Known Issues & Problems with Lectric eBikes Products + Help, Solutions & Fixes

Well it’s to bad for the guys that aren’t able to work on some fixes needed like brakes and derailiuer systems when the bike arrives because of quality control.Other than being unlucky and getting a bad controller or battery these XP’s have been pretty reliable bikes from what I’ve read.
 
I'm not wasting my time arguing with you. You can be the 1%er that's gonna find something to get upset about. You are already saying Lectric is trying to wreck our batteries by setting the cut off too low and yet the new controllers are set higher than one of my earlier one was. And there's no lack of help here but there's no answer for whining.
He's 100% right and you are being completely hypocritical, talking about how it was a good thing you could fix cutoff voltage but that everyone else should just be glad the settings are locked. You are the one wasting other people's time with your hypocrisy.
 
Doomsday.
The problem is some of the people buying these bikes aren't gearheads, or techies.... Take the seventy some year old granny that wants to get out and ride. she's a leadfoot that wants to go faster while leaving the vcr blinking 12:00 whiles she out ripping the trails up... Granny reads the manual and wants to make the bike faster... first she try's to get into programming mode and the bike goes in walk mode by mistake crashing into her wall. that over she manages to get into programming mode now shes flipping thru the p setting and gets it set up for speed! but changes some random other setting in the process and the bike doesn't do what its supposed to do. frustrated she calls and Lectric tries to walk her thru the settings. Now take that same granny and only let her change unharmful settings she will be happy flying down the trails at 28mph even if the odometer is off...look back thru the posts plenty of people aren't bike mechanics!
Sure have it locked so that they can't be adjusted out of proportion BY MISTAKE. But still offer a way to adjust these setting when they NEED to be adjusted.
 
Hey Snokid don't take the bait. He'll argue with you till you throw your hands up in the air. He's an expert on everything and is never wrong
Funny, i would say this about you. I agree 100% that it is ridiculous to have the settings completely locked so that if there is an issue it has to be handled at the factory. Sure "accidentally" changing settings can be harmful,. but again, not enough reason to lock these settings completely. The problem is the way the device is programmed to begin with, and how easy it is to change settings accidentally, and instead of fixing that problem, they went with the "lazy fix" of just locking them all out.
 
I'm having problems with the foldable bike stem locking clasp... Happened last year a few times where the clasp suddenly spring open after hitting a big bump. I would tighten up the allen bolt and then everything back to normal, but over time would loosen up and inevitably spring open...

Now, it's so bad that the locking clasp is not even able to be locked, just continually springs open. I tried tightening the bolt really hard and have warped allen keys in the process to no avail. Had to go the duct tape route just to make the bike rideable in the short term. Anyone else experience this??
 

I'm having problems with the foldable bike stem locking clasp... Happened last year a few times where the clasp suddenly spring open after hitting a big bump. I would tighten up the allen bolt and then everything back to normal, but over time would loosen up and inevitably spring open...

Now, it's so bad that the locking clasp is not even able to be locked, just continually springs open. I tried tightening the bolt really hard and have warped allen keys in the process to no avail. Had to go the duct tape route just to make the bike rideable in the short term. Anyone else experience this??
If it is on the top tube/battery hinge then there is a small black allen screw that engages the little sliding lock on silver latch. The picture shows the plain side sticking up to engage the slider lock once the hinge & latch is closed. The opposite/underneath side can be accessed with a 3mm allen/hex. wrench. I suspect that you need to screw it in a little more so the end shown in the picture is a little higher.
 

Attachments

  • 16194664360548548910252409605265.jpg
    16194664360548548910252409605265.jpg
    132.4 KB · Views: 456
If it is on the top tube/battery hinge then there is a small black allen screw that engages the little sliding lock on silver latch. The picture shows the plain side sticking up to engage the slider lock once the hinge & latch is closed. The opposite/underneath side can be accessed with a 3mm allen/hex. wrench. I suspect that you need to screw it in a little more so the end shown in the picture is a little higher.

My bad, I should have been more clear... It is on the foldable handle-bar stem.
 
Hello everyone. I got my LectricXp delivered about a month before they released the 2.0, and I'm kinda sad to be missing out on the upgrades they made after mine shipped, but it's still a great little bike. About 200 miles in, the derailleur arm snapped on me, but they I received the replacement within a week. I am very grateful for the discussions I found on the best ways to prevent rear flats, and as soon as Tannus gets their 20x4 armor back in stock I'm buying some. I did have a question for the more mechanical folks here though. Has anyone replaced shifter and gear assemblies down to a single speed and what all do I have to change? I have a 9 mile round trip commute, and I never leave 7th gear so I was thinking about removing the shifter completely. My thought is that the chain is constantly torqued and might be the cause of its recent failure but my bike knowhow has devolved into "I can change my tires" over the last 2 decades.
 
Oh, and I forgot to ask if anyone knows if it's possible to add rear suspension to this thing as well, the roads near work are patched so often I might prefer the potholes most days.
 
My Lectric XP 1.0 came with the added suspension seat post & saddle. Now that I have about 350 miles on it, I am noticing the post tends to slip down during bumpy rides. I also noticed the brass shim under the locking handle is rotating. It had some sharp corners that I rounded off.
Do I just need to clamp it tighter? This seat post clamp is a collar on the Dow tube; do I need to slide it down off the edge to clamp securely?
 

Attachments

  • AF320C08-2761-4405-9BB6-4486F44966C5.jpeg
    AF320C08-2761-4405-9BB6-4486F44966C5.jpeg
    100.8 KB · Views: 308
I was getting a dingle from the rear end of the bike at 21-22 mph. sounded a little like the brake pads dragging the disc. pretty annoying. I tightened the rear spokes a half turn and it went away. I think tightening the spokes changed the resonant frequency of the system, eliminating the vibration.

Those are some massive spoke nipples! None of my Park spoke wrenches fit. Maybe it's a new bike industry standard or perhaps something from the motorcycle world?
 
A few things on the Lectric 2.0. I'm a former bike shop owner of 19 years.

First the bad news.
These bikes are crude and heavy. If you think you are getting a $2000 for under $1000, you aren't.
Pedals threads on mine were filled with a thread locking goo and the pedals were very hard to remove.
The key is in the most ridiculous spot you can imagine underneath the frame right next to the folding hinge. The umbilical cable in that area can bend or break off the key.
The battery WILL fall out on the ground when you try to fold the bike.
You WILL pinch your fingers trying to fold or unfold this bike.
It is hard to find a bike rack that will fit these bikes. The bike's fenders will eliminate any bike rack that clamps down on the tires. Likewise most bike racks that clamp on the seat post or top tube will not work. Eventually I had to purchase a Thule EasyFold XT Bike Carrier ($849) with optional long fat tire straps ($45) which is almost the cost of one of these bikes. Try to get a rack with a ramp as these bikes are very heavy. The clamp on the EasyFold will clamp on that small structural tube/handle that both frame styles have. See pics.
These bikes don't really fold flat very well. Still about 20" thick when folded.
There is something about the high center of gravity on these bikes that makes them want to fall over at low speeds when starting and stopping.
The seat post diameter in these bikes is 31.8mm. Ignore any YouTube videos that tell you to install a smaller more available 31.6mm post unless you want to risk cracking the frame at the post clamp area.
The handlebar height is very high and can't be lowered. Seems like the bike bar height was made for 6 foot riders.
The cable pull brake system is pretty marginal.
The step through model still has a very high frame due to battery size in the frame tube. This makes it hard for shorter riders to get on and off.
The control screen is not removable. It is very exposed to damage or being snapped off when the bike is folded.

The good news:
These have a powerful throttle and strong pedal assist.
The control screen is easily visible.
Kickstand near rear wheel allows you to roll bike backwards without kickstand vs crank arm interference.
Folding pedals are a nice option as long as you are careful to not cut your fingers on them when folding and unfolding.
The seat post and handlebars have smooth adjustment so some precision in those surfaces.

Tips for living with them:
Keep a spare set of keys and never attempt to fold these bikes with the key in the lock.
If you are carrying them inside a vehicle, bungie the folded bike so there is no way it can try to unfold when lifting it.
Have 2 people for the folding or unfolding operation with one designated to catch the battery which WILL fall out.
Buy a Park Tools pedal wrench at a local bike shop so you can remove the pedals for folding. Be prepared to have to remove them very forcefully the first time. Have a bike shop with pedal taps chase the threads in the crank arms.
Removing pedals make the folded package smaller and easier to fold without pedal interference. Also, they will be less likely to gouge you or your vehicle interior.
 

Attachments

  • 2021-11-26 05.27.00.jpg
    2021-11-26 05.27.00.jpg
    617.9 KB · Views: 353
  • 2021-11-26 05.27.14.jpg
    2021-11-26 05.27.14.jpg
    578.6 KB · Views: 336
  • 2021-11-26 05.27.24.jpg
    2021-11-26 05.27.24.jpg
    286.4 KB · Views: 344
  • 2021-11-26 05.28.12.jpg
    2021-11-26 05.28.12.jpg
    565.7 KB · Views: 358
A few things on the Lectric 2.0. I'm a former bike shop owner of 19 years.

First the bad news.
These bikes are crude and heavy. If you think you are getting a $2000 for under $1000, you aren't.
Pedals threads on mine were filled with a thread locking goo and the pedals were very hard to remove.
The key is in the most ridiculous spot you can imagine underneath the frame right next to the folding hinge. The umbilical cable in that area can bend or break off the key.
The battery WILL fall out on the ground when you try to fold the bike.
You WILL pinch your fingers trying to fold or unfold this bike.
It is hard to find a bike rack that will fit these bikes. The bike's fenders will eliminate any bike rack that clamps down on the tires. Likewise most bike racks that clamp on the seat post or top tube will not work. Eventually I had to purchase a Thule EasyFold XT Bike Carrier ($849) with optional long fat tire straps ($45) which is almost the cost of one of these bikes. Try to get a rack with a ramp as these bikes are very heavy. The clamp on the EasyFold will clamp on that small structural tube/handle that both frame styles have. See pics.
These bikes don't really fold flat very well. Still about 20" thick when folded.
There is something about the high center of gravity on these bikes that makes them want to fall over at low speeds when starting and stopping.
The seat post diameter in these bikes is 31.8mm. Ignore any YouTube videos that tell you to install a smaller more available 31.6mm post unless you want to risk cracking the frame at the post clamp area.
The handlebar height is very high and can't be lowered. Seems like the bike bar height was made for 6 foot riders.
The cable pull brake system is pretty marginal.
The step through model still has a very high frame due to battery size in the frame tube. This makes it hard for shorter riders to get on and off.
The control screen is not removable. It is very exposed to damage or being snapped off when the bike is folded.

The good news:
These have a powerful throttle and strong pedal assist.
The control screen is easily visible.
Kickstand near rear wheel allows you to roll bike backwards without kickstand vs crank arm interference.
Folding pedals are a nice option as long as you are careful to not cut your fingers on them when folding and unfolding.
The seat post and handlebars have smooth adjustment so some precision in those surfaces.

Tips for living with them:
Keep a spare set of keys and never attempt to fold these bikes with the key in the lock.
If you are carrying them inside a vehicle, bungie the folded bike so there is no way it can try to unfold when lifting it.
Have 2 people for the folding or unfolding operation with one designated to catch the battery which WILL fall out.
Buy a Park Tools pedal wrench at a local bike shop so you can remove the pedals for folding. Be prepared to have to remove them very forcefully the first time. Have a bike shop with pedal taps chase the threads in the crank arms.
Removing pedals make the folded package smaller and easier to fold without pedal interference. Also, they will be less likely to gouge you or your vehicle interior.
A different take on the Lectric...

  • Yes, these bikes are crude and heavy but so is almost every other folding electric bike that I have seen. I still believe we are getting a $1500-2000 bike but mainly because the competition is so overpriced. (at least here in Canada)
  • My pedals were poorly installed as well, even after the initial checking and tightening one of them fell off and I had to ride home using the throttle (which was much nicer than pushing a "standard" bike) I also had to chase the threads on the crankarms but have not had a problem with them since.
  • The key is in a ridiculous spot but at least you can't gouge your knee on it like if it was on the side and the keyway won't fill up with junk like if it is on the top and they didn't put some kind of protection on it. I just got used to the position and it doesn't bother me anymore. I did add a small, cheap, carabiner to my key chain though so I could clip it to the umbilical cord since I did have the key fall out once.
  • Your battery falls out? Only if you have unlocked it otherwise the safety bolt holds the battery in so it can't fall.
  • Pinching is very real although it has never happened to me. (knock on wood...)
  • It was very easy for me to find a bike rack, all you need is the platform type whether it is the flat tray design or the type where the tires fit into these u shaped supports. The main problem is finding one that is not too expensive and many racks can only handle one bike of this weight. My rack was only $99 from Canadian Tire but it doesn't have any fancy fold down options like the more expensive ones.
  • Have you ever seen an e-bike that folds well?
  • I don't notice any low speed balance problems, is that just getting used to the bikes odd geometry? I have my seat quite high to get leg extension but don't notice any real difference between this bike and my other bikes as far as falling over is concerned.
  • When I added my Suntour seatpost I just added a shimming sleeve and everything has worked perfectly for 2 years. I don't remember what the diameters were though, maybe the Suntour had a diameter smaller than 31.6?
  • The handlebar height in my opinion is perfect for the style of bike and the intended use of it, just putting around or commuting. I'm only 5'7 and I find the height to be about perfect, my pet peeve was the width of the bars!
  • The brakes are not great but mine do work okay and most other bikes I look at have the same brakes. If you're used to hydraulic brakes though these are pretty crude.
  • I keep my screen a little bit loose and just turn it out of harms way when folding the bike or if I get caught in the rain.
  • I did not like the pedals so changed them out for some real mtn bike style heavy duty ones. If I have to load the bike into a vehicle I first put it into a large tote and I don't have to remove the pedals to do this. The best thing about the tote is it keeps the vehicle clean and all of my bike gear fits into the tote with the bike.
  • I have my keys clipped onto the umbilical cord so I just unplug them when I have to fold the bike and leave them on the cord.
 
A different take on the Lectric...

  • Yes, these bikes are crude and heavy but so is almost every other folding electric bike that I have seen. I still believe we are getting a $1500-2000 bike but mainly because the competition is so overpriced. (at least here in Canada)
  • My pedals were poorly installed as well, even after the initial checking and tightening one of them fell off and I had to ride home using the throttle (which was much nicer than pushing a "standard" bike) I also had to chase the threads on the crankarms but have not had a problem with them since.
  • The key is in a ridiculous spot but at least you can't gouge your knee on it like if it was on the side and the keyway won't fill up with junk like if it is on the top and they didn't put some kind of protection on it. I just got used to the position and it doesn't bother me anymore. I did add a small, cheap, carabiner to my key chain though so I could clip it to the umbilical cord since I did have the key fall out once.
  • Your battery falls out? Only if you have unlocked it otherwise the safety bolt holds the battery in so it can't fall.
  • Pinching is very real although it has never happened to me. (knock on wood...)
  • It was very easy for me to find a bike rack, all you need is the platform type whether it is the flat tray design or the type where the tires fit into these u shaped supports. The main problem is finding one that is not too expensive and many racks can only handle one bike of this weight. My rack was only $99 from Canadian Tire but it doesn't have any fancy fold down options like the more expensive ones.
  • Have you ever seen an e-bike that folds well?
  • I don't notice any low speed balance problems, is that just getting used to the bikes odd geometry? I have my seat quite high to get leg extension but don't notice any real difference between this bike and my other bikes as far as falling over is concerned.
  • When I added my Suntour seatpost I just added a shimming sleeve and everything has worked perfectly for 2 years. I don't remember what the diameters were though, maybe the Suntour had a diameter smaller than 31.6?
  • The handlebar height in my opinion is perfect for the style of bike and the intended use of it, just putting around or commuting. I'm only 5'7 and I find the height to be about perfect, my pet peeve was the width of the bars!
  • The brakes are not great but mine do work okay and most other bikes I look at have the same brakes. If you're used to hydraulic brakes though these are pretty crude.
  • I keep my screen a little bit loose and just turn it out of harms way when folding the bike or if I get caught in the rain.
  • I did not like the pedals so changed them out for some real mtn bike style heavy duty ones. If I have to load the bike into a vehicle I first put it into a large tote and I don't have to remove the pedals to do this. The best thing about the tote is it keeps the vehicle clean and all of my bike gear fits into the tote with the bike.
  • I have my keys clipped onto the umbilical cord so I just unplug them when I have to fold the bike and leave them on the cord.
Well said and good info Kimbo!

There was a comment made that I don't know how to keep the battery from falling out. Indeed, I understand the key allows you to keep the battery locked in place until the bike is folded or unfolded. While that is true but the key also interferes with the wires in the area which can bend and break the key off. So here is the sequence to fold the bike: 1. Turn off the bike and remove the key while the battery is in locked but off position. 2. Fold the bike. 3. Use the key again to unlock the battery. 4. The battery slides out often very forcefully because of the downtube angle. Also getting the key into the key slot in any or these operations is difficult as it is hidden under the frame where it is not visible or easy to engage. My point in all of these complaints is that this could have been a much better bike with some better testing by knowledgeable individuals like experienced cyclists and mechanics. In the world of E-Bikes customers often just are in love with the bikes because of their acceleration and surface capabilities. Those of us that have been around the block riding and working on bikes for many years look at some of these E-bikes on the execution side of the details and ask, "What were they thinking".

On the subject of seat post shims Kimbo mentioned using. This is an acceptable usage to eliminate the stress on the seat post clamp area of the frame. If you find a post you love and can't get the 31.8mm post size then shims will help relieve the clamp stress problem.

In retrospect I realize now I should have purchased different bikes - probably non-folding model with 26" wheels. These bikes are so heavy and hard to fold, the advantages of a folding mechanism are pretty much nullified.
 
Perhaps it's just due to variability in manufacture, but I don't see how I can bend or break off the battery key on my two brand-new ST bikes. There's plenty of slack in the cable bundle so that it never puts pressure on the key while folding. And so far at least I'm just leaving the key in and on, as I suspect there is minimal current drain. Perhaps that preference will change as I spend more time with the bike.

Lots of other differences of opinion with other commenters. As already clarified, battery simply can't "fall out." There is a metal retractable peg. Secondly, my cable brakes felt lousy--until I removed the cables and lubed them. Now they are almost like hydraulics.

As for bike racks, I fortunately years ago had bought a "Softride" receiver-mount rack. Weighs a ton but one of the horizontal supports slips under the frame just in front of the rear fender, and I've found a beefy strap perfectly supports the front of the bike from the small frame tube located just over the controller location. 600lb capacity on the strap--it isn't going to fail. And this particular rack has a parallelogram design, so it can pivot away from the vehicle for rear hatch access.

The Black Friday seat post and seat are wonderfully comfortable and the post won't slip. The handlebars can telescope up and down for a variety of riding styles and heights. The Step-Through version offers an easy means of mounting and dismounting. As for weight, yup, this thing's "beefy" but much of the weight is battery and motor. No way around that. Willing to shave 20 lbs off the rest of the bike with a carbon-fiber frame if it makes the price $5K rather than $1K? I suspect some would but most wouldn't. Even at its present weight, its foldability provides additional benefits in various situations, such as winter storage.

This is an excellent bike for the money. No wonder the Lectric folks are selling A LOT of them. When ebike brands shake out over the next decade or so, I think Lectric will be one of the survivors.
 
Last edited:
Not a fan boy by any means as I was actually looking to do a mid drive retrofit on my MTB first. I was looking at the similar style Friend e-Bike but chose the XP 2.0 as my first e-bike. As a former hard core MTB rider 30 yrs ago, I was not shocked at the weight. Back in the day, full suspended MTB bikes were close to 30lbs. As for the fit and finish, I have done two 10 mile commutes and didn't have any issues at all and everything worked as advertised.. The brakes didn't need adjusting but I will be upgrading them. They squealed, as noted with other owners, but I will be replacing the pads...really a non-issue if the bike is stopping properly. The only mod I did was add a new seat and suspension seat post for a lot less than their comfort package. The battery key location is not really an issue, I folks did their research, they would have already know the placement. So folks to buy something and then complain about the engineering, it seems they didn't do their research well. It's not like there are 5-10 models out there sharing the same platform. I'm looking forward to a carbo-fiber or aluminum frame in the future.
 
Oh, and I forgot to ask if anyone knows if it's possible to add rear suspension to this thing as well, the roads near work are patched so often I might prefer the potholes most days.
The option would be the Friend Bike platform but no one wants to confirm the weight of it vs. the XP.
 
Well I had my bike for almost 3 years, mainly riding in NYC. Put in a little over 3000 miles and noticed a strange clicking noise. Today I noticed a little bit of wobble and looked a little more carefully...
PXL_20220615_120622923.MP.jpg
 
Back