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

[LimboJim]

Hey LimboJim, Thanks for the info. I too ride pretty intense trails on my emtbs and have been thinking of trying out the Sram EX1 8 speed drive train when my 10 speed Deore XTs needs replacement. Interesting that the EX1 chains are so much cheaper, but how about the cost of the new EX1 drivet train? When I priced it all out (shifter, cassette, rear mech) it was nearly $500. Any leads on a better price?

The XG-899 cassette is expensive, no doubt, but I've never seen another 8-speed cassette with anywhere near the 11-48t range it offers. $500 is about as good as it gets for the trigger shifter, derailleur and cassette, as far as I can tell. I'd also consider the X-Sync EX1 sprocket for Bosch or X-Sync Chainring for other motors.

 

[LimboJim]

Even with the elevation changes, the wear is excessive. What chain are you using? Do you use the factory grease the chain is packed in, or do you clean off the factory grease and use a different lube? How often are you lubricating the chain? Are your rides mostly dry and dusty, or wet and muddy?

Conditions vary here in New England. I clean & relube just about every ride (MucOff wet or dry, depending). Makes no difference with 11-speed chains in my experience (KMC X11e, Shimano CN-HG601 & 701, Wippermann Connex 11SE). Same is true for my Bulls w/Brose & 11-speed setup - about 200 miles per chain. My 8 & 10 speed rigs have done 400+ on the same hilly trails.

Mind you, I'm using the "0.5% for 11-speed, 0.75% for 10-speed or less" rule.

 

[Stromer2work]

Bottom line - the thinner chains used on 11-speed drivetrains don't last as long on eMTBs, but as a Stromer rider, you don't have to worry about that.

I only ask because I'm considering a mid drive bike. Well that and I was curious about the motobecane build quality. I've owned a 7~8 bikes from BD and there have been a couple lemons. I'm a bit reluctant to order another motobecane if I can help it as I've found a higher quality supplier for most of my natural aspirated bikes. $3500 may be a good price, but it's still a lot of dough for an e-bike I wouldn't ride a lot as we can't use those bikes on the trails here in Michigan on state and metropark land. I was considering it to tote my trail grooming tools around, and if I caught hell, well so be it, because I'm trimming trees, shrubs, putting dirt in holes, etc and toting those loads around by leg can be annoying.

 

[Ebikefevercure]

Just happen to have a few.

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Assembled bike. Stock seat post replaced with a dropper (shown in lowered position). Otherwise, this is what you get.
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super nice!

 

[Alphbetadog]

natural aspirated bikes

LOL, that cracks me up! I'm going to put that one in my rotation in addition to "push bikes" and "analog bikes".

 

[bob armani]

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.

Spark-Sweet bike. I was watching this website and was not exactly sure how reputable this company was. Thanks for sharing. I always compared the Commencal META POWER with the MB. At $3500.00 US, this looks like a bargain based on your review. I also like the pedals you have paired with this bike. I have to admit, I was also thrown by their list pricing on this website. Yeah, the oldest trick in the book to get someone to do an impulse buy, (pays to do your thorough research before purchase).

 

[LimboJim]

I only ask because I'm considering a mid drive bike. Well that and I was curious about the motobecane build quality. I've owned a 7~8 bikes from BD and there have been a couple lemons. I'm a bit reluctant to order another motobecane if I can help it as I've found a higher quality supplier for most of my natural aspirated bikes. $3500 may be a good price, but it's still a lot of dough for an e-bike I wouldn't ride a lot as we can't use those bikes on the trails here in Michigan on state and metropark land. I was considering it to tote my trail grooming tools around, and if I caught hell, well so be it, because I'm trimming trees, shrubs, putting dirt in holes, etc and toting those loads around by leg can be annoying.

Catch us if you can!

MA and other New England states' land managers are currently being lobbied hard by our venerated mountain bike ass'n with anti-eMTB dogma.

Yesterday I took a couple of MA state officials on their first pedelec trail rides on some (ordinarily) hardpack singletrack. One of them, an Environmental Affairs guy, was specifically looking to see their effect on trails, and it's been pretty wet around here lately so the tracks were only semi-hard.

A thin-tired, naturally aspirated, 23 pound gravel pushbike was zipping around at least a few MPH faster than us. It dispersed a visible - albeit analog - rooster tail, and left behind much deeper gouges in the soil than any of us did!

 

[Gotbikes]

Glad to know another owner! I like your Bulls too; I'm a fan of their bikes too. I want to reply to your comments.

Internal Dropper: I was able to get the cable into the downtube only by inserting the internal, thin cable in through the bottom and using a magnet to guide it UP to the frame hole near the headset. Attempts to feed it down always failed. I then slid the outer cable back down over the inner cable. I had to then feed the cable back through the motor housing, but the bend was so tight I had to bring it out the top, just under the bottom battery mount. The cable is exposed just over the top of the motor, but is well secured away from moving suspension parts up through the seat post tube. I would have dropped the motor to get it fully enclosed if I'd had the proper size Torx tool. I didn't, but I had a bike to ride, so screw it.

The motor was a tough choice. There are no really bad ones. But my favorite was the Brose. I too have only experienced the Brose-T, and Brose-S sounds like a great upgrade. So smooth and quiet. That's why I was favoring the Bulls. I think it is telling, however, that the Bulls very expensive Enduro model uses the Shimano-steps system.

No argument that the Bulls details are higher quality. I do worry a bit about the long term durability of the MB. But I also know that my riding is likely to be lower stress on the bike than if was was 40 years younger, so maybe I won't bend it as much as you. LOL. Not looking forward truing the wheels. That could go wrong real fast if I try doing it myself.

Appreciate your comments and sharing the picture of your MB. Surprisingly it looks a lot like mine!

Glad to know another owner! I like your Bulls too; I'm a fan of their bikes too. I want to reply to your comments.

Internal Dropper: I was able to get the cable into the downtube only by inserting the internal, thin cable in through the bottom and using a magnet to guide it UP to the frame hole near the headset. Attempts to feed it down always failed. I then slid the outer cable back down over the inner cable. I had to then feed the cable back through the motor housing, but the bend was so tight I had to bring it out the top, just under the bottom battery mount. The cable is exposed just over the top of the motor, but is well secured away from moving suspension parts up through the seat post tube. I would have dropped the motor to get it fully enclosed if I'd had the proper size Torx tool. I didn't, but I had a bike to ride, so screw it.

The motor was a tough choice. There are no really bad ones. But my favorite was the Brose. I too have only experienced the Brose-T, and Brose-S sounds like a great upgrade. So smooth and quiet. That's why I was favoring the Bulls. I think it is telling, however, that the Bulls very expensive Enduro model uses the Shimano-steps system.

No argument that the Bulls details are higher quality. I do worry a bit about the long term durability of the MB. But I also know that my riding is likely to be lower stress on the bike than if was was 40 years younger, so maybe I won't bend it as much as you. LOL. Not looking forward truing the wheels. That could go wrong real fast if I try doing it myself.

Appreciate your comments and sharing the picture of your MB. Surprisingly it looks a lot like mine!

Spark, great review and pics - thanks! You look even older than me :-( What size did you buy? looks like a 38 but not sure. AND how tall are you and what inseam length? Can you tell us too, if you're a road bike rider, what size road bike you ride? I'm trying t figure out which size to buy. Unfortunately I missed out on this year's crop of Hal eboosts so will have to wait til March '19

 

[Gotbikes]

A few months ago I bought one of their $300 "sale" bikes as a platform to make my "grocery-getter" with a Tongshen mid-drive. It was the Motobecane HT529 if I remember correctly. It was a basic OK bike with about the level of components expected from a $300 bike. It was delivered quickly, boxed well, and in good condition. Bikesdirect.com performed as expected. However, your HAL Eboost emtb seems really well spec'd out for the price.

I have purchased 5 bikes from them, one was an amazing deal like the HAl e-boost (it was a CF road bike with full Dura Ace Di2) a couple of others were vey nice and there was one so-so but priced accordingly. I would not hesitate to buy again from them. It's a pain being in Canada as they will not ship here so I have to drive over the border to pick up from a UPS store or wait till I visit my son in California.

 

[Spark]

Spark, great review and pics - thanks! You look even older than me :-( What size did you buy? looks like a 38 but not sure. AND how tall are you and what inseam length? Can you tell us too, if you're a road bike rider, what size road bike you ride? I'm trying t figure out which size to buy. Unfortunately I missed out on this year's crop of Hal eboosts so will have to wait til March '19

I bought the 42cm size. I am 5'10" with a 32" inseam. The size feels about right. I haven't ridden a road bike since I owned a full Campi Raleigh Professional in the late 60s (age 16-17?) for rides from Venice to Malibu along the Pacific Coast Hwy every weekend. Don't remember the size. It's been motorcycles and crappy faux mtb since then. The MB is the first quality bike I've owned in a very long time. I am still very happy with my decision on this bike, by the way. As for age... I am 64 (hence the emtb; it's very steep and hilly where I live).

 

[Gotbikes]

I bought the 42cm size. I am 5'10" with a 32" inseam. The size feels about right. I haven't ridden a road bike since I owned a full Campi Raleigh Professional in the late 60s (age 16-17?) for rides from Venice to Malibu along the Pacific Coast Hwy every weekend. Don't remember the size. It's been motorcycles and crappy faux mtb since then. The MB is the first quality bike I've owned in a very long time. I am still very happy with my decision on this bike, by the way. As for age... I am 64 (hence the emtb; it's very steep and hilly where I live).

Spark, I owe you an apology - I meant to say you look "almost as old as me" - the 68 year old brain works in mysterious ways sometimes. I'm in Canada, the polar opposite to Malibu (pun intended), and was in the bicycle trade in the 70's, 80's and 90's. In the early days the international bike exposition was in NYC but I guess they figured out it might be more fun to locate it farther west in Nevada and California. I always attended and always took a bike or two and/or the ex and an employee.

In 1981 we took my handbuilt, fully Campy Nuovo Record equipped Bob Jackson Tandem, complete with tubulars, and rode down the PCH from the LA area to San Diego and it was a trip, at that point, of a lifetime. My wife was 6 months pregnant with our son at the time and, ironically, he now lives about 10 miles up the road ( I use the term road lightly) from Pioneertown California with all the cowboys there. The terrain is brutal there, it's the back way up to Big Bear, and now that I'm offically old and have had knee and shoulder surgery along with two muscles re-attached in my right arm it's time to consider an e-mtb. I would not even consider driving a rental car up to his ranch so figured the Hal e-boost would be a great way to cover the 32 mile roundtrip up and back from the ranch to Yucca Valley.

Further, my 65 y.o.cousin lives in Oceanside and there's a great Bike The Coast ride on Nov 3 which I'm encouraging him to join - there's routes from 7 to 100 miles - he's the archetypal couch potato. I threatened to join him to get him out. I do keep a handbuilt ti road bike along with a c.f. Fuji moutainbike at my son's but since he moved up from Pioneerown which was on the highway, I don't get much use out of the road bike. I would have ordered a Hal but my surgery timing was bad and missed the initial stock they had.

I vividly remember the Raleigh Professional, by some metrics, it was the pinnacle of Raleigh's, now chequered, history. It stood up against any Italian or British handbuilt at the time.

Anyway, I'm home, sick a s a dog with flu or something, so I've got a little time on my hands to write.
.

 

[Spark]

Spark-Sweet bike. I was watching this website and was not exactly sure how reputable this company was. Thanks for sharing. I always compared the Commencal META POWER with the MB. At $3500.00 US, this looks like a bargain based on your review. I also like the pedals you have paired with this bike. I have to admit, I was also thrown by their list pricing on this website. Yeah, the oldest trick in the book to get someone to do an impulse buy, (pays to do your thorough research before purchase).

The Commencal looks like a very nice bike. Don't think you'd go wrong with it.

 

[jiw71]

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.

Hi: thanks for the review. Just pre-purchased the same bike. (looking for a little help as I age). Just wondering about pedal strikes while riding this bike? I find that full-suspension bikes create a lot of 'pedal bob' particularly on uneven terrain. I would be interested in your experience so far. Thank you.

 

[LimboJim]

Hi: thanks for the review. Just pre-purchased the same bike. (looking for a little help as I age). Just wondering about pedal strikes while riding this bike? I find that full-suspension bikes create a lot of 'pedal bob' particularly on uneven terrain. I would be interested in your experience so far. Thank you.

My biggest cause of pedal strikes has been too much sag in my rear shock, but you can buy shorter Shimano crank arms that will fit that bike.

 

[jiw71]

thanks..............I anticipated that and have ordered 165mm crank arms. BTW: great photos!

 

[robrob]

Very nice bike and good review, thanks.

 

[jiw71]

Received my Motobecane in Mar/19 and haven't stopped riding it. (3865 km's) I changed out the handlebars (carbon 780mm), installed a dropper post (PNW with external routing) and also installed a carbon wheel set (i35) Got rid of the blue colour on the bike also. Absolutely no problems with the Shimano drivetrain other than replacing chains quite often until I started using the Wippermann Connex chain. Love the geometry and suspension! All good quality components. Comparing component to component with other e-mtb's this bike is a steal. BTW: Occasionally I run a 29+ wheel in the front. (RR track pics) Works great!

 

[FlatSix911]

Received my Motobecane in Mar/19 and haven't stopped riding it. (3865 km's) I changed out the handlebars (carbon 780mm), installed a dropper post (PNW with external routing) and also installed a carbon wheel set (i35) Got rid of the blue colour on the bike also. Absolutely no problems with the Shimano drivetrain other than replacing chains quite often until I started using the Wippermann Connex chain. Love the geometry and suspension! All good quality components. Comparing component to component with other e-mtb's this bike is a steal. BTW: Occasionally I run a 29+ wheel in the front. (RR track pics) Works great!

Nice mods to your bike... thanks for sharing. Has anyone purchased the new HAL e27plus with the Shimano E7000 system?

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products...-hal-e27plus-electric-mountain-bikes-29er.htm

 

[patentguru]

Received my Motobecane in Mar/19 and haven't stopped riding it. (3865 km's) I changed out the handlebars (carbon 780mm), installed a dropper post (PNW with external routing) and also installed a carbon wheel set (i35) Got rid of the blue colour on the bike also. Absolutely no problems with the Shimano drivetrain other than replacing chains quite often until I started using the Wippermann Connex chain. Love the geometry and suspension! All good quality components. Comparing component to component with other e-mtb's this bike is a steal. BTW: Occasionally I run a 29+ wheel in the front. (RR track pics) Works great!

Hi, Thank you for posting the pictures and comments regarding the Motobecane eboost. I ordered a high level Haibike full seven 9.0 on a black Friday sale and after seeing your post I canceled the order and then ordered the Motobecane. $500 less than the Haibike and better front fork (pike vs revelation), better looking frame geometry, internal wiring, far lighter motor and battery (Shimano vs Bosch, Haibike listed at 56 pounds), lower cost second battery, can switch between 29 and 27.5, etc. Well thought out bike.

How did you remove the blue paint? I want to do the same. Why did you change the wheel set, was the original wheel set heavy? Thanks

 

[jiw71]

Hi, Thank you for posting the pictures and comments regarding the Motobecane eboost. I ordered a high level Haibike full seven 9.0 on a black Friday sale and after seeing your post I canceled the order and then ordered the Motobecane. $500 less than the Haibike and better front fork (pike vs revelation), better looking frame geometry, internal wiring, far lighter motor and battery (Shimano vs Bosch, Haibike listed at 56 pounds), lower cost second battery, can switch between 29 and 27.5, etc. Well thought out bike.

How did you remove the blue paint? I want to do the same. Why did you change the wheel set, was the original wheel set heavy? Thanks

I think you made a good choice going with the Motobecane. The Shimano e-8000 drivetrain is second to none in both quality and function. The bike now comes with a 'newer' Pike fork and dropper post..........at the same price as last year's model. I love riding this bike! Plus at this pricepoint I was able to add upgrades and still stay under us$5000. I easily covered the blue by matching the flat black paint job with a spray can of black primer. (great for touch up also). The original wheel set is of good quality.....including the hubs. I have a spare wheel set to interchange with different tires for different terrain.........particularly in the winter months when I run studded tires intermittently. Enjoy............