2022 Magicycle 52V Cruiser Review

Video Review

Written Review

What is going on, awesome peeps and welcome back to another episode of Electrified Reviews! On today’s menu we’ve got the Magicycle 52 volt cruiser, all terrain, fat tire electric bike in midnight blue. That’s quite a name isn’t it. Let’s whittle that down to just Magicycle.

The Magicycle has a starting price of $1,589 USD until June 10. Then the price jumps back to the MSRP of $1,799 USD. They’ve also got a step-thru at the same price, but the step-thru comes in two different colors, Midnight Blue and Pearl White, while the high-step comes only in Midnight Blue. 

This well-rounded fat tire e-bike comes with all the must-have features, like suspension forks, a rear rack, big ol’ plastic fenders, integrated headlight and tail light, and a clean, well-thought-out design. 

The Magicycle also comes with a 15-day return policy and a generous 2-year warranty. And for those that like payment plans, Magicycle has you covered there too.

So! Let’s talk about the specs that put the magic in Magicycle.

The Magicycle has a capable 750 nominal watt hub motor in the rear wheel that cranks out a tire-churning 86 Newton meters of torque. That’s enough power to cruise up some seriously steep hills. This ride is also quick off the line, and accelerates up to the 28 mph top speed in a hurry. And there’s two ways to operate the Magicycle: You can use the cadence sensing pedal assist, or the half-grip twist throttle. 

The Magicycle has a 52 volt, 15 amp hour battery that locks into the downtube. If you’re on an adventure and have a spare battery at your campsite, you can easily swap out the batteries and get straight back to the trails. Magicycle advertises a max estimated Ange of 55 miles with this battery, but real world range is hard to predict. There’s hills to account for, and terrain, and weather conditions, tire pressure, pedal assist level, all that jazz. Thankfully, the 3 amp fast charger will get you close to a full charge in approximately 3 hours. 

I dig the Magicycle’s frame. It’s not a step-thru, but that sloping top tube lowers the stand-over height. This makes mounting and dismounting that much easier, but it also allows you to more easily put a foot down in the corners. 

With a curb weight of nearly 76 pounds, the Magicycle is hefty. But that heft pays off by adding structural integrity to the frame. That makes for a stronger e-bike that will last longer and take more of a beating. It also allows the Magicycle to carry a max payload of 350 pounds. That’s a lot of lbs. And a good thing too since it has a rear rack and optional front rack.

The front suspension has approximately 80 mm of travel, preload adjust and lockout. This fork increases the capability of the Magicycle, but it also helps to counterbalance the weight of the hub motor in the rear wheel. And with the battery located smack in the middle of the frame, this is a well-balanced machine. 

The extra large 26 inch by 4 inch Kenda fat tires are great for floating over soggy terrain. If you plan on taking the Magicycle through snow, or if you have muddy trails in mind, the wide tire patch will help keep you from sinking. The massive air volume of these tires also add another layer of suspension. Bonus points.  

When it comes to stopping power, the Magicycle calls on the power of Tektro mechanical disc brakes in the front and rear wheels. The stopping power here is good, but with that high 28 mph top speed, it would be nice to see hydraulic disc brakes on the Magicycle. Thankfully, these brakes are equipped with motor inhibitors, which cut power to the motor whenever the brake levers are depressed. That means you’ll never be fighting agains that powerful 750 watt motor when you’re trying to stop. 

The 7-speed Shimano Tourney derailleur is paired with a Shimano SIS Index thumb shifter, and while this isn’t our favorite shifter here at Electrified Reviews, it still gets the job done. And let’s be completely honest here, most of the time you can just leave this ride in top gear and use the pedal assist or throttle to get you up to speed. 

The integrated headlight and tail light have enough output to get you noticed by traffic, but if you plan on night riding you’ll want an aftermarket light with at least 2,000 lumens. One thing I do love about the headlight though is that inner ring. It just looks super groovy.

On the handlebars we find ergonomic faux-leather grips with that half grip twist throttle and the shifter on the right side, and the independent button pad and a bell on the left side. And smack in the middle we’ve got the LCD display with all the usual data points like current speed, max speed, odometer and tripometer.

Overall, the Magicycle is a great choice for anyone who needs a jack-of-all-trades electric bike at a fair price. This e-bike will work well for commuting on the streets, but it’ll also handle moderate trails, particularly anything that requires fat tires.