Rad Power describes the RadRunner Plus as a nimble, versatile cargo bike with a seat for a passenger.
The important words in that sentence are with a seat — and that is a different thing from adding a seat.
What a fitted seat gives you that a bolted-on one does not
Plenty of riders carry a passenger on an e-bike by laying a cushion on the rear cargo rack. That has two problems.
A cargo rack is designed for cargo — a static load, evenly spread. A person is a moving load, concentrated at one point.
There is nowhere to put their feet. A rear passenger's legs dangle next to the rear spokes.
The second point causes the most common accident when carrying a child on a bicycle: a foot pulled into the rear wheel. A bike designed to carry a passenger has footrests, and usually a spoke guard too.
If you plan to carry someone on an e-bike, check three things: footrests, a spoke guard, and a published payload. If any one is missing, the bike was not built for it.
32 km/h: the right cap
The RadRunner Plus stops at 20 mph, about 32 km/h. Rad Power's own Radster Road reaches 45 km/h, and so does the Lectric XPedition.
We read this as the right decision rather than a weakness. A bike with a passenger behind the rider has a high centre of gravity and its mass biased rearwards. At 45 km/h, an emergency stop on a bike like that is considerably harder to control.
32 km/h is fast enough to commute and slow enough to leave you a safety margin with a second person aboard.
159 kg: the lowest here
A payload of 350 pounds, about 159 kg. For comparison: the Lectric XPedition allows 204 kg, the Aventon Abound SR 200 kg in total.
159 kg still covers a 70 kg adult plus a 55 kg passenger plus some shopping. But there is not much headroom, and with two adults you are right on the limit.
This is a bike for the “one adult plus one older child” configuration, not for “two adults plus the weekly shop”.
88 km, and why a passenger bike needs range to spare
A range of more than 55 miles, about 88 km sounds generous for a city bike. On a passenger bike, read it differently.
The published figure was measured with one rider, a light load and low assist. Your bike will be carrying two people on most trips, at close to double the weight.
A sensible planning figure: somewhere between 45 and 55 km two-up. Still plenty for a day of school runs, but not for a whole week of them.
And something more important than the number: running flat while carrying a child is not an inconvenience. A heavy e-bike plus a passenger is not something you pedal home. Always keep a bigger margin than you think you need.
And the question about Rad Power
Rad Power Bikes went through bankruptcy proceedings at the end of 2025 and was bought during 2026.
On a bike with a model-specific proprietary battery, that is a real risk. Three questions deserve answers before you pay:
How long will replacement batteries for the RadRunner Plus keep being made?
Which legal entity honours the existing warranty?
Does the store network survive under the new owner?
Rad Power still publishes good policies: shipping in two business days, 30-day returns, and the option of professional pre-assembly. Those are good things — if they still exist in three years.
The verdict
We score it 7.8. A bike genuinely designed for carrying a passenger, with a responsible speed cap. The score is pulled down by the lowest payload in the group and by the question mark over the company.
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