REVIEW – With spring well on its way, a chance to review the Luckeep X1 Foldable 20″ Fat Tire Electric Bike gave me a good excuse to get out and enjoy some great weather and put this e-bike through its paces. Read more to see how it did!
What is it?
The Luckeep X1 Foldable 20″ Fat Tire Electric Bike is a sturdy e-bike that has the added feature of folding up for easier storage and transport.
What’s included?
- Luckeep X1 e-bike
- Box of accessories
- Battery Charger
- Pedals
- Reflectors
- Allen Wrench
- Wrench
- Plum Wrench
- Battery keys
- Anti-theft device
- User Manual
Tech specs
- Model: X2001
- Motor: 750W BAFANG gear motor
- Battery: Removable 48V 15AH lithium-ion
- Battery Charger: Input – 110/220V AC, Output – 54.6 V 3A
- Charging Time: 4-6 hours
- Operational Temperature: 32-104 degrees Fahrenheit
- Frame: Aluminum Alloy
- Tires: 20” x 4” Puncture resistant fat tire
- Brake: F&R Hydraulic disc brakes
- Gears: Shimano 7-speed
- Suspension: Lockable front fork suspension
- Estimated Range: 30 miles on pure electric, 50 on pedal assist
- Max Speed: 31 mph
- Max Slope: 35 degrees
- Display: LCD Smart Display with backlight
- Weight: 70 lbs
- Max Load Capacity: 330 lbs (including cargo)
Design and features
The Luckeep X1 is a solid e-bike. I don’t think there’s anything flimsy about it. The aluminum frame is solid and some of the welds aren’t the cleanest, but they’re definitely not going to fail. The folding features are very sturdy while also easy to open and close. They have a little switch that locks in place that would be difficult to trigger inadvertently.
Assembly, installation, and setup
Setting the Luckeep X1 folding electric bike up was a little tricky. I would recommend that you get a second person to help you with setup on this bike as it’s not very light.
Lots of twist ties, styrofoam, and fabric wraps on the wheels helped keep all of the major parts in place and undamaged in shipping. One problem I did have was that some of the fasteners for the control module came out in shipping and I had to dig through the packaging to find them.
The most difficult part of assembling this eBike was getting the front wheel on and everything lined up. This part is where having two people to help really comes in handy. The directions in the manual weren’t the best, but combined with the assembly video from the QR code on the manual, I was able to get everything in place.
Installing the battery was a little awkward at first since you have to fold the bike to open up the chamber that the battery is stored in.
Once opened, there is a stand that the bike can rest on while it’s folded, but getting there is a bit difficult until you do it a few times. Once you slide the battery in, you can lock it in place with the included key. The keyhole is at the bottom of the frame, so it’s tricky to find. Unless you plan on swapping batteries or taking the battery out to charge, you shouldn’t have to do that very often, so a minor inconvenience. You can charge it without removal through the small port on the left hand side of the frame as seen in the picture above.
Performance
The controls are all well-placed and accessible on the left handlebar. There is even an included sturdy phone mount that you can clamp down to prevent any movement of your phone.
Taking this Luckeep X1 folding electric bike on the road was a bit of an adventure at first. The first time I stopped to dismount from the bike, I forgot that the right handlebar had the electric throttle on it. As I dismounted, I inadvertently turned the throttle and the bike did a wheelie and almost knocked me down. I’ll mark that down as my fault as I wasn’t accustomed to the bike yet, but I was very careful in the future to watch out for that throttle.
The Shimano 7-speed gears seem to be pretty standard among e-bikes that I’ve seen recently. That being said, they work well, even if a bit limited by just 7 gears. Then again, the electric assist makes up for extra gears that you would see on a regular bike.
Going uphill was a breeze on this bike. It was a more substantial drain on the battery for sure, but I took it on an extended climb straight up a nearby hill and it was great. The electronic assist was seamless while I pedaled and I didn’t have any issues with the electric motor as it engaged and disengaged.
On the first bike ride of about 13 miles I went through about 50 percent of the battery, but that included a long hill climb, several stints on pure unassisted throttle, and other shenanigans as I put it through its paces. It held up well through all of it.
What I like about the Luckeep X1 Foldable 20″ Fat Tire Electric Bike
- The electric assist was very smooth and I had no issues with stability when it engaged
- The placement of the electric controls was very intuitive and not hard to reach
- The shocks and seat of this bike are very comfortable and you can dial in the front shocks as you like them
- Turn signals! I appreciate the ability to signal to other riders and cars where I’m going.
- Folding this bike up makes it much easier to store and transport
What needs to be improved?
- The anti-theft key fob is required to unlock the bike and turn it on. The instructions on how to do that are unclear at best, so it required a lot of trial and error to figure. Rewatching the assembly videos, it does briefly describe how to do this. I worry that if you go on a long ride and lose the fob you may be stuck pedaling home without any assist.
- It’s heavy. Even though it folds, two people may be necessary to stow it.
Final thoughts
The Luckeep X1 folding electric bike is a great bike and it was fun to test out. My older kids love riding it around. The folding feature is nice to have and it’s much easier to put in the back of a car than a regular bike. It is heavy, so you may need someone else to help you put it away. The anti-theft key fob is a bit quirky, but it’s not that bad and any chance of decreasing the likelihood of the bike getting stolen is appreciated. Just don’t lose that fob! Overall, I would recommend this e-Bike as a good folding e-Bike option.
Price: $949.99
Where to buy: Luckeep and Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by Luckeep. Luckeep did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.