QuietKat Apex Review
The QuietKat Apex is the brand’s top-end hardtail model, optimized for handling extreme terrain.
Hunting, angling, camping, and backcountry adventuring are more accessible and convenient with a bike like this. The Apex will allow you to reach remote areas while pulling a trailer or panniers loaded with all the gear you need for your trip.
Bikes like the Apex don’t come cheap, given the high spec. However, you can consider the Apex a life-long backcountry companion with its lifetime frame warranty.
This QuietKat Apex review will examine what type of bike the Apex is, the main components and design characteristics, and finish with our verdict on whether or not you should choose this powerful hunting e-bike.
What Kind of Bike Is QuietKat Apex?
The QuietKat Apex electric bike is a pure off-road machine built to handle the most extreme inclines and backcountry terrain, including mud, sand, and snow.
QuietKat is, at its core, a company that develops some of the best e-bikes for hunting, fishing, camping, and Overlanding, and the Apex embodies this mission perfectly. This bike is perfect for passionate adventurers and explorers who don’t want to be limited by the terrain they encounter.
It’s important to mention that the Apex QuietKat bike isn’t an eMTB, as it is too powerful and heavy to be effective in tight, technical terrain. Instead, it’s built to haul massive cargo loads and make light work of steep hills.
QuietKat uses the market’s most powerful motors, heavy-duty hydraulic disc brakes, highly stable suspension, and all-terrain fat tires to achieve this capability and ride quality.
QuietKat Apex Quick Specs:
- Frame: Aluminum frame
- Motor: 750W (Class 1 or 2) or 1000W Ultra mid-drive (Unclassified)
- Battery: 768Wh battery, Panasonic cells
- Max range: 48 miles
- Fork: 150mm inverted suspension
- Tires: 26″ x 4.5″ Kenda Juggernaut
- Drivetrain: 9-speed SRAM X5
- Brakes: Tektro 4-piston hydraulic discs
- Weight: 70lbs
- Max capacity: 325lbs
QuietKat Apex Review
The QuietKat Apex e-bike stands out for its sheer power and versatility. This bike can easily tackle steep hills at speed with a loaded rack or pulling a trailer. Each component is selected to facilitate heavy riding on harsh terrain. This section will take a closer look at the spec and features that give the Apex its abilities.
Bafang Mid-Drive Motor and Battery
The massive battery is integrated into the downtube and neatly hidden away.
The most important part of an e-bike like this is the motor. To deliver unrivaled performance, QuietKat chose a Bafang mid-drive motor with a 750W and 1000W (+$200) option available at checkout.
Mid-drive motors are significantly more efficient, lighter, and better for climbing hills than hub motors. In addition, they allow you to maintain high speeds up steep climbs while pulling a heavy payload. This powerful motor makes camping, hunting, fishing, and Overlanding trips feel much more manageable.
One consideration is that the motor runs according to the gearing, meaning you must shift along the drivetrain to modify the power. Thus, requiring more focus than hub motors.
The QuietKat Apex 1000W is an Unclassified e-bike (no power or max speed limit), meaning it isn’t suitable to ride on public roads and paths without a license. However, the 750W model can fit the Class 1 or 2 e-bike categories.
The 768Wh battery is fully integrated into the downtube and takes six to eight hours to charge (rapid charger available to purchase). The major downside of the Apex, like many QuietKat bikes, is the modest maximum range of around 48 miles.
26″ Wheels, 4.5″ Fat Tires, and 150mm Fork Suspension
The QuietKat Apex electric hunting bike sits on a set of 26″ wheels, the most common diameter for fat bikes. These wheels provide extra maneuverability to the broad, stable base of the wider tires, making it easier to turn and navigate technical terrain.
The tires chosen by QuietKat are Kenda Juggernaut 4.5″ motorcycle-inspired fat tires. These tires have a tread height optimized for maximum performance on soft surfaces like snow, sand, shallow mud, and gravel, ensuring confident and controlled riding.
The added benefit of fat tires is the stability and comfort they provide. For example, 4.5″ tires have a huge contact point with the ground and a high air volume to provide a stable base and absorb trail vibrations.
The inverted fork suspension is the final component to mention. This fork is stable and stiff, with enough travel to take big hits when necessary, and delivers control, comfort, and traction over varied off-road terrain.
9-Speed SRAM Drivetrain and Tektro Hydraulic Disc Brakes
The Apex looks good and comes in three finishes: dark green and two camo options.
QuietKat chose a wide-range 9-speed SRAM X5 drivetrain which isn’t noteworthy for a $6,000 bike but is durable enough to take the pressure and wear generated by the mid-drive motor.
One hugely important aspect of a bike with a mid-drive is having ample gearing to tackle steep inclines while maintaining a high cadence. This 11-36t 9-speed cassette achieves this quite well, allowing you to spin up steep grades with a tempo that doesn’t put excess pressure on the motor. However, it would be better with a larger MTB-style rear cog.
Equally important for a heavy off-road e-bike is the strength and quality of the brakes. Four-piston Tektro hydraulic disc brakes provide ample stopping power for descents with a loaded bike.
325lb Payload Capacity
A high payload capacity is vital for a bike like the Apex. Taking on camping, hunting, and fishing trips requires a significant amount of gear and possibly hauling back the spoils of the hunt. For this reason, QuietKat built this bike with a sturdy aluminum frame and integrated rack that can handle a total of 325lbs between the rider, kit, and cargo.
The welded color-matched rear rack can hold an impressive 100lbs, much more than a typical frame-mounted rack. In addition, its wide, long design minimizes the impact on handling while loaded.
This bike is also compatible with a range of cargo-carrying accessories from the QuietKat store, including trailers, baskets, a cooler, and pannier bags.
Extra Components
A common feature of QuietKat hunting bikes is the quiet motor and camo paint finishes for hunting. These features allow you to navigate an area without alerting all of the surrounding wildlife of your location.
Some extra components that give this bike a well-rounded ability out of the box include the heavy-duty kickstand, LED taillight, and customizable ride computer. Unfortunately, there is no headlight or fenders included with the Apex.
QuietKat Apex Ride Feel
The Apex has a uniquely confidence-inspiring ride feel on extreme off-road terrain. The wide tires, aggressive geometry, high-travel fork, and wide mountain bike handlebars deliver a powerful yet controlled experience in almost any situation. The Apex’s capability is most evident on soft terrains, wet conditions, and climbing steep gradients.
The one area where QuietKat Apex isn’t ideal is on tight and technical trails or mountain bike singletrack. It’s simply too heavy and powerful, and the tires too wide to be effective in these situations.
As mentioned before, something to note for e-bikers who haven’t ridden a mid-drive motor is that the ride feel is much different from hub motors. In general, the power transfer is smoother and has a more natural feeling, but the cost is that you must pay more attention to your gearing selection, so you are in the right gear at the right time and don’t overload the drivetrain.
The Apex is an incredibly torquey and powerful bike, so the kick takes a little getting used to in the beginning. We recommend starting with the lower gears to get used to the power.
People Also Ask
What motor is in the QuietKat Apex?
How fast are the QuietKat bikes?
How long does a QuietKat battery last?
Where are QuietKat bikes made?
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Our Verdict: Should You Buy QuietKat Apex?
It’s undeniable that the QuietKat Apex is a uniquely capable bike. It has everything needed to be the perfect backcountry companion for weekend adventures or hunting, camping, and fishing trips.
Anyone that needs an electric bike not just to go from place to place but to open up remote areas in the wilderness, pull large cargo loads, and crush steep hills, could be the perfect match for this bike.
All things considered, there aren’t many bikes that can do what the QuietKat Apex can do, so if you have a big budget and want a premium electric hunting bike, consider adding the Apex to your shortlist.
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