An E-Bike for under $400

[erider_61]

Makes you wonder just what markup other mfgs are charging on components such as batteries https://starkdrive.bike/

 

[Alex M]

$400 is "Limited launch price".
Regular price on their cheapest 250W hub bike is $900. No info on components - derailleur, display, battery.
There are full-size ebikes in Walmart from $400, but the question is what you are getting for your money in terms of features, quality and support.

 

[jazz]

You get what you pay for

 

[J.R.]

This is not Stark Bike so maybe irrelevant but reminded me of this video.

Should be mandatory viewing for every ebike shopper

That cash grab logo looks a lot like one of the Honda MC logos

 

[Alex M]

Things change with time. Lower-end "kit bikes" from relatively well established US brands have gotten cheaper, approaching $900 mark. Below this mark it's mostly imported junk with poor components, poor assembling and no support. For $1,000-1,300 expect better assembling and some support, though still poor components. This Stark is at the borderline, hard to tell much.

They are all "kit bikes", put together in China with readily available parts. Frame types like the one in Kickstarter or on Stark are shamelessly cloned, there is little to none engineering or ingenuity there. Batteries, motors, displays and cables are pretty much standardized, not to mention mechanical parts. As to the question how much ebikes manufacturers are making on batteries or motors - on $400 Stark probably none. This is a promotion, an expense they are willing to pay to enter the market.

 

[steve marino]

My Ancheer full size e-bike with an aluminum frame and a 250 geared hub motor ran me less than $600 shipped to my door, so the $900 price point can be beat by a large margin. I bought it after what seemed like years of googling reviews and watching youtube videos, and have been very happy w/ it. Wore the first one out after 18 months of daily hard riding and am on my second one now. Could have fixed the old one, but by the time you replace the chain, casette set, tires, etc it made more sense to sell it for $200 and just buy another one.

 

[Deleted member 4210]

You can barely get a decent range and quality battery for under $400. Good luck with that one. It seems like this name has been around before, and a lot of people got burned a couple years back. just had a guy come in who paid $600 for similar on-line, and his ebike arrived very damaged, with forklift punctures into the box. company refused to fix, give refund, or pay for cost to ship back. i wont say the name of the firm, but its one you likely heard of. they stopped responding only after a few short communications. he went through amazon and apparently they weren't of much help either. under $400 you are talking MAYBE a notch above walmart level quality, on regular bikes. (non electric). SMH.

 

[Alex M]

Mike... "Walmart quality" needs to be re-defined downwards, and prices too. They have evolved to China-direct sales. Prices on batteries and ebikes there not much worse than on Aliexpress or Amazon. 500W battery for $250, just don't ask what "brand" or how long it will last . Complete 26" ebikes $500, free shipping. Online sales. Not sure if there is any warranty other than 3 months return. You order on WM website and receive some weeks later, when slow boat from China arrives.

 

[Alex M]

Timpo - I believe it was 500WH @36V.
800W@48V they sell for $300, rack mounted.

For a given motor wattage, range is determined by WH regardless of voltage.

But these are just numbers on the paper. Buying a nameless battery is a bad idea. That video - Cash Grab Ebikes - explains why. 80% loss of battery life after 163 total mileage.