BULLS ICONIC EVO 1 750 Wave Review

This review was provided for free using a demo bike. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased with you, this video and writeup are not meant to be an endorsement of BULLS products. I welcome your corrections, additions, and feedback in the comments below, and the BULLS electric bike forums.

Observations:

• The bike is purpose built with good weight distribution. It comes feature complete with aluminum alloy fenders, a rear rack, and lights that run off of the main ebike battery. Like many other BULLS models, it comes in four frame sizes, one color scheme, and is generally sold through dealers.
• Wide Boost hub spacing means the spokes have a stronger stance angle, and front thru-axle improves overall stiffness and strength. The tires are 2.45″ wide which is wider than average, offering improved stability, traction, and float. Although the bike looks like a city platform, it would be capable off-road and the suspension fork travel puts it into the Cross Country category of eMTB, you could also consider it a hybrid.

Pros:

• Feature complete hardtail electric bike that includes everything you’d need for adventure touring or daily commuting. The platform includes sturdy matching fenders, a custom rear rack, an adjustable kickstand, and premium integrated lights.
• The fenders and rear rack are aluminum alloy, so they won’t rust like steel if scratched, and are tougher than plastic. They actually connect in three places for improved strength. I appreciate the spring latch, bungee cross bar near the bottom, and positioning of the rack (it’s clear of the saddle so you can use trunk bags on top without making contact or impairing the dropper movement).
• The drive system hardware is top of the line, and the newest generation from Bosch. You get increased range from the PowerTube 750 and responsive high power from the Performance Line CX motor. I especially like the Kiox 300 display panel (which can be removed), and ergonomic Bosch LED remote button pad.
• Excellent two year warranty from Bosch, their hardware is UL certified, highly water and dust resistant, and I was told that they provide support on retired products for 10 years. I believe you get a five year warranty on the frame from BULLS, and Shimano may provide three years for their Deore drivetrain.
• The battery pack locks into the frame using an ABUS locking core with XPLUS Code keys that can be matched to ABUS locks (like folding locks, u-locks, and frame locks), so you don’t need multiple keys! They seem to be high quality locks in general that would be more more difficult to defeat.
• Outstanding battery charger that’s relatively light weight at 1.6lbs, compact with removable wall-side plug, and puts out 36 volt 4 amps vs. just 2 amps on many competing chargers. It has a sturdy plug design that connects directly to the battery as well as the plug port on the bike… but is not backwards compatible with many other Bosch ebikes, only Smart System.
• The battery offers extremely high charge capacity, 36 volts and 20.1 amp hours for roughly 750 watt hours. That means you can use higher assist levels without range anxiety, and just go farther in general.
• BULLS is a large company with a good reputation, they sell through 200+ dealers in the US who can help with fitting and service, their products are sold internationally including Europe and North America.
• I appreciate the bright integrated lights and reflective sidewalls on the tires here, especially since the frame and other hardware are kind of dark, this keeps you visible from the side and really enhances your visual footprint.
• The seat post dropper is a nice addition here, because it allows for easier mounting of the frame and supports body movement if you take the bike off-road and need to stand and squat to absorb bumps. I believe the Limoteq dropper offers 40mm of suspension travel, which compliments the 100mm of suspension fork travel to make longer rides more comfortable and give you additional control on trails.
• Shimano hydraulic disc brakes provide good stopping power, in part due to the larger 180mm rotors front and rear. The levers offer adjustable reach, which compliments the four frame sizes. Given the higher weight of the bike here, this was the right call, and they should be reliable and easy to bleed and repair with widely available parts over time than an off brand.
• Decent resin platform pedals with rubberized tread from Wellgo, comfortable co-branded Selle Royal saddle, and locking Velo grips with rubberized ends that won’t scratch your car or wall as easily if the tike tips. I love the ergonomic shape of the grips, so your hands won’t get numb on longer rides.
• I love that the frame includes a bottle cage mount on the downtube, and that it’s fairly high on the step-thru frame. This can be useful for fluids, tools, and mini-pumps, but you could also stow them in a trunk bag on the rear rack.
• Solid drivetrain with 38 tooth sturdy steel chainring that has a narrow-wide tooth pattern for improved grab. Plastic chain guard ensures you won’t snag your pant leg on the right side. The 10-speed 11-42 tooth cassette provides enough range for steep climbs and comfortable pedaling at speed. The Shimano Deore derailleur offers a clutch to keep the chain tight, and is one of my personal favorites for this price point The trigger shifters are great.
• Bosch LED remote is easy to reach with your left thumb, the buttons are consistent and satisfying. The 5 LED lights actually communicate 10% charge level increments for more precise readings (blue is a 20% chunk and white is a 10% chunk). The four assist levels are matched to colors, so you don’t need to read anything, just memorize the colors Green = Eco, Blue = Tour+, Purple = eMTB, Red = Turbo. You can even adjust the lowest and highest assist settings (Eco and Turbo) to add power or change the top speed (from 20mph or less).
• The included Bosch Kiox 300 LCD display panel offers more precise battery readouts, current speed, trip distance, heart rate, range estimate and more. The free Bosch eBike Flow smartphone app offers many of the same readouts and lets your phone act as a display in Ride Mode.
• I love that the Bosch Flow ebike app offers trip planning with GPS and gives you three options for direct, casual, or mountain routes. It dynamically updates your route depending on your ride preferences! It also lets you adjust Eco and Turbo assist settings (power output, acceleration, top speed, max torque). You can update your own firmware without visiting a shop, track rides, and connect to other cycling apps like Strava, Komoot, Apple Health, and Apple Watch all with this free eBike Flow app. There’s even a geofenced locking feature that relies on the smartphone and will disable the bike if you are parked.
• The Bosch Performance Line CX motor is super smart, measuring rear wheel speed, pedal cadence, and pedal torque over 1,000 per second! It’s extremely responsive and quick, is quieter than I remember, doesn’t weigh a lot at just 6.4lbs because of the magnesium housing, and supports over 120 RPM pedal cadence. That means you don’t have to adjust your pedaling or ride style to the bike, it adapts to you… and even provides shift detection to reduce wear on the chain and sprockets.
• A few other highlights of the bike include the sticker slap guard that protects the paint, thicker 13 gauge spokes in the rear wheel to add strength, and the bright Supernova E3 light bolted onto the rear rack. Note that the headlight has side cutouts and the rear light is visible from the sides, adding to your visual footprint.
• BULLS has positioned the magnet for measuring rear wheel on the wheel hub near the disc brake rotor mount vs. a spoke. This means that your wheel can stay more balanced and you won’t end up with a loose spoke over time, it also improves reliability because this tucked-in position isn’t exposed to mud and debris as much.

Cons:

• This is a little complaint, but the bike only comes in one colorway. It looks professional and clean, could wok for guys and girls alike, but might not appeal to everyone. It’s dark but has some metallic reflectivity, I’m thankful for the integrated lights and reflective tires.
• The dropper seat post with suspension travel adds a few inches to the minimum saddle height. You could replace it with a rigid post to put it as low as possible, just worth considering as a trade-off with this part.
• Part of what makes this ebike unique is that it’s mountain capable, and available in a deep step-thru wave frame style! When you combine the low step with a seat post dropper, it makes it very accessible. One downside to having the fenders then, is that they are fairly tight on the tires and may not work with studded off-road tires that would make the bike viable for cross country or hybrid trail use. I would consider removing the fenders in this case, but you’d also have to remove the rack because it interfaces with the fender… so it’s a trade-off.
• I noticed that little pebbles and rocks would sometimes get kicked up into the fenders and make noises when riding, you can hear a metallic tink sound from time to time. The fenders are pretty close to the tires, and work well on road, but could create a safety hazard if a big rock or stick got caught while riding off road at higher speeds.
• As is often the case with fully equipped electric bike that have a high capacity battery pack, metal fenders, a rear rack, and lights, this one weighs quite a bit at 64.4lbs. That’s a big number, but the battery alone is 9.4lbs, and the spring suspension fork with Boost hub spacing and thru-axle adds some weight as well.
• The suspension fork is interesting, because it offers a lot of adjustability and has a tapered steer post, but is a spring fork vs. air. Air would probably be lighter, and you could always switch to air down the line, but keep in mind the replacement fork may not have direct mounting points for the nice aluminum alloy fenders.
• The rear rack did not have a weight rating stamped on it, but I’m guessing it could be 20kg which is roughly 44lbs because of how it is attached to the stanchions and fender vs. directly to the seat stays. It might not be sturdy enough for a child seat, but the frame has bosses for adding your own sturdier aftermarket rack (if you remove the fenders and stock rack).
• I wish that the USB-C port on the Bosch LED remote was active for charging smartphones and other devices, especially since the Bosch eBike Flow app has a ride mode that shows realtime stats and mapping. This is less of an issue than some other models because you already get the Kiox 300 with many readouts. The bike has such a high capacity battery, and I love that it can run the included lights, I just wish it could do the same for other accessories.
• The Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System motor is very responsive and powerful, but it uses energy faster and produces more noise than a lower powered variant, and some of the competition. It’s gotten a lot better, so this is more of a “high powered motors make noise” comment than a Bosch specific critique.
• The battery cover seats well and provides good protection from dust and water, but it doesn’t lock to the frame. As a result, I feel that it could be easier to lose or have taken off, but at least it’s probably affordable and easy to replace because it’s just black plastic… and it’s not as heavy as a metal shield that some other ebikes use.
• When mounting the battery pack back onto the frame, you have to actively twist the key to unlock the latch or the pack won’t go in. It requires two hands and just isn’t as convenient as a ramped latch that I’ve see on other interfaces where you just push, especially because the battery is heavy at 9.4lbs. At least the bike has a kickstand so interacting with the battery is easier than on some of the mountain models without kickstands.
• Be careful when lifting and transporting the PowerTube battery because it does not have an integrated handle like the PowerPack mid-frame and rear-rack models. I do appreciate how it clicks down one step when unlocking, before completely coming off the bike because you are less likely to drop it when removing.
• None of the Bosch Smart System hardware is backwards compatible, so you can’t use a PowerTube 500 or 625 on this ebike, you cannot use the original Kiox, or other displays like Purion, Intuvia, or Nyon, just the Kiox 300 or 500 as of this review.
• This is a minor thing, but the chainring doesn’t cycle backwards when you backpedal, this changes how drivetrain service is done… you basically need a bike maintenance stand or a friend to lift the bike and pedal to clean and lubricate the chain (and the bike is heavy at 64.4 pounds, so lifting in general can be a challenge. Be careful with the dropper seat post). One positive note here, is that Bosch has setup the bottom bracket with some resistance so the cranks won’t spin as freely backwards, which could lead to more shin scrapes and shin bumps if your foot slips off when pedaling.