Copperhead EVO AM 2 750

1 review for Copperhead EVO AM 2 750

1. 

   CC E-Cycles – April 21, 2023

   Video Review

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   Written Review

   This review was provided for free using a demo bike, but BULLS North America paid for a hotel and split the cost of flights to visit and film. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of BULLS products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the BULLS electric bike forums.

   Observations:

   • The bike is purpose built with good weight distribution, although it is a bit heavier than most cross country models I’ve covered due to the large integrated battery, plus sized tires, and reinforced wave frame. It’s unique to see a step-thru mountain bike that’s so approachable but also sturdy and trail capable. It comes in four frame sizes, one color scheme, and is generally sold through dealers.
   • Boost hub spacing for the front wheel means the spoke bracing angle is sturdier and the fork is wider. The tires are 2.6″ wide which is the narrowest Plus size, offering improved stability, float, and overall forgiveness.

   Pros:

   • I covered a very similar model called the BULLS COPPERHEAD EVO HD 750 which is built to be “heavy duty” but specced with some lower end parts. That model can handle up to 330lbs vs. this one that maxes out at 300lbs. It comes in step-thru and high-step, whereas this one only comes in step-thru. Finally, it comes in a different color; metallic silver vs. light grey.
   • The drivetrain on this model is excellent, an upgrade from the COPPERHEAD EVO HD and nicer than most cross country models I cover in this price range. It comes with an 11-speed, Shimano Deore derailleur with one way clutch, and extra wide 11-51 tooth cassette.
   • The suspension fork is quite nice. It’s an air fork, which means you can adjust the air pressure for your body weigh and sag it to the optimal position. There’s a compression lockout lever and rebound adjustment clicker to improve performance on different types of off-road terrain.
   • This is a very minor thing, but I noticed a clear sticker slap guard on the top and bottom of the right chain stay. This will keep the paint from gettin chipped over time as the chain bounces around. The one way clutch lever on the derailleur also tightens the chain to reduce bounce, as demonstrated in the video review.
   • This model is available in four frame sizes, which improves rider fit, handling, and overall comfort in my experience. This is especially relevant for a nicer more capable ebike that also happens to weigh more.
   • Purpose built frame with internally routed cables, drive system weight is kept low and center, the battery is completely hidden and well protected. The bike handles well and is truly trail-capable in my opinion. That’s rare for a deep step-thru mountain bike, which has to deal with conditions that induce frame flex.
   • I love that they included a 40mm kickstand mount on the left rear chain stay, and it’s not a tab that hangs down. This would be a great accessory for people who use the bike to commute or just want to get the battery off more easily and avoid having the frame tip. I love that you can also mount a rear rack using the threaded eyelets on the seat stays and chain stays.
   • Although there is still some room for improvement, it’s great that the locking cylinder and charge port are both positioned up high on the frame vs. low in the path of the crank arms. I wish both were on the right side of the frame.
   • The battery pack locks into the frame using an ABUS locking core with XPLUS Code keys that can be matched to ABUS locks (like folding locks, u-locks, and frame locks), so you don’t need multiple keys! They seem to be high quality locks in general that would be more more difficult to defeat.
   • The battery offers extremely high charge capacity, 36 volts and 20.1 amp hours for roughly 750 watt hours of capacity. That means you can use higher assist levels without range anxiety, and just go farther in general.
   • Outstanding battery charger that’s relatively light weight at 1.6lbs, compact with removable wall-side plug, and puts out 36 volt 4 amps vs. just 2 amps on many competing chargers. It has a sturdy plug design that connects directly to the battery as well as the plug port on the bike. It’s also UL certified for safety. Note that it uses a different plug interface than the older non-Smart System chargers… though they look very similar.
   • There are two magnetic light mounts with the magnetic MonkeyLink interface, so you can add a headlight and a rear light or fender with light that will run off of the main rechargeable battery pack. The headlight is very nice with a flattened beam that won’t shine up into oncoming traffic and offers adjustable angle for aiming. It’s unique to find a capable electric mountain bike with the option for seamlessly integrated lights.
   • Clean aesthetic with neutral light dark gray paint that is probably more visible for night riding around the city (if you use the bike as a hybrid). They used black for the all of the wires rims, spokes, posts, and handlebar to create a consistent premium look.
   • Both axles and the seat post clamp are quick release. This makes the bike easier to adjust or fix on the trail, you won’t have to carry along as many tools. The downside is that it also makes hardware easier to tamper with or steal if you’re commuting and parking at a rack, so consider security hardware if that’s the case.
   • Decent hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors offer control for continuous descents and control over the larger plus sized tire. Note that you may see Shimano or Tektro hardware depending on supply chain. It is interesting that the COPPERHEAD EVO HD model had a larger 203mm front rotor, which offered better cooling and mechanical advantage than the EVO 2 here.
   • As mentioned in the introduction, it’s rare to find a truly capable cross country electric mountain bike that’s produced in a deep wave style step-thru frame design. It’s extremely approachable, but sturdy enough to handle the speed, bumps, and drops of cross country riding. If you want a stiffer variant of the same bike, consider the COPPERHEAD EVO HD model that also has a higher weight capacity of 330lbs vs. 300lbs here.
   • I love the bottle cage mounts on the downtube! Keep in mind that adding a cage will raise the standover height a bit and crowd that area of the bike. Consider a handlebar cup holder or hydration pack instead if this is a concern.
   • Solid drivetrain with 38 tooth chainring that has narrow-wide teeth for improved grab, and a plastic guide to ensure that you won’t experience chain drops on rough terrain. The 11-speed 11-51 tooth cassette provides enough range for steep climbs and comfortable pedaling at speed. It’s light, durable, offers a clutch to keep the chain tight, and is one of my favorite drivetrains with excellent shifters (Shimano Deore).
   • Bosch LED remote is easy to reach with your left thumb, the buttons are consistent and satisfying. The 5 LED lights actually communicate 10% charge level increments for more precise readings (blue is a 20% chunk and white is a 10% chunk). The four assist levels are matched to colors, so you don’t need to read anything, just memorize the colors Green = Eco, Blue = Tour+, Purple = eMTB, Red = Turbo.
   • The Tour+ and eMTB assist settings allow you to focus on gear selection, pedaling, and steering. They dynamically provide more power based on how hard you’re pedaling, which improves efficiency too. Think of Tour+ as the efficient dynamic setting and eMTB as the more power hungry high torque dynamic setting.
   • You could easily wire in the Bosch Kiox 300 LCD display panel for more precise battery readouts, current speed, trip distance, heart rate, range estimate and more… if you are willing to buy and upgrade. The free Bosch eBike Flow smartphone app offers many of the same readouts and lets your phone act as a display in Ride Mode. It also lets you tune Turbo and Eco modes, track past rides, and lock/unlock the bike based on phone proximity.
   • I love that the Bosch Flow ebike app also offers trip planning with GPS and gives you three options for direct, casual, or mountain routes. It dynamically updates your route depending on your ride preferences! You can update your own firmware without visiting a shop, and connect to other cycling apps like Strava, Komoot, Apple Health, and Apple Watch with heart rate monitor all with this free eBike Flow app.
   • The Bosch Performance Line CX motor is super smart, measuring rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque over 1,000 per second! It’s extremely responsive and quick, is quieter than I remember, doesn’t weigh a lot at just 6.4lbs because of the magnesium housing, and supports over 120 RPM pedal cadence. That means you don’t have to adjust your pedaling or ride style to the bike, it adapts to you… and even provides shift detection to reduce wear on the chain and sprockets.
   • BULLS has positioned the magnet for measuring rear wheel on the wheel hub near the disc brake rotor mount vs. a spoke. This means that your wheel can stay more balanced and you won’t end up with a loose spoke over time, it also improves reliability because this tucked-in position isn’t exposed to mud and debris as much.
   • It’s a small detail, but I love the little plastic mudguards that come with the suspension fork. They will help keep mud and water out of your eyes as you ride faster across varied terrain. I’ve added similar fenders to my own mountain bike with zip ties, but these are a lot sturdier and look great.
   • Excellent two year warranty from Bosch, their hardware is UL certified, highly water and dust resistant, and I was told that they provide support on retired products for 10 years.
   • BULLS is a large company with a good reputation dating back to 1997, they sell through dealers who can help with fitting and service, their products are sold internationally including Europe and North America.

   Cons:

   • I would like this model to come with a kickstand by default, based on how heavy it is, that it’s a light duty mountain bike that may be ridden in town (has rear rack mounts and MonkeyLink light interfaces), and since the battery charge port is on the left side of the top tube (the side that the bike gets laid down on).
   • Due in part to the overbuilt downtube with cross brace, wider Boost hub spacing with 15mm thru-axle, larger plus sized tires, and high capacity 9.4lb Bosch PowerTube 750 battery pack, the bike weighs 56.2lbs which I consider heavy for a hardtail cross country model without fenders or rack attached. Although, it does have a little mudguard on the suspension fork arch, which is well built and looks nice, but fairly light.
   • The battery cover seated well and provides good protection from dust and water, but it doesn’t lock to the frame. As a result, I feel that it could be easier to lose or have taken off, but at least it’s probably affordable and easy to replace because it’s just black plastic… and it’s not as heavy as a metal shield that some other ebikes use. You have to be intentional about clicking the plastic switch down to make sure it doesn’t rattle loose or fall off when riding.
   • The Bosch PowerTube 750 is very heavy at 9.4lbs and can be difficult to reach and remove if the bike is just leaned against a wall or laid on its side. Re-inserting it requires the ABUS key to be inserted AND twisted before the pack can actually click into place. It’s a two-hand job. I’d be tempted to leave the battery on the bike at all times, but that might expose it to extreme temperatures which can damage the Lithium-ion cells (heat) or temporarily stunt range (cold).
   • I wish that the USB-C port on the Bosch LED remote was active for charging smartphones and other devices, especially since the optional Bosch eBike Flow app has a ride mode that shows realtime stats and mapping. The bike has such a high capacity battery, and I love that it can run lights using the MonkeyLink magnetic interfaces at the stem and seat post clamp… I just wish it could do the same for other accessories.
   • If you aren’t using a smartphone as a display, the readouts on the Bosch LED remote are a bit limited. You get a battery charge level percentage with 10% steps (blue blocks represent 20% and white blocks represent 10%). Four colors communicate assist level… but there’s no current speed, min or max speed, range, cadence etc. that you would get from the Bosch Kiox 300 (which is sold separately).
   • The Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System motor is very responsive and powerful, but it uses energy faster and produces more noise than a lower powered variant, and some of the competition. It’s gotten a lot better, so this is more of a “high powered motors make noise” comment than a Bosch specific critique, you can hear it in action by watching the video review above and scrubbing to the end.
   • None of the Bosch Smart System hardware is backwards compatible with older generations, so you can’t use a PowerTube 500 or 625 on this ebike, you cannot use the original Kiox, or other displays like Purion, Intuvia, or Nyon. The new ecosystem is great, but this could be a factor if own another Bosch powered electric bike and were hoping to share batteries or use a lighter battery.
   • This is a minor thing, but the chainring doesn’t cycle backwards when you backpedal, this changes how drivetrain service is done… you basically need a bicycle stand or a friend to lift the bike and pedal to clean and lubricate the chain. One positive note here however, is that Bosch has setup the bottom bracket with some resistance so the cranks won’t spin as freely backwards, which could lead to more shin scrapes and shin bumps if your foot slips off when pedaling.
   • Be careful when lifting and transporting the PowerTube battery because it does not have an integrated handle like the PowerPack mid-frame and rear-rack models. I do appreciate how it clicks down one step when unlocking, before completely coming off the bike because you are less likely to drop it when removing.
   • I think this model would be a great candidate for a suspension seat post, or dropper post. This would improve comfort, or make it easier to mount and safer to navigate rough terrain. Some other BULLS models have a Limotech dropper post with 40mm of suspension built in! I would love to see that here, especially since it’s a hardtail and might appeal to petite riders or those with mobility challenges (going for the wave step-thru frame design).