Today we're going to be reviewing the KBO-Hurricane electric commuter road bike. KBO is a brand new to the US market and sent us this e-bike in return for a review. We’ve been riding the e-bike for the past two weeks and checking out what it has to offer. We’re going break it all down from the packaging, appearance, riding experience, battery life, and and more:

Upon delivery the first thing we noticed was how well the KBO-bike was packaged. It was carefully wrapped with foam and shipped inside a sturdy large box, it arrived safely and undamaged. Once we opened the box we needed to assemble some of it before riding it and that was fairly quick and easy. We installed the quick-release front wheel, handlebar, pedals, inserted the seat post, and we were ready to roll. The Hurricane came with some extras: water bottle cage, front head light, bell, and aluminum front & rear fenders. We installed the bottle holder but skipped the fenders. To our surprise the bicycle arrived with its battery fully charged, and we didn't even need to pump any air in the tires. A multi-tool was also included in the box so we did not need to use any of our own tools. We were off and rolling within 15 minutes!

On it’s maiden voyage we took the KBO bike to our usual biking haunt, a 4-mile loop which is very popular with local cycling groups. The battery was fully charged and we wanted to test the range, the KBO Hurricane comes with three levels of pedal assist, Level 1 is the lowest and Level 3 is the highest (we were able to achieve a top speed of 23mph). For safety reasons, the e-bike will not exceed 23mph. We joined in on a decent sized group ride, and it wasn't until about 16 miles later (approximately 45 minutes) that someone on the ride asked if it was an e-bike, they were unsure based on it’s appearance, but knew something was up due to the speed we were maintaining / effortless pedaling. The bike is equipped with an Integrated 36V, 9.6Ah Lithium-ion Battery with Panasonic Cells. It’s large capacity battery provides for a longer range, on our first ride using Level 3 pedal assist we achieved a distance of 25 miles before draining the battery, keep in mind it was very windy and we maintained a 20-22mph pace without breaking a sweat, literally. Based on those numbers, we figure you may get close to the advertised 45 miles using Level 1 pedal assist. The concealed battery is built into the down tube of the frame, providing water resistance and allowing the battery to be removed if necessary. It’s sleek design is the reason why the bike looks more like a commuter hybrid than an E-Bike.

Let's get into what we liked about KBO Hurricane. It's a stealth road bike with flat handlebars making it the ideal Commute bike. The clean appearance and matte black finish give it a low-key appearance which is great when you’re trying to avoid the attention off thieves. The 32c city tires and smooth single belt drive provide excellent comfort and performance, plus an overall fun and easy ride! Weighing in at approximately 36-38 lbs, it’s light weight for an e-bike. We live on the second floor of a building and we had no issues carrying the bike up and down the stairs with one hand. The acceleration is quick and you notice the speed increase effortlessly. We were impressed by the high speed charger, it took just under 4 hours to fully recharge the bike from a drained battery after our initial 25 mile range test. We found the pedals, grips, and Selle Royal “Royalgel” saddle to be comfortable. We really like the single-speed belt drive, it provides great performance and is low maintenance. It's smooth, quiet, and you no longer need to worry about getting oil stains from a messy bike chain. We must reiterate, it's very quiet! We also like the kick stand, very important for an e-bike to have.

We really liked the KBO Hurricane and were quite impressed by it, but there were a few things we felt could be improved. For us, the mechanical disc brakes just didn’t have enough bite. They obviously worked, we wouldn’t be able to write this review if they didn’t, but we were left yearning for better stopping power. Perhaps a 180mm rotor in the front instead of 160mm? Also, we liked the size and functionality of the standard LCD Backlight Display which shows your speed, and the 3 pedal assist modes, front light on/off. Unfortunately it does not have an odometer showing the distance travelled, it would be very cool if they could add “distance" to future models, we had to track our distance with MapMyRide. 

Overall the KBO Hurricane is a budget friendly road e-bike. If you’re a commuter looking for an affordable road e-bike to ride to and from work/school or who just want to cruise around the city, you may want to consider this one. Retail is $1,099 + FREE Shipping, it's priced right and it's a good buy. You can only purchase directly from KBO, they ship out of California via FedEx and delivery took about one week to South Florida. We've only had the e-bike for two weeks so we cannot speak on the longevity of it, but so far so good. Also, the bike has a 2-year warranty.

One last note, a perk we never really considered before riding an e-bike was how much less you sweat, the 3 levels of pedal assist really make cycling quite effortless. A game changer for bicycling in sunny and warm South Florida. Have you tried an e-bike? If so, what are your thoughts?