the Mega promises top speeds up to 38 mph (60 km/h) even despite the considerable rolling resistance of those enormous tires. I've seen 33 mph (53 km/h) out of the Prime on a flat sprint, so given that the Mega puts out a meaty 20% more torque, that seems about right. Range-wise, the removable battery offers 840 Wh, which will get you up to 52 miles (84 km) on a charge if ridden gently.
The O2 rear shock can be adjusted for air pressure and rebound damping, or locked out for a hardtail ride. The air fork can also be locked out, and there's an option for a lockout lever on the handlebar if you want access to that at all times.
Hydraulic disc brakes are standard, although given the speed and momentum this 60-lb (27-kg) machine can generate you may well want to upgrade the standard 160-mm rotors to the optional 203-mm kit. And the Mega joins the Revenant in offering an optional Blubrake ABS system.
There are precious few ebikes available with ABS braking at this point; perhaps the awkward size of the Blubrake unit hanging off the fork leg explains why. But on loose surfaces, it works absolutely beautifully in my experience, pulling you up spooky-quick with total confidence. Well worth looking into, if the idea appeals to you.
There's no integrated headlight, which is a bit of a bummer, but Nireeka will sell you a clip-on as an accessory. Likewise, the Mega is no tourer, but other than a sweet-looking backpack, there are no options for racks or storage.
My one reservation with this kind of bike isn't specific to Nireeka, it's specific to high-powered, high-torque ebikes running mid-drive motors. Nireeka runs decent midrange OEM Shimano derailleurs and 10-speed cassettes, but you can expect your chain and tooth life to vary considerably depending on how hard you ride this thing. That's one reason why you might want to look at the hub-drive Revenant as an option.
Nireeka is pre-selling the Mega on Indiegogo, as it has with previous models. On the downside you'll have to wait til August before earlybird orders are shipped. On the upside, earlybird pricing is always welcome. Nireeka will sell you a Mega 1500 for US$3,249 – not bad for a roided-out, custom carbon-framed beast like this. There's also a 750 version with half the power and half the battery, but you'll only save a couple of hundred bucks on that.
In all, the Mega looks like bulk fun in a bulk package. The ride should be super smooth and plush once set up properly; if 140 mm (5.5 in) of suspension travel plus the shock-absorbing 4-inch-wide balloons wrapped around each wheel can't deal with it, you probably shouldn't be pointing a bike at it.
If you can handle a bit of attention, we recommend the dazzling pearlized red color, which makes our Prime an absolute show-stopper on the street. Check out a short video below.
Source: Nireeka Indiegogo