Received my HovRanger yesterday - quick shipping! - together with a fender set and rear rack (more on those in a minute). Packaging was wonderful: triple-sealed extra HD box, a BUNCH of hard and soft cushioning. Some other brands report shipping damage: NONE HERE. The YouTube tutorial on unboxing and assembling was excellent: easy to understand and great up-close videos. I've been assembling and building bicycles for 60+ years, but I'm no expert. Sure, I could have paid a few bucks for professional assembly, but I like to "get to know" the bicycle as it comes together. Also gives me a chance for close up inspection of build quality (excellent) and any hidden damage (none). The design and engineering here are excellent. LOTS of thought in this elegant vehicle.
I had no trouble at all with the main bicycle, but I did have to turn the whole thing over to install the dashboard/headlight. The little hex bolts fit from the bottom and I couldn't align them while standing on my head. The bicycle lit up and tested as expected. The only 'surprise' was the derailleur guard - not mentioned in the build video, but it is shown in the User Manual (no installation, just a drawing). You'll need to loosen the right-side wheel nut, slip the guard under the cables and over the axle, and retighten the nut. No problem.
The rear rack is a simple one-piece, bolt-on frame. It's all right, but I'll have to adapt my old MTX rail-mount saddle bag or buy something else to fit on the new rack. The rack mounts with four small hex bolts. Remove the four Phillips head bolts from the rear seat stay (they're only used to weather proof the holes in that tube) and replace with the hex bolts that come with the rack. I used a washer both at the bottom and top of the rack frame to help secure the joints. A drop of thread lock might be useful too.
The fenders kit is a bit more problematic. As with the rack, there is no on-line tutorial for the fenders, but they require a bit of assembly that is not as intuitive as the rack (or the bike!). The rear (larger) fender mounts via a wire stay near the rear axle and a hex bolt below the seat. There are TWO threaded holes here, near the axle - I mounted the stay in the lower ones. I think if you used the upper mounting hole near the axle that the front end of the fender would rub on the tire. At the top, you'll need to assemble this sandwich: hex bolt/washer/(bike frame)/washer/nut. Take care in tightening the assembly as the fender can easily move out of alignment and rub on the tire. It's a bit fussy and you may need to adjust it several times to get the right clearance. On the fenders themselves, the stay is clamped under a clip that bolts through two holes and into a small threaded steel plate on the inside. There are raised lugs on the plate that face INTO the fender. Again, thread lock might be useful on all bolts.
For the front fender, there is a small plastic plug on each fork side. These need to be removed to expose the threaded hole where the wire fender stay attaches. I used a snip to get under the head of the first one - and accidentally cut it off. I couldn't reach the remaining bit that was in the hole and had to push it inside the tube to mount the stay. Hope it doesn't somehow interfere with the shock! I used needle nose pliers to grip the plug on the other side and it came out easily. The upper attachment is via a short hex bolt because the "front" of the mounting area is behind the brake caliper. Again, alignment is a bit fussy.
If you're buying a lock, look for something that will clear the 4" x 4" bottom tube and battery and extend far enough to catch a hefty stanchion. I think an HD chain lock such as K___nite or A__s is probably a more flexible option (no pun intended) than a D lock.
So far, I'm impressed. A lot of ebike for the money! "Field testing" will be delayed a day or two because of darkness and rain...
