Premium Ebike Features at a Budget Price?! Monarc Tracer Review

Monarc’s Tracer pairs premium components, Shimano CUES gearing, dual removable batteries, and an array of useful smart accessories — like a mirrored turn signal helmet and a long range radar — with a price Monarc has recently made even more accessible. Andrew put it through acceleration runs, an analog (no pedal assist) ride, plus a rainstorm, and came away calling it one of the most disruptive bikes the brand has released. Shipping damage and a finicky companion app hold it back slightly, but with a new $1,649 single battery option now on the table, the Tracer makes a serious case for itself just under $1,900.

Video Review

Written Review

Andrew set out to answer one question with the Monarc Tracer: can a brand new company actually shake up an ebike industry that's been dominated by the same handful of names for years? Monarc may be new, but it's backed by Lectric, the top selling ebike brand in America, built by Robby Deziel and Levi Conlow, who pointed that winning playbook at something more premium. The Tracer is the result, and after a full day of testing, Andrew's verdict landed exactly where the title promises.

• Current price of the Monarc Tracer: https://monarc.pxf.io/B53y21
• Save $100 on Black Friday

First Impressions: Acceleration and the Cockpit

Starting from a dead stop at 80 percent charge, the Tracer needed about 16 pedal revolutions of throttle to hit its stated 28 mph top speed, with no hesitation or strain. The centerpiece of the ride is a touchscreen display that was easy to operate even with gloves on, letting Andrew swap between Class 1, 2, and 3 settings and adjust throttle output on the fly. Hydraulic brake levers sit on both sides of oversized, topography textured grips, with a thumb throttle and control module on the left handling pedal assist levels, walk mode, and lighting, plus a long press for emergency flashers. A nine speed Shimano CUES thumb and trigger shifter sits on the right, next to an adjustable angle headlight with an automatic dusk sensor.

Smart Peripherals Most Ebikes Don't Touch

This is where the Tracer begins to really separate itself. Andrew's test unit came loaded with Monarc's optional smart helmet, which mirrors the bike's turn signals onto the back of the helmet itself, clicks audibly in the ear when a signal is active, and doubles as a speakerphone. Andrew fielded several calls mid review without missing a beat. An $89 TPMS accessory displays live tire pressure for both wheels directly on the main screen and can alert the rider exactly when pressure drifts outside a safe range. The bike also supports a heart rate monitor pairing, though Andrew didn't have one hooked up to test. All of it stacks on top of a rear facing radar accessory (more on that below), which turned out to be one of the most impressive features on the whole bike.

Frame, Suspension, and Stopping Power

Up front, an 80mm travel reverse arch suspension fork with lockout and adjustable preload handles the bumps, paired with 27.5 x 2.2 inch Kenda K-Rad tires that use a deeper, more rounded tread than is typically seen on ebikes this size, enough that Andrew expects them to hold up on light off road trails. Braking comes from Talon P4 four piston hydraulic brakes, with Monarc sizing the front rotor larger at 203mm against a 180mm rear rotor, an intentional choice, since most of a bike's stopping power should come from the front wheel.

Battery and Drivetrain

The Tracer ships with two removable 48V, 15Ah battery packs, 720Wh each, built with UL certified LG cells and chargeable either on or off the bike within about three hours per pack. Power comes from a Bafang hub motor rated at 750W with a 1,638W peak and 85 Nm of torque, routed through a Prowheel 48 tooth chainring and an 11 to 36 tooth Shimano CUES 9-speed cassette, which Andrew called the highest spec derailleur he's seen on any ebike under $2,000. Riders can toggle between torque and cadence sensors depending on how natural or powerful they want the pedaling to feel, and both the pedals and the rear motor cable use quick release hardware for fast swaps and tire changes.

Putting It to the Test

Three moments stood out. First, Andrew killed the pedal assist entirely and rode the Tracer as a pure analog bike, no motor, no battery draw, and still comfortably cruised past 20 mph on flat ground; a real confidence builder for anyone worried about getting stranded on a dead battery. Second, the radar accessory tracked oncoming traffic from well over 200 feet out, in one pass flagging a car at 140 feet and counting down as it closed the distance, a dramatic improvement over the roughly 20 foot warning window Andrew has gotten from Segway's comparable system. Third, Andrew rode straight into an actual rainstorm to stress test the IPX6 rated frame and IPX7 rated batteries, and came out the other side with no issues.

What Andrew Loved

The list runs long: confident handling even with zero power assist, the smart helmet's turn signal mirroring and audible feedback, a radar system Andrew called the best he's tested on any ebike, and TPMS monitoring that catches the number one cause of flats before it becomes a problem. He also praised a front suspension fork that never once bottomed out, a drivetrain that shifts as well as anything below $2,000, tactile and water resistant buttons, and a turn signal system that automatically shuts itself off instead of blinking forever. Add in preinstalled slime in both tires, a confidence inspiring through axle bolt up front, a paint job that already earned Andrew unprompted compliments, and a 5 year warranty backed by Lectric's customer service reputation, and it's easy to see why he's impressed.

Where It Falls Short

Installing the radar accessory was a total headache: tight clearance behind the fender forced Andrew to pull the entire rear tire and cross thread a bolt just to get it seated. On a different note, the app is underwhelming. It can lock the display but not the motor hub, offers no Find My or Android Find Hub tracking, and mostly duplicates controls already available on the bike's own screen. The front light is dim, under 500 lumens, and aimed more at making the rider visible than lighting the road ahead, and the smart helmet mirrors the bike's turn signals but not its brake light.

Shipping is a recurring sore spot for Monarc specifically. Like the Monarc Marker Andrew reviewed previously, this Tracer arrived with a chipped paint job and a dinged control module, the result of all cardboard, foam free packaging that doesn't hold up well in transit. Riders planning to upgrade their handlebars should also know the stock cable runs are tight, with little slack to work with. And the radar, for all its range, occasionally threw a phantom reading, once flagging a car 88 feet back while Andrew rode through an empty tunnel.

The Freshly Charged Verdict

At the time of the review, the Tracer only came bundled with both batteries at $1,899, and Andrew's biggest ask was a cheaper single battery option for riders who didn't need the extra range — and Monarc listened!! The Tracer is now available with one battery starting at $1,649, with the dual battery version holding at $1,899 before promotions, plus an extra $100 off during Black Friday on top of that. For anyone chasing a premium component spread, security minded peripherals, and a 5 year warranty without paying crazy flagship prices, Andrew's final word says it best: this bike is built to disrupt the industry.

• Current price of the Monarc Tracer: https://monarc.pxf.io/B53y21
• Save $100 on Black Friday

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