Unleashing pure joy: The Mukkpet Ninja is electrifying fun
Moped style e-bikes have been recommended to me for years and I finally tried one out. It may now serve forever as my primary commuting vehicle.
Hyperdrive Hits
5/5 Medals of Yavin: Recommended for people who want a moped-style e-bike and do not want to pay more than $1,400
Low price for a capable, full-featured e-bike
Long range with an emphasis on throttle mode
Dual, high capacity removable batteries
Mag wheels, turn indicator, comfortable seat, and ergonomic handlebars
UL 2849 certified so no worries about electrical issues
I’ve been riding e-bikes for commuting to work for more than 7 years and my coworker has seen the wide variety of bikes I’ve ridden, but has always told me to join him with a moped style e-bike. He used to ride motorcycles and said it was a blast to ride a moped style where the joy was in the commute and there was little focus on pedaling and exercise. I finally had the chance to try out a moped style bike and now I’m not sure I can go back to riding anything else to work.
Mukkpet sent along its Ninja moped style e-bike to test out and even after a couple of weeks of riding it, I can’t believe is is priced in the $1,300 to $1,400 range. I brought it in to show my coworker who paid more than $4,000 for a Pedal moped style bike and he cannot believe it either.
I have never ridden one of these style bike before, but I did grow up with motorcycles and it feels a lot like that experience. The smile on my face when riding this bike is infectious and it is a real thrill to ride at more than 30 mph on the flat pavement surface.
Rating:
As explained in my palmsolo’s Refresh Rating Scale post, I’m awarding the Mukkpet Ninja five (5) Medals of Yavin. It’s the first moped style bike I’ve ridden and the only thing I would improve upon is the torque level so it could propel me up steep hills with no pedal assist required. However, I can’t knock it down one medal due to the fantastic affordable pricing so it gets my full recommendation.
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
Affordable price
Comfortable seat and hand grips
Long range
Two large capacity batteries and two chargers
Lovely LCD display and support for cruise control
USB-C for charging other accessories
Very responsive hydraulic disc brakes
Front and rear suspension for a comfortable ride
Well built frame, mag wheels, ergonomic handlebars
Cons
Can’t quite get me up steep hills in throttle only mode
Could use a rear rack for cargo carriage
Mukkpet Ninja competition
One of the most popular moped-style e-bike models is the Super73-ZX Core and my coworker now has the Ride1Up Revv 1. Both of these bikes look similar to the Mukkpet Ninja, but there are key differences that make the Ninja the clear choice for those looking for this style of e-bike. Let’s take a closer look:
Super73-ZX Core
The popular Super73-ZX Core is priced at $2,195 and has a 600W motor, 10 Ah battery, 25-35 mile range, single speed gearing, and is a pretty basic moped style bike that has a rather high cost.
Ride1Up Revv 1
Ride1Up Revv 1 bike is priced at $2,095. That bike has a 1000W hub motor, 30-60 mile range, single 20Ah battery, 120mm front suspension fork, and bike weight of more than 90 pounds.
Mukkpet Ninja
As you can see in this review this bike is currently $1,299 on Amazon. It has a 750W hub motor, 80-120 mile range, dual 15Ah batteries, and a lighter weight than both of 83 pounds.
Experiences
The Mukkpet Ninja arrived in a typical cardboard box and despite its significant weight it was one of the easiest bikes to assemble. I simply had to put the handlebars on the front stem, attach the front wheel with the fender and light, screw on the pedals, and unwrap everything.
Mukkpet includes two 15Ah batteries with this bike and two chargers so that you can charge each battery at the same time. The batteries charge up fairly quickly too, advertised as 4-5 hours from nearly dead to full charge. There is also a small red power switch on each battery so you can completely shut them down when not in use.
The long seat is quite comfortable with good padding and length. The seat height is not adjustable, although the handlebars are so you can angle them to fit your height. Since the seat is not adjustable, the bike isn’t really optimized for extended pedaling. The seat is also a bit wide for comfortable pedaling for too many miles.
The Mukkpet Ninja is clearly optimized for the throttle experience and in that it excels. By default, the cruise control function is enabled so that when you twist the throttle the cruise feature kicks in and maintains the top speed for your selected pedal assist level. A small cruise control icon, similar to your automobile, appears on the display. Just pull a bit on one of the brakes to disable cruise control. You can also disable this setting in the controller if you want.
With my 235 pound weight and fairly flat paved roads, I saw the following top speeds at each of these pedal assist levels:
PAS 1: 18.5 mph
2: 23.5 mph
3: 27-28 mph
4: 30-31 mph
5: 33+ mph
If you select PAS level 0, the throttle will not engage.
Two controllers are found on the left side of the handlebars. The far left, outer one, has a turn signal indicator switch and a horn button. It’s great to see a signal indicator that appears on the taillight on a bike like this that helps people behind you know your intentions. The horn is also loud.
The inboard controller has five buttons on it. The two outboard ones, plus and minus, control the pedal assist/throttle level. There is a headlight button, information button, and power on/off button. Press the i (information button) repeatedly to toggle through the odometer, trip distance, max speed, and other metrics on the display.
The large color LCD display is bright and vibrant with bold colors, easy to read graphics, and more as you can see in the video. It also has a USB-C port at the bottom of the display, but I recently read an article that you should NOT use these e-bike USB ports to charge your smartphone due to the inconsistent power provided to these ports. You can use it for accessories such as bike computers or lights so take care when using the USB port.
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: 6061 aluminum alloy
Motor: 750W rear hub (1500W Peak), 80Nm torque
Batteries: Two 48V, 15 Ah batteries. 4-5 hours to charge
Bike weight: 83 pounds
Bike capacity: 300 pounds
Pedal assist: Five levels with Shimano 7-gear transmission
Suspension: Front and rear with powerful shocks
Max speed and range: 30+ mph with range of 80-120 miles (mix of pedal assist and throttle). Throttle range could be up to 60 or more miles, depending on the terrain, weather, and rider weight
Brakes: 180mm hydraulic disk brakes
Tires and wheels: 20” x 4” knobby tires with aluminum mag wheels
Display: Large LCD display with USB-C port on the bottom
UL certification: UL 2849
Bottom Line
If you are considering a moped style e-bike, I highly recommend that you consider the Mukkpet Ninja. If you do purchase the bike, hold on and enjoy the ride. It’s powerful, capable, and an absolute joy to ride.
The Mukkpet Ninja is one of my favorite bikes ever and I love cruising along with traffic in town. My commute is fun again and even at fast speeds, the bike stops on a dime and I feel safe and secure cruising along.
The Mukkpet Ninja is currently priced at $1,349 on the Mukkpet website with a regular price shown as $2,049. That higher price more closely matches the competition, but even then the Ninja offers more. You can also use my affiliate link and pick up the bike on Amazon for $1,299.