Say What? Is it a bakkie? Is it a bike? Is it a Quad….Â
Ok you get the idea. We do ride some interesting machines and this is one of them.
The commercial market is one of the sectors in our industry that is doing rather well – and the Big Boy brand owns a large segment of that market.
This is their latest offering to the agricultural and commercial industry. A 4-wheeled electric (Read Silent) – except when you reverse, utility pick up.
We lent it to our friend Mark, gave him a lekker bush hat to wear and sent him in the direction of the farmlands and got his opinion…
He says:
Arriving at the offices of Dirt and Trail the other day to go out and do some tagging duty
For the Cosmos event I was asked to take the Big Boy out to the mealie fields for a test ride
And give some feedback.
A walk around reveals that this is a very versatile vehicle.
Its big, electric motor, big quad wheels, lots of loading space, high ground clearance.
Just what the Farmer Brown would use to get around on his farm!
 So, I took it to the mealies at a max speed of 35 kph. The ride was very bumpy, unloaded the suspension is very firm. Add some weight, photographer and bush cutting equipment and the ride was much better.
Off road in the mealies was every easy going, the turning circle is not the best but then you are out in the fields with plenty of space so who cares. And if you do get it wrong, the reverse is useful.
I could not missbehave with the Big Boy. Not with a max speed of 35 kph.
I was very tempted to pull the magic lever on the side and tip the photographer out , yes, the whole load bin can also tip up to off load sand, stone and maybe a mealie bag or two
A great vehicle for the commercial market will do very well on many a farm…
Mark Heatlie
It’s big.Â
It took up the whole of the back of our Hyundai H100. But – and here’s the thing it’s not particularly heavy for the size. Moving it around in the garage, you can lift it up and scootch it around – and that’s pretty handy. It’s got a Bak that can load 350KG’s of stuff with drop sides and a lifter so that it tilts. Cool huh!
The instant Power is delivered in absolute silence – a 2wd 72 volt, 2000w electric motor that’s powered by 6 Lithium Ion batteries.Â
The silent is good, but the body itself rattles along, so the moment it goes quiet, you know that the operator is asleep under the tree somewhere…Â
Pull off and torque is generally good. For extra power, they have included a lever that engages low mode. We used that to ride up the ramps onto our bakkie and that was exactly what you need.Â
Slow and strong.
In the fast mode, she is limited to 35KPH, which is a good thing because you do not really want your farm manager going any faster. Mode 1 is slow, the middle mode 2 setting sees a constant speed of around 15 KPH.
This is not quite a conventional ATV, it’s like a cross between a quad, a Tuk Tuk and a scooter, so, big quad wheels and tyres, a step through seat like a scoot and cowhorn bars like you find in a Tuk Tuk.Â
The saddle is a single bench design.
Suspension is basic and it’s pretty bouncy when the back is empty, but with a load (Like our photographer Stefan for example) it all settles down and actually behaves rather well.
Brakes are basic – drums out back and discs up front – nothing fancy but they work just fine.Â
The foot brake activates the rear brakes and the conventional lever on the left handlebar activates the front.Â
Both brakes can be locked so that the Hauler doesn’t tear off down the hill when you are loading up.Â
In addition to the Bak, you get a neat carrier up front, so that on the way out to load up the peppers, you can also load that bag of chicken feed to keep the KukKukks happy.
What else? The big wheels and tyres mean that it can get off the beaten track and into the bush when you spot that baboon making his way to your mealies.Â
The ground clearance is decent, but you need to bear the long wheel base in mind when you negotiate any hobbles. The reverse function is especially handy and that beeps out loud so that people know when they are about to be run over…
The guys from Big Boy tell us that range between charges – driving nicely is around 65KM’s. That’s not too shabby!
This one comes standard with a 28 amp fast charger, so charging overnight should be a simple thing..
So practical!
A great work companion for sure!
Did we mention that it’s really light on fuel?
Insert smiley face here…Â
Ok Enough now!
Claimed range of up to 65km per charge
72V 100Ah lithium battery system
Electric motor: 72V 2000W
ATV tyres
Front disc brakes
Tipper bin with three drop-sides.
72V 100AH Lithium batteries
L x W x H: 3,100 x 1,200 x 1,350mm
350kg load capacity
Forward and reverse gears
6 hour 28 Amp fast charging system
12 Month Mechanical Warranty
6 Month Lithium Battery Warranty
Not for road use.
