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First the downsides - my biggest disappointment is that this thing really doesn't go up steep hills very well, it just doesn't have the low speed torque and it is pretty heavy. So I can go up hills about as steep as I can with my regular mountain bike - except with the e-bike I have to (and get to) go up much faster because it is geared so high. In first gear I can't really pedal much slower than 4 or 5 mph. This is a rear hub bike so the electric power isn't geared down when you downshift. It claims to be 350 watts, but based on the amps and voltage it can send about 750 watts to the motor for at least a short time. If you do that for long going uphill it overheats and stops. It claims to get 60 or maybe even 80 miles per charge or something unrealistic like that - and sure, if you just pedal you can go a long way, but at the higher boost levels and with uphill travel 20-25 miles is more realistic. Fortunately I got it with 2 batteries of different sizes. I think my longest ride was some 55 miles. I was getting nervous I'd run out of power near the end of that ride and lowered the boost level. I also did a ride of about 50 miles with one battery - but I pedaled a lot harder on that one and did a good bit at lower boost levels.
Another downside is the implementation of the electric braking/recharge. What I wish it had was the recharge/e-braking was activated by the brake lever - at a gentle enough pull so as to not activate the disk brakes. Instead it turns on at various speeds depending on what level of boost you are in - at about 12 mph at the lower boost levels. This still works well for riding into the gorge down a steep road with a trailer loaded with climbing gear where it keeps the top speed below about 16mph and recharges the battery - win win, but it also keeps you from going very fast without raising the boost level.
The seat isn't all that comfortable and it wiggles a bit despite tightening everything. Also some rock grains got into the tube next to the seatpost and made it almost impossible to adjust. I worked hard to get it out but that scraped up the seatpost a lot.
This bike has full suspension - probably a pretty low level suspension, but it definitely helps for rocks and washboard roads. It also has 27.5 inch wheels and 2.8 inch tires which definitely help with the washboarded and sometimes sandy dirt roads around here. It feels like a very large big bike or a tiny motorcycle - not so nimble, but it feels pretty steady over bumpy terrain at pretty high speeds. The disk brakes can lock up the wheels so slowing down and stopping feels secure. I do wonder if an electric fat tire bike would be better or worse than the full suspension for a combination of washboarded roads and sand plus paved roads.
The electric engine will boost the bicycle up to about 22 mph when the battery is full - it originally said it went faster, but the speedometer seemed off by quite a bit. There is a noticeable delay when you start pedaling before the boost starts, and then it applies full power until it reaches the cruising speed based on what pedal assist mode you are in - not nearly as natural feeling as a bike with a torque sensor or as energy efficient, but fine for once you reach cruising speed. It also has a throttle lever that applies power without pedaling and is useful for starting uphill.
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My usage is more to replace my old bike for shorter around town rides and a bike or car for shorter near town rides - up to 10 miles or so. I have a trailer I can attach and I've used that for heavier loads and to carry a crash pad to go bouldering, for example taking recycling to the dump or returning deposit containers. I was hoping I could use it to go up some of the longer hills to trailheads, but it doesn't work so well for long uphills if they are too steep. Still, I have ridden it to the lower Owens River Gorge and Pine Creek to climb as well as the Tungsten Peak trailhead. I have yet to experiment with the Buttermilks or S Lake / Sabrina / N Lake although I have ridden down from S Fork a few times.
I've had a few flats, the back tire is a bit of a pain to work on because of the electric wires - I was able to just pull the inner tube out to patch that without removing the tire. I should probably put some sort of slime in the tubes. - edit at about 1100 miles - I have now put "flat out" into the tubes - so far so good.
What would I change if I could - the biggest change would be some way to have better low speed torque - but if that ruined the top speed that probably wouldn't be worth it. I have considered putting a smaller chainring on so I could pedal at lower speeds. I really wish the e-braking worked when you pulled the brake levers. Having a better shock - especially on the back wheel would be nice, but I don't know how much difference it would make. I also wish there was a way to charge the battery to maximize battery life - ie- charge at a slower rate to some level below 100% for general use and only charge to 100% before a big ride. I think there are custom batter chargers that do this. Rather than making a bunch of changes to this bicycle I'll probably eventually get a different one or build my own mid-drive bike.
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It is pretty nice having this e-bike, especially for the 5-20 mile trip range and the very short trips where I am feeling lazy but am unwilling to drive my truck.