E-Mountain Bike = Best Cross Training Tool

3/14/2022 9:30am
Best of both worlds right here. Unfortunately, I’m riding mountain bikes way more than moto these days. The E-MTB is the closest experience to my dirt bike. I’m way too stoked!

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3/14/2022 9:32am
I just got an Intense MX Tazer and I am completely blown away by its capabilities. I made the switch after our local trails were acquired...
I just got an Intense MX Tazer and I am completely blown away by its capabilities. I made the switch after our local trails were acquired by a developer and closed them off to dirt bikes. Now I get to sneak in there and continue shredding!

These bikes are game changers and perfect for moto enthusiasts. I might be selling my Ibis Ripmo now haha

Conway240 wrote:
Are those hand deflectors from MTB store or just dirt bike ones?
They’re from Acerbis and are advertised for mountain bikes and pit bikes
JMMTB69
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55
Joined
4/12/2021
Location
Bend, OR, USA
3/14/2022 9:43am
sandman768 wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2022/03/14/538107/s1200_7C68684C_EBD0_4297_91E8_689E0B97A9B0.jpg[/img]

Great choice, my non-E bike is the regular Stumpy and it rips as well....

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nytsmaC
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5946
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Location
Frig Off, CA
3/14/2022 11:20am
I bought a YT Decoy Pro Race as soon as they came out and it’s awesome, I also owned a Tues DH bike and a Pivot Switchblade, both of which I eventually sold when I concluded that the Decoy is more fun to ride in every situation including at the DH park.

I ride for fun and to get a workout, not to try to prove anything. The ebike elevated both my fun factor and my workout as I can control my output rather than the mountain controlling me. The result is much longer rides, more stoke, and really no perceivable negatives.

Can you ride around in turbo mode and not break much of a sweat, sure, but I don’t know anyone that actually does. I only use it for a super steep where you’d be dismounting and pushing on a regular bike.
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1

The Shop

nytsmaC
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Frig Off, CA
3/14/2022 11:27am
It’s gotten me up into some epic alpine loops that I’d never have ventured to on a regular bike. Some guys do but I never saw anyone when I was up there.


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1
soggy
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3/14/2022 11:51am
mxbulldog wrote:
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox...
Did it come with the DVO suspension on it? The last ones I was looking at were Ohlins. I have the non-MX version with the Fox factory 38 and the DPX2 rear shock. Seriously considering a shock upgrade to get some initial plushness.
Send your shock to PUSH and they’ll dial it in.
Kelz87
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1389
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7/21/2018
Location
Phoenix, AZ, USA
3/14/2022 7:37pm
I rode one at the trailhead 2 years ago and was blown away with how fast you can build speed in boost mode. I won’t let myself get one until I’m older tho Grinning

There’s only been a handful of trails that I wouldn’t want it because of steep rocky downhill with drop offs. Some of the trails in Sedona say “no ebikes” for that reason I think
BIGRIGGIN
Posts
353
Joined
12/2/2009
Location
Aromas, CA, USA
3/14/2022 8:07pm
Sell the RIPMO amish bicycle you will never want to ride it again. On my 3rd Specialized. Lucky to have unreal riding here in santa cruz 356 days a year. It's like being a skier and living in Tahoe so many terrain options.

3
1
basslips
Posts
194
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6/21/2017
Location
Bellfountain, OR, USA
3/16/2022 9:31pm
BIGRIGGIN wrote:
Sell the RIPMO amish bicycle you will never want to ride it again. On my 3rd Specialized. Lucky to have unreal riding here in santa cruz...
Sell the RIPMO amish bicycle you will never want to ride it again. On my 3rd Specialized. Lucky to have unreal riding here in santa cruz 356 days a year. It's like being a skier and living in Tahoe so many terrain options.

Truth....I just sold my Yeti SB5.5. Loved that bike but my I've only ridden it twice since buying my Bullit last June.
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abomination
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708
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1/9/2016
Location
SLC, UT, USA
7/5/2022 5:55pm
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is steep…
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8tensolutions
Posts
3573
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11/15/2009
Location
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
7/5/2022 7:45pm
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is...
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is steep…
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons of power, but has little agility, get a Levo.
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Spooner
Posts
2486
Joined
1/8/2011
Location
Kansas City, MO, USA
7/5/2022 8:11pm
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons...
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons of power, but has little agility, get a Levo.
While I haven't ridden a Levo I do have a Tazer and its quite nimble and climbs like a mountain goat as well as being able to bomb down the hills. The only way I'd get a lower power emtb is if there wasn't a ton of climbing in my area. I ride all sorts of stuff and having all the juice available is quite handy at times and these things are a far better 'all rounder' than I ever imagined.
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8tensolutions
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Salt Lake City, UT, USA
7/5/2022 8:35pm
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons...
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons of power, but has little agility, get a Levo.
Spooner wrote:
While I haven't ridden a Levo I do have a Tazer and its quite nimble and climbs like a mountain goat as well as being able...
While I haven't ridden a Levo I do have a Tazer and its quite nimble and climbs like a mountain goat as well as being able to bomb down the hills. The only way I'd get a lower power emtb is if there wasn't a ton of climbing in my area. I ride all sorts of stuff and having all the juice available is quite handy at times and these things are a far better 'all rounder' than I ever imagined.
The Levo SL puts out plenty of power for 3 hour rides with 5000 feet of climbing in Utah as do my legs on my analog bike. The full power bikes are great depending on what you are looking for like I said above. The SL puts out up to 250 watts of assist compared to 500-750 on the full power bikes, but its 10-15 pounds lighter and the Specialized interface (on both Levo's) is phenomenal.
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abomination
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708
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Location
SLC, UT, USA
7/5/2022 10:11pm
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is...
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is steep…
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons...
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons of power, but has little agility, get a Levo.
So I'm pretty new to mountain biking, and actually local to you for the summer—the climb to bobsled is what first piqued my interest in an ebike.

Just went to Deer Valley this weekend (so fun) and bummed I'll have to keep another bike to ride there.
1
7/5/2022 10:30pm
Odd, where I live there is no ebike or pedal assist allowed on the mtb trails. They are only allowed where other class 3’s(motorcycles) are.
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#434
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1912
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3/23/2017
Location
DE
7/6/2022 1:28am
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is...
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is steep…
I love my SL. It lacks the torque of standard eBike, but has enough juice to make uphills fun. Best part about it is that it feels very natural to ride. It handles great, the motor is very smooth and has great traction.
I have the range extender battery, which is a good option if you wanna do long rides with your buddies on full powered eBikes.
A great alternativ is the Orbea Rise. Same concept with a little more torque, but also weight.
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Rotaholic
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NZ
7/6/2022 1:50am
Odd, where I live there is no ebike or pedal assist allowed on the mtb trails. They are only allowed where other class 3’s(motorcycles) are.
Feel for you, can't believe people put up with stuff like that.
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8tensolutions
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3573
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11/15/2009
Location
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
7/6/2022 5:32am
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is...
Anybody have experience with something like a Levo vs Levo SL? I think I like the idea of a lighter bike, but the price difference is steep…
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons...
If you already ride mountain bikes and want a bike that mimics that, get the SL. If you want a 50 pound bike that produces tons of power, but has little agility, get a Levo.
So I'm pretty new to mountain biking, and actually local to you for the summer—the climb to bobsled is what first piqued my interest in an...
So I'm pretty new to mountain biking, and actually local to you for the summer—the climb to bobsled is what first piqued my interest in an ebike.

Just went to Deer Valley this weekend (so fun) and bummed I'll have to keep another bike to ride there.
Awesome! Let me know if I can help. I have a terrific shop here that can help you out if needed. My number is 901-233-9375,
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mxracer828
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212
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Location
Lake Elsinore, CA, USA
7/6/2022 7:05am
Best of both worlds right here. Unfortunately, I’m riding mountain bikes way more than moto these days. The E-MTB is the closest experience to my dirt...
Best of both worlds right here. Unfortunately, I’m riding mountain bikes way more than moto these days. The E-MTB is the closest experience to my dirt bike. I’m way too stoked!

Can’t go wrong with the ibis.just picked up a 2022 ripmo af before the price hike
7/6/2022 7:08am
Best of both worlds right here. Unfortunately, I’m riding mountain bikes way more than moto these days. The E-MTB is the closest experience to my dirt...
Best of both worlds right here. Unfortunately, I’m riding mountain bikes way more than moto these days. The E-MTB is the closest experience to my dirt bike. I’m way too stoked!

mxracer828 wrote:
Can’t go wrong with the ibis.just picked up a 2022 ripmo af before the price hike
The price increase is insane! I bought mine in 2020 and now it’s around $1K more 😬. The Ripmo is a beast! To me, it’s the perfect do it all bike
1
scootch
Posts
627
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Location
Fort Worth, TX, USA
7/6/2022 7:17am
sandman768 wrote:
Just bought this Stumpy Expert Carbon … first new Mtn bike in 8 years.. I thought about an E bike but I like to suffer on...
Just bought this Stumpy Expert Carbon … first new Mtn bike in 8 years.. I thought about an E bike but I like to suffer on my cardio workouts… some of the places I ride don’t allow Ebikes for some reason…
Nice bike!! There is plenty of suffering to do on the e-bike though, as long as you are not a lazy rider..
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7/6/2022 10:03am Edited Date/Time 7/6/2022 10:05am
Odd, where I live there is no ebike or pedal assist allowed on the mtb trails. They are only allowed where other class 3’s(motorcycles) are.
Rotaholic wrote:
Feel for you, can't believe people put up with stuff like that.
There is grumblings of the USFS giving them their own designation(doubtful) but until then they will be treated as a motorcycle(which they are).

The Stark and other coming E mx bikes will also be lumped in with traditional class 3 motorcycles and not be allowed on mtb trails and likely put more restrictions in place for class 3’s.

I’d love to have one but the price tag and only being able to ride them where I’m allowed on my ICE bikes has me to the realization that I wouldn’t use one much.

They would be awesome for pre-riding off-road race courses but also basically cheating, only a matter of time before that gets shut down too.
Spooner
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Kansas City, MO, USA
7/6/2022 10:13am
There is grumblings of the USFS giving them their own designation(doubtful) but until then they will be treated as a motorcycle(which they are). The Stark and...
There is grumblings of the USFS giving them their own designation(doubtful) but until then they will be treated as a motorcycle(which they are).

The Stark and other coming E mx bikes will also be lumped in with traditional class 3 motorcycles and not be allowed on mtb trails and likely put more restrictions in place for class 3’s.

I’d love to have one but the price tag and only being able to ride them where I’m allowed on my ICE bikes has me to the realization that I wouldn’t use one much.

They would be awesome for pre-riding off-road race courses but also basically cheating, only a matter of time before that gets shut down too.
Have you ridden an e-bike on trails? They are nothing like a motorcycle, they basically just help you up hills and get up to speed quicker. There was a lot of aprehension in my area a few years ago but now that they have been out a while and a lot of people have ridden them and realized they are no more dangerous or harder on the trails than a standard bicycle the rules got changed to allow them.
1
1
7/6/2022 10:40am
There is grumblings of the USFS giving them their own designation(doubtful) but until then they will be treated as a motorcycle(which they are). The Stark and...
There is grumblings of the USFS giving them their own designation(doubtful) but until then they will be treated as a motorcycle(which they are).

The Stark and other coming E mx bikes will also be lumped in with traditional class 3 motorcycles and not be allowed on mtb trails and likely put more restrictions in place for class 3’s.

I’d love to have one but the price tag and only being able to ride them where I’m allowed on my ICE bikes has me to the realization that I wouldn’t use one much.

They would be awesome for pre-riding off-road race courses but also basically cheating, only a matter of time before that gets shut down too.
Spooner wrote:
Have you ridden an e-bike on trails? They are nothing like a motorcycle, they basically just help you up hills and get up to speed quicker...
Have you ridden an e-bike on trails? They are nothing like a motorcycle, they basically just help you up hills and get up to speed quicker. There was a lot of aprehension in my area a few years ago but now that they have been out a while and a lot of people have ridden them and realized they are no more dangerous or harder on the trails than a standard bicycle the rules got changed to allow them.
No, I don’t have one and probably won’t because they are not allowed on mtb trails. I live in Bend, Oregon where the “trails” are on USFS and BLM land, it’s considered a mtb mecca for many. There is “no pedal assist” signage on all marked mtb trails I’ve rode. The volunteers and clubs that build the mtb trails are very vocal against them. Since it’s motorized it gets assigned to the class 3 designation which is the same as dirt bikes.

I think one would be super handy for pre-riding off-road race courses but not enough of a reason to buy one and I’m even currently shopping for a new mtb.
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ForToo
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USA
7/6/2022 12:20pm Edited Date/Time 7/6/2022 12:48pm
I built one putting a 3,000 watt mid-drive planetary motor on a downhill mountain bike with 8" travel and Hayes hydraulic brakes. It rips for sure and is a great cross trainer!

Here's a 47 second clip 2 blocks from my house in town.


1
Rotaholic
Posts
1793
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Location
NZ
7/6/2022 2:39pm Edited Date/Time 7/6/2022 2:41pm
Here in New Zealand they are treated exactly as what they are, a mountain bike. Most downhill bikes are heavier than an eeeb.
We have noticed no damage to any trails that we wouldn't see from normal wear and tear from normal bikes aka acoustic bikes, muscle bikes, steam bikes or whatever you want to call them.
If anything it has helped the trail networks, now people can carry tools easily to do maintenance on trails.
We do have a zero tolerance for throttle assisted ebikes, they are definitely a motorcycle but pedal assisted is just a pedal bike at the end of the day.

This summer our trails and bike parks have been about 40% eeebs to 60% analogs, I think once more are available we will see that number flip next summer.

If you haven't tried one you are missing out, I was the biggest hater just like a two stroke die hard now I love my four strokes and ebikes.
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#RZRNick
Posts
78
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6/26/2016
Location
Peoria, AZ, USA
7/6/2022 2:58pm
Sold my dream pedal bike (Santa Cruz Megatower) after a year as it collected dust because of this Levo. I really like the weight here is tractionless Arizona, I just got the 38 and it's SO good, combined with the Assegai tires its too much damn fun.

3-4 of my hardcore 20+ year MTB buddies are also E only at this point...


4
jbrown15
Posts
587
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1/19/2017
Location
CA
7/6/2022 5:59pm Edited Date/Time 7/6/2022 8:57pm
There's going to be a wave of new lightweight ebikes coming in the next year, and allot of them will be using the new Ride 60 motor and battery from Fazua. Transition, Pivot and I believe Trek are all launching new bikes with that system. Which still has good power with 60nm of power.

Bikes will weigh low to mid 40lb range and have a 430w battery. The Transition ebike is also designed to be ridden without the battery in it and the motor has no drag when it's not turned on. Plus Orbea has the carbon and alloy versions on the Rise and specialized has the Levo SL.
1
8tensolutions
Posts
3573
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Location
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
7/6/2022 7:19pm
jbrown15 wrote:
There's going to be a wave of new lightweight ebikes coming in the next year, and allot of them will be using the new Ride 60...
There's going to be a wave of new lightweight ebikes coming in the next year, and allot of them will be using the new Ride 60 motor and battery from Fazua. Transition, Pivot and I believe Trek are all launching new bikes with that system. Which still has good power with 60nm of power.

Bikes will weigh low to mid 40lb range and have a 430w battery. The Transition ebike is also designed to be ridden without the battery in it and the motor has no drag when it's not turned on. Plus Orbea has the carbon and alloy versions on the Rise and specialized has the Levo SL.
Agreed. My guess is the next Levo SL will be sub 35 pounds. The battery is the largest issue for weight. It can only be so light.

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