SeaLevel274
New Member
Karmic Koben S Review
A little bit about me
I’ve been a regular recreational/fitness cyclist for about 50 years. I didn’t get my drivers license until age 18, preferring to ride my bicycle everywhere I needed to go. When I was younger I did ride 3 century rides, but most of my riding in the past couple of decades has been in the 18-25-mile range, depending on the route, with a few longer rides thrown in here and there. I did do some commuting to work on my bicycle, but not much, and since 2006 I have worked out of my home office. I’ve almost always done my own bicycle maintenance, and have always disliked and been tuned into any strange noises while riding. I currently own 3 bicycles – Trek 7.9 FX (non-electric), EVELO Quest Max (foldable e-bike), and the Koben S. At the point of writing this review, I now have 314 miles on the Koben S, which has given me time to get to know it. I live in South Florida, so my riding season is pretty much all year long.
Why did I choose this e-bike?
I already own a foldable e-bike to use when camping. After lots of research, it was chosen because of the technology being used, which includes the Bafang Max Drive motor, Gates carbon belt drive, and NuVinci N380 continuously variable transmission (CVT). I am very happy with how that bike rides, but I wanted to find a full-sized Class 3 bike to use for both recreation and fitness, and that would be good for riding on both paved roads, and gravel or hardpacked trails. That eventually led me to the Koben S, which uses the same technology as the foldable bike. I originally had a CrossCurrent S from Juiced Bikes on pre-order, but I cancelled that order when I found the Koben S. On top of the technology being used on the Koben S, I also liked the other specifications and looks of the bike, which you can see on the www.karmicbikes.com web site. I selected the Blackout color and size medium (I’m about 5’9” tall). As mentioned, I’m not commuting when I ride the Koben S, and I’m not in a hurry. I like to pedal and don’t need or want a throttle. If I want to start off fast from a red light, I just use a higher pedal assist level and a lower gear.
Ordering and receiving the bike
The online ordering process from the Karmic web site was straightforward. It took about a week for the bike to arrive in South Florida from California, after traveling over the Christmas holiday. Otherwise it would have taken about 5 days. The box arrived undamaged and the bike was well packaged. It took me about 2.5 hours to assemble the bike, but that included removing it from the packaging, getting everything setup to my preference, and truing both the brake rotors and wheels.
Riding the bike
This is a Class 3 bike, meaning there is no throttle, and pedal assist is limited to 28 mph. I live in South Florida, so other than riding over something like a drawbridge, we don’t have hills. But we do have wind. Sometimes very strong wind. So, although the NuVinci shifter shows a bike on a hill for low gears, that also applies to riding into a headwind. When I am at a stop, or when coming up to a stop, I do shift into a low gear for getting going, but when riding it’s just about being at a comfortable cadence. Because it’s a CVT, sometimes only a minor twist of the shifter is required to adjust to my preferred cadence. After years of riding with standard gearing and derailleurs, and sometimes wishing I had a gear in-between two available gears, I really appreciate the CVT. Between the different pedal assist levels, and the large range of gears available, it is very adaptable to matching your preferred speed and cadence.
So how fast have I gone on the Koben S? So far 39.3 mph, but that was going downhill over a drawbridge with a strong wind at my back. Pedal assist cut out once I was going over 28 mph, and it smoothly started up again once I hit level ground and slowed down to that speed. The bike felt very stable at high speed.
Modifications to Karmic-supplied build
Are any modifications necessary to use the bicycle as delivered from Karmic? For how I am using the bicycle, no. If you need a rack for your use case, that is something you would need to supply. However, there are some modifications that I chose to make, based on my personal preferences.
· Ergonomic grips - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JAXEO04/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· Shimano A530 SPD pedals - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MZ2AGO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· BodyFloat isolation seatpost - (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
· Bar end mirror - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XPV4G7Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· I also added a water bottle and cage. Note: a taller water bottle wouldn’t fit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083VKZ44/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JUKV662/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wheels and tires and fenders
The wheels on the Koben S seem to be good quality, as do the tires. I wasn’t sure I would like the tires, because of the large gum wall look, but they’ve grown on me and I like them now. Getting some positive comments from people I’ve talked to while out riding probably helped. The tires roll very smoothly, and they are rated for between 35-55 PSI. After trying some different pressures, I’ve settled on 40 PSI in the front and 50 PSI in the back. That seems to provide me with the best cushion/shock absorption in the front, and rolling efficiency in the back where more weight needs to be supported. With the BodyFloat seatpost I don’t need the extra cushion from the tire in the back. The fenders seem to be functional, but since I am just riding when I want, I try not to ride in the rain. I did get stuck once already though, and the fenders did their job. I’ve noticed some squeaking noises from the back fender when going on bumps, but some WD-40 in a couple of key places has eliminated most of that noise.
Summary
I’m very happy with the Koben S. It’s smooth, quiet, legal, and fast enough for my needs. I haven’t pushed the range to the limit yet, but it looks like I could ride about 50-60 miles if I stayed in the lower pedal assist levels for most of the ride. It’s not an inexpensive bike, but as compared to other bikes using this, or similar technology, it’s priced very fairly. I find myself wanting to ride it every day, so that’s a plus. Two thumbs up.
A little bit about me
I’ve been a regular recreational/fitness cyclist for about 50 years. I didn’t get my drivers license until age 18, preferring to ride my bicycle everywhere I needed to go. When I was younger I did ride 3 century rides, but most of my riding in the past couple of decades has been in the 18-25-mile range, depending on the route, with a few longer rides thrown in here and there. I did do some commuting to work on my bicycle, but not much, and since 2006 I have worked out of my home office. I’ve almost always done my own bicycle maintenance, and have always disliked and been tuned into any strange noises while riding. I currently own 3 bicycles – Trek 7.9 FX (non-electric), EVELO Quest Max (foldable e-bike), and the Koben S. At the point of writing this review, I now have 314 miles on the Koben S, which has given me time to get to know it. I live in South Florida, so my riding season is pretty much all year long.
Why did I choose this e-bike?
I already own a foldable e-bike to use when camping. After lots of research, it was chosen because of the technology being used, which includes the Bafang Max Drive motor, Gates carbon belt drive, and NuVinci N380 continuously variable transmission (CVT). I am very happy with how that bike rides, but I wanted to find a full-sized Class 3 bike to use for both recreation and fitness, and that would be good for riding on both paved roads, and gravel or hardpacked trails. That eventually led me to the Koben S, which uses the same technology as the foldable bike. I originally had a CrossCurrent S from Juiced Bikes on pre-order, but I cancelled that order when I found the Koben S. On top of the technology being used on the Koben S, I also liked the other specifications and looks of the bike, which you can see on the www.karmicbikes.com web site. I selected the Blackout color and size medium (I’m about 5’9” tall). As mentioned, I’m not commuting when I ride the Koben S, and I’m not in a hurry. I like to pedal and don’t need or want a throttle. If I want to start off fast from a red light, I just use a higher pedal assist level and a lower gear.
Ordering and receiving the bike
The online ordering process from the Karmic web site was straightforward. It took about a week for the bike to arrive in South Florida from California, after traveling over the Christmas holiday. Otherwise it would have taken about 5 days. The box arrived undamaged and the bike was well packaged. It took me about 2.5 hours to assemble the bike, but that included removing it from the packaging, getting everything setup to my preference, and truing both the brake rotors and wheels.
Riding the bike
This is a Class 3 bike, meaning there is no throttle, and pedal assist is limited to 28 mph. I live in South Florida, so other than riding over something like a drawbridge, we don’t have hills. But we do have wind. Sometimes very strong wind. So, although the NuVinci shifter shows a bike on a hill for low gears, that also applies to riding into a headwind. When I am at a stop, or when coming up to a stop, I do shift into a low gear for getting going, but when riding it’s just about being at a comfortable cadence. Because it’s a CVT, sometimes only a minor twist of the shifter is required to adjust to my preferred cadence. After years of riding with standard gearing and derailleurs, and sometimes wishing I had a gear in-between two available gears, I really appreciate the CVT. Between the different pedal assist levels, and the large range of gears available, it is very adaptable to matching your preferred speed and cadence.
So how fast have I gone on the Koben S? So far 39.3 mph, but that was going downhill over a drawbridge with a strong wind at my back. Pedal assist cut out once I was going over 28 mph, and it smoothly started up again once I hit level ground and slowed down to that speed. The bike felt very stable at high speed.
Modifications to Karmic-supplied build
Are any modifications necessary to use the bicycle as delivered from Karmic? For how I am using the bicycle, no. If you need a rack for your use case, that is something you would need to supply. However, there are some modifications that I chose to make, based on my personal preferences.
· Ergonomic grips - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JAXEO04/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· Shimano A530 SPD pedals - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001MZ2AGO/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· BodyFloat isolation seatpost - (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)
· Bar end mirror - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XPV4G7Q/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
· I also added a water bottle and cage. Note: a taller water bottle wouldn’t fit - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0083VKZ44/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01JUKV662/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wheels and tires and fenders
The wheels on the Koben S seem to be good quality, as do the tires. I wasn’t sure I would like the tires, because of the large gum wall look, but they’ve grown on me and I like them now. Getting some positive comments from people I’ve talked to while out riding probably helped. The tires roll very smoothly, and they are rated for between 35-55 PSI. After trying some different pressures, I’ve settled on 40 PSI in the front and 50 PSI in the back. That seems to provide me with the best cushion/shock absorption in the front, and rolling efficiency in the back where more weight needs to be supported. With the BodyFloat seatpost I don’t need the extra cushion from the tire in the back. The fenders seem to be functional, but since I am just riding when I want, I try not to ride in the rain. I did get stuck once already though, and the fenders did their job. I’ve noticed some squeaking noises from the back fender when going on bumps, but some WD-40 in a couple of key places has eliminated most of that noise.
Summary
I’m very happy with the Koben S. It’s smooth, quiet, legal, and fast enough for my needs. I haven’t pushed the range to the limit yet, but it looks like I could ride about 50-60 miles if I stayed in the lower pedal assist levels for most of the ride. It’s not an inexpensive bike, but as compared to other bikes using this, or similar technology, it’s priced very fairly. I find myself wanting to ride it every day, so that’s a plus. Two thumbs up.
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