It’s a crowded field in the ebike marketplace for commuter bikes, and one more to enter the competition is the KBO Breeze. We’re going to take a look and see if it has anything unique to offer over the competition.
At $1,399 it’s priced competitively, and you can get $50 off that price by sharing your email. Shipping is free in the United States excluding Hawaii and Alaska. It also has a two-year limited warranty and a 14-day return window. Of course, just make sure you read over the details before purchasing.
So, let’s get to it and look over the specs of the KBO Breeze.
Model : Breeze
Company: KBO
Price: $1399
Available in 2 Colors:
-Black
-Orange
Ebike Style: Commuter
Ebike Class: Class 2; Throttle up to 20mph, Pedal assist speeds up to 28mph
Sizing: 5’4″- 6’4″
Min Seat Height: 28.5″
Max Seat Height: 37″
Standover Height: 31″
Motor: 500 watt rear hub (900 W Peak)
Battery: 48 V 16 Ah (768 watt hours); Samsung cells
Weight of Bike: 62 lbs
Weight Capacity: 300 lbs
Frame Material: Aluminum
Brakes: Mechanical disc (front and rear) 180 mm; Tektro Aries
Tire Size: 27.5″ x 2.4″; Kenda Kontact, Puncture-resistant
Max Speed: 28 mph
Pedal Assist: 0-5 levels
Throttle: Half twist
Range: 50+ miles
Riding Style: Upright
Where to Ride: Pavement, Light Off-Roading:
Where to Buy: KBObike.com
Update: There’s now a step-thru Breeze option. Check it out.
The spec that stands out right off the bat is the battery capacity. At 768 watt hours it’s above that of the Rad Power Bike’s RadCity 4 and Ride1Up’s 500 Series. Range shouldn’t be an issue with this bike, nor power.
Specs compared for reference:
Motor: Breeze 500W, 900W Peak; RadCity 500W, 750W Peak; 500 Series 500W, 800W Peak
Battery: Breeze 48V 16Ah; RadCity 48V 14Ah; 500 Series 48V 13Ah
Bike Weight: Breeze 62 lbs; RadCity 4 64 lbs; 500 Series 55lbs (without rack and fenders, probably close to 60lbs with)
Price: Breeze $1399; RadCity 4 $1499; 500 Series $1295
With a 500 watt (900 watt peak) rear hub motor coupled with a 48V/25amp controller, this bike has some get up and go.
KBO also includes many accessories with the bike including a color matched rear rack, color matched aluminum fenders, water bottle holder and kickstand. These are all necessary accessories for a commuter. After all, who wants to arrive to work with mud and road tar splattered over their backside? It’s great that they don’t charge extra for fenders.
At 62 lbs it’s on par with much of the competition. Lifting it onto a bike carrier will require some muscle, but the weight won’t be an issue when riding – not when considering the power of the battery and motor.
The selection of tire size, 27.5″ x 2.4″ is ideal for a commuter that can also do light off-roading. They’re wide enough to provide stability but not so wide that they are inefficient or overly loud on the pavement. You’ll be able to traverse gravel, grass, and compact soils fairly well. The front suspension will help in such conditions.
Speaking of front suspension, KBO has outfitted the bike with SR Suntour 80 mm travel front forks. Lockout is also an option if you’re wanting the greatest efficiency on smooth roads. For more rough surfaces, you’ll appreciate having suspension to soak up a lot of the imperfections in the road.
Since ebikes are typically heavier and faster than regular bikes, an important consideration is braking. The Breeze is capable of speeds up to 28 mph, so you’ll want brakes that can stop the bike well. I like that they’ve outfitted the bike with 180 mm rotors, both front and rear.
A lot of times, I see too small of rotors for too heavy or too powerful of an ebike, so it’s a thumbs up for having 180 mm rotors. I’d prefer to see hydraulic brakes but considering the price and the competition, I can see why they chose mechanical.
With a 300 lbs payload capacity, this is a tough bike that should be able to handle heavier riders and/or more cargo.
The recommended rider height is 5’4″ – 6’4″ so the frame can accommodate a wide range of rider heights. The minimum seat height is 28.5″. Max seat height is 37″. Standover height is 31″.
I look forward to hopefully a step-thru version on the future for shorter riders and those who just prefer the ease of mounting a step-thru frame, but the high step is a stiffer frame that will provide more stability.
Assembly is showed below. Basically, it’s just a matter of installing the front wheel, headlight, front fender and handlebar.
Other notable features of the bike include front and rear integrated lights. The rear lights also acts as a brake light; it shines brighter when brakes are applied. A 3amp charger is including which is a nice upgrade over the usual 2amp. This will allow for faster recharging.
The Breeze is a 7-speed bike with a 14-28 tooth freewheel. I would have liked to have seen an 11-tooth for the highest gear but again considering the power of the bike, it should climb hills well. This isn’t the type of bike that you need a wide range of gears.
Overall, the components selected for the bike are better than average. The only thing I’d like upgraded is having hydraulic brakes. Once you’ve been spoiled by hydraulic brakes, you’ll likely never be satisfied with mechanical. Still, the brakes on the Breeze are sufficient and will get the job done.
When looking at the competition, you can get a bike with hydraulic brakes for a little bit more. The 700 Series from Ride1Up comes to mind. Rad Power Bikes has yet to offer a bike with hydraulic brakes which is a bummer. I’m sure we’ll be seeing many more ebikes with hydraulic brakes in the future as ebikes continue to become faster and more refined.
KBO is a newer company but so far reviews have been positive. The Breeze is a good value for the money and I love the orange color option! It’s nice that the fenders and rear rack are color matched to the frame too. It is also available in black if that’s more your taste.
Check out the KBO Breeze to see the current price and availability.
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