We spent a day on the Kuberg electric bikes and came away wishing we were kids again.
Electric bikes may not have reached the heights of performance on a large scale for senior riders, but for juniors they represent the perfect intro to riding. We spent some time on a couple of bikes from Kuberg’s range and the toughest thing about the whole exercise was getting the groms to hold still for a photo.
We took two models out for a run; the Start and the Cross Hero. The Start is part of the early rider series and is the perfect choice for the littlest of the crew to jump on. It features a safety cut off switch attached to a lanyard and three power settings to you can govern the bike’s power output. Our test bike had the trials-specific dip in the seat area but you can fit a seat no problem and for a kid three-to-five years-old it’s a great way to get started. We liked the substantial guard around the chain and the easy to maintain V-brake set-up at the front. It’s light enough to be picked up by mum or dad and small enough to fit in the back of a wagon so you can pack it in for those family picnic days and the little dude can cut laps around uncle Bill when he falls asleep and he’ll never here a thing.
The Cross Hero is the bigger of the two and while it also features the cut-off switch and three power modes for safety, with the 3000 watt motor it’s up for greater speeds and more full-on riding than the little Start. The Cross Hero has disc brakes and more robust suspension and Kuberg maintains that the main control unit is waterproof so you can dig-in and clean up after. Sized for the five to 12 year old the Cross Hero will take a solid beating via its double cradle steel frame.
Both bikes can be accessed via Wi-Fi by fitting the optional ‘Steamport’ adaptor to the electronics. After that you can jump on your phone and monitor the bike’s performance and various functions. You can set how far the bike can travel away from your phone so the groms can’t run-off as well as limit the output, update firmware and keep ride stats.
The batteries in the Kubergs are lead based which is not as durable as lithium and as such you need to make sure you’ve got as full charge before you take off. We rode in reasonably wet conditions that sapped the power and the bikes did go flat earlier than the grom’s would have liked (to be fair they would’ve kept riding till the next day), but lead is what’s also found in the competitors models so it seems this is pretty much the standard and there’s no doubt the guys had a blast regardless and rode them both pretty hard.
The European made Kubergs are of an excellent build quality and the best part of an electric might be that there’s almost zero maintenance for mum and dad. There’s almost no noise, no hot exhaust and no fuel and we really wish theses were around when we were kicking off!
START SPECS
TOP SPEED 24 KMH
WEIGHT 21kg
POWER 1000 watts, 24 V motor
BATTERIES 2× 9 Ah12 V, sealed lead-acid
TRANSMISSION Clutchless one speed
FRAME Steel double cradle tube frame, powder-coated
WHEELBASE 32” (82 cm)
SEAT HEIGHT 15/17” (39 cm without seat, 44 cm with seat option)
HANDLEBAR HEIGHT 25.5” (65 cm)
FRONT BRAKE V type
REAR BRAKE Band type
FORKS Suspension fork with spring
SHOCK ABSORBER Spring
TIRES 12.5” × 2.4”
CARRYING CAPACITY Maximum 100 kg
CROSS HERO SPECS
SPECIFICATIONS – KUBERG TRIAL TOP SPEED 27 KMH
WEIGHT 33 kg
POWER 3000 watts, 36 V motor
BATTERIES 3×12 Ah 12 V, sealed lead-acid
TRANSMISSION Clutchless one speed
FRAME Steel double cradle tube frame, powder-coated
WHEELBASE 94 cm
SEAT HEIGHT 59 cm
HANDLEBAR HEIGHT 83 cm
FRONT BRAKE AND REAR BRAKES Hydraulic Disc Brake system Tektro Auriga BRAKE DISCS 160 mm diameter
FORKS Suspension fork Spinner Grind
SHOCK ABSORBER DNM Adjustable Air Shock
TIRES 16” × 2.4” KENDA
CARRYING CAPACITY Maximum 100 kg
For dealer enquires call: 03 – 9587 1466
https://www.stevecramerproducts.com/kuberg
