The infamous Motobecane HAL E-MTB. I bought one…

[patentguru]

Soo happy I purchased the Motobecane eboost after seeing the other posts here. Awesome bike. I ordered one size smaller, 38cm, and it fits great. I am 5' 8". The pike shock and monarch rear are easy to set up and give a great ride. I took the stickers off the rims and frame. The dropper seat post is very difficult to install. I had to drop the motor twice, which required removing the chainring- you can only pull the cable towards the seat and it binds unless the motor is dropped in the direction of the lever. However, the hidden cables are nice. The bike is very well engineered. Only the pedals were changed. Pictures are with and without the battery installed. I almost ordered a bike with a Bosch drive-however I think the Shimano is better, lighter, nice display, lighter battery, and cheaper replacement battery. Shimano breaks are great. So much fun to ride.

 

[jiw71]

Soo happy I purchased the Motobecane eboost after seeing the other posts here. Awesome bike. I ordered one size smaller, 38cm, and it fits great. I am 5' 8". The pike shock and monarch rear are easy to set up and give a great ride. I took the stickers off the rims and frame. The dropper seat post is very difficult to install. I had to drop the motor twice, which required removing the chainring- you can only pull the cable towards the seat and it binds unless the motor is dropped in the direction of the lever. However, the hidden cables are nice. The bike is very well engineered. Only the pedals were changed. Pictures are with and without the battery installed. I almost ordered a bike with a Bosch drive-however I think the Shimano is better, lighter, nice display, lighter battery, and cheaper replacement battery. Shimano breaks are great. So much fun to ride.

Nice!...........the difficulty installing the dropper post cable is the main reason why I went with an external cable. Here' a pic of my external set-up. Not bad.... but yours is much cleaner looking. Enjoy............

 

[patentguru]

Cable is barely noticable. I like that blacked-out look. I may do that soon. I first want to try and remove the white lettering on the tires.

 

[FlatSix911]

Nice!...........the difficulty installing the dropper post cable is the main reason why I went with an external cable. Here' a pic of my external set-up. Not bad.... but yours is much cleaner looking. Enjoy............

Cable is barely noticable. I like that blacked-out look. I may do that soon. I first want to try and remove the white lettering on the tires.

The bike looks great with the logos removed... all stealth black.

I am a bit surprised that the dropper post does not come installed... although the external mounting option is not too bad.

 

[jiw71]

The bike looks great with the logos removed... all stealth black.

I am a bit surprised that the dropper post does not come installed... although the external mounting option is not too bad.

Thanks! Apparently the dropper post does come installed now. Back in Mar/19 a dropper post was NOT offered. The advantage of an external dropper post cable is the ability to easily install, service, inspect and reinstall the cable if need be.

 

[patentguru]

Only the dropper post cable is installed. However, you can move the cable in the direction of the seatpost to install the seatpost, but then when inserting the seatpost the cable binds in the frame when trying to pull the cable back through the bike. I had to drop the motor- 6 bolts and remove the chainring- 4 bolts. Not too hard. The dropper seatpost works great.

I just finished making the tires tubless. The rims and tires lock together nice and inflated easily the first time. I used 1 inch gorilla tape. First tried WTB TCS rim tape. Did not work-the tape would not stick to the rim. The rim was cleaned with acetone so the rim was very clean. The gorilla tape was very easy to install and sealed perfect the first time.

I changed the handlebar to a shorter carbon handlebar I had. The only other change I will make to the bike is shorter 165 cranks when they become available. The hollowtech version is sold out everywhere. All the other compenents are great. The shocks are exclellent and the Deor components shift perfectly. I am very happy with this bike. I have had many top of the line road bikes and mtbs. This bike is very well made and easily beats bikes twice the cost.

I will next figure out how to program the trail mode on the motor computer. Fun toy to play with.

 

[jiw71]

Only the dropper post cable is installed. However, you can move the cable in the direction of the seatpost to install the seatpost, but then when inserting the seatpost the cable binds in the frame when trying to pull the cable back through the bike. I had to drop the motor- 6 bolts and remove the chainring- 4 bolts. Not too hard. The dropper seatpost works great.

I just finished making the tires tubless. The rims and tires lock together nice and inflated easily the first time. I used 1 inch gorilla tape. First tried WTB TCS rim tape. Did not work-the tape would not stick to the rim. The rim was cleaned with acetone so the rim was very clean. The gorilla tape was very easy to install and sealed perfect the first time.

I changed the handlebar to a shorter carbon handlebar I had. The only other change I will make to the bike is shorter 165 cranks when they become available. The hollowtech version is sold out everywhere. All the other compenents are great. The shocks are exclellent and the Deor components shift perfectly. I am very happy with this bike. I have had many top of the line road bikes and mtbs. This bike is very well made and easily beats bikes twice the cost.

I will next figure out how to program the trail mode on the motor computer. Fun toy to play with.

ok thanks for the clarification...........sounds like you are well on your way to custom fitting your ride. I also run 165mm cranks. Here's a pretty good video for the e-tube setup (just mute the audio).

 

[patentguru]

Upgraded the mechanical shifting to the electronic DI2. Very easy, awesome, and less than $250 if you buy parts separate off ebay. Only need to buy four items, Shimano Deore XT Di2 IRDM8050GS 11-speed Rear Derailleur Shadow Plus; Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Derailleur to E8000 motor- length 750mm was perfect length for my bike; Shimano SW-M8050 XT Di2 Firebolt Single Shifters; and Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Shifter to computer on handlebar- length 150mm-I shortened my handlebar so you may need 200mm. I also bought the DI2 wire covers, which work great. Took me less than 30 minutes to remove the old cable system and install the new wire system. Download the eMax tuning app to my phone, connected to the bike by bluetooth and changed the software in the motor from mechanical shifting to electric. Then micro adjusted the derailure from the handlebar computer. Far more accurate and easy shifts. Now only light pressure to shift up or down, and hold the shifter down to automatically shift through all of the gears. Looks great too. Shift position now shows on the computer screen. Highly recommend.

 

[FlatSix911]

Upgraded the mechanical shifting to the electronic DI2. Very easy, awesome, and less than $250 if you buy parts separate off ebay. Only need to buy four items, Shimano Deore XT Di2 IRDM8050GS 11-speed Rear Derailleur Shadow Plus; Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Derailleur to E8000 motor- length 750mm was perfect length for my bike; Shimano SW-M8050 XT Di2 Firebolt Single Shifters; and Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Shifter to computer on handlebar- length 150mm-I shortened my handlebar so you may need 200mm. I also bought the DI2 wire covers, which work great. Took me less than 30 minutes to remove the old cable system and install the new wire system. Download the eMax tuning app to my phone, connected to the bike by bluetooth and changed the software in the motor from mechanical shifting to electric. Then micro adjusted the derailleur from the handlebar computer. Far more accurate and easy shifts. Now only light pressure to shift up or down, and hold the shifter down to automatically shift through all of the gears. Looks great too. Shift position now shows on the computer screen. Highly recommend.

Great write up on the Di2 installation... thanks for sharing.

 

[bob armani]

Upgraded the mechanical shifting to the electronic DI2. Very easy, awesome, and less than $250 if you buy parts separate off ebay. Only need to buy four items, Shimano Deore XT Di2 IRDM8050GS 11-speed Rear Derailleur Shadow Plus; Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Derailleur to E8000 motor- length 750mm was perfect length for my bike; Shimano SW-M8050 XT Di2 Firebolt Single Shifters; and Shimano EW-SD50 wire from Shifter to computer on handlebar- length 150mm-I shortened my handlebar so you may need 200mm. I also bought the DI2 wire covers, which work great. Took me less than 30 minutes to remove the old cable system and install the new wire system. Download the eMax tuning app to my phone, connected to the bike by bluetooth and changed the software in the motor from mechanical shifting to electric. Then micro adjusted the derailure from the handlebar computer. Far more accurate and easy shifts. Now only light pressure to shift up or down, and hold the shifter down to automatically shift through all of the gears. Looks great too. Shift position now shows on the computer screen. Highly recommend.

Excellent upgrade and sounds like a job well done. DI2 for $250 is a real bargain IMHO! Any idea of the cost as a full kit if all parts were purchased together?

 

[patentguru]

Excellent upgrade and sounds like a job well done. DI2 for $250 is a real bargain IMHO! Any idea of the cost as a full kit if all parts were purchased together?

Hi. I would not recommend a kit since you need to very carefully measure distance from rear derailuer to the motor and from the right shifter to the computer to order the correct size wires. I am sure the kit is far more. The DI2 works great and the prices are a bargain- probably because they are only 11 speed.

 

[bob armani]

Hi. I would not recommend a kit since you need to very carefully measure distance from rear derailuer to the motor and from the right shifter to the computer to order the correct size wires. I am sure the kit is far more. The DI2 works great and the prices are a bargain- probably because they are only 11 speed.
Hello patentguru- Thanks for your response. Had more ?s:

• Are you running the DI2 system directly off your E8000 battery and if so, where did you make the hardwired connection?
• Are you using the same interface for the DI2 that your E8000 motor uses?
• Is the DI2 system easier to be integrated with the current E8000 motor setup than using it with another type of motor system. ie: Yamaha or Bosch?
• Are you considering utilizing the "Syncro-shift" feature for front and back as an upgrade?

 

[patentguru]

Yes. See pics I posted. Take cover off (two screws) there is an open connection- connect wire there to the rear delralier. In the pic, the new wire to rear is the one on the right.
Yes- same computer. See pics which now show gear in.
Yes- Integration was seemless and easy. Need to reprogram motor to electric shifting using 3rd party software- eMax tuning app.
No way. See pics- no front deraelieur on my MTB, with 11-42T 11 speed.
Shifts are quick and flawless.

 

[bob armani]

Yes. See pics I posted. Take cover off (two screws) there is an open connection- connect wire there to the rear delralier. In the pic, the new wire to rear is the one on the right.
Yes- same computer. See pics which now show gear in.
Yes- Integration was seemless and easy. Need to reprogram motor to electric shifting using 3rd party software- eMax tuning app.
No way. See pics- no front deraelieur on my MTB, with 11-42T 11 speed.
Shifts are quick and flawless.

Great! That clarifies everything. Looks like Shimano made it a snap to do the upgrade. I think my next E-bike will have the E-8000 system so I can apply the same methods as you have. I have found it would be a lot more $$$ if I did this on my current E-bike that does not have a Shimano system. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Johnny]

Wish I knew this one.

This bike is such a great value and checks all the boxes I care about. Great components, designed to take both 27.5 and 29 (very few ebikes have this flexibility, i don't know why ).

It seems E8000 is superior to the gen 2 cx and very close to the gen 4 CX(The size, weight output are all very very similar between gen 4 cx and E8000, I wish I had the chance to try them out side by side). Ease of upgrading to Di2 and not being locked up to one manufacturer for batteries makes Shimano very appealing even if it is slightly less refined than gen 4 Bosch.

 

[bob armani]

Wish I knew this one.

This bike is such a great value and checks all the boxes I care about. Great components, designed to take both 27.5 and 29 (very few ebikes have this flexibility, i don't know why ).

It seems E8000 is superior to the gen 2 cx and very close to the gen 4 CX(The size, weight output are all very very similar between gen 4 cx and E8000, I wish I had the chance to try them out side by side). Ease of upgrading to Di2 and not being locked up to one manufacturer for batteries makes Shimano very appealing even if it is slightly less refined than gen 4 Bosch.

Well said. I am starting to feel the same way about the E8000 setup and versatility. So much more user friendly and looks like their motors are getting a bit more compact while still able to maintain the same output. I plan on keeping a watchful eye on eMTBs that are equipped with this motor.

 

[JackNCA]

I have the 2020 Motobecane eboost elite on order. This will be my 1st emtb and my 3rd full suspension mtb. Of course, the price was a huge factor but I also saw a few reviews comparing the e7000 to the e8000 and they both have their pluses and minuses. The 418wh battery is the only aspect that caused a bit of hesitation but I think it will still work with my riding style.

I’ll post a review once I have enough riding experience on it to be credible.

Does anyone else have this bike?

 

[FlatSix911]

I have the 2020 Motobecane eboost elite on order. This will be my 1st emtb and my 3rd full suspension mtb.
Of course, the price was a huge factor but I also saw a few reviews comparing the e7000 to the e8000 and they both have their pluses and minuses.
The 418wh battery is the only aspect that caused a bit of hesitation but I think it will still work with my riding style.

I’ll post a review once I have enough riding experience on it to be credible. Does anyone else have this bike?

Nice ride. I was about to pull the trigger last month when I decided to go with the BH Rebel Lynx.

I have read positive reviews about the Shimano E7000 system... does is also have the iPhone tuning app?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...-hal-eboost-elite-electric-mountain-bikes.htm

 

[JackNCA]

Yes.. plus the new firmware update allows tuning all 3 modes now (ECO used to be hard set, apparently). Don't know how useful it will be, but more gadgety features is a plus.

 

[JackNCA]

Did my first ride with the Motobecane eBoost Elite with the Steps E7000. I live in a town called El Dorado Hills, so lots of hills. Lot's of single track from rocky to smooth dirt wth some fire roads. Found some new sections that I never had the energy to explore before. I had used the Etube app to update the firmware and set the E7000 to explorer mode. ECO is high and TRAIL and BOOST are medium. I never came out of ECO. Did 17 miles and had 28 miles left on the range. The 418WH battery is more than I could ever need. The bike rides awesome. Assembly was easy except trimming the dropper post cable was a pain. The cable came pre-installed but was way too long. Had I removed the actuating lever to give more play, it would've been easy. But I ended up getting a kink in the cable. Luckily I had a spare. Looks great and works like a champ. 100mm travel is enough for me.

All I changed were the pedals and added a Lizard Skin chain stay protector. I bought new grips, but the factory ones are really nice so I left them on. I'll be setting it up tubeless as well. The rear derailleur needed no adjustment, just flipping the clutch lever. Brake set in very nicely, no bleeding necessary.

As far as power, I'm 5'8" 160lbs 56 years old and in good shape. I bought the 42cm medium frame and it fits me very well. ECO mode makes me feel like a pro climber. I definitely get a workout, especially climbing through rocks, but pretty much stay in my target heart rate all the way to the top. Instead of slowing to catch my breath before the next section, I just kept going. It was awesome. I switched to BOOST mode on the very last 1/4 mile back up the hill to my house. Insane power (it's set to medium), I feel like I'm just resting my feet on the pedals and they just spin for me. Not sure when I would actually use TRAIL mode, maybe up in the Sierras or at Lake Tahoe toward the end of a ride. I now see the benefit of the new Specialized Levo SL. Light weight with minimal assist. Too bad it's so expensive.

Overall, great buy. Couldn't touch anything else with these components at this price. Hopefully I'll be saying the same thing in a year.