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

I hadn't noticed this before but there is now a $3999 eBoostPRO with 150mm of front and rear travel and integrated battery.




eboost-team-blk-7.jpg
 
The Shimano mid drives are turning out to be pretty good for the long run and I see way less complaints about them than Bosch/Brose. This could be a factor of sales figures but the trend towards more wh's aboard and Shimano's 504wh battery being the only offering, which quite frankly is enough to get most people a sore ass, seems to be holding it back for some buyers. At some point Shimano will do what other manufacturers are doing and put 21700 cells in using the same downtube which raises the wh level because typically used 18650 cells are up to 3500mAh and the slightly larger 21700's up to 5000mAh/cell.

I feel it would be smart of them to develop a piggy back battery that would be retrofitable to all existing models that is a 10s2P, half the amount of cells as in the integrated pack, but out of the 21700 cells so that using 5ahs cells it would be more like 300wh's. The ability to ride with or without the other battery is becoming more and more popular as people find what their limits are for wh's needed. Shimano's proprietary system pretty much dictates that they allow this to happen and perhaps will some day.

Glad the OP has found the joy as many have and that Pro model looks very clean.
 
That new HAL eBoost Team looks great. I was just a few weeks too early with my order. The Team has a 1x12 drivetrain vs the Pro with 1x11 and the Team has a lockout front fork and 3" wide tires vs 2.8". I like the black-on-black color scheme more than the black/blue too.

My Pro has 140mm of front fork travel because RockShox added a bottoming spacer to deal with the extra weight of the ebike so travel is reduced from 150mm (5.9") to 140mm (5.5"). That's still a lot of travel. The Team probably has the same spacer for 140mm of travel.
 
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JRA said:
The Shimano mid drives are turning out to be pretty good for the long run and I see way less complaints about them than Bosch/Brose. This could be a factor of sales figures but the trend towards more Wh's aboard and Shimano's 504wh battery being the only offering, which quite frankly is enough to get most people a sore ass, seems to be holding it back for some buyers. At some point, Shimano will do what other manufacturers are doing and put 21700 cells in using the same downtube which raises the wh level because typically used 18650 cells are up to 3500mAh and the slightly larger 21700's up to 5000mAh/cell.

I feel it would be smart of them to develop a piggyback battery that would be retrofittable to all existing models that is a 10s2P, half the amount of cells as in the integrated pack, but out of the 21700 cells so that using 5ahs cells it would be more like 300wh's. The ability to ride with or without the other battery is becoming more and more popular as people find what their limits are for Wh's needed. Shimano's proprietary system pretty much dictates that they allow this to happen and perhaps will someday.

Glad the OP has found the joy as many have and that Pro model looks very clean.
Click to expand...

I agree... the future battery packs will definitely use 21700 cells for higher energy density just like Tesla.

The Yamaha & Shimano mid-drives seem to have better reliability compared to Bosch & Brose... similar to Japanese vs. German autos... ;)
 
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The new model feels a smidge overpriced to me at $4K considering you can get an entry level Specialized TL for $4500 after rebate with LBS support.

www.specialized.com

Turbo Levo

The new Turbo Levo brings the most advanced eMTB frame, motor and battery technology to as many riders as possible. We’ve taken our advanced M5 alloy ch...
www.specialized.com www.specialized.com
 
tomdav said:
I hadn't noticed this before but there is now a $3999 eBoostPRO with 150mm of front and rear travel and integrated battery.




eboost-team-blk-7.jpg
Click to expand...
Good catch! Looks like this was just recently added. I have been to this site on/off and have not seen it listed in the "electric" category. Very nice offering and looks like it is up there with the Trek Powerfly. I prefer the Shimano motor system over the Bosch due to the di2 compatibility upgrades.
 
HI All
thanks for the info here. You guys helped me make my decision and save me lot of $$$! I Just bought 2020 Hal EBoost Pro. Shipping was pretty quick. Mostly had no issues putting it all together but lack of clear instructions sucked. But thanks to Google and Youtube all was assembled in the end. I had no issue with dropper post cable or anything else.


First impressions are simply WOW! what an amazing bike! Few of my Neighbors rode it as well and all were simply blown away.

My only question is what's that yellow thingy for?
 

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That is the rear brake caliper spacer. Since they installed the rear wheel at the factory they removed it from the caliper and were nice enough to throw it in the box. If you remove the rear wheel for shipping you should insert that spacer in the brake caliper. Same goes for the front caliper.
 
Also, it's a must if you want to do a proper brake fluid change and bleed. I forgot it came with that, thanks for reminding me. I did a quickie brake bleed just using a Shimano fill cup at the brake and no bubbles even when backing out the free stroke screw. Everything was set great at the factory. The only thing I found loose was the headset star nut. I checked it after 50 miles and found it a bit loose. I'm at 175 miles and still absolutely loving the bike. No issues, no creaks or rattles. Just a bit more blood than usual as this bike inspires more confidence than I'm used to. robrob inspired me to order some night riding lights from Amazon so see more blood in my future. I'm so close to buying a PRO since I love the ELITE so much. Looking forward to reading the first review of the TEAM version when it starts shipping in May. It looks really sweet.
 
One small issue appeared.. Front brakes squeal pretty loud. Will it go away with additional break in? Or I need to look in to different compound brake pads..

thanks!
 
kotkot said:
One small issue appeared.. Front brakes squeal pretty loud. Will it go away with additional break in? Or I need to look in to different compound brake pads..

thanks!
Click to expand...
Hang in there. It normally sorts itself out once you get some Km’s on the clock
 
kotkot said:
One small issue appeared.. Front brakes squeal pretty loud.
Will it go away with additional break in? Or I need to look in to different compound brake pads..

thanks!
Click to expand...

Stick with the OEM pads for now and try cleaning the rotors with alcohol to remove any possible contamination.
 
FlatSix911 said:
Stick with the OEM pads for now and try cleaning the rotors with alcohol to remove any possible contamination.
Click to expand...
Had the same issue on my MT5 brake set in the rear. Used the alcohol method and it worked for awhile, however, I occasionally get the squeak back. Had some contamination before that and removed the pads and did a full brake scrub per YT instructions. I experienced better braking performance thereafter.
 
onlineaddy said:
What is this “full brake scrub per YT instructions”? Please elaborate, @bob armani . Thanks.
Click to expand...
You Tube is my go to for DIY repairs/maintenance. The brake scrub entails removing your brake pads from brake calipers, then putting some liquid dish washing detergent on the pads and scrubbing them together to remove any potential contamination that came in contact with the pad surfaces.

The most common cause is when you are spraying lubricants on your chain and the over-spray comes in contact with the pad surface. This will ultimately result in excessive brake squeaking and performance issues. When finished with the scrub, rinse and dry thoroughly and reinstall. You will find the braking performance to improve dramatically minus the squealing noises. Here is a full procedure onn YT: Brake pad cleaning Hope this helps! ;)
 
I finally identified an annoying little creaky sound that was so intermittent it was driving me nuts. It turned out to be the internally routed rear brake and seat post cables. Where they enter the down tube, it's loose enough for more cable to go inside as I steer from right to left. That excess cable inside the down tube occasionally hits the side making it sound like a creaky headset or something in the front fork.

I was thinking of putting micro-sized zip ties on the cables at the entry point to prevent excess going inside. Thoughts on this?
 
Spark said:
I read about them all, the prestigious brands. Rode a bunch too. Was really close to buying a Bulls E-STREAM EVO AM 4 27.5+ (love the Brose motor). But could never quite get the value of the Motobecane HAL 5, from "that" internet company, out of my mind. Spent a year going through this evaluation.

Finally did a mental exercise. I imagined a person placing the Bulls & Motobecane in front of me and saying, "You can have either one of these bikes." "Bulls, baby!" I'm thinking. And then this imaginary person adds, "But if you take the Motobecane I'll also give you $2400." $2.4 can buy a lot of accessories, tools, and other gear that a newbie (or re-entry guy like me) is going to need. Decision made. I took the risk and pulled the trigger on the no-name, internet bike.

Don't get me wrong. I didn't buy the MB just because it cost less. The components are very good, and usually found only on very high quality e-bikes. I like the Shimano E8000 motor for it's size and weight, and it has plenty of power. Plus, for me, the power and gear shifters are tough to beat for the symmetry of function, and the compact display is well positioned, bold and concise and easy to read at a glance--these are primary touch points that make or break the pleasure of the ride, whether you're riding hard or easy. (Would love to see the Brose S with the Shimano shifter and display, but...)

Thought it would take a couple of weeks to be delivered. It arrived in 5 days. No damage, no problems. The only real assembly was to bolt the front disc to hub, bolt the front brake to Pike fork, place the front wheel into the fork, and adjust the handlebar. And the pedals; had to screw those into the cranks.

Frankly, I am impressed with product and very happy with the purchase. I really thought I'd see some evidence of "cheapness", but fit and finish is good. They obviously didn't put any money into cool paint and graphics, but the worst you can say is that it has the Motobecane name on it in a few places. The hardest part was adding the LEV Integra dropper. Yes there is a spare entry into the frame for the internal cable routing (as their page states), getting a cable to pass through the intended route, however, it is very difficult. In the end, I got it done. But I will say that there is value in buying a bike with the dropper installed; it's pain in the ass to DIY, at least for the first time out. I weighed the bike today. 48lbs 8oz; a good 4-6 lbs lighter than I expected based on the weights of higher priced competition.

Bottom line: The MB is a great value for a full suspension, full Shimano XT level, Rockshox-equipped e-mtb, especially for a rider new to e-mtb. It arrived in fine shape and base assembly was simple. If you've been riding and already have all the gear and tools needed to ride and maintain all the components on these type of bikes, then spend the extra for a premium name brand. For me the "internet bike" saved me enough to outfit the rest of my kit.
Click to expand...

How has the bike held up after 1.8 years?
Care to share how many miles you have racked up?
 
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