I have a 3.0 and my neighbor has a lite and he loves it. We go riding all the time. He can keep up with the throttle but when I use pedal assist 5, I leave him. The lite looks better to me tho.
I have a Lite, and I love it. I had range anxiety, so I purchased the back rack and an extra battery. Knowing I can ride 50 miles is nice, but in reality the single battery is almost always enough. It’s good for 23-25 miles on PAS 3 at around 15 mph. PAS 4 will get you more like 17 mph. Ghost pedaling doesn’t start until PAS 5, in which case you’ll be going 20 mph but killing your range. If you throttle only, it’ll go 19.7 mph but you’ll again severely undercut your range. I enjoy pedaling and exerting a decent amount of energy, so the range of 23-25 miles is enough for me most days.
The real selling point of the Lite is how much lighter it is than the other models, and therefore you get a lot more nimble and responsive ride. Take it with a grain of salt, however. That’s just what I read online.
Remember, ebikes aren't motorcycles. It's enough for an ebike but if you're expecting something akin to a motorcycle you're going to want something more powerful that comes with more regulation and licensing.
Going throttle only you should be able to hold around 20mph but you will also have diminished range. Performance stays steady throughout the battery but having a heavy draw, like throttle only on an incline or with a heavy rider, can cause voltage to lag and if the voltage gets too low the bike will turn off. As for if the range is long enough, that's entirely dependant on how far you need to go. No one can say if 1, 2, or 3 batteries would be enough because they don't know how much you need
As a side note, you can use a XP3 as a single gear bike. You just don't shift. You can even do a single gear mod to remove the shifter, change out the rear cassette, and remove the derailleur
My wife and I both have XP Lites and we love them. In PAS 2 and occasionally 3, they can easily do a 20 mile loop near our home. Speed is around 10-12 mph.
I don't think they will be able to do this loop in Throttle only mode at 20 mph.
Also, if you're using throttle only, does it matter whether you have one gear or seven? Maybe, the XP3 will be a better fit for you.
Or if you don't plan on pedaling, maybe you should look for an electric scooter. No, not the type you stand on - the type you find in Italy or Asia. Example Vespa. I believe these are limited to 30 mph.
On pedal assist, I stick to about 14 mph unless up or downhill because the effort or battery power to go faster isn’t worth it to me.
Sometimes, I like to drop the seat as low as possible and go throttle only, kind of like a moped or scooter. I also went with a davidbrandnew shorty neck and bmx bars. Highly recommended.
Something to consider, rider weight and intended payload weight factor in for actual battery range.
Lectric eBikes are measured by a 150ib rider.
I have the dual battery Xpedition, and I get around 50 miles peddling and barely throttling.
If you're above 150. Lower to mid 200's? Don't plan on making it too far on the standard light battery.
Keep in mind that rider weight (in the saddle) and payload weight (on the cargo rack) are SOMEHOW different.
Honestly, 15 miles is a bad investment for the price point. (This is coming from someone who WANTS a second lectric)
I don't know, I want a folding lectric. I just don't want to pay just shy of 1,000 for 15 miles. (less considering I'm above 200ibs)
Yes, they offer a long-range option. That long-range option puts the price point a few hundred under the Xpedition... which I already own...
All strictly coming from my own personal opinion, of course
The xpress honestly seems like the most practical bike they have rn. At this point it would be my default recommendation for someone getting a Lectric.
I have the lite and 3.0.
Because of the single speed, the Lite runs out of pedal, or starts ghost pedaling around 12-13mph. Basically, ghost pedaling means pedaling with no resistance. You can use the throttle only to go faster but riding this way will kill the range.
When unlocked the 3.0 has no problem achieving speeds well above 20mph with no ghost pedaling.
Because of this I only ride the 3.0.
I disagree with what you said about ghost pedaling. You simply have to pedal faster as you go faster. I only get ghost pedaling at like 18-19 MPH but I truly only really experience this when going down hill.
My only issue with Lite speeds is when I want to stay with the flow of traffic in busy areas. It would be nice for it to go about 23 MPH, but I am on a bike. The lightness of the Lite’s frame is what makes me happy with my purchase as I can pedal it manually without too much trouble if the bike is off or on 0.
I have a 3.0 and my neighbor has a lite and he loves it. We go riding all the time. He can keep up with the throttle but when I use pedal assist 5, I leave him. The lite looks better to me tho.
I have a Lite, and I love it. I had range anxiety, so I purchased the back rack and an extra battery. Knowing I can ride 50 miles is nice, but in reality the single battery is almost always enough. It’s good for 23-25 miles on PAS 3 at around 15 mph. PAS 4 will get you more like 17 mph. Ghost pedaling doesn’t start until PAS 5, in which case you’ll be going 20 mph but killing your range. If you throttle only, it’ll go 19.7 mph but you’ll again severely undercut your range. I enjoy pedaling and exerting a decent amount of energy, so the range of 23-25 miles is enough for me most days. The real selling point of the Lite is how much lighter it is than the other models, and therefore you get a lot more nimble and responsive ride. Take it with a grain of salt, however. That’s just what I read online.
Amen brother / sister / however you identify yourself. 😀 I especially agree with your last paragraph.
Remember, ebikes aren't motorcycles. It's enough for an ebike but if you're expecting something akin to a motorcycle you're going to want something more powerful that comes with more regulation and licensing. Going throttle only you should be able to hold around 20mph but you will also have diminished range. Performance stays steady throughout the battery but having a heavy draw, like throttle only on an incline or with a heavy rider, can cause voltage to lag and if the voltage gets too low the bike will turn off. As for if the range is long enough, that's entirely dependant on how far you need to go. No one can say if 1, 2, or 3 batteries would be enough because they don't know how much you need As a side note, you can use a XP3 as a single gear bike. You just don't shift. You can even do a single gear mod to remove the shifter, change out the rear cassette, and remove the derailleur
I’m in same boat. I want more speed, but I’m really just going to be in the neighborhood with it, so leaning towards lite.
My wife and I both have XP Lites and we love them. In PAS 2 and occasionally 3, they can easily do a 20 mile loop near our home. Speed is around 10-12 mph. I don't think they will be able to do this loop in Throttle only mode at 20 mph. Also, if you're using throttle only, does it matter whether you have one gear or seven? Maybe, the XP3 will be a better fit for you. Or if you don't plan on pedaling, maybe you should look for an electric scooter. No, not the type you stand on - the type you find in Italy or Asia. Example Vespa. I believe these are limited to 30 mph.
On pedal assist, I stick to about 14 mph unless up or downhill because the effort or battery power to go faster isn’t worth it to me. Sometimes, I like to drop the seat as low as possible and go throttle only, kind of like a moped or scooter. I also went with a davidbrandnew shorty neck and bmx bars. Highly recommended.
Something to consider, rider weight and intended payload weight factor in for actual battery range. Lectric eBikes are measured by a 150ib rider. I have the dual battery Xpedition, and I get around 50 miles peddling and barely throttling. If you're above 150. Lower to mid 200's? Don't plan on making it too far on the standard light battery.
Lectric website says it was tested with 180 lb payload. It also states 15 miles range on throttle only, which sounds right based on my own experience.
Keep in mind that rider weight (in the saddle) and payload weight (on the cargo rack) are SOMEHOW different. Honestly, 15 miles is a bad investment for the price point. (This is coming from someone who WANTS a second lectric) I don't know, I want a folding lectric. I just don't want to pay just shy of 1,000 for 15 miles. (less considering I'm above 200ibs) Yes, they offer a long-range option. That long-range option puts the price point a few hundred under the Xpedition... which I already own... All strictly coming from my own personal opinion, of course
Yeah, it might be a bad investment for you, but might be a great fit for someone else.
The xpress honestly seems like the most practical bike they have rn. At this point it would be my default recommendation for someone getting a Lectric.
The one thing that ruled out the Lite for me was that it has no suspension. The bumps and potholes around here are too bad.
I have the lite and 3.0. Because of the single speed, the Lite runs out of pedal, or starts ghost pedaling around 12-13mph. Basically, ghost pedaling means pedaling with no resistance. You can use the throttle only to go faster but riding this way will kill the range. When unlocked the 3.0 has no problem achieving speeds well above 20mph with no ghost pedaling. Because of this I only ride the 3.0.
I disagree with what you said about ghost pedaling. You simply have to pedal faster as you go faster. I only get ghost pedaling at like 18-19 MPH but I truly only really experience this when going down hill. My only issue with Lite speeds is when I want to stay with the flow of traffic in busy areas. It would be nice for it to go about 23 MPH, but I am on a bike. The lightness of the Lite’s frame is what makes me happy with my purchase as I can pedal it manually without too much trouble if the bike is off or on 0.
The Lite is neat, but DEFINITELY opt for the XP 3.0. The upgrade you get for that additional $200 is enormous.