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 common commuter. Because it seems, little is large as of late!
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 roughly standard e-bike, but regardless of their small dimension 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 potential doesn’t imply they don’t even have aspirations for energy and options. That was the concept behind the JackRabbit XG: take every part 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 among these enjoyable little rides in my video evaluate under. Then carry on studying afterward for much more!
JackRabbit XG video evaluate
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 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
- Value: $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?
For the reason that JackRabbit XG shouldn’t 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 should you’re in search of train. As a substitute, that is purely a get-around-town sort of experience, and doubtless additionally a have-some-fun-while-doing-it experience, 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 normally consider, the JackRabbit XG has numerous main benefits. The wheels are bicycle-sized, giving it a a lot better experience over rougher terrain and streets with pot holes. The seat and handlebars will 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 simply 7-inches (while you additionally fold up the foot pegs).
It solely takes just a few seconds and all of the sudden the micro e-bike is additional micro. With the bars turned, it might simply cover away below a twin mattress, resembling in a university dorm room.
It may be stashed behind a sofa or behind a closet with out taking over a lot room for itself.
The most important upgrades
I’ve spent numerous time on JackRabbit’s smaller and extra inexpensive micro e-bike, so it was fascinating for me to match the JackRabbit XG’s greater dimension 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 strong 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 a substitute 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, should you deliver the unique batteries with you in your pocket or bag!).
It’s necessary to notice that the batteries are additionally UL-compliant, which is vital as of late for guaranteeing battery security. And should you persist with the smaller batteries, their sub 160Wh score means you might be able to deliver them on many home airways in your carry-on baggage (however it’s best to examine with the airline first, as batteries between 100Wh and 160Wh typically require advance permission).
Final 12 months I flew by means 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 way 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 obtainable to assist hold 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 mild 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 continues to be restricted to twenty mph, however that’s high quality by me. With a wheelbase this brief, you in all probability don’t need to be hitting Class 3 speeds anyway. I don’t have any large 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 may have a extra highly effective motor. You by no means need to have extra ‘go’ then you may have ‘cease’.
There are much more fascinating equipment you’ll be able to add now, resembling increased deal with bars and a rear strut fender for protecting 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 probably needed to design numerous these things from scratch with out the advantage of dozens of different e-bike corporations 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 certain does make it simpler to swap your battery out while you need to. However, it certain does make it simpler for a thief to steal your battery should you lock your bike exterior and don’t deliver the batteries in with you.
In fact 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 love 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 web site if you wish to swap out the thumb locks, however you’ve received to pony up an extra $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 severe dough!
I had gotten so used to the $999 value of the smaller JackRabbit OG that the considerably increased price of the XG actually slaps you throughout the face.
On the one hand, JackRabbit doesn’t get the advantage of utilizing a lot of 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 similar time, I do know there are folks on the market who examine watts per greenback as their essential metric, and JackRabbit won’t ever win there. When you’re in search of the quickest or longest vary experience for the least cash, this ain’t it. You possibly can depart now.
When 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 an excellent light-weight and easy-to-ride micro e-bike that folds as much as a mere 7 inches large. For some folks, that’s definitely worth the premium. And if it’s not, then I nonetheless advocate 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 dimension and peppy velocity.
When you’ve received the money although, the JackRabbit XG is a significantly enjoyable experience and provides far more options than I ever anticipated from such a small, minimalist little e-bike.
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