Over the past few years, we have seen a ton of new electric bikes hit the market. They range from the high-end to the low-end, but most tend to be priced around $2,500. Not long ago, I got a chance to try out the Karmic Koben, a new electronic bike that will be in production soon and priced at a good deal less than that.
The Karmic bike features a detachable battery and a 350-watt pedal-assist motor that will have users pushing about the same amount of power as if they were professional cyclists. Despite having a motor and battery pack attached, the Karmic bike is designed to be lighter than most other e-bikes on the market.
The startup hopes to launch a crowdfunding campaign to enable users to pre-order its bikes in the coming months, and is initially targeting two models with slightly different frames and features.
Final specs and prices are yet to be finalized, but Karmic plans to have a version that will weigh about 36 pounds and cost less than $2,000 at retail. That version will likely be available on KickStarter for closer to $1,500, however. That’s about what a nice road bike costs these days, so it’s not crazy expensive.
The startup also plans to have a carbon fiber version with Chris King wheels that will weigh about 30 pounds and be priced closer to $2,500.
The unique piece of the Karmic bike is the battery, which is an evolution of the battery system from Zero Motorcycles. It used lithium-ion cells optimized for electric bicycles and can be charged in less than five hours. With a full charge, Karmic hopes to get at least 15-20 miles of usage in real-world conditions.
We’re looking forward to seeing how the company progresses. In the meantime, check out the video above and pictures below to check it out.
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