The JackRabbit XG is actually the powerful, bigger brother of the popular JackRabbit mini bike, and I had the opportunity to test one to see how well the little EV would work for the average rider. As it turns out, there is very little these days!
JackRabbit is well known in the micromobility industry for its pint-sized urban runs. The brand's 25 lb mini two-wheeler looks like a micro take on a regular e-bike or less, but despite its small size it still offers a top speed of 20 mph and enough range for most urban commuters.
But just because the brand has long focused on being as small and light as possible doesn't mean it doesn't have ambitions for power and features. That was the idea behind the JackRabbit XG: take everything people know and love about the little JackRabbit and burn it into extra “oomph” in a small package.
Check out what it's like to throw a leg over one of these fun little rides in my video review below. Then read on later to find out more!
JackRabbit XG video review
Details of JackRabbit XG tech
- Car: 500W geared rear hub motor
- Top speed: 32 km/h (20 mph)
- Distance: 32+ km (20+ mi)
- Battery: Dual 151 Wh batteries, with the option to replace the larger RangeBuster batteries
- Maximum load: 125 kg (275 lb)
- Weight of the bike: 14.5 kg (32 lb)
- Brakes: Front and rear disc brakes
- Tires: 20″ x 2.4″ front and back
- PricePrice: $1,749
- Additional: Thumb throttle, rotating handles, folding foot pegs, bell, LCD display, kickstand, dual battery slots, optional accessories and accessories
What is it for?
Since the JackRabbit XG is not an e-bike in the traditional sense (it lacks functional pedals with foot pegs), it is obvious that you will not choose the JackRabbit if you want to exercise. Instead, this is a trip to get around town, and maybe have some fun-while-you-ride, too.
I'm going to call it an e-micro bike as JackRabbit classifies it, but you wouldn't be wrong to call it a recumbent electric scooter, either.
Compared to the stationary electric scooters we usually think of, the JackRabbit XG has a number of major advantages. The wheels are the size of a bicycle, which makes it better on rough surfaces and roads with pot holes. The seat and handlebars will also feel very familiar to anyone familiar with cycling. Yet despite 'feeling' like a bike, it has the easy handling of a scooter, really offering the best of both worlds.
I especially like the swivel handles on the sides as they can rotate 90 degrees and reduce the width of the JackRabbit to only 7 inches (if you re-roll the foot pegs).
It takes a few seconds and suddenly the micro e-bike is more micro. With the bars open, it would easily hide under a double bed, just like in a college dorm room.
It can also be hidden behind the sofa or behind the cabinet without taking up much space.
A big improvement
I've spent a lot of time using the smaller and more affordable JackRabbit mini bike, so it was interesting for me to compare the JackRabbit XG's larger size and expanded features.
The biggest improvement could be the size of the frame and the two battery slots.
The larger frame gives you more room to stretch by placing the handlebars slightly in front of you, and makes the bike more rigid to allow a maximum weight rating of up to 275 lb.
Dual battery slots mean the bike comes with an out-of-the-box range of 20 miles instead of 10 miles.
For riders looking for more range, one or two of the RangeBuster batteries seen above can be swapped into those battery slots, giving riders up to 48 miles of range (or even more, if you bring the original batteries in your pocket or purse! ).
It is important to note that the batteries are also UL compliant, which is important these days to ensure battery safety. And if you stick to small batteries, their sub 160Wh rating means you can bring them on most domestic flights in your carry-on luggage (but you should check with the airline first, as batteries between 100Wh and 160Wh sometimes require prior approval).
Last year I flew to several cities with my JackRabbit OG, and its 151 Wh battery stayed with me safely on my journey
But the dual battery slots and large frame just scratch the surface of all the improvements. There is much more here than meets the eye.
The new display is easier to use, finally offers more data than the original LED dot display, and now offers controls for things like LED lights.
Speaking of those lights, they are finally available to help keep you lit at night so others can see you on the road! And since it runs off a large battery, you don't have to worry about charging different LED light batteries.
The big 500W motor is another nice addition as it allows for better acceleration and stronger hill climbing. The speed is still limited to 20 mph, but that's fine with me. With such a short wheelbase, you probably don't want to hit Class 3 speeds anyway. I don't have any big hills around me, but I think bombing a big hill on this thing over 20 mph would be a little iffy.
The new dual brakes offer powerful stopping power too, which is great if you have a more powerful engine. You will never want to 'go' more than you have 'stop'.
There are some very interesting accessories you can add now, like raised handlebars and a rear strut fender to keep puddle spray off your back.
Basically, it feels like a lot of thought went into the new designs! Since this isn't an out-of-the-catalog e-bike, they probably had to design a lot of things from scratch without benefiting from a bunch of other bike companies using the same components first.
Another change that I'm not happy about though is locking the batteries instead of a thumb screw key lock.
On the other hand, it makes it easy to change your battery if you want. On the other hand, it makes it easier for a thief to steal your battery if you lock your bike outside and don't bring the batteries with you.
Of course if the batteries are so small, you can easily put them in your bag to take them inside. But I'd still like the option to lock them so I don't have to bring them in with me all the time.
Fortunately, JackRabbit offers a key lock tool on their site if you want to replace thumb locks, but you have to pay an extra $25 per lock.
But what about the price?
Well, here's the kicker. Oh my god, it costs $1,749. That's some serious dough!
I was so used to the $999 price of the little JackRabbit OG that the higher cost of the XG slaps you in the face.
On the other hand, JackRabbit doesn't get the benefit of using many off-the-shelf bike parts that they can simply pick from catalogs. Of course, some things like tires and motors are the same. But many other parts such as frame, handle mechanism, and different batteries have to be custom made for JackRabbit. So I understand that they don't get the same economies of scale that the cheaper electric bikes bring us.
But at the same time, I know there are people out there who compare watts per dollar as their primary metric, and JackRabbit will never win there. If you're looking for the fastest or longest trip for the least amount of money, this isn't it. You can go now.
If you're still here, then you're obviously open to other features and benefits of some ee bikes, and that's exactly what JackRabbit is all about. Sure, you're paying a premium, but you're getting a super lightweight and easy-to-ride mini e-bike that folds up to 7 inches wide. For some people, that's worth the premium. And if not, I still recommend checking out the OG and OG2 models from JackRabbit for $999 and $1,299. You don't get two batteries or other features, but the prices are better and you still get many of the advantages found in the XG like smaller size and peppy speed.
If you have the money, the JackRabbit XG is a very fun ride and offers more features than I expected from a small e-bike.
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