New Karmic Koben S

[Hong]

Hi EBR!

I haven't posted in a while because we've been busy and my account was locked for some reason. After getting a message from another member here, I remembered that we still have this Karmic Forum on EBR.

Well it's been a year since we delivered our first production bikes, and we've got some nice updates for the New Koben and the New Koben S. You can read more about the changes here:

https://medium.com/karmic-bikes/a-new-koben-s-1f3c26e47bc5

Happy to answer any questions you may have. Bikes should be in California by early July and shipping back out to customers by mid-July. Local deliveries are always available too. We love meeting our Karmic Owners!

Cheers,
Hong

 

[GVbike]

Settled on this bike after test riding a ST1-x and Specialized Vado 5.0.

This is a great bike indeed and one of the best values for your money.
Added a suspension seat post and upgraded the front carbon fork with a nice suspension fork and this bike rides like a dream.
(22 mile round trip daily).

 

[Hong]

Thanks GV! Glad to have you in the Karmic Family.

 

[scrambler]

Can you let us know which fork you put in and if you had any issue with the replacement.

I had inquired with Karmic about doing something like that as well as other possible customizations, and was politely told I should go look elsewhere.

Happy to see Hong is welcoming your customization

 

[Hong]

I had inquired with Karmic about doing something like that as well as other possible customizations, and was politely told I should go look elsewhere.

Happy to see Hong is welcoming your customization

IIRC you asked about a list of changes you wanted done to the bike, and I politely said it wasn't possible. You're welcome to do whatever you want to the bike once you own it.

 

[GVbike]

>Can you let us know which fork you put in and if you had any issue with the replacement.
I used Manitou minute expert 140mm travel fork Tapered Steer, QR15, 650B, disc - paid around $220 in amazon.

That said, any Tapered steer Disc fork for 27.5 wheel should fit fine.
There were a couple of issues:
1. I wanted full fenders on the front. This is a truly great bike to ride but the front fenders were awfully short (the only negative in an otherwise terrific bike).
I opted for planet bike speed EZ fenders and they fit perfectly).
2. Rather than forking off more money to have a suspension fork with integrated light mounts, I moved the lights to handlebar and secured it with a nice clamp - looks and fits great now.

I didn't end up changing the rear fender because I love the daytime running lights on this bike and rear fender has the necessary wiring for the integrated rear lights. For now, functionality prevails over aesthetics and the rear fender stays.

>I had inquired with Karmic about doing something like that as well as other possible customizations, and was politely told I should go look elsewhere.
I did and I got the same reply as well. I also realized that this bike is nearly perfect and even when you spend extra dollars to bring this bike closer to perfection, you would still end up saving lot more than buying either a stromer st1-x or a turbo vado 6.0.

koben s + tubless conversion of the included wtb horizon tires + suntour suspension seat post + ergo grips + manitou fork + speed EZ fender = bike that is nearly $1000 cheaper than vado 6.0 but rides so much better than a specialized vado.


>Happy to see Hong is welcoming your customization

If only Hong adds these options as standard in a price range between $3.5 to $4k, many potential buyers of st1-x , vado and riese & muller charger/delite would be riding a better bike (koben s) for a cheaper cost.

Also, if he offers larger capacity battery options (800kwhr or more) for an additional fee in the future - this would be the perfect e-bike on the market IMO.

 

[scrambler]

Could not agree more, but I also understand that for small business, having more configurations / options can be costly and hard to manage.
But at a minimum, having all the info on the easiest way to implement a few key customizations would be nice.

 

[cbmojo]

IIRC you asked about a list of changes you wanted done to the bike, and I politely said it wasn't possible. You're welcome to do whatever you want to the bike once you own it.

So no customization whatsoever? If I just wanted full blackout (no logos/stickers), no fenders on the s model?

 

[SeaLevel274]

I got my Koben S shortly after Christmas, and have really been enjoying it. It's both the most comfortable and most fun bicycle I've ever owned. I plan to write a review in this section, but in the meantime, here is a picture.