Name: Nakto Classic Review
Item: Nakto Classic
Author: Court Rye

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Nakto Classic Review

Nakto Classic Shimano Tourney 6 Speed System

A step through cruiser ebike from a company looking to take over the entry level market, with bikes such as this their focus seems to be extremely competitive price points matched with a list of features and customer support and a US headquarters for peace of mind with fenders, rear rack, front basket, and battery integrated headlight for just $749 USD
6 speed Shimano Tourney derailleur, 14-18 tooth cassette with a 44 tooth chain ring in the front, rim brake in the front and drum brake in the rear, brakes have better stopping force in the front, complimented with motor inhibitors to cut power to the motor when stopping
Driven by a 250 watt rear hub-motor with both a thumb throttle and cadence based pedal assist, features a 36v 10.4ah battery secured via lock and key, and easy to use controls with a battery charge level read out display in the cockpit
Some generic parts like battery, motor, and brakes, does poorly in unpaved conditions, keys have to stay in to operate, brake levers switch from what US market is used to, smaller crank arms may be uncomfortable for taller people, and there is no real display of any kind

Make:

Nakto

Model:

Classic

Price:

$749

Body Position:

Upright Relaxed

Suggested Use:

Commuting, Cruising, Neighborhood

Electric Bike Class:

Throttle on Demand (Class 2)

Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

1 Year Limited

Availability:

United States, Worldwide

Model Year:

2019

Total Weight:

58.7 lbs (26.62 kg)

Battery Weight:

7.25 lbs (3.28 kg)

Frame Material:

Steel

Frame Sizes:

17.5 in (44.45 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

17.5" Seat Tube, 22" Reach, 19" Stand Over Height, 31.5" Minimum Saddle Height, 26.5" Width, 72" Length

Frame Types:

Step-Thru

Frame Colors:

Gloss Cream

Frame Fork Details:

Rigid Steel, Color Matched, 100mm Hub Spacing, 9mm Axle with 15mm Nuts

Frame Rear Details:

135mm Hub Spacing, 12mm Keyed Threaded Axle with 18mm Nuts

Attachment Points:

Front and Rear Fender Bosses, Front and Rear Rack Bosses

Gearing Details:

6 Speed 1x6 Shimano SiS Tourney Rear Derailleur, 14-28 Tooth Cassette

Shifter Details:

Shimano Thumb Shifters on Right

Cranks:

Steel, 152mm Length, Square Taper Bottom Bracket Spindle, 44 Tooth Steel Chainrings with Steel Guard

Pedals:

Yonghua Plastic Platform

Headset:

Threaded, Caged Bearings, Straight 1"

Stem:

Steel, 40mm Length, 22.2mm Clamp Diameter

Handlebar:

Steel, 130mm High Rise, 600mm Width, Black with 50º Backsweep

Brake Details:

Generic Rim Brake in Front, Drum Brake in Rear, Four-Finger Levers with Motor Inhibitors

Grips:

Stitched Faux Leather with Ergonomic Edge, Brown

Saddle:

8" Wide Plush Saddle with Rear Springs

Seat Post:

Steel, Quick Release Collar, and Folding Latch

Seat Post Length:

300 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

25.4 mm

Rims:

Aluminum Alloy, Single Walled, 31.8mm Outer Width, 36 Hole, Black

Spokes:

Stainless Steel, 13 Gauge Front 12 Gauge Rear, Silver with Nipples

Tire Brand:

Kenda, 26" x 1.75" (47-599)

Wheel Sizes:

26 in (66.04cm)

Tire Details:

40 to 65 PSI, 2.8 to 4.5 BAR, with White Walls

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

6" x 7" Front Platform Rack with Plastic Basket, Electronic Horn, Integrated LED Headlight, Rear Mount Kickstand (Axle Mount with Frame Support)

Other:

Locking Removable Seat Tube Mounted Battery Pack, Sans 1.25lb 2 Amp Charger, Basic Assembly Toolkit, 275lb Max Load

Motor Brand:

Aoma

Motor Type:

Rear-Mounted Geared Hub

Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Battery Brand:

Tianneng

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

10.4 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

374.4 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

5.2 hours

Estimated Min Range:

10 miles (16 km)

Estimated Max Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Display Type:

"Displayer", Fixed, LED Display, Buttons: Horn, Head Light

Readouts:

Battery Power (6 LEDs)

Display Accessories:

Thumb Throttle on Right, Push Button for Headlight, Push Button for Horn

Drive Mode:

Cadence Sensing Pedal Assist, Trigger Throttle (Sealed Sensor)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)

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Make or Model

Model Year

Body Position

Suggested Use

Frame Type

Drive Mode

Availability

Price Range

$0 (0 €)$18,000 (16,920 €)

Total Weight

0 lbs (0 kg)227 lbs (103 kg)

Top Speed

0 mph (0.0 km/hr)50 mph (80.5 km/hr)

Battery Watt Hrs

0 watt3,456 watt

Frame Size

0 in (0.00 cm)432 in (1,097.28 cm)

Motor Power

0 Newton meters250 Nm

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To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This in-depth review was sponsored by Nakto. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of Nakto products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below and the Nakto electric bike forums.

Pros:

A new step through cruiser ebike from a company looking to take over the entry level market, with bikes such as this their focus seems to be extremely competitive price points matched with a list of features and customer support and a US headquarters for peace of mind
As I mentioned, the bike is competitively priced, this one is just $749 and their less expensive model, the Camel is only $649, these are great options for those that want to get into an ebike without spending $3,000-$5,000 which are common sticker prices for many bikes at most dealers
Along with that price comes a ton of features for an entry level bike, it is common at this price to maybe see one or two features, but this one has loads like this rear rack, front basket and platform rack, fenders, a front headlight, throttle, pedal assist, and comfort touch points
Jumping into those features we see the plastic basket in the front, this has an expandable plastic net cover with a clasp to keep it secure, this is really a handle little option, I put my camera equipment inside and it held well, I also like that you can remove the basket and use the front platform
In the rear, you get a rack with a nice and large platform with pannier hangers, I love that this is a bolt on frame rack, so you could take it off if you wanted to as well
I love that it includes steel fenders in both the front and rear, it is nice that they are color matched to the paint too, so you stay not only dry and debris free, but stylish as well, a nice little touch
I love the battery integrated headlight here, safety has always been a priority for myself and other cyclists, so it’s nice to see that more and more companies are including these on ebikes
Up in the controls, there is a button for an electric horn that will sound, this is great for getting the attention of pedestrians and is a little more audible than a bell so that could potentially mean even more safe as it can get the attention of whatever you might come across
Everything is quite sturdy with the steel frame, chain guard, fork, rack, handlebars, and stem, this makes things a little heavier, however it saves money and creates some vibration dampening qualities, perfect for a cruiser like this
The bike is comes in at 58.7lbs and that weight includes the battery, motor, and everything on the bike ready to ride, if you wanted to shed some weight for carrying it around or loading it on and off a rack, you could always remove the battery and stow it somewhere else
Included are a set of Kenda brand name tires, these have a cool white wall for style points and feature a nice and wide efficient road tread pattern with single walled aluminum wheels
Swept back handlebars are installed for a really laid back feeling, these are defiantly made for cruising and taking it easy since it bends back quite a bit, I found it quite comfortable
Along with that, the saddle I found to be also very comfortable, this uses a rubber bumpers underneath for absorption and is great for long cruising rides, even the grips are stitched, ergonomic, and faux leather, so this bike wins in comfort points
This bike has a 25.4mm seat post, so if you were looking to add more comfort to the ride setup, you could get an aftermarket suspension seat post like a Kinekt or SR SunTour NCX seat post to give the ride more cushion for longer more sustained rides
Nakto also includes a kickstand in the rear, it is nice to have it back there since having it near the crank arm can produce ‘pedal lock’; an annoying occurrence that locks the pedals when you reverse a bike with the kickstand down, luckily, this bike eliminates that by having it positioned further back
Mechanically, the bike is operated by a 6 speed Shimano Tourney system with a 44 tooth chain ring in the front and a 14-28 tooth cassette in the rear, the Tourney is on the lower end of Shimano’s component range, however, they have been updating it over the years and it has worked out to be quite a formidable entry level derailleur
Stopping the bike is a rim brake in the front and a drum brake in the rear, using that fast acting rim brake in the front is ideal since the brunt of the stopping force on a bike tends to hit the front wheel harder so it’s nice they set it up that way
This bike includes motor inhibitors, a motor cut off switch built into the brake handles making stopping easier, simply acetate the brake handle and power will be denied to the motor, this is a great feature for ebikes like this one and helps to make the stopping that much more immediate
The display and controls are very minimal as the display only tells you the battery level via 6 LED ticks and has joined just two buttons for horn and lights, some will prefer this no-nonsense and cost savings approach, especially since there is less essentially to go wrong or have to have serviced or fixed
Driven by a descrete and simple hub-motor, this is rated for 250 watts nominal and about a 20mph top speed, not the largest motor, but defiantly does the job and gets you going without the need to pedal, great for those who want less power or safety or are new to ebikes and don’t want the unpredictable jolting feeling
Can be engaged either via the mechanical pedal system, or it has cadence based pedal assist, of course there is a throttle here too, so which ever way you want to propel the bike, it has you covered, I personally like to use the throttle to get up to speed then pedal at the higher speeds for fun
Powering the bike is a 36v 10.4ah battery, the battery is secured via lock and key, the battery is reachable by lifting the latch underneath the seat, this will allow the seat to tilt up and out of the way to access the battery
The fact that Nakto has a service and distribution center here in the United States is awesome, they offer lots of support and that is practically unheard of for bikes at this price point, most competitors in this price range just give you the bike and ditch you, its great to see Nakto take a proactive approach to maintaining their integrity

Cons:

Some things will stand out as odd since it was primarily made for the Chinese market, like the reversal of the brake levers, electric horn, or smaller 152mm crank arms, the crank arms are not the best for pedaling if you are a taller person, but you could override that by just using the throttle, and the brakes did mess me up a bit, but I suppose you could get used to that
One of the draw backs to this electrical system is that to operate the bike, the keys must stay in to maintain ignition, this means you could have the keys bounce around if on a key chain and not only make a lot of annoying noise while you ride, but even worse, they could potentially scratch up the frame, this is something to keep in mind for your operation
The Classic has a generic brand battery, motor, and other components, when you take that into consideration with the very basic brakes, I would be interested to see how this bike does over time, but so far we have heard good things from most customers
The included fenders here are a welcome addition, but since they are made of steel, they are slightly more vulnerable to rusting, if the paint were to get scratched, or knicked, and the bike was left outside in the rain or got wet, those spots could rust, I have been told that applying touch up paint to the chip can prevent rust if it were to rain
The display is minimal, however, it lacks most features you see on other ebike displays like a more accurate battery percentage readout, speedometer, odometer, trip, or anything of any resemblance, simply put, this is a bare bones readout and I wouldn’t even call it a display
The included front plastic basket is cool, but I do worry how it would hold up over time, if left in the elements, I could see the color fading quite easily, or the plastic could potentially become brittle or snap, if this is an important feature to you, I recommend keeping it inside when not in use
The 250 watt hub motor is very small and basic, if you are an avid ebike rider, this will feel slow, much as a 60hp car might, sure it can get up there, but don’t expect it to do it quickly or up very steep hills, this could be good for the right rider though if you are looking for something easy to jump into or something that offers safety in the speed realm
As you can see by my test ride in the video, I would recommend riding this in smooth areas, the lack of suspension and efficient road tread on the tires make this great in those conditions, however, once you get to uneven ground, or even a paved road that is bumpy, this thing can rattle and jar a little bit, so do be mindful of that
With the smaller crank arms and limited cassette range, I wouldn’t recommend pedaling this bike for long distances for most people, the gearing options and leg extension just isn’t there for long term riding, I would recommend instead using the throttle as much as you can for enjoyable hassle free riding
If you are looking for a creme of the crop brand name bike, this isn’t it, after reviewing 100s of bikes over the years, it is easy to see sometimes what separates the high-end bikes from the entry level, that being said, the value for dollar spent here defiantly shines through and it would be a great addition if you are truly considering it
Small gripe here, but on the rear rack, I noticed at the bottom, there are not pannier latching points, so while you could hang them on the top, you wouldn’t be able to secure them at the bottom without getting creative, something to consider if you are looking to carry lots of loads or commute with this application

Resources:

Official Site: Official Nakto Ebikes Website

January 29, 2024 (10 months ago)

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MSRP: $1,299
MODEL YEAR: 2019

A value priced fat-tire hub-drive electric bike that is not only capable but has features like a suspension fork, wide plastic fenders, battery integrated headlight, and locking ergonomic grips. Electrically powered by a 500 watt Aoma hub-drive motor that is engaged via both a…...

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A value priced cruiser ebike with fenders, suspension fork, rear rack, front basket, and battery integrated headlight for just $649 USD. Driven by a 250 watt rear hub-motor with both throttle and cadence based pedal assist,…...

Alex M

5 years ago

When I’m comparing it to their very similar Camel, some features they removed for no apparent reason. More stylish frame, less obtrusive lettering, better grips. But why removing front shocks? Cruisers are often referred to as “beach cruisers”, meaning dirt and light trails, 90% of them have shocks these days. Removing cheap shock and PAS button, they probably saved $15-20 and made the bike less attractive. Heck, they even removed $1 bell. Their PAS is a full-power, it’s more convenient to turn it off and use a throttle but you can’t – if you turn the battery off it will turn the throttle off. Very strange engineering solution here.

Court

Hi Alex, I agree… sometimes it’s confusing or frustrating to see how a bike is downgraded in ways that we miss. The Nakto ebikes are priced low, and I’m sure they make a lot of considerations about how to keep the price down without sacrificing too much. Hopefully they will see your comment and consider these trade-offs for future models :)

I wish Nakto all success. Love these prices. Do you think it’s possible to upgrade tires on this (and Camel) to 2.3″, or at least the front tire?

Kim

4 years ago

Are there any bikes in this price range you think are a better buy. I am a female 5’8″, is this bike too small? Thanks

Hi Kim! It’s difficult to find products that are less expensive than $800 in the ebike space right now. Despite using cheaper parts and having limited customer service, the Nakto Classic does check a lot of boxes and looks cute. For me, it’s often worth paying a bit more for a bike with good accessory replacement options like the RadMission (even though they cost $1k+ and don’t come with all of the accessories, those cost extra). I’ve had ebikes before that failed and all I needed was one little part to keep it going (like the battery, display panel, or a sensor) but with the really cheap ebikes, it’s just not possible to get the part, so then the entire bike becomes worthless :(

Nannette

3 years ago

Can someone please explain to me about the gears. I want to know what gear has the least pedal assist. It goes way too fast. I only wanted pedal assist when I go up hills. I’m really trying to get use to this.

Hi Nannette! I think the lowest levels of pedal assist (usually level 1) will be the most gentle. If that is still too strong, perhaps you can use the throttle gently to create an easy slow start. I hope this helps!

Jacob Gutke

1 year ago

I am trying to find some touch up paint for this bike and Nakto told me they don’t sell it. Anyone know where I could buy some and what type to buy?

Hmm, I’m not sure about that Jacob! However, you may be able to use standard car touch up paint pens or spray. I have even heard of some people using nail polish to touch up paint, mainly to protect against rust if it’s a steel part (fork, fender, or chain cover on some bikes).