Emojo assembly
The person who needs this trike is the person who should not be assembling it.
Emojo build electric trikes for riders whose knees have taken cycling away from them. Then they ship a 90 pound box that takes three to four hours to assemble, with brakes to adjust on a vehicle that tips outward on every turn.
A mobility device, not a toy
Emojo started making two-wheeled e-bikes, and then changed direction after their founder met a customer whose knee problems had ended their cycling. The company now specialises in three-wheeled electric trikes aimed squarely at seniors and riders with mobility challenges. That is a genuinely good mission, and it is also the whole tension of this page.
Because the Caddy and its siblings are bought, very often, by exactly the people least equipped to spend an afternoon on a garage floor. Emojo’s own FAQ says assembly takes three to four hours, and their heavier trikes weigh around ninety pounds. The bike exists because somebody could not pedal a normal one. Handing that person a flat-packed trike is a contradiction.
And unlike a commuter e-bike, this is a mobility device. The setup is not about convenience. It is about whether the brakes work and whether the throttle is safe, on a vehicle a vulnerable rider is going to depend on.
The job
Emojo’s own figures, which are refreshingly honest.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Two-wheel model (Wildcat, Panther)Front wheel, bars, fenders, pedals, brakes, battery. | 1.5 to 2 hours | 1 to 2 |
| Trike (Caddy Pro)Emojo’s own estimate. The rear axle assembly is the work. | 3 to 4 hours | 2 |
| "Fully assembled" trikeEmojo: may still need "the wheels and handlebars" fitted. | STILL some work | 1 to 2 |
| The bike weighs"Difficult to transport if you don’t have a garage or shed." | ~90 lbs | 2 to move it |
| Emojo’s own assembly serviceOwners cite around $200 per bike. | they quote it | them |
The keys must stay in the battery for the bike to run, and they can jingle or snag clothing. A small thing, but worth knowing before a nervous first ride.
The safety-critical parts, and they are all in the setup
A trike tips OUT on a turn, and the throttle needs setting for that
The most important safety point on the page. A two-wheeled bike leans INTO a corner. A trike does not, it stays flat and tries to tip to the OUTSIDE, and reviewers flag that Emojo’s 20 mph top speed can be dangerous in a turn for exactly this reason. The saving grace is that the throttle is governed by the pedal-assist level. So the setup decision is to start the rider in a LOW assist level, which caps the throttle low, and to raise it only as they get confident. On a trike bought by someone with mobility challenges, that is not a preference. It is the difference between safe and on its side.
The brakes are the most-discussed Emojo topic online, for a reason
Whole forum threads exist about adjusting the Caddy Pro’s rear brakes, one titled bluntly that the owner needs better information than the manual provides, another about a rear-brake upgrade fix. Depending on model, the brakes are mechanical disc, which need careful adjustment, or hydraulic, which need bleeding. On a heavy trike that tips outward and is ridden by someone who chose it for safety, correctly set brakes are the whole point. This is not the component to learn on.
Fully assembled is not fully assembled
Emojo say it themselves in their FAQ: a trike ordered fully assembled still ships in a large box and may require the installation of certain components, specifically the wheels and handlebars. Wheels and handlebars are not trivial parts to get right. If you paid for assembled expecting ready-to-ride, know that the two safety-relevant assemblies, steering and a wheel, may still be on you.
Check the hardware the moment the box opens
A recurring owner complaint, especially when buying direct: missing washers, bolts or nuts, and slow replacement. Emojo’s direct customer service draws real criticism on review sites for exactly this. Open the box, check every bag against the parts list, and start any replacement request immediately, because you do not want to discover a missing axle bolt three hours in.
Torque the stem and the axle to spec, and check them again after the first rides
On any bike the stem and headset matter, and on a heavy trike the rear axle matters more. Fasteners settle after the first few rides, and a mobility rider is the last person who should be diagnosing a loose handlebar mid-turn. Set everything to spec, and plan a check-over after the first week, which is normal new-bike practice and doubly sensible here.
The pedal assist has nine levels, and that is too many
A usability note that matters for this rider. Reviewers dislike the nine levels of cadence-sensor pedal assist, cycling up and down through all of them is fiddly. For a nervous or less dexterous rider, set a sensible default level during setup and show them the two or three they will actually use, rather than leaving them to scroll through nine while moving.
Before it arrives
Decide honestly who is assembling this. If the rider is the person with the mobility challenge, this is a job to hand over, not a weekend project.
If buying direct, be aware that owners report the smoothest experiences through dealers and with professional assembly, and the roughest buying direct and building it themselves.
Clear a space to store and charge it. At ninety pounds it is not something you carry up steps.
And plan the first ride somewhere flat, open and traffic-free, with the assist level set low.
Why this is not a DIY bike
Because the rider it is designed for is frequently the rider who should not be building it.
Because the two things most likely to go wrong, the brakes and the throttle behaviour on a tipping-prone trike, are the two things that most affect whether it is safe.
Because Emojo themselves quote three to four hours and offer paid assembly, which is the manufacturer telling you what this job is.
And because a well set-up Emojo is, by every account, a genuinely liked bike, comfortable, capable, with a real one-year warranty. Owners who love theirs tend to be the ones who did not have to fight the setup alone.
What an installer does
- Assembles the trike or bike fully, including the wheels and handlebars a "fully assembled" order may leave undone.
- Adjusts or bleeds the brakes properly, which on an Emojo is the component that matters most.
- Sets the pedal-assist default low so the governed throttle is safe, and sets a sensible starting level.
- Torques the stem, headset and rear axle to spec, and plans a first-week re-check.
- Checks the hardware against the parts list and flags anything missing before building, not during.
- Walks the rider through braking, throttle and the assist levels before their first ride.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
How long does an Emojo take to assemble?
Emojo’s own FAQ says three to four hours, and they offer paid assembly for those who would rather not. Their trikes weigh around ninety pounds, and even a trike ordered fully assembled may still need the wheels and handlebars fitted on arrival.
Is an electric trike harder to ride than a two-wheeled e-bike?
In one specific way, yes. A trike does not lean into corners the way a bike does, so it can tip toward the outside of a turn, and reviewers note the 20 mph top speed can be dangerous for this reason. The good news is the throttle is governed by the pedal-assist level, so setting a low assist level at setup keeps the speed safe until the rider is confident.
Why are the brakes such a common Emojo topic?
Because they are safety-critical on a heavy trike and, depending on model, need either careful mechanical adjustment or hydraulic bleeding. Owner forums have dedicated threads on adjusting and upgrading the Caddy Pro’s rear brakes. On a mobility trike it is the last component you want set by guesswork.
I ordered it fully assembled. Why is there still work to do?
Emojo state that fully assembled trikes still ship in a large box and may require installation of certain components, notably the wheels and handlebars. If you expected ready-to-ride, be aware the steering and a wheel may still need fitting and adjusting.
Should I buy direct or through a dealer?
Owner reviews are noticeably happier when buying through a dealer or having the bike professionally assembled, and noticeably unhappier buying direct and assembling alone, with recurring complaints about missing hardware and slow support. However you buy, having it set up by someone who knows the bike is the difference most owners point to.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Emojo Bike. Emojo is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly and setup services that independent installers on this directory provide. Brake and safety-critical work should be carried out by a competent mechanic.