The JackRabbit XG is mainly the stronger, greater brother of the well-known little JackRabbit micro e-bike, and I had the prospect to check one out to see how nicely a tiny little EV might work for the typical commuter. Because it seems, little is massive lately!
JackRabbit is well-known within the micromobility trade for its pint-sized city runabouts. The model’s diminutive 25 lb mini two-wheelers seem like a micro tackle a kind of standard 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 attainable doesn’t imply they don’t even have aspirations for energy and options. That was the concept behind the JackRabbit XG: take the whole lot folks know and love a couple of tiny JackRabbit and hotrod it into much more “oomph” in a mini bundle.
Try what it’s wish to throw a leg over certainly one of these enjoyable little rides in my video evaluate beneath. Then carry on studying afterward for much more!
JackRabbit XG video evaluate
JackRabbit XG tech specs
- Motor: 500W geared rear hub motor
- High pace: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Vary: 32+ km (20+ mi)
- Battery: Twin 151 Wh batteries, plus the choice to switch 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, non-compulsory fenders and different equipment
What’s it for?
Because the JackRabbit XG isn’t an e-bike within the conventional sense (missing useful pedals in favor of foot pegs), you’re clearly not going to decide on a JackRabbit in case you’re on the lookout for train. As a substitute, that is purely a get-around-town sort of trip, and doubtless additionally a have-some-fun-while-doing-it trip, 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 everyday standing electrical scooters we normally consider, the JackRabbit XG has numerous main benefits. The wheels are bicycle-sized, giving it a significantly better trip over rougher terrain and streets with pot holes. The seat and handlebars may even 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 one of the best of each worlds.
I actually just like the sideways spinning handlebars since they will rotate 90 levels and shrink the width of the JackRabbit to only 7-inches (once you additionally fold up the foot pegs).
It solely takes just a few seconds and out of the blue the micro e-bike is further micro. With the bars turned, it might simply disguise away underneath a twin mattress, resembling in a school dorm room.
It is also stashed behind a sofa or at the back of a closet with out taking over a lot room for itself.
The key upgrades
I’ve spent numerous time on JackRabbit’s smaller and extra reasonably priced micro e-bike, so it was fascinating for me to match the JackRabbit XG’s greater measurement and elevated options.
The most important upgrades are seemingly the scale 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 in addition makes the bike extra sturdy to permit a better weight score 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 an alternative of 10 miles.
For riders who need much more vary, one or two RangeBuster batteries seen above will be swapped into these battery slots, giving riders as much as 48 miles of vary (or much more, in case you deliver the unique batteries with you in your pocket or bag!).
It’s vital to notice that the batteries are additionally UL-compliant, which is essential lately for guaranteeing battery security. And in case you follow the smaller batteries, their sub 160Wh score means you could possibly deliver them on many home airways in your carry-on baggage (however you must examine with the airline first, as batteries between 100Wh and 160Wh generally require advance permission).
Final 12 months I flew by way of 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 information 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 hold you illuminated at night time for others to see you on the street! And since they run off the principle 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 in addition extra highly effective hill climbing. The pace continues to be restricted to twenty mph, however that’s tremendous by me. With a wheelbase this quick, you in all probability don’t wish to be hitting Class 3 speeds anyway. I don’t have any massive hills round me, however I think about bombing down an enormous hill on this factor at nicely over 20 mph can be a bit iffy.
The brand new twin brakes provide extra highly effective stopping as nicely, which is sweet when you’ve gotten a extra highly effective motor. You by no means wish to have extra ‘go’ then you’ve gotten ‘cease’.
There are much more fascinating equipment you’ll be able to add now, resembling larger deal with bars and a rear strut fender for preserving the puddle spray off of your again.
Mainly, it seems like numerous thought went into the brand new designs! Since this isn’t some out-of-the-catalog white labeled e-bike, they seemingly needed to design numerous these items from scratch with out the advantage of dozens of different e-bike firms utilizing the identical elements 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 positive does make it simpler to swap your battery out once you wish to. Alternatively, it positive does make it simpler for a thief to steal your battery in case you lock your bike exterior and don’t deliver the batteries in with you.
After all when the batteries are this small, you’ll be able to simply put them in your bag to deliver them inside. However I nonetheless would really like the choice to lock them so I’m not obligated to deliver them in with me the entire time.
Luckily, JackRabbit does give us a keylock accent on their website if you wish to swap out the thumb locks, however you’ve obtained to pony up an extra $25 per lock.
However what concerning the worth?
Yep, right here’s the kicker. Oh lordy, it’s priced at $1,749. That’s some severe dough!
I had gotten so used to the $999 worth of the smaller JackRabbit OG that the considerably larger value of the XG actually slaps you throughout the face.
On the one hand, JackRabbit doesn’t get the advantage of utilizing numerous pre-existing bike elements that they will merely choose out of catalogs. Certain, some issues like tires and motors are the identical. However many different elements just like the body, handlebar mechanism, and distinctive batteries all need to be customized made for JackRabbit. So I perceive that they aren’t getting the identical economies of scale that deliver us ultra-cheap electrical bikes.
However on the identical time, I do know there are folks on the market who evaluate watts per greenback as their essential metric, and JackRabbit won’t ever win there. In the event you’re on the lookout for the quickest or longest vary trip for the least cash, this ain’t it. You may go away now.
In the event you’re nonetheless right here, you then 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 large. 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 a number of the different options, however the costs are higher and you continue to get numerous the advantages discovered within the XG just like the small measurement and peppy pace.
In the event you’ve obtained the money although, the JackRabbit XG is a significantly enjoyable trip and gives far more options than I ever anticipated from such a small, minimalist little e-bike.
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