Lectric XP4 750 Electric Bike Review: The Best, Cheapest Ebike

The champion affordable ebike connected nan market. Astounding scope for nan price. Great brakes. Never felt underpowered.

Kickstand is an afterthought. Handlebars are a small excessively constrictive for large people.

According to different income resports, Lectric's XP statement is not only nan astir celebrated electrical motorcycle connected nan marketplace today, it’s nan third astir celebrated electrical vehicle of any kind, trailing only Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 cars. As everything gets much expensive, electric bikes included, that fame nary uncertainty has to do pinch nan comparative affordability of Lectric’s bikes.

Their caller XP4, which is nan 4th loop of their well-known XP line, retails for conscionable $999. And for an further $299, you tin upgrade to nan caller XP4 750, which Lectric claims tin get up to 85 miles of scope acknowledgment to its operation of 750-watt centrifugal and 17.5Ah battery. I spent a fewer weeks testing nan XP4 750, successful a beautiful, muted Pine Green finish.

Long Range

From boxed-up merchandise to rideable motorcycle only took astir 20 minutes, arsenic each that was required for assembly was to region each of nan protective worldly tied to nan bike, connect nan spot conduit and handlebars, threat connected nan quick-release pedals—which is simply a godsend for those of you who are unfamiliar pinch screwing connected motorcycle pedals—insert nan artillery (which arrived, arsenic astir batteries do, astir half charged), pump up nan tires, and roll.

Rather than reinvent nan wheel, nan XP4 750 takes overmuch of nan DNA from Lectric’s erstwhile model, the XP 3.0, and added a fewer caller bells and whistles specified arsenic a torque sensor for smoother powerfulness delivery, a stunning full-color display, and a whisper-quiet 750-watt motor.

Sometimes erstwhile ebike companies effort to look for illustration The Future, they autumn rather short. The XP4, connected nan different hand, takes nan accepted thought of a bicycle’s triangle-based geometry, and straightens it retired for illustration an arrow, giving a uncommon consciousness of business sleekness, uncommon successful nan ever-bulky ebike market.

The XP4 750’s declare of 85 miles of scope is rooted successful perfect conditions, apt connected level roads pinch a lighter load. No measurement nan XP4 750 I tested was going to get each 255 pounds of my framework (which is 75 pounds awkward of nan bike’s 330 lb max payload) complete nan undulating grades successful Chapel Hill for 85 miles. That said, my first afloat complaint took maine good complete 50 miles, which lasted maine astir a week. Considering galore ebikes request a afloat complaint aft a time aliases 2 of use, it’s a invited upgrade.

Those 50 miles (and nan 100 aliases truthful much that person travel since) felt great. Oftentimes, pinch wheels that are smaller, tires that are wider, and elongated wheelbases, ebikes tin consciousness for illustration onshore yachts, uneasy to navigate successful thing but a consecutive line. The XP4 750, connected nan different hand, offered a nimble thrust that was person successful tone to a upland motorcycle than it is simply a cargo bike. (Of course, astatine 62 pounds, it’s still a hulking portion of equipment.)

Thanks to nan bike’s 750-watt motor, its 5 adaptable powerfulness output options, and its expertise to create 1,310 watts of power, I ne'er felt arsenic though nan motorcycle was underpowered arsenic I rolled astir town.

Carry On

The motorcycle is equipped pinch Starunion 602 hydraulic brakes, which, erstwhile paired pinch a duo of monolithic 180 mm brake rotors, make stopping and slowing a breeze, nary matter really accelerated I came barreling down those aforementioned hills.

While nan thrust is great, nan 1 spot nan Lectric XP4 really shines is successful its portability. Anyone who’s ever traveled pinch an ebike knows nan struggle. Given nan heft of these bikes, a weight-rated motorcycle rack is required. Unless you’re 1 portion Macho Man Randy Savage, you astir apt needed nan assistance of a ramp to instrumentality nan motorcycle onto said rack.

Not to mention, considering that astir ebikes travel equipped pinch bulky, oversized tires, you mightiness person moreover needed aftermarket strap extenders to guarantee nan motorcycle tin beryllium secured to nan rack itself, arsenic nan banal instrumentality straps that astir racks travel equipped pinch aren’t astir agelong enough.

The XP4, connected nan different hand, folds astatine nan halfway of nan frame, acknowledgment to a hinge and a simple-yet-sturdy fastener that tin beryllium secured and undone pinch conscionable a spot of manus strength. Considering truthful galore Americans are now driving astir successful SUVs, a folded-up XP4 tin fresh snug successful nan backmost of your vehicle. No racks, nary ramps, nary other straps. It moreover fresh successful nan backmost of my family’s Volvo wagon pinch capable abstraction to descent my four-year-old daughter’s motorcycle successful beside. That said, fixed nan bike’s weight, immoderate of that Macho Man spot mightiness travel successful handy. That, aliases personification to thief you lift.

You tin mitigate nan weight a spot by removing nan 9-pound lithium-ion battery, which separates from nan motorcycle pinch ease. Still, loading a 53-pound motorcycle is ne'er going to beryllium a picnic.

While nan XP4 750 is surely 1 of nan amended e-bikes I’ve ever ridden, it's not each great. At least, it isn’t for me, a bigger-than-your-average-bear motorcycle rider who usually tops retired immoderate size motorcycle and cycling apparel brands offer.

All that said, nan first point I noticed astir nan XP4’s thrust was really constrictive nan handlebars are.

Granted, this is astir apt only nan lawsuit for large group for illustration maine (6’ 4”, 255 pounds, and pinch very wide shoulders) and it mightiness not moreover registry for average-sized people. In fact, astatine 6’ 4”, I’m an inch excessively large for nan XP4, astatine slightest according to nan brand, which says nan motorcycle fits riders 4’ 10” to 6’ 3”. But that other inch feels negligible, as, complete my first 150 miles connected nan bike, my legs person yet to consciousness hemmed successful by my saddle height.

Speaking of that saddle, nan bike’s spot station features an integrated suspension coil, offering 40 mm of travel. While, successful theory, immoderate rear suspension is welcome, I felt arsenic though, each clip nan coil compressed, it was really my spot conduit slipping down into nan frame. It was a unusual sensation and 1 I must admit that, immoderate 200 miles into riding nan bike, I haven’t rather gotten utilized to.

Something other I don’t emotion astir nan XP4 is its old-school, one-sided kickstand. A motorcycle of this heft should characteristic a motor-scooter-style guidelines that retracts from beneath nan bottom-bracket, giving moreover support to some sides of nan machine. The one-sided kickstand, however, often finds itself (and me!) fighting gravity erstwhile I’m trying to fastener nan motorcycle up connected thing resembling an incline.

All told, those very fewer shortcomings are hardly capable to make maine not emotion nan XP4 750, arsenic it’s soft ride, extra-long range, handsome design, and litany of aftermarket add-ons make this a motorcycle I would commute pinch for a long, agelong time.