SWFT's Electric BMX Is an Abomination of the Cycling World, and That's Just Fantastic

Folks, the BMX is one of SWFT's freshest additions to a growing family of electrified two-wheelers for the masses. But, this is one for the airtime catching, rail grinding and stairway hopping riders among us, a sport often reserved for the younger generations. Let's see what you can get your hands on for no more than $1,000 (€920 at current exchange rates).

Now, SWFT is a rather young crew on the cycling block, having only popped up back in 2020, around when I started dropping words for autoevolution. Well, three years later, this team is still around and, best of all, growing, much like myself. Phew! They managed to achieve this by listening to their customers and cranking out electrified two-wheelers for just about any riding style, terrain, and budget. All this brings us to the BMX.

So, what are we in for here? Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is that you'll probably be the only rider in your town with a BMX-style bike with a motor, battery, and even throttle functionality, and all that is closely related to the bad news. Because e-bikes often have continuous wiring to components and systems, certain BMX tricks are impeded from being performed. Come to think of it, most of them. As SWFT puts it, "Because of throttle and display wires, the handlebar cannot spin 360 degrees. This e-bike is in the BMX style but not designed for professional tricks and stunts." Bummer dude!

However, there's still plenty of ability to have some fun in a local park, even light riding around on a pump track. Everything you see is built around a steel frame with 20 in wheels and no suspension whatsoever, features commonly found on BMX bikes. Heck, it's even got grinding pegs at the front and rear hubs. But, things like the presence of a battery pack, motor, and massive seat tube, clearly indicate that the only airtime you should be aiming for is the occasional drop off a curb or bunny hop if you can manage to manipulate all 58.4 lbs (25 kg) of the machine. That's over twice as much as the average BMX, so it won't be easy.

Now that you have some idea of what you'll be riding let's dive deeper into what the electronics have to offer. This brings me to the motor and battery pack. At the very rear of the BMX, SWFT decided to throw in a 350 W motor. It's not clear how much torque this puppy squeezes out, but I can say that I have two e-bikes with 250 W motors, and these babies get me through just about anything the urban landscape throws at me. Overall, three levels of pedal assist are available, and there's that throttle function, too, allowing you to hit speeds upwards of 20 mph (32 kph) while kicking back and doing nothing. Enjoy the ride.

Up next on the list is the BMX's battery pack. I mentioned that it's hidden in one of the tubes, and that would be the down tube. Overall, a 36 V 7.5 Ah battery will feed power to the motor and allow for a max range of 35 mi (56 km), right on the cusp of how much the average American travels by car daily. Sure, you won't be doing anything car-like with this one, but you get the idea. However, this range comes up in an optimal test setting, so in reality, you can expect less. It's still enough to enjoy two afternoon rides before needing to charge.

The rest of the BMX is fitted with a high-rise handlebar, typical of the style, and a single-speed drivetrain. While the latter may sound like a downside, if this is your first e-bike, it'll help you understand the dynamics of such a machine without getting mixed up in levers and all that. Simplicity is best if you ask me, and the BMX offers that. An LCD controller is mounted to the handlebar to keep track of your speed and settings. Oh, there's also just one brake on this bike, a disc at the rear.

Take all that, add yourself to the picture, and what do you get? Well, a nimble EV designed to feel most at home in the urban setting. The 20 in wheels allow you to make quick and choppy maneuvers around tight city streets; all the while, a motor is helping you up hills and cut through traffic like a hot knife through butter. The integrated headlight illuminates your path if you stay outside after dark, and by the looks of it, a motor cut-off is part of the braking process. Once you make it home, pull your BMX into your garage, drop the kickstand, and good night. It even looks like this thing has rack mounts, meaning it'll be able to handle your occasional bag of groceries too. All for $1,000. Not bad SWFT, not bad.