The Biktrix Kutty X Is a Refined Fat-Tire Ebike That Folds
Folding it is simple but unwieldy, due to the bike’s 60-pound weight. Undo a clamp in the middle of the frame, then lift the front half and pull it over to the back. If you don’t have good footing, it’s a dance of seeing whether the bike or you fall down first. Undo another clamp to tuck away the handlebars.
There’s no way to lock the two wheels together when it’s folded up, so the front tire awkwardly splays out. It doesn’t look very neat. I also wish there were more intuitive handholds on the frame. In the moment, the parts that are the easiest to grab are often the dirtiest parts of the bike.
Ray of Sunshine
The best part of the Kutty X is the ride. The 4-inch Kenda tires make rides feel wonderfully smooth, and the suspension helps too. The big, flat handlebars are comfortable to hold, and you can adjust the height. It feels like sitting in an upright cruiser.
On the handlebars are an easy-to-use 8-speed Shimano shifter, reliable Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, and an LCD display with ride data, like the odometer, speed (make sure to swap it from kilometers to miles), and distance traveled. With the buttons to the display’s left, you can cycle through five pedal assistance levels (or use the throttle).
With pedal assistance, levels one and two will still make you huff and puff over longer rides and steep hills, but level three strikes a good balance of effort without the sweat. Levels four and five usually felt too easy, though they didn’t leave me with the “pedaling air” sensation I felt with the Lectric XP.
Better yet, the 750-watt Shengyi rear hub motor delivers its power smoothly and stops when you aren’t pedaling. This was an issue with the Lectric XP’s 500-watt rear hub motor—it kept running for a few seconds after I stopped pedaling, which is potentially dangerous. I didn’t have such woes with the Kutty X. The motor is powerful enough to climb hills in Brooklyn with ease too. As for range, it’ll depend on a variety of factors and what level of pedal assistance you use, but I usually hovered around 20 miles before needing to charge it again.
Fat-Tire Fun
Just like the Lectric, you get an array of accessories that are usually extras on many other ebikes, like a front light, a rear rack, and fenders. It’s IP65 as well, and I rode it in a heavy rainstorm with no problems.
I want to reiterate that the Kutty X weighs more than 60 pounds. Being able to fold it up is great considering my tiny New York apartment, but I’m more thankful I have an elevator so I don’t need to lug this thing up the stairs.
I’ve seen an uptick of these heavy, fat-tire ebikes around Brooklyn of late—many of them are Lectric XPs, which makes sense considering its attractive $1,000 price. It’s hard to say if paying a little more than double is worth the slightly upgraded experience and increased power, but I undeniably had more fun with the Kutty X. Overall, it was a much better riding experience—except for the battery key! Take it out, everyone!