Lectric sells the XP4 in two frames, Step-Thru and Step-Over, at the same price. Short riders ask the same question about them over and over: what is the height difference, and does the Step-Thru sit lower? We put Lectric’s published specification blocks for both frames side by side, line by line, for the 500 W and the 750 W Long-Range. The answer is short. Exactly one number changes, and it is not the seat.
Every figure is Lectric’s own, read from its four XP4 product pages on October 15, 2026. We have not ridden these bikes; see our review methodology for what that does and does not mean. Affiliate disclosure →
The two frames, side by side
| Published figure | XP4 Step-Thru | XP4 Step-Over |
|---|---|---|
| Standover height | 19″ | 24″ |
| Minimum seat height (“seat to ground”) | 29.5″ | 29.5″ |
| Maximum seat height | 42″ | 42″ |
| Stated rider height | 4′10″–6′3″ | 4′10″–6′3″ |
| Handlebar reach | 15″–18″ | 15″–18″ |
| Handlebar height | 45″–48″ | 45″–48″ |
| Handlebar width | 25″ | 25″ |
| Weight, battery removed | 62 lbs | 62 lbs |
| Weight with battery (500 / 750 LR) | 69 / 71 lbs | 69 / 71 lbs |
| Size unfolded | 66″ × 18.5″ × 47″ | 66″ × 18.5″ × 47″ |
| Size folded | 37″ × 17″ × 29″ | 37″ × 17″ × 29″ |
| Payload / rear rack | 330 lbs / 150 lbs | 330 lbs / 150 lbs |
| Price (500 / 750 Long-Range) | $999 / $1,299 | $999 / $1,299 |
Thirteen rows, one difference. Lectric does not publish frame geometry beyond these figures (no seat tube angle or top tube length), so we cannot say whether anything else about the two frames differs. What we can say is that nothing else Lectric chooses to publish does.
What five inches of standover buys you
Standover is the height of the frame where you straddle it at a stop. Our fit guide sets a ceiling for it at each height, based on a typical inseam:
| Rider height | Fit guide standover limit | Step-Thru (19″) | Step-Over (24″) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5′0″ | 23″ | clears by 4″ | misses by 1″ |
| 5′1″ | 24″ | clears by 5″ | right at the limit |
| 5′2″ | 26″ | clears by 7″ | clears by 2″ |
| 5′3″ | 27″ | clears by 8″ | clears by 3″ |
| 5′4″–5′5″ | 29–30″ | clears | clears |
Lectric rates both frames from 4′10″. Only the Step-Thru clears our standover limit at the bottom of that range. From about 5′2″ up, both frames clear it, and the Step-Thru’s advantage becomes about ease of mounting rather than whether you can straddle the bike at all. At 19″, the Step-Thru is also three inches lower than the XP Lite 2.0’s 22″, the frame Lectric markets as its lightweight folder.
What does not change: the seat
This is the part most riders get wrong. A step-through frame lowers the bar you swing your leg over. It does not lower the saddle. Lectric publishes the same “seat to ground” range for both XP4 frames: 29.5″ at the lowest, 42″ at the highest.
By our fit guide’s seat-height limits (26″ at 5′0″, 28″ at 5′2″, 30″ at 5′4″), a 29.5″ saddle allows a seated foot-down from about 5′4″. Below that, on either frame, you will be on your toes or coming forward off the saddle at stops. Choosing the Step-Thru does not change that; it makes coming forward off the saddle easier, because the frame you then stand over is five inches lower.
29.5″ is still the lowest minimum seat height Lectric publishes on any model. Across both brands that publish the figure, only the Ride1Up Vorsa ST goes lower, at 27.5″. All eighteen published figures are in our minimum seat height database, and we compared the XP4 with Lectric’s lighter folder in XP Lite vs XP4: why the lower frame has the higher saddle.
Fit Score: 7.5 against 6.9
Our Fit Score is calculated from four published figures: standover, stated minimum rider height, weight and brake type. The two frames share three of them, so the whole gap comes from standover: 40 of 40 points for the Step-Thru’s 19″, 34 for the Step-Over’s 24″.
| Frame | Standover (40) | Stated min. height (25) | Weight (25) | Brakes (10) | Fit Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| XP4 Step-Thru | 40 | 22 | 3 | 10 | 7.5 |
| XP4 Step-Over | 34 | 22 | 3 | 10 | 6.9 |
Both frames lose almost all of the weight points. At 69 lbs with the battery, the XP4 is a bike for riders who do not lift it. If you do, the XP Lite 2.0 at 49 lbs is the lighter Lectric folder, with a 22″ standover and a higher 32″ saddle.
500 or 750 Long-Range: the same choice on both frames
Each frame comes in two versions, and the frame choice and the motor choice are independent. The 500 has a 500 W rear hub motor (1,092 W peak) with 55 Nm and a 500 Wh battery, rated by Lectric for up to 50 miles, for $999. The 750 Long-Range has 750 W (1,310 W peak) with 85 Nm and an 840 Wh battery, rated for up to 85 miles, for $1,299. The Long-Range battery is 9 lbs against 7, so the bike is two pounds heavier as ridden. Both are Class 1, 2 or 3, with a thumb throttle and an 8-speed drivetrain, and both frames carry the same 150 lb integrated rear rack.
Which frame should a short rider choose?
- Under about 5′2″: the Step-Thru. It is the only one of the two that clears our standover limit at 5′0″–5′1″, at the same price and weight.
- 5′2″ to 5′5″: both frames clear our limit. The Step-Thru is still easier to mount, especially with a loaded rack or a child seat on the back that you cannot swing a leg over.
- If you want a lower saddle: neither frame gives you one. Both stop at 29.5″. A thinner saddle, a shorter seatpost or shorter cranks can help a little; our fit-fix parts guide covers what fits.
For a rider under 5′5″, we cannot find a fit reason in Lectric’s published numbers to choose the Step-Over: same price, same weight, same saddle, same reach, five inches more frame to clear. If you prefer it, that preference rests on something outside what we measure. The same return-policy caution applies to both: Lectric gives a full refund only before a tracking number is issued, and approved returns can carry a restocking fee of up to $300.
Questions
What is the height difference between the XP4 Step-Thru and Step-Over?
Five inches of standover. Lectric publishes a 19″ standover for the XP4 Step-Thru and 24″ for the Step-Over. Every other published figure is the same, including the 29.5″–42″ seat height range, the 15″–18″ handlebar reach, the 4′10″–6′3″ rider height range and the 62 lb weight without the battery.
Does the XP4 Step-Thru have a lower seat than the Step-Over?
No. Lectric lists the same seat-to-ground range, 29.5″ minimum and 42″ maximum, for both frames. The step-through frame lowers the standover, not the saddle.
Is the Lectric XP4 Step-Thru good for a 5′0″ rider?
For getting on and off, yes: its 19″ standover clears the 23″ our fit guide suggests at 5′0″ by four inches, where the Step-Over misses by one. The 29.5″ minimum seat height is 3.5″ above the guide’s 26″ for that height, so expect to come forward off the saddle at stops, and at 69 lbs with the battery it is not a bike to carry.
Is the XP4 Step-Thru heavier than the Step-Over?
Not according to Lectric: both frames are listed at 62 lbs with the battery removed, 69 lbs with the 7 lb battery of the 500, and 71 lbs with the 9 lb Long-Range battery.
Do the two XP4 frames cost the same?
Yes. On October 15, 2026, Lectric listed both frames at $999 for the 500 and $1,299 for the 750 Long-Range.
