I recently bought a Rambo 750. I will admit I did minimal research prior to purchase. I just bought a bike that seemed to be suitable for hunting and mellow trail riding, nothing hard core, and was within the amount I was willing to spend. I have no interest in getting into the sport in a major way, the bike is just a means to an end. Yet, I am also one who appreciates quality machinery. When I buy bows, guns, optics, tools, etc. I buy top notch stuff. Low and behold, I thought while spending $2500+, this bike would be up to my usual quality standards.
It’s not. Not even close. The frame and the motor is just fine, but everything else is junk. The front fork is worthless. The brakes are terrible and need constant adjustment every ride. I bent a rim on the first mellow trail I rode the bike on. The gears are really rough. You can see where they cut costs and it’s in all the components. Is it worth upgrading the components on this bike? Or am I just throwing good money at bad? If worth upgrading, could you guys give me some recommendations? I don’t have the desire to dedicate a bunch of time into research something that doesn’t interest me that much. I just want to get to my hunting spots without being beaten into submission and without the bike falling apart and or needing constant adjustment and repair. Or do I have to bite the bullet, go back to my usual “buy once, cry once” and spend $5-8k if I really want a quality bike? Thanks.
Gosh, Nate, I have a 2016 R750 and have none of those issues. I did finally upgrade the front fork to one with shocks. But otherwise I ride hard, ride a LOT of rough terrain where I live in the mountains, and have had no problems at all. I know Rambo has changed the design a bit since then, though not sure about downgrading components so the 750 will stay price-competitive with some of the lower priced brands, which do use cheaper components.
I've got the R750 as well, and am pretty happy with it overall. There are some cheap-feeling parts but with a few tweaks all has been well, and I run it a lot. A rattling plastic fender, I fixed by adding a couple steel bolts. Gears-to-chain fit loose and slipping/popping I remedied by running it on a slightly lower gear at all times. For speed control now I never change gears, I use only the motor power setting of 1 through 9. I did have the plastic throttle lever break, but it was a cheap and easy replacement. As far as the brakes, I agree they are finicky, until set correctly. From the factory, they were way off where they need to be. But once I finally got mine set up right where they should be, they work pretty flawlessly, front and rear. As far as the rough ride, I agree that's true. I usually just raise my butt off the seat when the terrain gets a little rough.
I follow all the ebike threads on here as I am curious about them. They have some on display at sportsmans and run about $4,700 before tax. Just wondering how much the weight of the rider and gear impacts quality of ride, battery life, effectiveness of brakes, etc.
Oh man. I did whales of research before I bought and ended up with the Bakcou Mule. I abuse it more than any mountain bike I’ve ever had and it just keeps right on trucking. Sorry to hear about the Rambo. If you do make a switch not sure I’ve ever heard a bad thing about the mule.
Sticksender, You’re happy with it after all that? Wow. You have way more tolerance than I do. After spending nearly $3k, One would think you wouldn’t have to put up with such inconveniences and frustrations. I have a couple of hard-core mountain biking buddies, and they just laugh at me when I tell them I bought a Rambo. And then they laugh even harder when I explain that I am not happy with the quality. They all seem to think I should’ve known better. Of course, they all ride $10k bikes.
Jaq, maybe the earlier iterations had better parts. The suspension fork on mine is completely useless. It either bottoms out easily or doesn’t actuate or absorb shock at all, there is no in between.
I’m thinking about walking this thing into a bike shop and telling them, you have $1000, make this thing better. That’s about as much effort as I want to put into it.
Did you contact the seller? Explain the issues and request a refund? Social media is a huge incentive for retailers to "make it right" with the customer!!!!
I was given a Rambo for Christmas. I have not yet put many miles on it. I agree with the quality of components. They are less then average. I am surely not happy with the customer service and felt they did me wrong and made no effort to make the situation right. I will buy any other brand then a Rambo bike, if I do it again.
I hear you when you say you didn’t want to go nuts on the research. I’m a research fanatic. Obsessive! But sometimes I can be a compulsive shopper which often means just throw enough cash at it to call it good. BUT.... the one thing I would do is go straight to people I personally know who are also research nuts and had experience with the product to let them make my decision for me. Bowsite is perfect for that. I would have shot Lou and a couple others a PM and never looked back before pushing the button on an E bike.
Customer service has been great thru the sponsor here I bought the bike from. I had a leaking brake line that they replaced. This isn’t the retailer’s fault. I’m not going to run them down!
This is mostly my fault for not realizing that in the world of E MTB’s, $2.5-3k is entry level and will only access lower quality bikes. I got what I paid for, sadly.
When I bought mine in 2017, the R750 was pretty much top of the line at the time. I think retail was about $2800 for my model. I've had very good customer service too.
Since then Rambo has really expanded their product line, eliminating the derailleur on many models in favor of a 3 speed rear hub. I have not ridden one of those.
That said, mine fell off my rear carrier at 70 mph on the interstate (operator error on a new carrier). Aside from road rash, a bent handlebar and pedal stem, it was still rideable, and since I replaced those, it has been flawless aside from an occasional brake adjustment. My front fork seems to have a decent adjustment range although I haven't really put it to a hard test yet - still too much snow.
Is yours one of the 3 speed models? It's very possible that Rambo expanded too quickly and reduced quality of components on their lower end bikes to better compete. I have no connection to Rambo or any other manufacturer so I can only speak to my experiences with the model I have. But I've been very happy with it, and I am hard on equipment.
FYI, I dealt directly with rambobikes for my problem, not through any sponsor here. I did buy things off a main ebike sponsor on Bowsite and had nothing but great service.
Mine has been very good, had some brakes squeak due to dirt. Otherwise, I have pounded it hard with none of your issues. Had great luck with customer service too. Just lucky I guess.
FYI, I dealt directly with rambobikes for my problem, not through any sponsor here. I did buy things off a main ebike sponsor on Bowsite and had nothing but great service.
I purchased a QuietKat last year and had the cassette bend and chain break on me when I was way back in the mountains of Idaho. Was a miserable trip out pushing it. I will be the first to admit I was pushing it to its limits. I took it to my local bike shop to be fixed. They told me the parts that came on it were cheap and he wasn’t surprised it broke. Shop owner claims the replacement parts are better. The repair cost me $325. I have used my QuietKat since I had the parts replaced and it hasn’t worked fine. It was hard to get ahold of QuietKat to see if there was any warranty, and ultimately wasn’t. I used a Bakcou trailer and my buddy used a QuietKat one. Both our trailers ended up with some damage. I contacted Bakcou and they sent me a replacement part no questions asked right away. My buddy said he still hasn’t got any part from QuietKat. They had him send pictures and he did. Then he contacted them again and they asked for pictures again that he already sent.
I got the 2021 Bushwacker, the front fork was upgraded from the previous year, the pistons are at the bottom of the fork and front wheel has an internal axel, so no need for a cross bar above the tire. The battery was also upgraded to 14 ah. MSRP is $4299, but I got a package deal for $3699, includes trailer, rear rack, saddle bags and fenders. This also has 5 gears and no derailleur.
I think 3-4 grand is the going price for a quality hunting Ebike, and above 4 grand you're getting into the 1000 watt category.
Took mine out on a maiden voyage last weekend to a couple of my properties to run cams - I was all smiles.
Thats a bummer to spend that and be disappointed. Good to know.
My boys did the research for me and when a used Backou came up on craigslist ...I got the text from one of the twins..."Here it is dad. This is it. Don't think about it, just buy it. It's the one" Everyone takes advice from a 13 year old right? Ha:)! He's a bike nut and knows more than me about all this stuff. I did it. I don't know which one I have but it's full suspension and an absolute beast. No complaints. I looked it up and with the accessories they guy before me added it would have been almost $6k new for reference. That's the same price I paid for my Yamaha atv used. Crazy but it does open doors to somethings the 4 wheeler just can't do.
I bought a Rad Rover two years ago. My wife uses it to commute to work almost every day when there isn't snow on the ground and I have used it on two hunts. Overall not real hard use, but it cost about $1700 and I haven't put a penny into to it. It hauled 80 lb quarters on a big bull (tough to steer) and we are really happy with it.
I bought The Roamer from Rambo last fall after my other ebike came off the carrier and got destroyed in New Mexico. I have not experienced any of the issues you mention. Mine is a 3 speed mid drive. The front fork shock isnt super stiff, otherwise , it is great in my opinion. It is 3499 retail tho. Seem similar to the old R750 with upgrades.
Packed out my buck on the bike. Was nice after packing to simply throttle across a couple miles of flat ground. I know - lazy!!!
Packed out my buck on the bike. Was nice after packing to simply throttle across a couple miles of flat ground. I know - lazy!!!
Picked up the bike on my way into the US as I crossed the border. Had it shipped to the US side. First thing I did was ride up and down this kind of terrain. I may have biffed it once or twice and went rolling down a coulee lol, but that bike is tough. Crashing through sage brush no problems.
I wish you people would stop posting this stuff. I really want one. The desire became great after Jaquomo let me ride his as well. You people have cost me a lot of money over the years
Ha, Bake, it sure made a great shuttle back up the mountain to the truck after you guys abandoned me! I could hunt all the way back to camp from up on that ridge.
In all honesty..... a good mountain bike with quality components will run you $2-3K.... and up from there. I think my 2 year old used Giant was $1200 a few years ago. I've seen folks with $15K+ bikes that fly in for events, still just bicycles that I can tell. Quality components are expensive. Top end are crazy.
There is entry level and, um, next level, and likely stupid level after that. Archery. Marine. Bikes, cars, trucks, you name it. If there's a price point to hit..... somebody's gonna hit it..... somehow. For eveything else there's China.....
"Kenny, as far,as the gear range with the 3 speed, how does it compare with the 7 gears on the other "derailleur" bikes?"
Hey Lou, I still have a 7 speed M2S mid drive. The 3 speed Rambo still has 9 levels of boost. I keep it on 1 most the time with 1 or 2 on the boost level when im just riding for fun or to train. Seems like i rarely have to worry about changing gears on the 3 speed. I change regularly on the M2S. Both are nice bikes. I would have purchased another m2s if they wouldnt have been out of stock for 4-5 months last october.
Ok, thanks. I keep mine on the second ring most of the time with assist 1 or 2. Only put it on the big ring in steep ascents, and on the smaller rings when I'm trying to keep up with my wife on flatter stuff... Was just curious how the ratio on the 3 speeds compare.
I also have a M2S and couldn't be happier Used it pretty hard and no issues...roughly $1700. Paired with a Harbor Freight aluminum motorcycle carrier and I'm pretty solid for well less than $2K.
Biktrix Juggernaut HD or Ultra. I have beat the crap out of them with no issues. Solid components come on them for what you paid for your Rambo. Sell your Rambo and start over imo. Super frustrating. The Juggernaut is also a mid drive.
Backou Mule owner. I had one problem, but the situation would have destroyed any bike.
I was coming down the mtn side and I kicked up a stick. Closer to a small log. It went into my rear spokes and snapped the derailuer bracket and destroyed derailer. Luckily I was on the downhill side of mtn. I used gravity with minor assistance to get me to the truck. I bought the bracket and derailer from Backou and had my local bike shop realign everything. (Had to replace a couple of spokes also) $20 labor. It was a bargain and back to new. I love my bike. My issue was NOT related to quality. All components are top notch.
I have never seen the Rambo, I own a QuietKat Zion and a Backou Storm. They are both good bikes, but the Backou is a seriously rugged bike, more powerful, and smoother ride.
I did LOADS and over a year of research on these bikes.... I called dealers, called the companies, called customers. It wasn't even close. Bakcou hands down has the best bike as I have bought the Mule and a couple of Storms. Honestly... just being able to call them and speak to someone on the phone is amazing. The other companies have a third party line from my own personal experience and they dont know their bikes. I also found out the owners of Bakcou are pure cyclist and have been in many high stakes races, so they know bikes and components. "You get what you pay for" is so true in these bikes.
I want to make one point abundantly clear. This is in no way a reflection on John or EBike Generation. They have been nothing short of wonderful to work with. John has even offered to refund my money. Amazing offer and definitely not necessary as no part of this is on him. I just should have done more research and or upgraded from the beginning. You can rest assured you will be doing good business with John and he will be there to support your purchase! Thanks!
I hear you Adam. When I bought from John/E-Bike Generation, I utilized a package discount, Bowsite discount, and my CitiBank card (2% Cash back). But no regrets. Backou bikes are built stronger than a brick "sh!thouse".
I've had GREAT customer service from Rambo, always get a human who speaks "Minnesotan", and they always call back if I leave a tech support question. I called a couple days ago and someone picked it up on the third ring, answered question.
Because i keep coming back to this thread, I am going to tell my Rambo story... My wife bought the bike directly from Rambo as a gift for me for Christmas. As part of a black Friday deal, the bike came with a high mountain conversion kit, used to increase climbing power, I believe. Perfect! With this included, she thought the price and deal were good, and purchased the package deal. After receiving the bike, I decided to install the kit. Pretty straight forward, not really clear directions, but nothing that could not be figured out.... Once all the pieces were assembled and attached, the last part needed to be done was to attach the chain.. This is where the problem starts. Humm... Upon installing the chain, the new sprocket on the kit and the "old" sprocket on the bike were not compatible. I called Rambo the following day and told them the problem... figuring its an easy switch on a sprocket.. Their answer, "Oh, that kit will not fit on my bike" WTF.. Well, then, how about a refund on the price of the conversion kit? "Nope! We can't do that.. " In our last conversation, they stated to send me my address and they will send me a hat.. Ugh, nope! There will be no advertising. Why send something with a bike that is known not to work or fit. A worthless free gift. I feel it was pretty bad business, and will no longer purchase anything Rambo related. Sorry to vent, but thats my story, Still pisses me off.
On brakes are they hydraulic or mechanical. That is one upgrade I would look into if they are not hydraulic. Much more responsive and will not have to make as many adjustments, fairly cost effective as well.
Adam: I bought a bike last April. I bought a Bakcou Storm. I like the heck out of it. It's probably the best hunting thing I've ever purchased aside from Swaro binos.
Since this thread, we now have his-hers Bakcou Mules for the mountains, and have relegated the Rambo and Rad to "town bikes". The Mules retail for 2x the price of the Rambo but they are a significant upgrade in quality and performance.
The Mules have a torque sensor integrated into the assist so it is smooth and applies assist as needed. The Rambo assist is either in or off at whatever level, so it can be kind of jerky. The hydraulic brakes on the mule are definitely a step up from Rambo mechanicals.
As with many things in life - women, bows, bikes - you often get what you pay for.
How are you guys dealing with cold weather and the battery? I have a Rambo 750 and it does a pretty good job on my land. I have really steep hills. Maybe not quite Colorado steep like Lou but steep. By November it starts getting cold enough in VT that the battery very quickly goes to 0. I keep the battery in my basement so it is warm on the ride to the stand. On the good side my climb is on the way in to hunt so I can mostly coast down but not ideal. By the time I am riding back home the battery has gotten cold and isn’t very helpful. Makes the bike much less useful for about 1/2 my season. Anyone have a solution?
I've put roughly 500 miles on my Bakcou Mule. The only problems I've had, besides a few flat tires, was one of the crank arm bolts loosened up and fell out, which caused the crank to fall off in mid-ride. Fortunately, I was able to backtrack on the trail and I found the bolt. A bit of loc-tight took care of that problem. Since then, I've used loc-tight on every bolt that I don't expect to ever remove.
Otherwise, the bike has performed flawlessly. I've made minor adjustments to the brakes and derailer, but I expect to do that periodically with any bike.
My kickstand bolts recently stripped on my Rambo Roamer 750. Lost the kickstand. It wasnt a great stand anyway. Probably wont miss it except when i have it plugged in while charging in the garage. Also, bolts vibrated out of the front disc. Replaced them and loctite was used afterwards. Otherwise, still good to go on my Rambo.
I did over two years of research before buying an e-bike. You need hydralic brakes, a front fork with at least 8omm of travel, upgrade tires with tire liners and a quality shifting/derailing system. I went with a Volt-Bike buying direct from the factory. Very pleased with the Yukon 750 limited. With panniers delivered to Maine around $2000. No issues..............Do your research and spend once
I was looking at Rambo, Rad Power and others and researched specs and capabilities on all of them. I also talked to folks while hunting that had some of these models. What my decision came down to was what was I willing to spend, not what I was able to spend. I am well aware of the adage of "buy nice or buy twice", but I went with an entry level mountain ebike from Amazon. The specs and capabilities of the bike were equal to or exceeded the specs on all of the other bikes except for the high-end specific purpose hunting ebikes. And, it appears well built with decent name brand components. I already have a high-end regular mountain bike, Specialized, that I currently use for scouting, hunting, road, and about everything else. When I hunt, I have a trailer that I haul behind my bike. Hauling my equipment in and out of the woods as well as game is a lot of work and effort, particularly on an off-road grassy trail. I'm fit enough that I don't really have a problem with doing it, but I'm not getting any younger. I wanted to try an ebike to determine if it would work for me. I have no interest in using it for anything other than hunting and scouting. So, at this point, I didn't want to break the bank on a more expensive high-end ebike. It's pretty flat in Florida and the riding is not as intense as some of the above photos. So, we'll see if I'm ultimately happy with my purchase.
I was pretty far "OFF TRAIL" here on an Arctic Ocean ;)
I was pretty far "OFF TRAIL" here on an Arctic Ocean ;)
Had one of my guides take it for a rip. He was pretty impressed.
Had one of my guides take it for a rip. He was pretty impressed.
When all else fails....bring out the big guns lol.
When all else fails....bring out the big guns lol.
Steve, I know I have used my Mule here in Manitoba all the way until the end of the hunting season. Also had it up in the arctic. It continues to work. Once I hit like -20 I can't use the throttle but the assist still works, so I am never down to just human power.
I bought a new Quiet Kat Apex on sale for $3700 last year. I've put several hundred miles on it. Everything plastic broke right away including kickstand, and clamp that secures electric gear shifter buttons.
I've had zero issues with my Bakcou Storm in two years. It's a tank. Only a broken chain and that was my fault. Love that bike. Pricey, however.
I also own a QuietKat. It's been mostly reliable with some battery issues and QK was hard to reach for service. When I did get them, they told me they needed me to send the battery for them to test it and wouldn't provide an ETA on turnaround. That wasn't very convenient since it was the start of hunting season and I was using the bike. Battery issues still happening this year too. The bike will occasionally just go dead if the battery is under 50% and you are peddling on your own power.
I was very skeptical of the Rambo. Price was attractive, for sure, but never looked sturdy to me. Probably OK for cruising dirt roads to your deer stands but I would be very nervous about any serious back-country trips into elk country.
Bought a Rambo Roamer 750 this summer for five hunts the next five years I knew I’d draw. All in reasonable terrain out West. The jury is still out after my first hunt for CO elk this September. However, I’ll likely only use it one month/year, so I wasn’t going to spend big. I got a $1,000 sale discount, then a $500 upgrade to 2022 model when they oversold the 2021’s. I figured with the Rambo name recognition it would be easy to resell if I didn’t like it.
Components are the name of the game in biking world. So guessing it is same in Ebikes, even on high end bikes they come stock with fairly plan components. Does not surprise me on fork, you can spend 2-3k on a mountain bike and drop another 1k to upgrade fork before you even leave the store.
I had a Bakcou Mule ST. Sold it because I didn’t use it enough. But quality was very good.
While peddling in 7th gear and engaged the throttle, I reached 38 mph on the street. (Human assistance)
The biggest issue folks have is thinking they can engage the throttle from a dead stop while in a high gear. The mid drive motor has so much torque it can bend the cassette or break the chain. It has enough power to climb a wall.
I have a QuietKat Apex I got on sale for $3700. Had a few problems like the plastic kickstand broke right away and gears shifted on their own when riding on rough terrain. Tires are incredibly thin and get flats frequently. Battery drains pretty darn fast as well on rough terrain on throttle mode. If I had it to do over, I'd have gotten one of those that look and handle like an actual dirt bike. My cousin has one, and it goes 0-55 mph, faster than a lot of trucks.
Tracker, I live in the mountains on gravel roads and ride steep, tough ATV trails. A high quality bike with mid-drive will climb a tree. Steep and rough is what bikes like Mules are built for.
