Folding it up is simple but awkward to handle, due to the bike’s 60-pound weight. Unscrew a clamp in the middle of the frame, then lift the front half and pull it back. If you don’t have a good seat, it’s a dance to see if the bike or you fall first. Undo another clamp to store the handlebars.
There is no way to lock the two wheels together when folded up, so the front tire awkwardly pulls away. It doesn’t look very neat. I also wish there were more intuitive handles on the frame. At the moment, the easiest parts to grip are often the dirtiest parts of the bike.
Ray of sun
The best part of the Kutty X is the ride. The 4-inch Kenda tires make the rides wonderfully smooth, and the suspension helps too. The large, flat handlebars are comfortable to hold and you can adjust the height. It feels like you’re sitting in a straight cruiser.
On the handlebars are an easy-to-use Shimano 8-speed shifter, reliable Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, and an LCD display with ride data, like odometer, speed (be sure to swap it out). kilometers to miles) and the distance traveled. With the buttons on the left of the screen, you can cycle through five levels of pedal assistance (or use the accelerator).
With pedal assist, levels one and two will still have you huffing and puffing on longer rides and steep hills, but level three achieves a good balance of effort without breaking a sweat. Levels four and five generally seemed too easy, although they didn’t leave me with the “pedal air” feel I did with the Lectric XP.
Best of all, the 750-watt Shengyi rear hub motor delivers its power smoothly and stops when you’re not pedaling. This was an issue with the Lectric XP’s 500 watt rear hub motor – it continued to run for a few seconds after I stopped pedaling, which is potentially dangerous. I haven’t had such problems with the Kutty X. The motor is powerful enough to climb the hills of Brooklyn with ease. As far as range goes, it will depend on various factors and what level of pedal assist you use, but I was usually flying around 20 miles before needing to charge it.
Big tire fun
Much like the Lectric, you get a range of accessories which are usually extras on many other electric bikes, like a front headlight, rear rack and fenders. It’s also IP65, and I rode it in the pouring rain with no issues.
I want to reiterate that the Kutty X weighs over 60 pounds. Being able to fold it is awesome considering my tiny apartment in NYC, but I’m more thankful that I have an elevator so I don’t have to lug this thing up the stairs.
I’ve seen a slight increase in these heavy, fat tire e-bikes around Brooklyn lately – a lot of them are Lectric XPs, which makes sense given its attractive price of $ 1,000. It’s hard to say if paying a little more than double is worth the slightly improved experience and increased horsepower, but I definitely had more fun with the Kutty X. Overall it was a much better driving experience, except the battery key! Take it out, everyone!
