Kingbull Literider review: Powerful folding electric bike for $1,000
Folding e-bikes are popular and I keep trying to find one that checks all of the boxes and this one may just do that.
Hyperdrive Hits
5/5 Medals of Yavin: Full featured foldable ready to roll
Reasonable $949 price (after using the MATTHEWMILLER $50 discount code)
Metal fenders, lights, rear rack, and lots of power
Solid build and attractive color options
Center handle for easy carry
There are a lot of options available when it comes to folding e-bikes and my inbox keeps filling up with offers to try out a number of them. I try to filter through these bikes to find ones that stand out a bit from others and decided to give a Kingbull model a try.
The brand name is a bit unique and I did not know what to expect as so many of these folding fat tire bikes start to look the same over time. I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the bike and saw the high quality fit, finish, and build of the Kingbull Literider. I enjoyed riding it on local roads and single track trails through the woods.
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Kingbull Literider five (5) Medals of Yavin. The bike is priced at just under $1,000 and I personally feel that is the right price level for a fat tire folding bike. These types of bike are great for those who want to get places quickly and are not going to ride a bike for extended exercise purpose. The Literider is good for putting in the back of a truck or SUV and taking it out to a job site or ride along the waterfront.
The Good and the Bad
It’s pretty rare for me to not find something that can be improved with a product and for things like electric bikes the pros and cons can depend on your riding needs.
Pros
Full featured bike with fenders, lights, mirrors, and other accessories
Lots of available power and torque, enough to propel me up steep hills in throttle mode
Solid and accurate advertised range
Frame mounted battery for easy access
Big, bright color LCD
Brilliant front headlight and rear brake light
UL2849 certified
IPX4 water resistant rating on the bike
Cons
Right at that $1,000 price point
Heavy 71 pound bike weight
No water bottle mounting points
Experiences
One nice feature with most foldable e-bikes is that they ship nearly fully assembled and in smaller boxes. I opened the box and then unfolded the frame, handlebar stem, and pedals then attached the front wheel and it was ready to go. Make sure to install the front metal fender and headlight BEFORE you put on the wheel. I learned my lesson on past bikes of this type.
Kingbull includes all of the tools you need to assemble the bike and maintain it so you don’t need any of your own tools. The company also provides some key accessories, including dual rear view handlebar mirrors, a lock, phone holder, bungee cords, and air pump. These are not the highest quality accessories, but they get the basics right and are better than nothing.
The bike folds up easily with the handlebars, center, and pedals all making it more compact for fitting into a vehicle trunk, storing in a garage, and even transporting on public transit. It is quite a big heavy bike at 71 pounds so be careful picking it up and moving it around.
The saddle is very comfortable and provides good cushion for your rear. The right side twist throttle works well and the bike was powerful enough to propel me all of the way up my steepest hills with no pedal assist, a feat not achieved by many e-bikes. The 7-speed Shimano is also nice to have for making your ride smooth and functional.
Kingbull incorporates the same LCD color display I have seen on newer Lectric bikes so that’s a good thing. It has that obvious energy bar along the top with big numbers for all of the data. The same three button controller is used for the display and mounted on the left side.
An additional two button controller is also positioned on the left side and this activates the headlight and the horn. Too often I see e-bikes with no horns so it is great to see Kingbull include an electronic horn that is powerful and easy to find for activation.
The Kingbull Literider is a powerful bike and supports throttle and assist speeds up to 20 mph out of the box. Simple directions are found in the detailed manual to help you unlock the speed to 28 mph, but understand that your battery range will be reduced with these faster speeds.
Specifications
Specifications alone don’t mean much, but they are useful for comparing similar devices and checking that you are getting value for your money.
Frame: Aluminum alloy
Motor: 750W (1300W peak) rear hub with 80 Nm of torque
Battery: 48V, 720 Wh, 15 Ah
Bike weight: 71 pounds
Bike capacity: 400 pounds
Pedal assist: Five levels cadence sensor with half-twist throttle
Max speed: Default is 20 mph, but easily unlockable to 28 mph.
Range: Advertised as up to 50 miles with pedal assist 1 and 30 miles with throttle only. My experience shows a bit less since I am 55 pounds heavier than the test rider and don’t have many true flat surface to ride on.
Transmission: Shimano 7-speed
Brakes: Hydraulic disc brakes
Lights: Front 48V LED and rear taillight with brake light
Display: Color LCD
Durability: Certified as dust proof and water proof (no specific ratings provided)
Tires: 20 x 4 inch CST tires
Colors: Red, White, Black, Green
Bottom Line
While I have my favorite e-bike brands, I also like to keep my eye out for other compelling brands and liked what I experienced with the Kingbull Literider. The MSRP is shown as $1,699 and that is way too high for what is offered here, but that current $999 price seems a bit low too.
This full featured folding fat tire bike has everything you could want in a bike with this form factor and Kingbull even includes a few handy accessories. It’s a powerful bike with good range and high quality build. The front suspension forks and comfortable seat mean you can enjoy the bike for hours on end and I did while I was testing it out.