Southern California electric bike manufacturer Super73 is selling its three models as fast as it can make them. The formula for its eBikes is simple: Make them fun, make them cool, and make them easy to ride. Each Super73 eBike checks those boxes, but the Super73-Z1 does it for the lowest price in Super73’s lineup. Its trapezoidal frame, fat tires, and long and low seat dare you to not have a good time wherever you point the BMX bars.
The Super73-Z1 is a Class 2 electric bicycle with a throttle and pedals. A 500-watt hub motor is powered by a non-removable 418 WH battery. It is styled like classic ’70s minibike, with a dose of Schwinn Stingray, using a steel frame, a single seat, and a rigid fork.
The 500-watt hub motor supplies the forward drive when the small thumb throttle is pressed on this Class 2 electric eBike. Although the pedals are there, this budget Super73 doesn’t feature pedal assist. This means you can pedal, but there are no sensors measuring your pedal input to provide boost. The hub motor and manual pedaling systems are independent. Use the thumb throttle to go, and add pedaling to increase your acceleration or top speed.
The 418 WH battery is found under the seat, and has located on it a single button to power up the system. A simple three-light (green, yellow, red) power meter and push-button “ignition switch” is found on the right handlebar above the thumb throttle. So the main power switch activates the batteries, but the thumb throttle won’t make the bike move until you hit the push-button switch on the handlebar.
Acceleration is strong enough to move away from a stop without needing to pedal. Zipping up to a top speed of 20 mph doesn’t take too long or leave you wishing for more robust acceleration. It’s just right for cruising around town, bouncing around a festival, or scooting down the local boardwalk. Adding in some of your own pedal power can really make a difference when leaving from a stop.
Cable-operated disc brakes slow the Z1 with surprisingly strong force—a great feature when bopping along at the assist’s 20-mph top speed. Just like the miniature motorcycles from which it takes its inspiration, the brakes are set up moto-style with the right lever actuating the front brake and the left for the rear, the opposite of most conventional bicycles and mainstream eBikes.
Range on the Super73-Z1 is 15–20 miles depending on your weight, speed, and how often you pedal. We depleted the battery in 45 minutes with full-throttle antics, but saw longer life when cruising at the beach.
MSRP of a A Super73-Z1 is $1,400, available from Super73.com but might be on sale on Amazon right now, with free delivery.
Super73’s Z1 might be the most basic of its minibike-style eBikes, but it’s hard to deny the bang for the buck. It’s so simple, yet so fun that you’ll feel like you’re rolling around a Southern California beach—even if you’re in Minnesota.
