CES is considered one of the most important tech trade fairs worldwide. A conversion kit for ebikes made a particularly strong impression there in January 2026. At this year’s event, manufacturer Livall received a CES Innovation Award in the ‘Sustainability & Energy Transition’ category for its Pikaboost 2. With the help of this kit, you can easily transform a regular bike into an ebike. Livall has managed to integrate numerous functions into the kit. However, the product is probably also in step with the zeitgeist due to its affordable price.
People in Germany invest an average of around 2,650 euros in a new ebike. At least, that is the figure calculated by the German Bicycle Industry Association (ZIV) in its sales statistics for 2024. It is a sum that not everyone is willing or able to spend. Nevertheless, the prospect of benefiting from motor assistance when cycling and reaching your destination feeling refreshed and without the unpleasant smell of sweat in your clothes is very tempting for many people. So alternatives are in demand. One of these could be the aforementioned Pikaboost 2 from Livall. After all, it only costs 439 euros.
1. Your new ebike is… your old regular bike
2. Conversion with Lival Pikaboost 2 is not a one-way street
3. Powerful and slightly heavier than expected
4. Familiar comfort combined with unexpected extras
5. Conversion kit for ebikes with intelligent brakes
6. Compromises in terms of assistance and range
7. The two downers of the Lival Pikaboost 2
1. Your new ebike is… your old regular bike
In addition to its price, the ebike conversion kit scores points with other practical arguments. It can be installed quickly, is extremely compact and conceals many useful digital features inside. Typical for such a retrofit kit, it docks in a place that is of great advantage. Namely, on the bike you currently ride, which you may even have grown fond of and which has only one weakness – it lacks a motor. With the Pikaboost 2, that could change in a matter of minutes.
The device is mounted on the seat post with a bracket. It rests directly on the rear wheel with a roller. The ebike motor is integrated into the roller. Its power is transferred to the rear wheel via friction, providing additional thrust. The direct contact between the Pikaboost 2 roller and the rear wheel requires the removal of any existing mudguard. Ideally, the original bicycle should not have a mudguard in the first place. Apart from that, the kit is compatible with almost any bicycle without motor assistance whose wheels measure between 16 inches and 29 inches. In terms of tyre width, the manufacturer Livall does not even specify any restrictions.
2. Conversion with Lival Pikaboost 2 is not a one-way street
Based on the concept, it quickly becomes clear that the conversion to an ebike can also be easily reversed. To do this, you simply unscrew the unit from the bracket or remove it together with the bracket from the seat post. In any case, this should probably take less than five minutes. Being this flexible with a single bicycle is basically only possible with similar conversion kits such as the Clip Bike or the Skarper DiskDrive. However, at least with the Skarper system, assembly and disassembly are more complex.
3. Powerful and slightly heavier than expected
The Livall system consists of only a few components. The main unit comprises the roller, including the motor, and a battery. The motor is a friction motor. Powered by the battery, it delivers the familiar 250 watts in continuous operation and a maximum of 500 watts at peak. It transfers this power to the rear wheel tyre of the ebike through the friction of the roller. Once your bike reaches a speed of 25 kilometres per hour with the additional motor power, the motor stops working. It only starts up again when you fall below the specified speed limit.
The version of the Livall Pikeboost 2 sold in Europe offers a battery with a capacity of 220 watt hours. This size is directly related to the requirement that the battery fits into the main unit, which is designed as a narrow cylinder. Livall states that the battery weighs one kilogram. Given the relatively low capacity, this sounds like quite a lot.
At CES 2026, an advanced version of the retrofit kit for ebikes for the US market was also on display. Its battery is even smaller, at 158 watt hours. The manufacturer’s website provides contradictory information about its performance. Sometimes it mentions assistance up to 25 kilometres per hour, then again 32 kilometres per hour. The system weight for both versions is stated as three kilograms.
Both the size and weight theoretically give you the option of taking the ebike drive with you on holiday, even by plane. Carefully packed as part of your normal luggage, some airlines should allow this. You will probably find the final answer in the small print.
4. Familiar comfort combined with unexpected extras
But how does an ebike with such a conversion kit ride? Well, from a distance, everything points to a very decent riding experience. The four riding modes – Assist, Cruise, Workout and Off – already suggest a useful configuration. In Assist mode, the motor seems to only kick in when the sensors detect an incline. Cruise mode is most comparable to an Eco mode, which aims to maximise range. And in Workout mode, you get maximum assistance.
Otherwise, Livall places a noticeable focus on safety while riding. As soon as the system notices that the rear wheel is no longer turning or has lost traction on wet ground, it pauses the assistance. Another integrated sensor interrupts the power as soon as the bike tilts more than 30 degrees to the side. Such a position is considered an indication of a dangerous riding situation. If the tilt worsens to more than 60 degrees, the system automatically sends an emergency call to an emergency contact previously saved in the Livall Riding app.
5. Conversion kit for ebikes with intelligent brakes
Minimalistic but presumably effective is what Livall calls an intelligent brake. The Pikeboost 2 comes with a sensor and a magnet. The sensor is connected to the control unit on the handlebars by a cable. It should be attached where the inner part of the brake lever is close to the brake clamp. The magnet is designed to be positioned directly opposite on the clamp. If the distance between the sensor and the magnet is small enough, the motor is ready for operation. However, if you pull the brake lever when braking, the distance increases and the connection to the system is interrupted. In this way, the motor is deactivated every time you brake with the relevant brake. Consequently, it seems advisable to install the control unit and thus the sensor and magnet of the intelligent brake on the left side of the handlebars. This way, the front brake determines when the connection is interrupted. After all, it is the brake that slows down the bicycle the most and is typically used more often.
Incidentally, the traffic behind you will know that you are braking thanks to the brightly lit tail light. This also functions as a brake light. Not bad either.
6. Compromises in terms of assistance and range
As with other ebike drives, this conversion kit naturally has a few weaknesses.
For example, the assistance is nowhere near the level you would expect from a classic ebike system with a mid-drive or rear wheel hub motor. Livall claims that the Pikeboost 2 can halve the effort required to ride a regular bike. For comparison: a Bosch Performance Line CX provides up to 400 per cent assistance.
There are also limitations in terms of range. According to the manufacturer, the version of the set with the larger battery provides a maximum range of 70 kilometres. If you mainly ride in Workout mode, the range is likely to be significantly less.
7. The two downers of the Lival Pikaboost 2
The increased wear on the rear tyre cannot be denied. Anyone who predicts otherwise is, in our opinion, not credible. After all, in addition to the contact between the tyre and the ground, there is also the load from the motor’s roller. This cannot fail to have an effect on the tyre. Unfortunately, we can only estimate how significant this effect will be. However, halving the tyre’s service life would certainly be too pessimistic. By the way, Livall predicts a mileage of 3,000 to 5,000 kilometres for the roller. This replacement would then also have to be taken into account.
While the price of a new tyre seems bearable, many potential buyers are likely to be much more concerned about the fact that this retrofit kit cannot be combined with an effective rear mudguard. This would almost relegate this solution to a fair-weather bike. For many people, this would miss the mark just as much as a price tag of more than 2,500 euros for an ebike. To keep wetness and dirt reasonably under control, one or two mudguards that can be clicked onto, clamped to or attached to the seat post in other ways and then run over the Pikeboost 2 might be conceivable. Or you could resort to mini mudguards à la Ass Savers, which attach directly to the saddle and at least offer minimal protection.
Livall Pikaboost 2 at a glance
- Motor: friction motor
- Continuous rated power: 250 W
- Peak power: 500 W
- Assistance up to: 25 km/h
- Battery: 220 Wh
- Charging time: fully charged within 4 h
- Range: maximum 70 km
- System weight: 3 kg
- Compatibility: Bicycles with wheels from 16‘ to 29’
- Connectivity: App compatible with Android and iOS
- Price: 439 euros
Pictures: Livall