FT03 or V9 Max? The duel between Brazil's best-selling e-bikes in 4 rounds

The FT03 and the V9 Max together add up to more than 10 thousand sales on Mercado Livre alone. On paper they look the same: 1,000 W and a similar price. In this video, Luan runs a four-round duel and tells how much each one cost that day.

The three versions of the V9 Max

V9 Max is the name of the model, not the brand: it leaves the factory without a brand and each importer puts on its own logo, which is why the spec sheet changes from one listing to another. The best-selling version has one battery. The second has two smaller 15.6Ah batteries, with the extra one under the seat and a rack at the front. The third, the V9 Max S, has two bigger 20Ah batteries, with the extra one under the frame, closer to the ground. To tell which is which in a listing, look for two 20Ah batteries.

Round 1: speed and power

With a 1,000 W motor locked at 32 km/h, the bike is treated as self-propelled in Brazil, with no plate and no license. You can unlock it from the dashboard, without swapping a part or using a tool. The difference between the two unlocked values is about 2 km/h. On power, the FT03 has a gear inside the motor, which works like a light gear and is praised on climbs, but wears out and needs lubrication over time.

Round 2: real range

The numbers in the listings are for a perfect day. Weight, hills, wind and full throttle use up a lot. On both, the battery comes out to charge from a regular outlet, and a full charge takes 5 to 8 hours. On the two-battery versions of the V9 Max, owners talk about more than 60 km, pedaling along, on the one with smaller batteries. An acquaintance of Luan's, a delivery rider in São Paulo, logged 80 km on the dashboard with the V9 Max S, almost double the single-battery version.

Round 3: technology and comfort

The V9 Max starts by touching the NFC card to the dashboard, has an alarm with a remote and turn signals front and rear. The FT03 sold today has none of that, although you can install turn signals later. There's a leaked new version of the FT03, with a gearless motor, and Luan made a video about it. On comfort, both have wide tires, and the V9 Max has shocks front and rear, while the FT03's rear one is small and owners complain about noise. The brakes are hydraulic on both wheels.

Round 4: weight and passenger

The load limit includes you, your backpack, your shopping and whoever rides on the back. With a 120 kg limit, the FT03 is tight for someone who weighs close to 100 kg with a backpack. The V9 Max's seat is longer and made for two people, while the FT03's is short. In return, the FT03's aluminum frame doesn't rust and some sellers' spec sheets list up to 4 kg less, which helps when pushing it up the garage ramp.

Price and when to buy

The yellow FT03 was available from R$ 5,878, its lowest price in 23 days. The single-battery V9 Max from R$ 5,959, also the lowest of the period. The two-smaller-battery one from R$ 7,889 and the V9 Max S from R$ 8,147, less than R$ 300 difference to get the bigger battery. Luan reminds us that the price of the two-battery one has already swung almost R$ 500 in two days and that the rule is to always buy inside Mercado Livre.

Conclusion

Frequently asked questions

Prices and opinions reflect the video on the recording date. Prices change all the time (all in Brazilian reais); always check the listing.

See the duel as a table: specs side by side, scoreboard and verdict