Review: Lectric XP Lite

The “Lite” version of a product usually means it’s lesser, in some way. It has fewer features, or maybe it’s smaller, and it almost always has a cheaper price. That’s precisely what you get with the Lectric XP Lite as compared to the Lectric XP from Arizona-based Lectric Ebikes.

The original Lectric XP was one of the first folding electric bikes I ever tried, back in 2020. The company’s Lite model shaves the fat-tire ebike down in several ways—perhaps in too many ways, and unfortunately, it retains many of the odd quirks I didn’t like. However, the price was already palatable at $999. At $799 for the XP Lite, there’s still good value here. 

The Lectric XP Lite is a direct-to-consumer ebike, so out of the box, there really isn’t much you have to do to get it set up and going—you don’t need to learn how to install a bike wheel. Just attach the handlebars and you’re pretty much good to go. (You’ll need your own bell, but Lectric includes a front and rear light.) I should note that on my unit, one of the pedals was slightly bent and kept grazing the frame as I rode. I bent it back into place, but you may want to check yours. 

You can make adjustments to the seat post and the handlebars to suit your height, and as a 6’ 4” person, I didn’t have any issues here. The handlebars got tall enough to comfortably reach, though I should mention the saddle itself isn’t the comfiest after long rides; padded liner shorts might be in order, or you can swap out the seat for something nicer. (Lectric has a “comfort package” you can tack on to upgrade to a different seat and a suspension seat post.)

Lectric technically has a 3.0 version of its original Lectric XP that I haven’t unboxed yet, but the Lite differs from it in several ways. It has a 300-W motor as opposed to the 500-W on the XP. The battery is smaller, the brake rotors are smaller, there’s no built-in suspension, the tires aren’t as thick, and it doesn’t have fenders or a rear rack. To me, the biggest changes are the weight—it’s 46 pounds instead of 64 on the XP—and it’s a single-speed, so you don’t have to fuss with switching gears.

Photograph: Lectric Ebikes

It’s definitely easier to lug the XP Lite around over the original XP, but it’s not fun. First off, the folding and unfolding process is just as annoying as ever. You just need to undo a latch and fold the front half on the back, but the mechanism is so stiff that it requires a good deal of effort to fold this thing. It feels almost like bending metal. You also have to keep a part of the ebike lifted off the ground to fold it.

Once it is folded up, it’s not comfortable to carry; the wheels don’t stay closed together (unlike the Montague M-E1) and the grab handle is tiny, so my knuckles bang against the metal frame. Yowch. It’s great that I can fold this ebike up and store it in my living room, but I just wish it was easier to manage. 

You can remove the battery from the Lectric XP Lite when it’s in its folded state, which is a nice perk if you don’t want to carry the bike inside. While you can charge the XP Lite without removing the battery, the charging port frustratingly sits on the inside of the frame when it’s folded, and it's a tight fit to squeeze the charger into the port. You have to spread the ebike open a little to make some room, which seems like a silly design flaw. 

The company still has a physical key you need to insert into the underside of the bike to turn the battery on, though you start the ebike with the power button on the handlebar. I don’t mind having a key—it makes me feel like I’m about to rev up a motorbike, like Captain America—it’s just so not cool hunting for the spot to insert the key, hunched down and looking up at the underside of the frame like some sort of street goblin.  

The riding experience isn’t complicated at all because the Lite is a single-speed ebike. You don’t have to worry about the derailleur locking up or having to switch gears, just choose the level of pedal assistance you want (one through five) and ride. There’s also a throttle in case you want to make things even easier. 

There’s no suspension here, but I didn’t mind. The fat tires, which aren’t as fat as on the Lectric XP, are still thick enough to absorb those bumps and dents in the road, so I never felt uncomfortable, even on some truly awful roads here in Brooklyn. Just make sure to get some fenders if you plan on riding in wet conditions. (You shouldn’t ride it in the rain, but the components are IP65 water-resistant, so it can handle some splashes.)  

Lectric uses a 300-W rear hub motor, and the same flaw I’ve seen on nearly all rear hub motors still exists: The motor keeps running for a few seconds even after you stop pedaling. It’s easy to get the hang of, but you just need to be aware of it so you can hit the brakes at the right time. Speaking of, I’ve had no trouble coming to a full stop on this thing. The brakes are pretty reliable. 

That might be because it doesn’t go very fast. I cruised at 16 to 20 miles per hour on the original Lectric, but I usually went about 13 mph on the XP Lite at level three pedal assistance. You can probably get to 16 or 17 miles per hour at its fastest speed setting, but that will drain the battery really fast. At level three, which was zero effort on the original Lectric, the Lite will make you feel a tingling in your quads as you pedal and your heart rate will go up, especially uphill. It’s just not as powerful, so don’t expect a sweaty-less ride. Unless you just set it to level four or five, but then you’ll be quite conscious of the battery.

Where I comfortably got well more than 20 miles out of the original, the XP Lite usually died after around 16 miles of riding (at level three). Speed and range will obviously vary, as I’m a 6’ 4” human and my rides usually involve motoring up and down steep bridges here in New York City. I expect most people can get 18 miles out of this thing if not more, depending on the level of pedal assistance you use. 

The battery meter on the LCD display isn’t too trustworthy. It fluctuates so much that you don’t really have a good idea of how much juice you have left. That often made me conservative with how much pedal assistance I used, so I’d sometimes stick to level two and pedal harder. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of riding a heavy fat-tire ebike without pedal assistance once, and I can tell you I do not want to do that again, so I’d rather be conservative than end up with a dead battery two miles from home.

The XP Lite is a fine folding fat-tire ebike and is pretty great value at just $799, but it’s annoying enough that I’m not over the moon about it. It'll suit lighter riders more as you can get better range and more power from the weaker motor. However, it’s worth mentioning that the XP Lite is only $200 less than the XP 3.0, which may be a better bang for your buck.