First ride on my new Intense Tazer Expert at Alum Creek Phase 2. Just picked this bike up from Paradise Garage in Columbus, Ohio (thanks Dan!). I am 6' 2" tall and 190 lbs and ride motocross most of the time and e-MTB's have been a fun off road riding option for me the past few years. The Intense Tazer e-MTB's looked cool and every time I test rode a Tazer the bike just felt right to me (like my moto bikes). My body weight distribution through my feet and hands while standing and cornering on the Tazer feels very natural and gives me confidence to push. That is the feeling I noticed on test rides that piqued my interest enough to buy a Tazer and really get to know the bike.

I bought the Tazer Expert model (MSRP $6299) which includes a full carbon frame and rear triangle, Fox 38 Performance fork and Fox X2 shock, Shimano SLX drive train and brakes, and DT Swiss wheels with Maxxis Minion DHR tires. The Tazer Expert has the Shimano 7000 motor which is rated at 60Nm peak torque and comes with a removable 504Wh battery.

A mile into my first lap at Alum Creek Phase 2 MTB trail everything I felt on my test rides was confirmed. The feel of my body weight distribution at the handlebars and pedals felt so good and the handling was confidence inspiring in the corners and especially on the downhill sections. For a 50 lb size XL bike the Tazer felt lightweight and was agile in the corners. I like the Mullet layout (29" front, 27.5" rear wheel) and I think the smaller rear wheel helps the Tazer feel smaller in the corners. Also the smaller 504 Wh battery is lighter and held low in the frame.

Since I regularly ride 90Nm rated Brose motor powered e-MTB's I was concerned the 30% lower powered 60Nm Shimano 7000 motor could be an issue for me (not enough power!). After the first ride on the Tazer the lower powered motor is not an issue. In fact my 27 minute 25 sec (27:25) laptime on the Tazer Expert on this ride was 4 secs quicker than a recent 27:29 laptime on my '22 Specialized Levo Expert which has a 90Nm rated Brose motor. While the Shimano 7000 motor did have less torque feel (mostly felt at very low pedal RPM) than the stronger Brose motor the assist from the Shimano 7000 motor felt more than strong enough. The Tazer's Shimano 7000 motor has (3) modes to choose from (Eco, Trail, Boost) with Trail providing a very natural feeling assist level and Boost (my favorite) giving full assist which is helpful on steep technical climbs. The Shimano e-TUBE tuning app does allow for motor power character tuning though I never felt the need as the (3) modes each provide a unique assist level which can be quickly accessed while riding with a switch next to the left handle grip. The Shimano motor seems to like slightly higher pedal cadence as the assist seems to increase with higher pedal RPM's. The Shimano motor also feels almost friction free as the speed goes past 20mph and the assist drops out.

Negatives: I did notice at times minor battery or motor rattle noise over roots and rocks. The smaller 504Wh battery has more than enough range for my rides but may lack the range needed for some riders though a spare battery is an option for longer rides.

Overall : Pretty cool to finally get an Intense Tazer and confirm the "just feels right" I felt on test rides feels even better on real MTB trails. The Intense Tazer: an e-MTB for moto riders!

Looking forward to more rides soon!

свернуть