Final up to date:
Having reviewed the KBO Breeze in 2021, I knew what to anticipate from the Compact: a value-focused ebike utilizing entry-level or generic parts for short-range commuting or last-mile journeys.
Priced at $899 as of this evaluate, the KBO Compact is actually reasonably priced, and with a big-enough 748 Wh battery and a 750-watt hub motor, the Compact must also have the vary and energy to be a helpful runabout.
The Compact additionally contains entrance and rear fenders, coil suspension forks, and a powered headlight. These additions make the Compact simpler to dwell with and journey continuously (I’m on group fender, personally).
Nevertheless, of all of the folding ebikes I’ve reviewed (together with, most lately, the HeyBike Tyson and Floor 604 Twist), the Compact is the one which feels probably the most like what you’d anticipate a folding ebike to really feel like. It’s additionally the worst performing among the many ~20 ebikes I’ve reviewed so far.
You possibly can inform that KBO needed to make deliberate decisions to hit the low worth level, with the body mechanism notably much less beefy than the HeyBike or Floor 604 I referenced earlier, and no-name or entry-level parts used all through. I don’t imply this pejoratively, both; at $900, that is to be anticipated.
A low worth goes a good distance, particularly in case your purpose with the bike is a leisurely cruise vs. an engaged journey. And, when you’ve solely bought $900 to spend, the Compact is likely one of the few respected choices obtainable to you, and it largely stands alone doing so whereas supplying you with a 15.6 Ah / 748 Wh battery.
So how is it?
Phrases & Pictures: Cameron Martel
KBO despatched us the Compact at no-charge. We do not need a monetary relationship with KBO. All critiques are topic to our evaluate insurance policies. Authors are anticipated to spend a number of weeks utilizing a product (or tons of of miles/kilometers of use) earlier than submitting a evaluate.
2023 KBO Compact Specs
- MSRP: $899 USD
- The place to Purchase: KBOBike.com
- Guarantee: 30-day money-back assure, 2-year guarantee on the bike and battery
- Prime Pace: 22 mph / 35 kph
- eBike Class: Class 3
- Vary: Estimated 55 miles / 88 km
- Bike Weight: 68 lbs / 30.8 kg (together with battery)
- Weight capability: 350 lbs (159 kg)
- Motor: 750-watt rear hub
- Torque: Estimated 70 nm
- PAS: Cadence, 3 settings
- Brakes: Generic mechanical brakes w/ 180 mm rotors
- Gearing: Shimano 7-speed
- Battery: 48V 15.6 Ah (748 Wh)
- Wheels & Tires: 20” x 4” wheels and tires (no-name tires)
- Different: Coloration-matched rear rack, generic entrance suspension fork, entrance/tail lamps
Unboxing, Meeting, Construct High quality, & Parts
I acquired the brand-new Compact in its field, able to be unpacked and assembled. Fortunately this was the final ebike evaluate of the 12 months, as a result of my storage was getting slightly full…
KBO despatched the Compact my method mid-September final 12 months, and being Canadian, it’s taken me a while to seek out the suitable climate circumstances to evaluate this bike correctly.
Unboxing & Meeting
As with the opposite KBO’s I reviewed, the Compact comes properly packaged in its field. This one arrived freed from any injury.
KBO’s meeting directions are fairly clear, and my brother and I assembled the bike in about 25 minutes. That is additionally the… fifth or sixth bike in a field I’ve assembled, although. If it’s your first, finances about an hour.
Hinge Mechanisms + Folding the Compact
The hinge mechanisms on the KBO Compact are much less strong than those I’ve seen on the opposite folders I’ve ridden. They nonetheless lock up and don’t have a lot play whereas driving, however additionally they make the most of plastic parts for the handles and have a bit extra wiggle to them than I’ve skilled on different folders.
The decrease body hinge has two locking pins: one slider on the high of the deal with and one pin on the rear. As soon as each are secured and the hinge is tightly closed, you will have a ready-to-ride step-thru body. I used to be stunned that the deal with is plastic; the weld job isn’t the cleanest I’ve seen, both (that is additionally true of the rear rack). In any other case, it’s fairly easy.
I wouldn’t journey aggressively with this bike because the hinge isn’t strong sufficient to be snug placing plenty of drive by it, however I’ve no issues about driving on pavement or gravel trails (keep away from the bumpy stuff and steep downhill sections).
To be honest, the one folder I’ve reviewed up to now that I’d truly take off-road can be the Floor 604 Twist, which not solely has a beefy all-metal middle locking mechanism with a greater weld job (pictured above), but additionally a torque-assist drivetrain, hydraulic brakes, and a 9-speed groupset (it’s additionally 3 times the worth of the KBO).
The stem hinge for the handlebars additionally locks into place with a safety pin. There’s a small quantity of play within the setup as soon as it’s locked in, however I can’t pull it aside until I first disengage the protection pin (I’ve tried). This doesn’t really feel unsafe, but it surely does switch some additional vibration by the bars. It’s additionally fairly typical of cheap folding ebikes.
Handlebars, & Shifting
The bars fold down for storage and sit vertically when upright and locked. You possibly can elevate/decrease the handlebar top by way of a clasp on the high of the downtube.
Handlebar top may be adjusted up and down quantity – I don’t assume anybody shorter than 6’5” may have issues driving this bike.
In any other case, these bars and grips are fantastic for the worth.
Brakes & Tires
The generic mechanical brakes clamp down on 180 mm rotors, that are fantastic for the Compact’s meant use case. Braking efficiency is noticeably much less responsive/bitey than hydraulic brakes, albeit they nonetheless clamp down fairly exhausting.
We needed to regulate after our meeting because the brakes weren’t completely aligned out of the field, however that is to be anticipated. All the time verify the nuts/bolts and brakes of any new bike construct earlier than you’re taking your first journey.
The generic tires are satisfactory for the Compact’s use case, however I can’t converse to longevity, tire put on, and many others., as I’ve solely had them for a brief interval. They’re fairly knobby and have good grip on most surfaces, together with grass and gravel.
Traction on moist pavement is ok, and grip within the snow is… okay. The tires get a bit more durable than the Kenda’s I’ve on my Himiway Cobra Professional, however operating them at low strain (~12 psi) makes the journey doable.
Usually, I’m cautious of no-name tires, on condition that they’re the one contact level between your bike and the floor. This isn’t the place I need to get monetary savings.
I’d change these with a extra respected model as quickly as warranted, however I don’t really feel unsafe driving with them.
Battery & Charging
The battery is kind of large for the cash, and that’s one of many largest pluses of this bike. The 48V 15.6 Ah / 748 Wh battery affords a beneficiant 55 miles / 88 km of claimed vary, although I don’t assume the bike would obtain this until you pedaled aggressively.
A extra life like vary is nearer to 35 miles / 56 km, which remains to be fairly good for an ebike at this worth.
The battery sits behind the seatpost in entrance of the rear tire. This provides the Compact a tangible rearward bias but additionally retains the battery properly out of the way in which when folding the bike (or driving it). You need to take away the seat to take away the battery, however that doesn’t add any issue.
KBO doesn’t specify the producer of the battery or cells, which means that likelihood is they’re generic cells vs. Samsung, LG, or Panasonic cells you will note in costlier bikes. The 2A charger makes use of a less-common three-pronged port and takes about 5 hours to cost the battery totally.
You want to use the important thing to set the battery to “on” to ensure that the bike to obtain energy. This isn’t too frequent on ebikes, and I wager many individuals miss this after they attempt to journey their Compact for the primary time.
Show
This is likely one of the most generic shows I’ve ever used. It gives sufficient data and has some backlighting so it’s usable at night time. It’s clunky to navigate, although, and altering settings (from miles to kilometers, for instance) isn’t intuitive. It jogs my memory of an early-90s calculator show.
The show can also be delayed in comparison with what’s occurring with the bike. I’ll come to a lifeless cease and the show will present that I’m nonetheless transferring at 5 kph for a number of seconds after I’ve stopped.
It’s practical, but it surely isn’t superb.
Rear Rack
I like that the metallic rear rack is color-matched and built-in into the body.
It has a number of mounting factors and feels fairly sturdy. I’d haven’t any qualms about mounting a basket or different kinds of equipment to it.
Lighting
The Compact has a headlight and rear refllector, with the headlight being satisfactory however not significantly spectacular.
Each work, and the headlight is “adequate”, however individuals who journey at night time constantly will need to improve the headlight in favor of one thing brighter.
Odds & Ends
KBO contains entrance and rear plastic fenders, that are good value-adds that make the Compact simpler to dwell with each day.
They’re fairly efficient, too: I didn’t get soaked driving the Compact by slushy roads and pathways.
What’s the KBO Compact Wish to Experience?
Even contemplating the worth of the Compact, the actual fact is that this KBO isn’t a lot enjoyable to journey. It has three ranges of pedal help – low, medium, and excessive – and engine efficiency is boring throughout all of them.
As a pedal bike, the Compact rides like most different folders. Outfitted with small tires, mechanical brakes, and an upright driving place, the Compact isn’t unhealthy to make use of for last-mile commuting or leisurely rides, but it surely isn’t an pleasurable bike to journey when you’re somebody who enjoys driving bikes.
The body isn’t very robust and has plenty of flex, so you shouldn’t take this bike off-road or on strenuous rides. Nevertheless, this limitation isn’t a knock in opposition to the bike, on condition that the Compact wasn’t designed to be ridden this manner.
This bike is good for college kids, individuals who dwell in flats, or those that want a cheap technique of last-mile transportation. For these use circumstances, regardless of the anemic efficiency of the motor, the Compact will carry out fantastic sufficient. With an estimated actual world vary of round 40 miles / 64 km, the Compact can go the space wanted by most riders. I don’t assume KBO’s claimed 55 miles / 88 km is achievable in the actual world, although you might get near it when you constantly pedaled.
Drivetrain, Motor, & Energy
The way in which the motor is tuned is, frankly, weird. Did no person at KBO truly journey this factor?
The issue isn’t that the Compact doesn’t have energy; it’s that it takes without end for the motor to have interaction and supply energy. Supply additionally isn’t predictable; it could possibly take wherever from 5 – 10 seconds after participating the throttle or pedaling earlier than the motor kicks in.
When energy ultimately does present up, it’s a mild roll -ut and isn’t overwhelming… and even whelming, for that matter. Nevertheless, it’s sufficient to maneuver the Compact comfortably by the everyday city setting, together with shallow grades and small hills. You possibly can inform there’s a 750-watt motor right here, even when it takes some time to get up.
In consequence, the Compact isn’t pleasurable to journey in tight areas, maneuver round corners, and even weave by a crowded pathway. When counting on the throttle alone, I really feel like I’m at all times combating to get the bike to have interaction after I want it.
Suspension & Consolation
KBO match the Compact with generic adjustable lockout entrance suspension, with an unknown quantity of journey. These coil shocks are fairly customary fare on bikes like this, although I want that KBO opted to make use of strong forks right here and take the freed finances and apply it to the electrical drivetrain’s calibration.
Mixed with the 4” thick tires, the Compact is kind of snug. The suspension is fairly springy, although (like a pogo stick), however you’ll be able to soften the fork sufficient to assist it absorb the terrain beneath it.
Don’t take this bike off-road, the place neither the body nor suspension are up for the duty.
Can the KBO Compact Match Into the Trunk of a 2017 Ford Fusion (or Any Different Sedan)?
No.
To comfortably transport this, you’re going to need a big opening – an SUV, van, or truck mattress shall be fantastic, however most automotive trunks won’t be.
Longevity & Worth for Cash
One factor that webBikeWorld prioritizes when reviewing merchandise is the longevity and worth for cash issue.
The Compact has a number of strengths:
- $900 is kind of reasonably priced for a folding ebike with a 15.6 Ah / 748 Wh battery
- 35 miles of real-world usable vary is fairly good
- It is going to simply slot in a small condo, shed, storage, and many others.
- The battery is definitely eliminated for peace of thoughts (and has a small carrying deal with, which is sweet)
- Experience high quality is nice total
- Model-name groupset
It additionally has some drawbacks:
- Drivetrain efficiency is poor and unsatisfying. It’s workable for a commute however unresponsive, sluggish to have interaction, and exhausting to foretell.
- It gained’t match right into a sedan’s trunk
- Generic elements throughout, together with tires
There’s nothing on the bike that may stop common upkeep and servicing. In the event you can dwell with the professionals and cons above, you need to be capable to get loads of miles out of the Compact earlier than needing a alternative.
Last Ideas on the KBO Compact: An Cheap however Flawed Folder
The Compact is cheap and straightforward to retailer, good for budget-minded commuters or individuals who don’t have plenty of area to retailer a motorbike. It’s comparatively lengthy vary and well-sized battery, together with its fats tires and adjustable suspension, make the KBO companion for commuting or day rides; nice for outings to the lake, seashore, and many others.
Nevertheless, it additionally has the worst electrical help of any bike I’ve ever ridden, with solely three pedal help settings and an enormous delay between throttle engagement and response.
Except you’re married to the sub-$1,000 worth, you’ll be happier, in the long term, spending slightly extra for a folder with a greater drivetrain.
KBO Compact Evaluate Abstract
Evaluate Abstract
The KBO Compact is certainly compact, although not sufficient to slot in the trunk of the common sedan. It’s the typical Shimano 7-speed/OEM brakes, suspension, and tire setup that you just’d anticipate at a low $899 worth level. Motor efficiency is subpar, with a protracted delay between throttle/pedal enter and motor engagement. On the plus facet, it has a reasonably large battery and good vary.
Professionals
48V 15.6 Ah battery gives good 55-mile vary
Reasonably priced at simply $899
Max load of 350 lbs
Body-integrated and shade matched rear rack
Included entrance/rear fenders and powered headlight
Cons
Terrible controller/throttle tuning gives anemic pedal help efficiency
Rear-heavy weight bias
Should take away the seat to take away the battery
Is not going to battle into the trunk of a typical mid-size sedan (SUV, van, or truck wanted)
