When I first saw the JackRabbit MG Doble upon its unveiling earlier this year, I wasn’t totally sure what to expect. It’s not quite a full-size electric bike, but definitely not a mini-bike either. It has no pedals, yet it feels like a legit vehicle, not a toy. And while its higher price tag isn’t exactly budget-friendly, the Doble offers something that’s surprisingly rare in the e-bike world: a two-person ride that’s actually fun, compact, and borderline addictive.

To see what I mean about how fun this bike is to ride, check out my video review below. Or just keep reading to get the full picture!

JackRabbit has already made a name for itself with quirky, ultra-lightweight microbikes like the JackRabbit OG and XG series. Dubbed “micro e-bikes”, despite their lack of bicycle pedals, they tend to feel like small electric bicycles while maintaining the portability and lightweight convenience of an electric scooter.

But the MG Doble is a big step up – in power, size, and versatility. At first glance, it looks like someone stretched a JackRabbit XG and beefed up the frame. But once you hop on, it becomes clear: this thing feels more like a stripped-down motorcycle than a blown-up microbike.

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It’s technically still smaller than a full-size e-bike (sporting a front 24×3″ tire mismatched with a rear 20×3″ in true mullet fashion), which makes it easy to stash in an apartment, car trunk, or even a hallway. But the ride position and handling make it feel stable and substantial. As someone who rides everything from 25 lb e-bikes to 500 lb electric motorcycles, I can tell you that it weirdly feels like it borrows from both worlds.

And whether riding solo or with a passenger on the long banana-style seat, it never felt twitchy or undersized to me. I wouldn’t call it “spacious,” but the ergonomics are surprisingly dialed for something that fits in places most e-bikes wouldn’t dare.

Fold it, stash it, ride it again

Speaking of that ability to fit just about anywhere, one of the best features on the Doble is the folding design. The handlebars spin around 90-degrees and the foot pegs fold in, which shrinks the Doble’s footprint considerably into something barely wider than a bare bicycle frame.

You’re not fitting it in a backpack or anything, but you can tuck it next to a wall or inside a hallway without taking up half the space of a regular bike. As someone who lives in an apartment with around 3x the number of bikes as people, anything that can live flat against the wall without handlebars sticking out is a game changer for space savings.

That feature makes it one of the more realistic two-person e-bikes for urban dwellers who don’t have a garage or shed to stash their rides. This is a bike that can offer the two-up riding advantages of a motorcycle, yet stashes against the wall in a space no wider than a rolled up yoga mat.

The vibes are one of the best parts

I’ve tested a lot of e-bikes. Like, hundreds of e-bikes. Some are fast. Some are practical. Some are comfortable. But few are as downright fun as the MG Doble. There’s something about the way it takes off, the way it leans into corners, the way your passenger holds on when you accelerate – it just delivers this goofy grin factor that’s hard to describe. It’s quick, nimble, and feels more like a personal scooter-meets-minibike hybrid than a traditional e-bike. But in the best possible way.

Yes, there are no pedals. That means no exercise and, for some, an immediate disqualifier. But it also means no weird pedal placement issues or crank arms hitting your passenger’s legs. This was built to be throttle-only, and JackRabbit leans into that unapologetically. You’re not pretending to pedal here – you’re just mashing the throttle and enjoying the ride.

And by doing away with the pretense of pedaling, JackRabbit doesn’t run into the same issues that many pretend e-bikes have, trying to sneak a nearly 100-lb mini motorcycle into bike lanes with a pair of theoretically usable but practically unused pedals getting in the way. Instead, JackRabbit delivers the Doble as a mere 52-lb two-seater that glides easily at 20 mph (32 km/h), or can hit higher speeds of 24 mph (38 km/h) in unlocked mode designed for off-road use.

Power and portability

The MG Doble is surprisingly powerful for its size. The “749 Watt” motor seems suspiciously rated in a way has me thinking it might not stop exactly at 749 watts. It definitely delivers plenty of torque for city riding, and the throttle response is snappy without being jerky. It climbs hills better than you’d expect (though I only had minor hills and parking garage ramps to test it on in pancake-flat Florida), and it doesn’t feel like it’s working hard to carry two people. In fact, I really didn’t notice a difference in power, even with a 110 lb passenger on the back.

The wide handlebars give it great stability and maneuverability, though there is a tradeoff: when you’re making tight turns, your hands have to reach all the way forward to the outside bar end with those wide grips, which can be a little awkward if you’re used to narrower bars.

That said, I’ll take the wide bars over twitchy steering. It feels planted in corners and stable at speed, which is especially important when riding two-up.

That being said: if you’ve never ridden with a passenger before, take some time getting to know the bike before bringing a friend or partner along. My wife and I live a car-free life and spend most of our commuting time on two-wheels, either separately or together on the same bike/scooter/motorcycle/whip-of-the-day. If you’re just getting started in your two-up riding career, start slow and practice in a parking lot or other open area so you can see how turns and sudden braking affect the ride. And remind your girl (or guy) to essentially be a backpack, not trying to balance things out themselves but to just hold on to you and let you do the work.

Rangebuster batteries are a game changer

One of my favorite features on the MG Doble is the battery system. JackRabbit’s “RangeBuster” swappable batteries are small, lightweight, and easy to carry – but they offer solid range for their size. Each battery is good for 24 miles (38 km) of range, meaning you’re packing 48 miles (77 km) of range with the pair of them on the Doble. I can’t imagine someone needing more range that that, but if you did, they’re easy to carry as spare batteries. Instead of lugging around a typically bulky e-bike battery, you can toss a spare RangeBuster or two in your backpack and swap it in seconds when you run low on charge.

It’s a brilliant solution for urban riders, delivery workers, or anyone who wants to go further without the bulk. However, it’s worth noting that the battery locks are sold separately. They come with the convenient thumb twist lock to hold the battery in, but if you’ll be locking your bike up, you might want to opt for the keylock accessory. For a $2,499 e-bike, I would have liked to see those included standard.

Are those hydraulic disc brakes?

JackRabbit touts the MG Doble’s hydraulic disc brakes, though if you look closer, you see mechanical cables running from the brake levers on the bars. So what gives?

Well, these are actually what are commonly referred to as hybrid hydraulic brakes. There’s a hydraulic piston doing the braking, but not where you’d expect. Instead of the piston being mounted with a reservoir up on the bars, it’s actually down on the caliper itself. A mechanical cable actuates it instead of sending hydraulic oil through lines down to the caliper.

You get the power advantages of hydraulic brakes as well as the at-home workability advantages of mechanical brakes. But like all good compromises, they’re also a compromise. You do end up with some cable stretch over time, though not as much or as frequently, since you don’t have to pull the cable as hard to get strong braking power.

So it’s an interesting solution, but not one we see very often in the e-bike world.

The price and the pedal-free problem

That brings us to the elephant in the room: the price. At $2,499, the MG Doble isn’t cheap. You can get a full-suspension fat tire e-bike with more power and more range for less. But it won’t be this compact, this fun, or this capable at carrying two people in such a small footprint.

To put it frankly, the JackRabbit MG Doble can do things that no other bike can do. It just can. You can debate whether or not that makes it worth the price (and there are legitimate arguments to be made either way). But you can’t say it’s not an innovative, interesting solution that required some pretty unique engineering to get there.

And sure, it’s got downsides. You’re sacrificing the ability to get any sort of workout. You don’t get any suspension. And you’ll probably end up with a few bugs in your teeth from all the smiles.

For me, the lack of exercise is ok. I have plenty of other rides with pedals and I rely on my morning run for that health fix, anyway. When I hop on a bike like this, it’s more about transportation, not a workout.

And I get that JackRabbit had to invest significantly in the development of such a unique bike that can’t rely on the same economies of scale leveraged by all the other countless e-bikes out there sharing the exact same components. But jeez, that’s still quite a stack of cash.

What’s my summary?

I will say unequivocally that the JackRabbit MG Doble is a blast. It’s compact, powerful, and fun – and it fills a very specific niche that few other e-bikes touch. It’s not trying to be everything to everyone. It’s trying to be a two-person, throttle-powered, fun-loving little beast. And in that regard, it nails it.

Yes, it’s expensive. And no, you’re not going to break a sweat riding it. But if you’re looking for a compact two-seater e-bike that’s portable, peppy, and bursting with personality, the MG Doble is one of the most enjoyable options I’ve tested all year.