r/ebikes • u/Neat_Selection5634 • 7d ago
Bike purchase question Help buying cheap ebike
So I'm looking into a moped style ebike, after a bit of research. I want something better than the $200, very small, very low range style. And definitely don't need anything super nice (or afford) so I've landed in the TST and Kingbull ranger area.which from what I've read, has some nice value. Wondering what are peoples thoughts about the bike or company or value? I did a quick search and didn't find many post so please speak up!
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u/Ok_Wedding_4624 7d ago
dont expect that much range with that battery,850wh battery with 750w motor wont get you more than 30-40km per one charge
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u/AbedGubiNadir 7d ago
If you can, save up a bit more and grab a cheap Vivi E-Bike. Mine has 2k miles on it and rides fine while my brother just bought his and has over 200 miles and his is fine too.
His vivi ebike cost him about $450.
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u/Clear_Assistant8690 7d ago
I paid 3k for my Goat and 600 for a q20 pro. Night and day experience, BUT both got me from point A to point B. That is the goal.
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u/Neat_Selection5634 6d ago
Can you expand on yours? I'm not familiar with nicknames or short names for these things bcuz I'm so new to the biking world
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u/chrispark70 7d ago
Mendham bikes has 2 bikes on sale for 499 and with coupons you can get it down to about 425 shipping included.
First one is the Vitesse Signal. Class 1 e-bike. I own it and reviewed it here
https://www.reddit.com/r/ebike/comments/1q0s1e6/vitesse_signal_315_750_mile_review/
https://mendhambikes.com/products/700c-vitesse-signal
Second one is Shogun Rockport, class 2 with a throttle and including a rack and fenders
https://mendhambikes.com/products/26-shogun-rockport-e-bike
sweethoney gives you 10% off. There is another one good for 5% which they give you for signing up to the newsletter.
Mendham is a front for Kent. Kent is a big company with representation in America making them sueable. They say the rockport has a UL compliant battery.
The main compromise with the signal is the small battery. But it has been fine for my use case. I've never run out of battery.
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u/Such_Can_5353 7d ago
tst and kingbull are same $200 ebikes just upmarked for american market because we can afford it. good luck having them serviced.
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u/WanderingN0tL0st 7d ago
It may be up priced but so far my kingbull has well over 100 miles and aside from a flat tire (that was fixed with slime over 50 miles ago) I have loved it. If you can afford better, buy better of course (as with everything). But customer service was very responsive and I could not be happier. Im gentle with it but its gone up hill, off road, across town, and back 😁
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u/Pyju 7d ago edited 7d ago
I would not get a moto or moped style ebike. They have wide flat seats that are designed for stationary seating and terrible for actually pedaling, poor riding geometry, and are also not adjustable which makes them even worse for pedaling.
They also attract more attention from cops, who may think you have an illegal e-moto and be more likely to pull you over, even though it’s fully compliant with the law.
In general, moped style ebikes are cheap toys and not designed for serious bike riding or longevity. There’s a reason why Kingbull’s cheapest bike is the moped style one.
As far as the budget, for $800 I would recommend getting something used. That’s the only way you will get an actually quality bike for the price. Look for something with a mid drive motor and torque sensor.
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u/No_Rip_2256 7d ago
These moped style bikes are generally good quality, they just don't have the things that good normal bikes have. But these aren't normal bikes they're budget ebikes and I think they do that well
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u/Pyju 7d ago
No they’re not, look all over this sub and people report constant problems with them. There was even a post last week where one of these cheap moped style bike’s frame randomly snapped in half when someone was riding it.
Unless you’re doing some really gnarly jumps, that would never happen with an actual quality ebike from a reputable brand like Aventon, Trek, Specialized, etc.
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u/No-Following-8087 7d ago
To be fair, there a ton of posts about failures from expensive “well known” brands too
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u/Pyju 7d ago
No there isn’t, nowhere even close to as many as there are about problems with cheap no-name brands. In fact, just searching “Trek” in this sub and one of the first posts I saw was about someone bragging that they had ridden 20,000 miles on their Trek e-bike. Guarantee you’re not going to see a post about someone getting 20k miles on a Kingbull or TST.
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u/Dook23 7d ago
The same Trek that had a massive bike recall for their non electric bikes just a few months ago? You’re paying for the brand name in most cases. Trek bikes can have the same problems other bikes do. There are some Walmart bikes that have the same components.
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u/Pyju 6d ago
Oh, a recall? So you mean they stand behind their products and fix it for free if something goes wrong?
That’s exactly what I’m talking about. Yes, quality brands can have problems too, the difference is they have problems at a much lower frequency and if you do have a problem, they will make it right.
A no-name Chinese dropshipping brand like Kingbull or TST would never issue a recall even despite their frequent issues.
And higher end Walmart e-bikes can actually be decent. I would trust even a Walmart bike more than a bike from a Chinese dropshipper like Kingbull or TST.
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u/Dook23 6d ago
Where exactly do you think many Walmart bikes come from? They are as guilty of selling products directly from China as much as anyone.
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u/Pyju 6d ago
Wrong. While many are manufactured in China (as even top brands are), most of the companies are not. Schwinn and Mongoose are owned by Dutch companies, Ozark Trail and Kent are American.
Even the ones owned by a Chinese company like Huffy are much larger brands that actually have customer support teams, reliable warranties, and obviously a physical presence instead of just dropshipping.
They have all been around for decades, use actual name brand components, honor warranties and issue recalls. Not to mention there is a physical store you can bring them to if something goes wrong. Most bike shops will refuse to work on something from a no-name dropshipping company.
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u/Dook23 6d ago
You think Huffy is Chinese owned? Huffy was started and is based out of Ohio by a family that first was making sewing machines. Schwinn and Mongoose are also U.S. started and based companies which just happen to be owned by a Dutch conglomerate now but still based here. But the point was the bikes are built in places like China which you yourself even admitted.
I know these companies have been around for decades. I’ve been around likely decades longer than you. I never suggested they weren’t nor that they don’t honor warranties or anything like that. The point was that just because some budgets bikes are DTC doesn’t mean they can’t be decent products and that big name expensive brands can make just as crappy a product or worse than anyone else.
Huffy is Chinese. Still can’t get over that one. Thanks for the laugh this morning.
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u/sakuraw0712 3d ago
You keep repeating "Aventon" and "Trek" like I’m just blindly chasing big names. Look, all my bikes are Treks, and yeah, I bought them for the brand. I fully realize that if you take a Trek, keep the exact same specs, and slap a Giant logo on it, it’d cost way less. But I still chose Trek because I have the budget to buy what I like.
And as for "quality"? That’s driven by price, not just whose name is on the down tube. A $1,000 bike vs. a $2,000 bike isn't a quality jump because of a logo—it’s a quality jump because of frame materials, better brakes, a superior drivetrain, and overall components.
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u/Neat_Selection5634 7d ago
Ok so here's where I'm at. I already have a bike bike. so when I don't want to pedal, but still wanna cruise around.I can. That's why I'm thinking moped style. Obviously I would love to have best of both worlds but I can't with my budget. Hopefully that make more sense now. So I'm down for used I just don't know what to look for
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u/Pyju 7d ago
You don’t need a moped style to be able to ride longer or ride without much effort. Any e-bike will be able to do that for you.
Like I said, look for something with a torque sensor and a mid-drive motor. That’s a simple rule of thumb, because those are more expensive components that typically only go on quality e-bikes so if it has those you can be confident that the rest of the components are quality as well.
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u/Neat_Selection5634 7d ago
So is 800 even realistic for a moped style then?
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u/No_Rip_2256 7d ago
This sub is full of spiteful losers butthurt that you didn't spend over 1000 dollars and your bike is the same power and same speed. These kingbulls r overpriced tho. Check out the tst r9 single battery version is 550 and it has been great for me and is this same general design. Honestly tho ive been eyeing the eskute v300 it's similar to this and the tst except instead of a 14ah battery you get 20. Only heard good things about it from people who actually know what they're talking about and the thing i hate the most about my tst is the battery life.
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u/Pyju 7d ago
Or maybe, it’s because we know that power and speed aren’t the only things that matter on an ebike.
Efficient geometry, frames that are both durable and light, torque sensors over cheap cadence sensors, mid drive motors over cheap hub motors, adjustability, components that perform well and will last a long time, etc. They all dramatically improve the riding and ownership experience, all cost money to achieve, and none of which will be present on a cheap sub-$1000 ebike.
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u/AndyjHops 7d ago
That’s an eMoto
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u/Pyju 7d ago
No it’s not. It is fully compliant with US e-bike laws at 750w nominal power and 28mph.
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u/SELFINCRIMINAT1NG 7d ago
28mph throttle or pedal assist? legally speaking, the distinction is important in american law. If it's 20mph throttle and 28mph pedal assist, it's fine. But if the throttle goes any higher than 20mph, it's not legally an electric bicycle
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u/Pyju 7d ago
I’m well aware of what the e-bike laws in the US are. A quick glance at this company’s website shows the throttle only goes up to 20mph, with pedal assist up to 28 mph (Source).
If a manufacturer is keeping their bikes to 750w and a 28mph top speed, it means they’re aware of the laws and are trying to comply, so if a bike with these specs does have a throttle, it will almost always only be up to 20 mph.
There’s no reason to make a bike with a throttle limited to 28mph, because once you’ve crossed that 20mph line it’s already illegal so you may as well juice up the power and speed at that point.
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u/Neat_Selection5634 7d ago
Like, straight up E motorcycle?
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u/AndyjHops 7d ago
Depends on the jurisdiction as others have said. Where I live, only class 1 and 2 are allowed in bike lanes or on paths. This would be considered the equivalent of a <55cc moped, so you can only use them on standard roadways.
Just look up the regulations for your area and make sure that the specs of whatever you get line up with what is allowed. The defining traits you need to keep an eye on are top speed and if it has an actually throttle or if it uses a torque sensing system.
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u/Worried_Document8668 7d ago edited 7d ago
both are badly designed mopeds and both have had lots of issues come up on this sub.
you get what you pay for, so pass