The Frontaer team recently purchased an LPR 16″ electric dirt bike. Here’s our review after 3 months of testing this little Aussie eBike.
Little Pro Rider Bike Review
Frontaer is an adventure and MX dirt bike brand headed me by – Josh. I felt it was necessary to share my 100% unbiased LPR experiences online.
Growing up, I never had the chance to ride dirt bikes but I really wanted to give my son the opportunity. After all, he was pedalling at 4 years old perfectly.
From throttle control to cornering and learning how to have a proper attack stance, these are skills that I wanted to ingrain from a young age.
Previous to the LPR, I was looking at a Yamaha PW50 but the weight of the dirt bike, the noise and especially the price were very off-putting.
My constant research online led us to the LPR right here in Australia and without any reviews, I was still sold on the idea. Yet I had never heard of them before. 🤔
It seemed light, quiet and much more affordable too. But would it really be as good as their website claimed? Well, I just had to find out first-hand.
Ordering online
I ordered this electric bicycle via MotoHub in Castle Hill online, not directly. We live in the Gold Coast and at the time they were offering free shipping.
Unfortunately, after ordering I got a phone call that all units were out of stock for at least 4 weeks. Bummer. 😔 They were waiting on another shipment. A little frustrating but I was offered a refund or I could wait. I certainly could wait, especially as my son was eager for his new ‘dirt’ bike.
These bikes do come from China but are put together and checked over locally before being made ready for sale. Essentially, you’d never guess that they came from China in the first place. The components are really first-grade. Update: The LPR team have advised that their frames are made locally but the rest comes from overseas just like all the other electric bicycle companies.
I’d recommend that you order these online if you don’t live in Sydney, but do call ’em first to make sure that they have stock. These bikes are hugely popular right now I hear. The LPR balance bike is also a popular model with several online reviews.
Delivery of the LPR eBike
The box for the LPR is huge so you’ll need to be home to receive it. Also, it can only be shipped by road due to the 500w battery not meeting air safety requirements, so those in Perth and Darwin will be waiting a while.
Unboxing and putting it together only takes about 20 minutes. You’ll need to plug in 2 leads for the battery and fit the handlebars essentially. Both of these steps are super simple and the instruction manual is included.
I had my son help me through this entire process so he had a sense of ownership. Charging then takes a few hours for the first time.
12″ LPR vs 16″ LPR
For a 5-year old, they are on the crux of a 12″ and 16″ LPR. Being the savvy parent that I am, I chose the 16″ to let him grow into it. This was a mistake and him sitting on the bike once unboxed made me realize that he’s really tip-toeing on a lean. Note: My son is shorter than 80% of kids his age so I can’t blame LPR on this one.
To hack this issue, I dropped the seat height to the lowest and tilted the seat forward. This gained us an extra inch or so but he still wasn’t flat-footed. Today he is.
Regardless, he was keen to ride with some hiking boots on so we hit the local trails. ✌️
Riding the LPR electric bike
Let me paraphrase this by saying that I personally haven’t ridden the LPR electric bike before – only my son. And only on flat or slightly hilly terrain.
The frame has a weight limit of 40kgs and given the price, I wasn’t prepared to test this.
So my review of the LPR Electric Bike is based on:
- My son’s feedback from riding for the last 3 months
- Myself observing his riding ability grow over this time
- Observing the build quality and overall customer experience
Please note that I have no relationship with this brand nor do I partake in paid online reviews. I previously contacted them on Facebook only to ask who I should order a unit from since they were out of stock.
Getting started with the bike
For the first-time rider, I highly recommend setting the speed to the slowest. The bike comes with a fitted cap which stops kids from adjusting the power output.
After 3 rides my son is now at the highest power setting which I allow him to adjust himself. We’ve removed the protector cap so he’s allowed to make his own decisions.
The main issue that isn’t so obvious is the throttle. It’s not a progressive throttle like a typical MX bike. It’s either go forward or don’t go forward. As in, it doesn’t matter how much your child twists their wrists – the power output is the same. The power setting simply limits the top speed.
Power settings
There are no planted power settings but just a dial that you can adjust from super slow to super fast. Essentially it’s just a speed limiter. We’ve informally created our own family rules so my son doesn’t inadvertently put the power up higher than his confidence level.
Essentially:
- Pavement = Low speeds (Walking pace)
- Fire trails = Low to medium speeds (Running pace)
- Grass riding = Go for your life (Can I even keep up…?)
Even at the lowest speed, there is a ‘kick’ from the high torque that your child will experience, unlike the slower power progression of petrol dirt bikes. It took my son a few rides before he got used to this and prepared for it. At the highest speed, the amount of ‘kick’ is actually the same, though the acceleration is faster. From looking at other eBikes, this appears to be a common issue, especially with electric motorcycles. Manufacturers just haven’t figured out how to better ease-on the power.
Going beyond just riding
Early years MX skills are definitely where this bike shines, all without the heat, weight, maintenance and upfront cost of children’s dirt bikes.
Over time most kids will develop some skills and tricks to show off to the world, just like my son has:
Note the normal bicycle helmet. He usually wears a full face BMX helmet paired with gloves and normal shoes. This is enough and I don’t think boots and proper MX gear is necessary for him as he’s on the grass. However, if you’re doing fast speeds anywhere else, then it would pay to have the extra gear.
Overall thoughts
After 3 months of ownership and using it at least once per week on school ovals and fire trails, I can conclude that it’s a very good eBike for under $1,500.
LPR has built a machine that’s capable of doing exactly what it claimed to do. I’m surprised that I haven’t yet seen another one out there yet.
Based on my experiences, I decided to break down these points even further:
Quietness
Remarkable. You’ll barely hear it. Very few pedestrians (less than 10%) actually realize that it’s an electric bike, so despite being a 500w motor, the police aren’t the type to even take notice.
Suspension
Very good quality. Given my son is smaller than your average 5-year-old, the suspension is hardly usable. Would’ve loved to have seen adjustable forks to counter this problem.
Build quality
Very high. Everything feels as though it was built professionally without any corners cut. From the folding pegs to the brakes and throttle. Even the tyres are proper 15mm think mountain bike tread which is designed to grip.
Battery life
90 minutes approximately. The only gripe here is that the battery indicator shows full for a very long period, then drops significantly to empty in 10 mins. Instead, we just estimate how much is left and plan our rides accordingly. Unlike other eBikes, the LPR doesn’t have a quick-change battery setup.
Top speed
I haven’t hit it with a speed gun but he’d be nearly 40km/h. I only advise using the top speeds on grass which the bike does very well on.
Weight
Very light and the bulk of the weight actually sits in the rear tyre which is where the electric motor is mounted. Certainly, most kids can lift it for a few seconds.
User manual
Very in-depth. As a product creator, I hate when others skip corners. The owners of LPR bikes certainly are here for the long haul with everything explain very well with the user manual.
Offroad ability
Excellent. We ride 90% offroad on fire trails, grass and occasionally sandy tracks. Just stay away from mud and water as this can impact the motor and battery I believe.
Hill climbing
Very good. As I observe my son, I always expect the power to drop out halfway up as a dirt bike would do, but no. It just keeps charging up like a tractor in the mud. That said – these grassy hills aren’t too technical, but enough that he wouldn’t dare pedal up them.
In summary
Apart from the not-so-accurate battery indicator, this electric bike is excellent value for money than compared to Yamaha’s PeeWee 50. In fact, any comparable offering from KTM and Honda. For children 9 and above, I’d be leaning towards the Kuberg electric bike range or simply fitting an eBike motor to a normal mountain bike.
For kids 5 to 8, the LPR appears to be the perfect fit. With much less noise, you can pretty much ride it anywhere without anyone even noticing. Heck if anything, you’re bound to get some compliments. And many compliments is exactly what I’ll give the LPR 16″, while I imagine the smaller 12″ model is much the same.
Needless to say, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the 16″ LPR electric bikes to anyone based on actual use and experience. For building MX and trail riding skills at a young age, it’s hard to go past the value.
