SWFT Zip

15 reasons not to buy

• The throttle isn’t active from a standstill. Riders must pedal to around 3mph before it’s active.
• With a seat height of 32.5”, a reviewer advises riders should be at least 5’7” or taller, contrary to the minimum recommended rider height of 5’5”.
• Both the motor and battery are below average for this type of bike.
• The Zip performs poorly in hill climbing tests.
• Reviewers average a meager 15 to 20 miles of range on paved terrain using the throttle.
• A tester bemoans the uneven power distribution between the three pedal assist levels.
• Starting at 15mph, reviewers experience ghost pedaling due to a lack of high gearing.
• Tests show that assistance takes two turns of the pedal to kick in, and the throttle also has a short delay.
• Both throttle and pedal assist power delivery can be abrupt, according to a tester.
• Testers complain that the “terrible” brakes provide poor stopping power and make a grinding noise, and the brakes on one reviewer’s bike fail while riding.
• One expert laments the slow acceleration, the bike taking up to 15 seconds to reach full power.
• Reviewers describe the suspension fork as clunky and low quality.
• Testers say power drops significantly when the battery drops to two bars (around 40%).
• The battery indicator is only accurate when the bike is stopped.
• The payload capacity of 265lb is below average.