Hey there from BULLS eBIKES!
- Thread starter Adam@BULLSeBIKES
- Start date
Hi Adam,
I have an
LACUBA EVO E45 STEP-THRU
and have several questions::
1) the Bulls website says that this bike has 3 modes, Eco, Tour, Sport. Mine has 4 modes and they all work. What is the 4th mode?
2) What are the boost levels for each mode?
3) I bought mine from a dealer while I was traveling last August and got minimal support since I didn't stay around. Is there a software update?
4) The distance displayed is slightly off. Is there any way to adjust the circumference of the wheels?
5) The closest tubes I can find are 700-45, will they work ok?
6) I would like to use skinnier tires, what is the smallest I can safely use, 700x??.
Thanks in advance
Doug Coats
Hi, Adam.
I am a Bulls emtb owner and fan. The product is great and offers great value.
My Concern: I bought a 2018 Evo AM-4.
By any chance, is there a known issue with the battery charger and battery for the 2018 model year?
After only charges, the battery will now only charge up to 80% (as indicared by the display). Also, now the charger does not appear to click on unless I first place the battery on the bike, then turn battery on and off, then take it off the bike, and then plug the charger back into it.
note: I knew the charger was not actually turning on because it would run for 6 hours plugged into the battery yet battery status would remain the same)
??
Is that a known issue ?
I had that issue with my FS3 and e45.
Both where dirty pins, i cleaned the pond with tooth brush both connections on battery and the charger and it worked fine.
Would do it after a wet ride, i also notices the pins getting a little green in color.
Interesting. Thank you. I'll try your suggestion (though my bike/battery is almost brand new and still pretty pristine -spotless).
.... So your battery only charged up to 80% also ?
Thx. I also read elsewhere to troubleshoot in this exactly this order: charger, ports, bms, then battery. Don't know if that's true (as I've got no electrical background).
So, time to find another charger and test that out ..
I read BULLS E-STREAM EVO AM 4 27.5+ Review and made a comment below which disappear or is not approved yet?!
Anyway, another user made a good comment about the new 750W battery. In review is stated that is Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (NCA), USA web page is not telling about chemistry but EU web page describe it as "Lithium Ionen". Review contains picture of the batter but resolution is not good enough to read specs.
Court or someone else, could you please check what type of chemistry the new 750W battery is?
Hmm, looks like that is Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide and even improved version over other Lithium batteries...
Another detail gained my attention, power button and indicator are on the bottom side of the battery. Not really protected and looks like that can be easily damaged during ride on technical trails.
Anyway, another user made a good comment about the new 750W battery. In review is stated that is Nickel Cobalt Aluminum (NCA), USA web page is not telling about chemistry but EU web page describe it as "Lithium Ionen". Review contains picture of the batter but resolution is not good enough to read specs.
Court or someone else, could you please check what type of chemistry the new 750W battery is?
Hmm, looks like that is Lithium Nickel Cobalt Aluminum Oxide and even improved version over other Lithium batteries...
Another detail gained my attention, power button and indicator are on the bottom side of the battery. Not really protected and looks like that can be easily damaged during ride on technical trails.
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Hey Adam, not sure if you're still active here, but I have a question. I bought a Bulls Estream EVO 45AM this summer. I just got my first flat and tried to change the tube on the trail, but was unable to get the tire off. When I arrived home I looked up that the Schwalbe tires are tubeless. Never had those before, but obviously that was my issue in trying to break the seal and replace the tube.
Cut to a few days later...when I finally got the tires off, I found a tube inside. Huh?! It's this a mistake? Does Bulls normally put a tube inside a tubeless tire for old-school guys like me? Should I be running these this with tubes or tubeless? Seems like others in this forum don't trust tubeless and will put a tube inside anyway.
LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Adam hasn't posted since December 2016, but here's my understanding as someone who has unboxed a couple dozen plus e-bikes in the past 5 years, including a Bulls.
Many eMTBs come equipped with tubeless-ready tires and rims, but few come set up tubeless. I think the main reason is that they tend to deflate and leak during shipping - tubeless sealant can be messy!
Whether you go tubeless or not is a matter of preference. Watch a couple of videos on setting up tubeless, and you'll see that it's not that difficult with the right equipment. It is, however, higher maintenance than tubes because the sealant needs to be topped up and/or changed periodically. Tubes can go for years.
Many MTB enthusiasts swear by tubeless. They can run at lower pressure and thus provide better grip. The sealant can also fill small punctures, resulting in fewer flat tires.
As far as the difficulty you experienced in breaking the bead to fix your flat, the sealant can also make it more difficult for the bond between the tire and the rim to solidify like that. My guess is the tire you had difficulty removing had been on the wheel for well over a year, and the rubber had basically fused to the rim.
I still run with tubes and have found that breaking the bead a couple times a year makes it a lot easier in the event I have a flat on the trail.
Hope that helps!
Thanks for all of this. I hit my LBS this afternoon and they said pretty much the same thing ; tubeless ready tires, but the funds don't seem to be. I've got a new tube in there and will probably stick with tubes for now. Appreciate your thoughts on bead breaking. I'd rather do it deliberately than deal with what I did a mile deep into the woods with the sun was setting. I did get a serious set of metal reinforced tire irons from ParkTool that should make a big difference.
Sierratim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Nevada City, CA & Paradise Valley, AZ
Good to hear from you! When our DIY ebike conversions were aging out I shopped for 'packaged' solutions. BULLS ebikes were high on my list. Unfortunately I couldn't find a dealer that would 1. communicate, and 2. be closer than 2 hours.
We're relocating to Scottsdale, AZ and will be adding to the ebike 'herd' as the current ebikes will stay at the soon to be summer home. We'll give BULLS another look when we're in the Valley of the Sun.
LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
You're welcome! I'm always willing to share tips I've learned as an ebike/eMTB enthusiast, especially with a fellow New Englander... FWIW: when riding in the afternoon, I always have handlebar and helmet lights at the ready, just in case I have an issue that keeps me on the trail after sunset.
Regarding tire levers: I bought a Pedro's Downhill lever for help removing and installing tires with stiff sidewalls - it's massive compared to "normal" levers, but won't break (I've broken "steel-core" levers), although it can be a bit rough on rim paint so I use extra care with it. After experiencing too many ripped sidewall flats on rock-creviced trails with the thin-walled tires that are often specified by manufacturers like Bulls (presumably to shave "claimed" bike weight), I started buying tires with "gravity" or downhill casings.
They can weigh up to 40% more than same-size, light-casing tires, but I've yet to get a "pinch-flat" or rip a sidewall on one. Because they're so stiff, however, they're often much harder to pry on and off rims. Here's a post I made a couple years ago on breaking stuck and/or stiff beads using a standard trash can - some have found trigger clamps (pic below) to be helpful, too, especially if you can keep a bit of air in the tube.
I've also learned since that the trash can trick can also make installing difficult tires a bit easier. The key is pinching the tire's beads into the center of the rim on the opposite side from the last part you're trying to slip on. This can give you a few extra millimeters of room to slip the bead of the rim's edge.
Ride On!
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Good advice on lights. I've been riding with then regularly since October. The one time I didn't bring them we went enthusiastically into the trail system and didn't think about how fast the sun goes down this time of year. Never again
My LBS guy showed me the trick of pushing the rest of the tire into the center of the rim. Never used an iron and had then off/on in a minute. Of course he's 40 years into his bike tech career, so his hands are probably like trigger clamps.
. Guess there are always things to learn.Ah yes, I see you're in Western MA. As a fellow New England, any recommendations on studded winter tires?
LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
Riding studs on snowmobile-packed trails is AWESOME! In the "right" conditions, many singletrack trails turn into luges and can be ginormous phun to ride with studded tires.Good advice on lights. I've been riding with then regularly since October. The one time I didn't bring them we went enthusiastically into the trail system and didn't think about how fast the sun goes down this time of year. Never again
My LBS guy showed me the trick of pushing the rest of the tire into the center of the rim. Never used an iron and had then off/on in a minute. Of course he's 40 years into his bike tech career, so his hands are probably like trigger clamps.
Ah yes, I see you're in Western MA. As a fellow New England, any recommendations on studded winter tires?
I ride Schwalbe Ice Spikers, which in years past could be found for as little as $50-75 (27.5x2.6) at EU outlets like Chain Reaction. Unfortunately, supply and demand is keeping prices way up this year - it's hard to find them for less than $100 now (they list at $120+).
The Liteskin version comes with VERY thin sidewalls that rip easily (I've done it), so now I only ride them on fairly deep and packed snow/ice - Snakeskin and Raceguard versions can be MUCH harder to find. Also, Schwalbe suggests riding them on pavement for 20+ miles when new - this helps "set" the studs, which will come out in higher numbers if you don't "break 'em in." If you buy a set, I also recommend getting replacement studs and installation tool.
I actually splurged on a set of spare wheels so I didn't have to keep swapping them out as conditions change throughout the Winter.
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