Kent Torpedo review: A kid’s e-bike, tested by a fun uncle and some kids

This is a purely recreational bike for parents to keep up with their sugar-fueled kids on neighborhood rides or for couples getting a little exercise on their local rail trails. If that’s what you’re looking for, the Kent Electric Cruiser will make both you and your wallet happy. While nearly all the best electric bikes I’ve ridden or reviewed over the years have been aimed at commuters or enthusiasts, research shows that older Americans are the most frequent purchasers of motorized bicycles. Most of these buyers probably haven’t ridden a bicycle in decades and are looking for a cheap and non-intimidating way to get back on the bike. Retailing for under $700 (around £515/AU$970), the Kent Electric Cruiser was created for them.

kent electric bike

Explore trails that aren’t on the app but clearly existright here, right now, in real life. Pack extra water and a sandwich in case things go right and you’re havingtoo much damn fun to head home.Make epic happen. Eunorau have been making e-bikes since 2010 and claim to output around 50,000 units a year with a global reach.

The Electric Cruiser offers three levels of electric assist, with a maximum boost of 20 mph. A very basic LED display indicates battery and power-assist levels but doesn’t include a speedometer or mileage counter. Both models come with full suspension frame, Bosch Performance Line Speed motor. This offers a maximum torque of 85 Nm and it can get you up to 45km/h. So it’s always encouraging to see new speed pedelecs come on the market and the French brand Moustache have just announced the Friday 27FS Speed with a dual battery option. There are numerous trails in North Georgia with large inclines and several over 15 miles long that we had intentionally avoided.

You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen. The showroom is open from 9 am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 10 am to 2pm on Saturdays. We can also arrange onsite demos in the Kent area if you cannot make it down to us. The Portager is a locally owned news source serving Portage County, Ohio. Our mission is to be a catalyst for ideas and action that help our community thrive.

The geared motor doesn’t provide any extra resistance other than adding a couple pounds of needless weight. There’s also a 6-speed shifter that makes it easier for kids to climb hills in the proper gear, even without electric power. If the battery does die on a ride, the shifter definitely makes it more manageable to pedal. Mid-drive motors are one of the two most common electric bike drivetrains, with the other being hub motors. Most low-cost electric bicycles use hub motors – or a motor housed in the center of a wheel – simply because they are cheap and easy.

It was an e-bike, an electric pedal-assist MTB with a motor that engages when an internal sensor encounters a hill. And yes, the Lectric XPremium is probably the best game in time now when it comes to mid-drives at affordable prices. For just a bit more at $1,799, the dual batteries, significantly higher kent road bike power/speed, hydraulic disc brakes, and a pile of other features blow this Kent bike away. But Lectric’s model is also a folding fat tire e-bike and won’t fulfill the trail bike role that Kent’s offering here claims to satisfy. Walmart has long offered an interesting array of low-cost electric bicycles.