The JackRabbit XG is principally the stronger, larger brother of the well-known little JackRabbit micro e-bike, and I had the prospect to check one out to see how effectively a tiny little EV might work for the common commuter. Because it seems, little is huge lately!
JackRabbit is well-known within the micromobility business for its pint-sized city runabouts. The model’s diminutive 25 lb mini two-wheelers seem like a micro tackle a kind of typical e-bike, but regardless of their small measurement they nonetheless provide 20 mph speeds and sufficient vary for many city riders.
However simply because the model has lengthy centered on being as small and light-weight as doable doesn’t imply they don’t even have aspirations for energy and options. That was the concept behind the JackRabbit XG: take all the things folks know and love a couple of tiny JackRabbit and hotrod it into much more “oomph” in a mini package deal.
Take a look at what it’s wish to throw a leg over one in every of these enjoyable little rides in my video evaluation beneath. Then carry on studying afterward for much more!
JackRabbit XG video evaluation
JackRabbit XG tech specs
- Motor: 500W geared rear hub motor
- High velocity: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Vary: 32+ km (20+ mi)
- Battery: Twin 151 Wh batteries, plus the choice to interchange with bigger RangeBuster batteries
- Max load: 125 kg (275 lb)
- Bike weight: 14.5 kg (32 lb)
- Brakes: Entrance and rear mechanical disc brakes
- Tires: 20″ x 2.4″ in entrance and rear
- Worth: $1,749
- Extras: Thumb throttle, rotatable handlebars, foldout foot pegs, bell, LCD show, kickstand, twin battery slots, elective fenders and different equipment
What’s it for?
For the reason that JackRabbit XG will not be an e-bike within the conventional sense (missing purposeful pedals in favor of foot pegs), you’re clearly not going to decide on a JackRabbit in case you’re searching for train. As a substitute, that is purely a get-around-town sort of journey, and doubtless additionally a have-some-fun-while-doing-it journey, too.
I’ll name it a micro e-bike since that’s how JackRabbit classifies it, however you wouldn’t be improper to name it seated electrical scooter, both.
In comparison with the standard standing electrical scooters we often consider, the JackRabbit XG has quite a lot of main benefits. The wheels are bicycle-sized, giving it a significantly better journey over rougher terrain and streets with pot holes. The seat and handlebars may also really feel extra acquainted to anybody with bike expertise. But regardless of ‘feeling’ like a motorbike, it has the light-weight portability of a scooter, really providing the most effective of each worlds.
I actually just like the sideways spinning handlebars since they’ll rotate 90 levels and shrink the width of the JackRabbit to only 7-inches (while you additionally fold up the foot pegs).
It solely takes a couple of seconds and out of the blue the micro e-bike is additional micro. With the bars turned, it will simply cover away underneath a twin mattress, comparable to in a school dorm room.
It may be stashed behind a sofa or behind a closet with out taking on a lot room for itself.
The foremost upgrades
I’ve spent quite a lot of time on JackRabbit’s smaller and extra reasonably priced micro e-bike, so it was attention-grabbing for me to check the JackRabbit XG’s larger measurement and elevated options.
The most important upgrades are probably the dimensions of the body and the twin battery slots.
The larger body provides you extra space to stretch out by placing the handlebars a bit additional out in entrance of you, and likewise makes the bike extra sturdy to permit the next weight ranking of as much as 275 lb.
The twin battery slots imply the bike comes with an out-of-the-box vary of 20 miles as a substitute of 10 miles.
For riders who need much more vary, one or two RangeBuster batteries seen above might be swapped into these battery slots, giving riders as much as 48 miles of vary (or much more, in case you convey the unique batteries with you in your pocket or bag!).
It’s vital to notice that the batteries are additionally UL-compliant, which is crucial lately for making certain battery security. And in case you keep on with the smaller batteries, their sub 160Wh ranking means you could possibly convey them on many home airways in your carry-on baggage (however you must verify with the airline first, as batteries between 100Wh and 160Wh generally require advance permission).
Final 12 months I flew via a number of cities with my JackRabbit OG, and its 151 Wh battery stayed safely with me in my carry-on the entire time!
However the twin battery slots and bigger body are actually simply scratching the floor of all of the upgrades. There’s much more right here than meets the attention.
The brand new show is far nicer to make use of, lastly giving extra knowledge than the unique easy LED dot show, and it now provides controls for issues like LED lights.
Talking of these lights, they’re lastly out there to assist maintain you illuminated at night time for others to see you on the highway! And since they run off the primary battery, you don’t have to fret about charging up separate LED gentle batteries.
The larger 500W motor is one other good addition because it permits for higher acceleration and likewise extra highly effective hill climbing. The velocity remains to be restricted to twenty mph, however that’s tremendous by me. With a wheelbase this brief, you in all probability don’t wish to be hitting Class 3 speeds anyway. I don’t have any huge hills round me, however I think about bombing down an enormous hill on this factor at effectively over 20 mph can be a bit iffy.
The brand new twin brakes provide extra highly effective stopping as effectively, which is good when you might have a extra highly effective motor. You by no means wish to have extra ‘go’ then you might have ‘cease’.
There are much more attention-grabbing equipment you may add now, comparable to greater deal with bars and a rear strut fender for maintaining the puddle spray off of your again.
Mainly, it appears like quite a lot of thought went into the brand new designs! Since this isn’t some out-of-the-catalog white labeled e-bike, they probably needed to design quite a lot of these things from scratch with out the advantage of dozens of different e-bike firms utilizing the identical components first.
One change that doesn’t thrill me although is changing the keyed lock for the batteries with a thumb screw lock.
On the one hand, it certain does make it simpler to swap your battery out while you wish to. However, it certain does make it simpler for a thief to steal your battery in case you lock your bike exterior and don’t convey the batteries in with you.
In fact when the batteries are this small, you may simply put them in your bag to convey them inside. However I nonetheless would really like the choice to lock them so I’m not obligated to convey them in with me the entire time.
Fortuitously, JackRabbit does give us a keylock accent on their web site if you wish to swap out the thumb locks, however you’ve bought to pony up a further $25 per lock.
However what in regards to the value?
Yep, right here’s the kicker. Oh lordy, it’s priced at $1,749. That’s some critical dough!
I had gotten so used to the $999 value of the smaller JackRabbit OG that the considerably greater value of the XG actually slaps you throughout the face.
On the one hand, JackRabbit doesn’t get the advantage of utilizing a number of pre-existing bike components that they’ll merely choose out of catalogs. Certain, some issues like tires and motors are the identical. However many different components just like the body, handlebar mechanism, and distinctive batteries all must be customized made for JackRabbit. So I perceive that they aren’t getting the identical economies of scale that convey us ultra-cheap electrical bikes.
However on the identical time, I do know there are folks on the market who examine watts per greenback as their primary metric, and JackRabbit won’t ever win there. In case you’re searching for the quickest or longest vary journey for the least cash, this ain’t it. You’ll be able to depart now.
In case you’re nonetheless right here, then you definately clearly are open to different options and benefits of particular e-bikes, and that’s precisely what JackRabbit is about. Certain, you pay a premium, however you get a brilliant light-weight and easy-to-ride micro e-bike that folds as much as a mere 7 inches extensive. For some folks, that’s well worth the premium. And if it’s not, then I nonetheless suggest testing the OG and OG2 fashions from JackRabbit for $999 and $1,299. You don’t get twin batteries or among the different options, however the costs are higher and you continue to get quite a lot of the advantages discovered within the XG just like the small measurement and peppy velocity.
In case you’ve bought the money although, the JackRabbit XG is a significantly enjoyable journey and presents far more options than I ever anticipated from such a small, minimalist little e-bike.
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