Lacuba EVO E45

Ravi Kempaiah

Ravi Kempaiah

Well-Known Member
Region
Canada
City
Halifax
BULLS is introducing Lacuba EVO E45 this year in the US market. This is one of top end commuter offerings from them along with a host of other Bosch Pedelec/S-pedelecs.

I have been anticipating this bike for sometime and quite excited about it. Brose system is one of the smoothest and this bike comes with the new speed engine. Their pedelec version runs on 250W motor but this one is 350W, speed engine. Perfect for anyone who likes to pedal.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Lacuba EVO E45.png

Attention to details and top of the line components make it a top contender for anyone looking for a well-balanced S-pedelec commuter.

I will highlight what I like in this bike.
  1. Quality components. Shimano XT shifters, derailleurs, both front and rear hubs are Shimano XT. Tektro Dorado hydraulic brakes with 203 mm !! rotors. Well, that's an overkill for commuting but why not?!

  2. B & M brake light + a decent headlight but they run off of the main battery. Ergon GP1 grips, adjustable stem and upright riding position. Reminds me of OHM bikes' geometry.

  3. 36V, 17.5Ah BMZ pack with 4A charger. Much better than 400Whr offered by Bosch. But because it runs at 36V, expect some voltage sag. This drive is perfect for stop and go traffic. Range ~ 45-50 miles.

  4. Of course, the water bottle cage! Kickstand, mirror. E-bike specific tires for extra puncture protection. Overall a fully featured commuter.
Now, what looks good on paper may not always translate to real world performance. But, this bike has the same engine that you would find on Specialized Turbo Vado. Why would Specialized engineers pick that engine if they were not convinced of its performance?

Finally, price point! I think the MSRP is ~ $4500. You may spend $700 on a bike and call it a complete waste of money or spend $5000 and think it's a great value. Totally depends on the use and for commuters, this bike would be a great choice.
 
It certainly sounds great from the specs, no mention of connectivity which in my view is good. In my mind comparing to the new ST1x, slightly cheaper. Any information about warranty, parts and services for Bulls products, I have that question for any bike I purchase...
 
Thanks for doing video on NY ebike laws. Kinda complicated to follow, have to watch that one again. Great to see all the ebikes in a major city. Thanks again.
 
Ravi Kempaiah said:
BULLS is introducing Lacuba EVO E45 this year in the US market. This is one of top end commuter offerings from them along with a host of other Bosch Pedelec/S-pedelecs.

I have been anticipating this bike for sometime and quite excited about it. Brose system is one of the smoothest and this bike comes with the new speed engine. Their pedelec version runs on 250W motor but this one is 350W, speed engine. Perfect for anyone who likes to pedal.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

View attachment 10295

Attention to details and top of the line components make it a top contender for anyone looking for a well-balanced S-pedelec commuter.

I will highlight what I like in this bike.
  1. Quality components. Shimano XT shifters, derailleurs, both front and rear hubs are Shimano XT. Tektro Dorado hydraulic brakes with 203 mm !! rotors. Well, that's an overkill for commuting but why not?!

  2. B & M brake light + a decent headlight but they run off of the main battery. Ergon GP1 grips, adjustable stem and upright riding position. Reminds me of OHM bikes' geometry.

  3. 36V, 17.5Ah BMZ pack with 4A charger. Much better than 400Whr offered by Bosch. But because it runs at 36V, expect some voltage sag. This drive is perfect for stop and go traffic. Range ~ 45-50 miles.

  4. Of course, the water bottle cage! Kickstand, mirror. E-bike specific tires for extra puncture protection. Overall a fully featured commuter.
Now, what looks good on paper may not always translate to real world performance. But, this bike has the same engine that you would find on Specialized Turbo Vado. Why would Specialized engineers pick that engine if they were not convinced of its performance?

Finally, price point! I think the MSRP is ~ $4500. You may spend $700 on a bike and call it a complete waste of money or spend $5000 and think it's a great value. Totally depends on the use and for commuters, this bike would be a great choice.
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Thanks Ravi, I have been zeroing in on the evo 45 for my first ebike/car replacement. I love that it has every feature I would want in a ready-to-ride package. Probably will add a Body Float and still stay under 5K. Moving to San Diego in 30 days and can't wait to test drive one. Alooooha!
 
Curtis Paddock said:
Thanks Ravi, I have been zeroing in on the evo 45 for my first ebike/car replacement. I love that it has every feature I would want in a ready-to-ride package. Probably will add a Body Float and still stay under 5K. Moving to San Diego in 30 days and can't wait to test drive one. Alooooha!
Click to expand...
That seems like a great place for an ebike! I was there last year for a dealer event and I felt like I would hardly have a need for a car there. I recently went car free here in Brooklyn and I've been really enjoying it despite the bad weather. Good luck out there and make sure to keep us posted! I'm always excited to hear of others making the switch :)
 
I find this is a great bike. I use it in Holland, winter, dark, some snow and ice, and I commute appr. 30 km a day. Twice I had to go 54 km, and back in the evening. That worked out perfectly.
 
In the review on this siteit says this bike has a 350 watt motor. An e-mail from the makers in Germany tells me that there only is a 250 watt motor... Who knows more?

Es ist zutreffend, dass sowohl unsere BULLS EVO 25 wie auch unsere BULLS EVO 45 Modelle über einen 250 Watt Motor des Herstellers Brose verfügen. Einen 350 Watt Motor von diesem Hersteller gibt es zum aktuellen Zeitpunkt nicht.
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Peter Polling said:
I find this is a great bike. I use it in Holland, winter, dark, some snow and ice, and I commute appr. 30 km a day. Twice I had to go 54 km, and back in the evening. That worked out perfectly.
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It is indeed a great bike.
Once the weather warms up, you should be able to go 75km easily.

Just like the Bosch performance that is advertised as 250W in EU and 350W in the US,
Brose motors in the US are rated at 350W. But the peak output of both these motors exceed 700W.

The ratings systems can be confusing but more often than not, the difference is only minimal and the limitation is set by the software and not the hardware.
While speaking with the BULLS tech personnel, I understand that the speed motors used in bikes like Lacuba are rated for 350W and consume little more power compared to 250W systems used in their mountain bikes.

With 2 chainrings, once your find the sweetspot, it's pretty easy to eek out good range out of that 17.5Ah battery.
 
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I just purchased the 2017 Lacuba E45 as a daily commuter. The kickstand that it came with (Pletscher esge) keeps loosening on me and I've had the bike fall over. Can anyone recommend a more robust kickstand?
 
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Chris Nolte said:
@Babrassiler that’s actually one of the better kickstands, are the mounting bolts getting loose? You could put some threadlocker or them.
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The thread has actually stripped on the kickstand. I believe the bolts used were M6x1.5 15mm and don't extend through to the other side of the stand. I have gotten longer bolts on there now and secured them with a nut on the other side. Maybe some threadlocker will keep it all in place.

Thanks so much for your input though, if this is as good as is gets with a kickstand then I'll just work with the current setup. It's amazing how lost you are without a kickstand on these heavy bikes.
 

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If you’re going to go all the way through I would use nylon locknuts with threadlocker. That should do the trick.

Pletscher is the main brand when it comes to kickstands aside from. I think the other challenge is the Esge kickstand is rated for 18kg. It might be better to upgrade to the Comp 40 which is rated for 50kg, this is what R&M specs on most their bikes. You’ll need the 40mm bolt spacing. We should have some in the shop if you need one as they’re not always the easiest to come by as it goes with a lot of these speciality ebike parts from Europe. We’re working to change that though.
 
I test rode one and wanted to like it. The specs and price certainly are good. And the quietness of the Brose motor appealed, but it didn't feel particularly powerful and was a bit too big and upright for my taste. And the kickstand rattled. Which is not something I would even bother to comment on, but with the remarks about it above, it could be cause for concern. Or maybe it just needed tightening. Bottom line, no matter how good the specs look, it pays to ride a lot of bikes before making a decision. This one may be a wonderful bike for some, but it didn't suite my needs.
 
got a lacuba 45s and really enjoy it. Much more exercise than my hub drive bike. Had some problems with inconsistent motor response, so worked on wheel speed magnet to get it perfect and Voila, much better performance. The range on assist level 2 is incredible. Also got thudbuster seat post and like the ride better. Anyone caulk the seams in the motor housing?
 
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