Aventon Soltera vs the KBO Hurricane

Last week we released a comparison piece comparing the newest members of the Aventon ebike family, the Soltera and Soltera Step-Through, to one of the more popular single-speed ebikes already on the market, the RadMission 1. This piece, like our previous comparison pieces for our Aventure ebike was very well received.

In our previous piece the Soltera measured up very well against the RadMission 1, proving that, on paper, Aventon produces ebikes that can hold their own against one of the most prolific ebike brands in the country. Here we're going to be taking a closer look at another very popular single-speed ebike, the KBO Hurricane. We're going to pit these two ebikes at each other stat-for-stat and see how they compare.

As before, we'll be looking at these ebikes through four "lenses". The first will be an overview looking at what are considered to be the most important stats, like the ones you might see on an information poster in an ebike shop. After that we'll delve deeper into different parts of these ebikes, firstly looking into the "e" element of these ebikes, and seeing what makes them tick. Following that we'll touch on the mechanical elements of these ebikes, and then finish by putting the magnifying glass down and taking a step back to look at the physical factors of these two beautiful machines.

Reading through these stats one can immediately see that the Soltera has more bells and whistles than the Hurricane. 5 levels of pedal assist give the urban rider the flexibility to refine how much assistance they receive, and a throttle function means that they can pull away from a stop with speed and ease. Rear lights that double as brake lights also help the Soltera standout to the city dweller because you never know when poor weather might suddenly move in or if you just have too much fun and forget the time and end up riding back at dusk or after nightfall.

Both of these ebike have the same size motor and their batteries are relatively sized. The weight and price conscious amongst us will note that the Hurricane is 5lbs lighter than the single speed version of the Soltera, and that it is $100 cheaper. Others may note that the Soltera is a much more accessible ebike, with two sizes available in both a step-through and a standard frame model, and each can be personalized, with 3 colour options available for each model. But how do these ebikes weigh-in when we take a closer look?

After-all, these are ebikes. So how do these two machines compare when we strip them back and look solely at the electrical elements? 

Electric bikes these might be, but they still have a mechanical ancestry and these elements of an ebike are just as important as the electrical elements. 

Now we put down the magnifying glass, take a step back, and take a look at the physical attributes of these ebikes to see how they stand when placed side-by-side. Not only can some of these things affect the riding experience but many also affect how you look riding around on your ebike, and how confident you may feel in yourself!Enter your text here ...

When looking at the basic electronic side i.e. the motor, battery, and charger, of these ebikes, we find that they are very similar to each other. However, when we dive a little deeper we see that the Soltera is fitted with 2 extra levels of pedal assist, both front and rear lights, along with the ever necessary USB charger, and a beautiful colour display that can be integrated with the Aventon app. It is these details that initially help the Soltera to stand out above one of the more popular ebikes in the single-speed ebike class, while only being $100 more expensive.

Mechanically these ebikes are slightly different but both are still made with high quality parts. The Hurricane gains a bit of ground back because of its use of the better mechanical disc brakes on its single-speed, rather than the mechanical rim brakes used on the single-speed Soltera; although the seven-speed Soltera does feature mechanical disc brakes. The belt-driven drive train of the Hurricane certainly offers a quieter ride than the Soltera's chain system; although each is just as reliable in all conditions as the other.

For the final stretch we looked at the physical aspects of these ebikes. Although they are both beautifully designed machines, with stealthily integrated batteries, the Soltera comes with a seemingly infinite amount of options compared to the Hurricane. The Soltera boasts four sizes across two frame types, compared to the Hurricane's one, six different colours for personalization, again compared to the Hurricanes one, and a 20% larger carrying capacity. The Hurricane certainly gains some points back by being 5lbs lighter, and having proprietary fenders available for it, but, overall, the Soltera takes this one.

Here at Aventon we pride ourselves on the attention we pay to the little details which make our ebikes standout from the now crowded ebike field. On the surface the Soltera and Hurricane may seem very similar but when you take into account the more intricate details, instead of just looking at power, speed and battery capacity, then there's only one clear winner here for us.