In a market dominated by the Stacyc electric balance bikes sold in various guises, the Super73 K1D offers an alternative for four- to eight-year-olds. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with the Stacyc bikes—they’re good. However, competition is good for everyone, including the kids.
Based in Irvine, Super73 has established itself as a premium brand of pedal-assist electric bikes for adults. With the new K1D, kids can get in on the action on the same brand the big “kids” are riding, and that includes having a stylish ride.
Before we even got started, the Super73 K1D was a hit with our test rider—my five-year-old son Henry. He immediately liked the long seat that was like his dad’s dirt bike, and the Super73-branded fat white-wall K1D Megahex tires by Vee Tire Co. got his positive attention. The knobbies are mounted on 16-inch wire-spoke tube-type wheels. The Obsidian paint passed the test with Henry, though there are three other choices to satisfy most riders—Blu Tang, Prickly Pink, and Sriracha. Also, the user manual is comic-book style, which got Henry’s attention.
The Super73 K1D has ergonomic adjustability, so it can adapt to a broad range of young riders. Our first order of business was setting up the K1D to fit Henry. With that accomplished, we outfitted him in head, knee, and elbow protection and set him loose—with adult supervision, of course.
As you would expect with a premium electric balance bike, the Super73 K1D has upscale features. The most important one is the regenerative braking. This allows the rider to slow the bike without touching the left-hand brake lever, which actuated a hydraulic(!) disc rear brake by Clarks—there is no front wheel braking system.
It didn’t take long for Henry to get a feel for the rear brake lever, which has a kid-friendly short throw and uses the hand opposite the throttle. That means plenty of backing the Super73 K1D into corners.
Getting up to speed on the clutchless single-speed bike has three options. Mode 1 limited the K1D to 7 mph from the bright red motorcycle-style twist throttle. That’s good for beginners, but Henry has two-wheel experience. His favorite was Mode 2, which ups the top speed to 13 mph. There is also a Track Mode that allows for 15 mph. However, to switch to Track Mode, the rider must hold the throttle wide open and wait 15 seconds for it to engage—a lifetime when you’re five. Henry usually just took off rather than worrying about the two-mph top speed boost he was missing out on.
The 93-watt-hour battery powered the 750-watt (peak) hub motor for as long as Henry wanted to ride—typically less than an hour. Super73 claims a runtime of at least 90 minutes, so we were covered. Charging the battery takes 45 minutes to get it up to 80 percent of capacity, which is more than fast enough. Unfortunately, removing and installing the frame-mounted under-seat battery is a hassle—Super73 needs to work on that.
The Super73 K1D features floorboards rather than footpegs—a nod to safety. However, Henry rode with his shoes on the front edge of the floorboards to better manage traction‚ as he often rode off-pavement, including sandboxes where he routinely did burnouts—intended or not. If there were a footpeg option, Henry would have gone for that.
There’s a kickstand on the K1D. However, it’s mounted on the rear axle and pretty much impossible for the rider to deploy or retract while on the bike.
While we had the Super73 K1D, it was always Henry’s two-wheeler of choice, which tells you it’s kid-friendly. At $1295 (on sale for $995 as we approach Christmas), the Super73 K1D is not the cheapest electric-powered balance bike on the market. However, it is a nicely thought-out bike that pleases kids and adults alike and has the Super73 reputation behind it. It was a sad day for Henry when the Super73 K1D was returned to its makers, though Christmas does beckon.
