Lectric’s XPress 750: budget e-bike fits taller riders but makes trade-offs

Ars Technica’s review found Lectric’s XPress 750, a budget e-bike currently on sale for just under $1,000.00, offered a comfortable ride for a reviewer over 6 feet tall despite being sold in a single frame size. Lectric, which the review says is best known for its bestselling XP foldable model, offers the XPress in step-through and step-over frames; the review tested the step-over version.

The hybrid-style bike includes a suspension fork with a lockout, a downtube battery with a rear-hub motor driven by a torque sensor, a three-button controller with a bright stat screen, linked front and rear lights, a throttle, and five levels of pedal assist that can be configured between Class 1 (20 mph/32 kmph) and Class 3 (28 mph/45 kmph) or set to cut out at lower speeds (9 and 15 mph/15 and 24 kmph).

The pedals use a click-in insert rather than traditional threading to simplify assembly. The reviewer noted several compromises required to hit the price. The drivetrain uses a Shimano Tourney with a cheap-feeling shifter and seven gears that the reviewer mostly left in the top two; the battery display could exaggerate drain, sometimes appearing to regain capacity after the bike was turned off for 10 minutes; and the motor emitted an audible whine compared with near-silent rivals, prompting the reviewer to set the assist to cut out at 20 mph on flats.

Key Topics

Tech, Lectric, Xp, Shimano Tourney, Torque Sensor, Hub Motor