First Ride: The Lectric eBikes XP Lite
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We recently found ourselves at Lectric eBikes world headquarters in Phoenix, Arizona and while there, founders Levi and Robbie urged me to take a ride on their new XP Lite e-bike. It’s been out for a few months now but I just haven’t had time to take it out for a spin yet and it seemed like a great opportunity. After latching my helmet, I launched from the showroom and was immediately impressed by how spritely the bike felt out of the gate.
Disclaimer: Lectric eBikes paid for the author’s travel and accommodations to attend this event.
Its compact, low frame and visually unimpressive electric hub motor led me to expect an underpowered, underwhelming, and uncomfortable experience, but what it delivered was exactly the opposite. Blasting out into the neighborhood behind LE HQ, riding the XP Lite felt like I was riding a BMX bike from my childhood. Growing up, bicycles opened up new worlds for me. I was able to explore my neighborhood and my city by myself at my leisure and at my own pace. I rode my bike to soccer practice to school, to friends houses, and everywhere in between.
I was surprised how, even as an adult, riding the XP Lite made me want to explore and more than that, to just keep going. The single speed gearing is simple so you don’t have to think. You just ride. For extra speed or to show hills who’s boss, the 300 watt motor is more than willing to step in to support with up to five levels of support, pushing out up to 720 watts, making it feel like a well-tuned 500 watt motor.
A smile was immediately plastered on my face and I quickly found myself taking jumps off curbs pumping up and down the dry gullys in a nearby park, and considering feats I long ago learned were bad ideas. Don’t get me wrong, the ride probably looked absolutely ridiculous. A oversized 200 pound man in a button up shirt riding 8 miles an hour down a residential street in Phoenix on a sunny, 95 degree F day, occasionally falling off the curb while somehow managing to stay on a shockingly undersized bike…
But I felt like I was 8 again. And I’m down with that. I’m not living life for what it looks like and hell, I’d probably keep doing it just to make you laugh. That’s how I roll. And I think the XP Lite rolls that way, too. It gets me.
On the other hand, maybe it’s a bad thing that the XP Lite makes me feel like a kid again. Maybe it is the worst thing to happen to e-bikes this decade. Maybe I’ll hurt myself. Broken bones might be in my future. Maybe a few more cracked teeth? Even so, I think I’m going to pick one up. It’s just too damn attractive at the current sale price of $799 and frankly, my quick ride was too much fun. I don’t see it being my primary commuter, but it does seem like the perfect bike to throw in the back of a car to head down to the beach or park to rip around for a little bit to have some fun and let the stress of the day sweat out of my body.
It could even be a solid urban commuter as its smaller form factor makes it easier to bring onto trains, buses and the like.
The dreamers at Lectric eBikes must have known how the XP Lite would infect my brain because they also kitted out a few dozen of them (!!) with a range of quick modifications ranging from new grips to full on hydro-dipped frames. The small army of Lites make it easy to imagine turning this fun little ripper into a fun looking weekender with a few quick bolt ons.
The Lectric eBikes XP Lite is available on its official website and, starting October 17th, will be available for purchase on Amazon.
- Weight: 46 lbs
- Motor: 300W continuous, 720W peak planetary geared brushless motor
- Assist: 5 levels of pedal assist + right-mounted twist throttle
- Battery: hidden, removable battery
- Voltage: 48v
- Folded Dimensions: 36 L x 16 W x 27 H inches
- Drivetrain: Single speed
- Tires: Slim 20 x 2.4 or 20 x 2.6 inch tires
- Display: backlit, center-mounted LCD display
- Brakes: 160mm mechanical disc brakes
- Water Resistance: IP-65 rated electrical components
- Lights: Integrated front and rear lights
All images credit: Kyle Field, CleanTechnica
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