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E-bike review · Commuter

Mokwheel Onyx Review: Mid-Drive Climbing, 80-Mile Range for $3,300

It's a premium fat-tire commuter that spends its money on a big battery and real hill-pulling power, not on keeping the price or the weight down.

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The bottom line
66/ 100
Genius Score · Good buy
Value★★★★★★★★★★
Range★★★★★★★★★★
Power★★★★★★★★★★
Weight★★★★★★★★★★
Build★★★★★★★★★★
What the stars are rated against

The stars compare this bike with other commuter e-bikes we have scored — 18 of them, priced $1,980–$4,620. They are a ranking inside that group, not an absolute grade: four stars means it beats most of that set on the measure, not that it hits some fixed standard.

Peers are drawn from a tight price band around this bike, so a $1,000 commuter is judged against other $1,000 commuters rather than against machines costing three times as much. Change the group and the stars would change with it.

The headline Genius Score is not decided by that group alone. It blends the category ranking above with a market-wide view across every bike we publish, so a bike cannot climb simply by sitting in a weak category. How we score.

The Mokwheel Onyx is a premium commuter, and at $3,299.99 it's asking you to pay up. What that money buys, day to day, is a that really digs in on climbs, plus a big that Mokwheel says is good for up to 80 miles. If your commute has grades and distance, those two things are why you'd pick it over a cheaper commuter.

It's a e-bike, so you can up to 28 mph, and there's a that moves you up to 20 mph without pedaling at all. The throttle is handy for pulling away from a light or getting up a steep driveway, and the battery is big enough that leaning on it now and then won't leave you counting miles home.

Best for: Riders with hilly or long commutes who want a mid-drive's climbing power and enough battery to skip mid-week charging, and who can absorb the premium price.
The trade-offs

Pros & cons

What we like

  • The 940Wh battery is genuinely large, so the up-to-80-mile leaves real headroom for a full week of commuting between charges.
  • The delivers strong climbing power, so it holds its pace on steep sections even when you're carrying cargo.
  • A lets you ride up to 20 mph without pedaling, great for easing off a stop or resting your legs on a long stretch.
  • Tektro's HD-E3940 4-piston are serious stoppers, which matters on a heavy bike that can hit 28 mph.
  • Mokwheel lists a 560 lb , an unusually high figure that, even read with some caution, leaves plenty of margin for a bigger rider plus cargo.

Worth weighing

  • Value is the soft spot at $3,299.99, since a handful of fat-tire commuters match its range and power for less money.
The hard numbers

Key specs

Price$3,299.99
Motor750W mid-drive 1300W peak
Battery940.8 Wh 48V × 19.6Ah
Claimed rangeUp to 80 mi
ClassClass 3 · throttle + pedal-assist, up to 28 mph
ThrottleYes — can ride without pedaling
Torque210 Nm
Weight89 lb with battery
Max payload560 lb
BrakesTEKTRO HD-E3940 4-Piston Hydraulic Brake
DrivetrainShimano 10-Speed
Tires26" x 4.0"
The detail

The motor & power

The Onyx runs a 750W , which is the setup you want when your commute has real hills. On a steep climb with a bag or groceries aboard, it keeps pulling steadily where a lot of commuter bikes start to run out of steam.

Mokwheel lists , an enormous number even for a mid-drive. That figure is best read as a strong signal the bike is built for steep, loaded climbs rather than something to trust to the decimal, but the climbing muscle behind it is very real.

Genius tip

Mokwheel quotes three power numbers, and they measure different things. The 750W is the steady output the motor holds, 1000W is what it can put out when it's working harder, and 1300W is the brief burst it hits when you pull away from a stop or start up a steep hill. Judge the bike on the 750W steady figure, since the peak only lasts a few seconds.

Range & battery

The 940Wh is the headline of this bike, and it's genuinely big. That's what earns the up-to-80-mile number, and for a lot of commutes it turns charging into a weekly job rather than a nightly one.

Mokwheel's is the best case, from gentle pedaling on flat ground. Real-world range comes down once you add hills, the drag of fat tires, and some throttle use, so plan for a good bit less. Even a conservative estimate still covers a normal daily commute several times over.

Ride & components

The 26-by-4.0-inch fat tires do a lot of the comfort work here, smoothing out potholes, gravel, curb drops, and rough pavement so you don't need a suspension fork to take the edge off a commute. They're also puncture-resistant, which is one less roadside headache on the way to work.

Stopping is handled by Tektro HD-E3940 4-piston , a strong setup you'll appreciate on a heavy bike that can carry a big load and reach 28 mph. Shifting comes from a Shimano 10-speed drivetrain, which gives you a decent spread of gears to pair with the mid-drive on climbs and flats alike.

The other thing to plan for is the 89-pound weight, which is on the heavy side even for a fat-tire bike. That's fine once you're rolling, but a ground-floor spot or a sturdy rack makes ownership a lot easier than a walk-up apartment.

Price & value

At $3,299.99 the Onyx sits at the premium end of commuter pricing, and that's where our main hesitation lands. You're getting a lot of real capability, the big battery, the strong climbing motor, the heavy-duty brakes, so the money isn't disappearing into nothing.

The catch is that value is a relative weak point against the field. Some other fat-tire commuters deliver comparable range and power for less, which is why the Onyx earns a 66 out of 100 overall: strong on what it does, held back by what it costs. If the mid-drive and the range are what you specifically want, the price is easier to justify; if you just need a capable daily rider, you can spend less.

Match it to your ride

Who it's for

Great fit

The hilly-commute rider

If your ride to work climbs real grades, especially with a loaded bag or groceries, the is where your money goes. It holds its pull on steep sections where many commuters bog down, so you reach the top without wrecking your legs.

Great fit

The charge-it-once-a-week type

If you hate plugging in every night, the 940Wh is built for you. Even discounting the 80-mile claim for hills and throttle use, there's enough capacity to string several commutes together before you need an outlet.

Look closer

The pedal-only purist

If you plan to pedal every mile and never touch a , you're paying for a Class 3 feature you won't use. A lighter, throttle-free commuter would suit you better and likely cost less.

Look closer

The basic daily rider

If you mostly cover flat ground and just need a reliable way to get to work, the Onyx is more bike than you need at this price. A simpler commuter will do the job for a lot less, and you won't be paying for climbing power you rarely tap.

Quick answers

Frequently asked

How far does the Mokwheel Onyx go on a charge?

Mokwheel claims up to 80 miles from the 940Wh battery. That's a best-case number from easy pedaling on flat ground, so with hills, fat tires, and use you'll see less, but the battery is large enough to cover most commutes for days between charges.

Does the Mokwheel Onyx have a throttle?

Yes. It has a throttle that will move the bike up to 20 mph without any pedaling, which is useful for starting from a stop or climbing a short steep pitch.

Can you ride the Mokwheel Onyx without pedaling?

You can. Using the throttle, the Onyx will ride up to 20 mph on its own. Riding on the throttle draws more from the battery, so heavy use will cut into that up-to-80-mile range.

How fast does the Mokwheel Onyx go?

On it reaches 28 mph, and on throttle alone it tops out at 20 mph.

What class is the Mokwheel Onyx?

It's a e-bike: pedal assist up to 28 mph plus a throttle up to 20 mph. Class 3 bikes are sometimes restricted from certain bike paths and trails, so check your local rules before you rely on those roads.

How much does the Mokwheel Onyx weigh?

It weighs 89 pounds, which is on the heavier side even for a fat-tire bike.

How much can the Mokwheel Onyx carry?

Mokwheel lists a 560-pound , a strikingly high figure. Even taken conservatively, it leaves plenty of room for a heavier rider plus a loaded rack.

Same family

How it compares to its siblings

The Onyx is spec-for-spec identical to the Onyx ST: same $3,299.99 price, same 750W (1300W peak) mid-drive motor, same 940.8Wh battery, same 80-mile claimed range, same 89 lb weight, same Class 3 rating, same TEKTRO HD-E3940 brakes, same Shimano 10-speed drivetrain, same 26" x 4.0" tires, and the same 66 Genius score. There's no data here suggesting one is the smarter buy over the other. Pick whichever is available or priced better at purchase, since the underlying bike is the same.

Cross-shop it

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Learn the basics

Guides worth reading

How we score: the Genius Score blends a bike's capability against same-price peers with its value for the money, weighted for what this commuter buyer prioritises. Specs are pulled from the manufacturer's live page and normalised (nominal vs peak watts, true weight with battery). Ratings are our estimate from specs, not a lab test.