To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Rambo Bikes. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Rambo Bikes products.
Rambo Bikes has been popular amongst outdoor enthusiasts and some of that success has come from having choices and options. Today, we are looking at one of those options, a sibling of the top of the line 1000 XPC, the 750 XP Carbon. This is a similar bike, and it even features the same Bafang HD motor, however, this has been scaled down to 750watts from the 1000watt 1000 XPC so you can use it on more trails and paths if your local laws require it. Also, instead of the extra wide 4.8” fat-tires, you get the standard 4” fat-tires here. It features front suspension, powerful battery, and that very capable mid-drive motor from Bafang. Before we get into that, let’s go over some of the features here. It comes in just one frame size and one color. Despite its name, it is not a carbon frame bike, but rather an alloy bike with a carbon wrap acting as the color. This is throughout the bike and even the entire battery is wrapped in the carbon fiber motif. As stated before, it is fat-tire with a front suspension fork and that is one of the areas of comfort. The front fork is a GT MRK 355 fat-tire specific fork with both preload adjust. Those tires are another point of comfort. These are a set of Maxxis Minion FBR 26” x 4” and have some great knobby tread that actually can help as little dampeners adding a bit of absorption, so overall, very comfortable for riding. This allows for tons of grip, and matches the high-power motor capabilities as well. Assisting even further in comfort is this slopped top tube for easy approachability as well as this Selle Royal saddle. It’s so great that Rambo Bikes is putting so much comfort on a ride that is also very capable and fast… really just a lot of reassurance from something so powerful. Rambo also supports this bike with a lot of accessories, the bike shop in the video had Rambo bags and a Rambo tailgate cover… they even had a cart that can carry a hunting trophy! Unfortunately, there are no integrated lights here in either the front or the rear, but they do have some rack provision on the front to add to the possibilities. There is no quick release in either the front or the back, but that may be to keep cost down which I appreciate. I also like these Wellgo aluminum alloy platform pedals, they do the job very well. Other features include locking flat grips, a twist grip shifting lever, and an adjustable length kickstand (although it is mounted near the cranks, so you could get pedal lock when reversing).
Driving the 750 XP Carbon is the Bafang HD geared mid-drive motor. This motor offers 1,000 watts of nominal power with up to 1,500 watts of peak power, however, as mentioned before, this version has been scaled down to 750watts nominal to comply with local laws some may come across. But still here is the impressive 160 newton meters of torque. Yes… 160 Nm. It’s the torquiest motor I’ve personally tested and seems to fit the bike quite well. Compared to most ebikes which offer 50 to 90 Nm, the 160 here can feel exciting but might also put increased strain on the drivetrain and frame. Powering up moderate hills was a breeze (literally) and for all but the most extreme hills, I was able to rely solely on the throttle without pedaling at all. When tackling real hill climbs – ones where I actually had to get out of the saddle – I found the torque made the difference between me having to get off and walk up. One of the coolest things about this particular motor is that it’s Bafang’s newest version, which replaces some of the lower power designs that used nylon gears inside, this one uses all steel components. This upgrade in internal parts should help the motor handle the extreme torque being produced and improve its overall longevity. I think it’s great that there is a chain ring guide to keep the chain from bouncing around and coming off at high speed as well as a narrow wide tooth pattern that locks onto the chain more securely. The torque sensor did a nice job of smoothly administering power equal to my output. So when I pushed lightly on the pedals, I got a little bit of assist; when I hammered down on them the motor unleashed all its power. The motor cutoff was also pretty quick, and cut power almost immediately after I stopped applying pressure on the pedals. I appreciate this aspect, especially with the high torque of the motor, as I’ve found that on some cadence sensor designs found on cheaper ebikes, the motor cutoff lags quite a bit, making navigating trails at slow speeds difficult and even a bit unstable and unpredictable. Once nice thing is that the motor will power down as you shift gears to keep everything smooth and inline, as well as avoid any potential mishaps of over taxing the system. Mechanically, you get a nice SRAM X7 11-32 tooth cassette, and a 36 tooth chain ring up front with a metal guard. A big win here are the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes. You get a set of both180mm rotors in the front and in the rear. These are super responsive and one of my favorite parts about the bike. They also have built in motor inhibitors to cut power to that robust motor when you press on the brakes, making stopping just as powerful as starting.
Powering the bike is a 48v 11.6ah lithium ion battery pack. I would consider this a high capacity battery pack and really necessary for that super powerful motor. The battery has an easy to use handle and I love that it is even color matched to get the same carbon fiber we have on the frame! Anyway, the battery is mounted via lock and key, however, you don’t need the key to start the bike, it is just for battery security. The battery has a power button and I love the LED display read out on it so you can check to see round about how much juice is left. To really care for this and other lithium-ion packs, I have heard that storing in a cool dry location vs. extreme heat or cold will extend the life and try to keep it about 50% full when not using for long periods so you won’t stress the cells. Try not to let it run down to zero, because that’s really hard on the cell chemistry.
Another area worth mentioning here is the control center. I’m kind of a control center geek and I always love to see comprehensive stats while riding. The Bafang control center on the 750 XP does just that. It displays pretty much everything, including current speed, top speed, average speed, range, battery level, pedal assist mode, wattage output and more. More importantly, I could read it in direct sunlight! I love that it is color and uses an automotive motif. The only downside to this display was that it’s not removable, so I might worry about it getting dinged up when the bike is being parked or transported and just taking more sun and rain damage over time. On the plus side though, it does have the ability to enable a passcode, adding another layer of security to the bike which is a bigger deal if you have kids around or are just concerned about safety. It does however angle, and I love that the controls can be pressed easily by your left hand since they are positioned well as to keep your eyes on the road.
Wrapping up, I thought that the 750 XP was a lot of fun and very capable. The suspension and fat tires really give it a rugged quality that can handle anything, and I love that you still get the torque of the Bafang HD motor even though it is scaled down. The pricing is fair at $3,999 considering you get an extremely powerful mid-drive, wonderful name brand hydraulic brakes, capable fat tires, and suspension. However, there are some tradeoffs here so I did want to call those out. The bike was really comfortable, but I did feel the icing on the cake would be to add a suspension seat post. It doesn’t come with one, but that can be fixed by stopping by your bike shop and having one installed. There are no included lights, be they integrated or independent. And finally, the grip twist shift is good that is cleans up the cockpit, but it is mounted on the left and upside down. This could confuse some at first and takes a moment to get used to. Overall, the bike is really a blast and well put together, I would like to thank Rambo Bikes for inviting me up to come check it out.
As always, I welcome questions and feedback in the comment section below. Whether you own a previous version of the bike, have taken a test ride, or are brand new to the space, my goal is to provide an objective and honest resource. You can also join the Other Brands ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- Incredibly powerful and torquey Bafang HD motor with 750 watt nominal output and 160 newton meters of torque makes climbing even the steepest hills possible, it also keeps the bike at a smooth 20mph for would be local laws
- SRAM system and derailleur are specifically designed for e-bikes and should be able to handle the power and torque coming out of the motor, they also shift incredibly smoothly and have built in shift sensors to cut power to the motor when shifting, preventing the components from enduring unnecessary strain
- Maxxis Minion 26” x 4” fat tires, these have some great knobby tread, this allows for tons of grip, and matches the high-power motor capabilities as well
- A big win here are the Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, you get a 180mm rotor in both the front and the rear, these are super responsive and one of my favorite parts about the bike
- Motor inhibitors cut power to the motor whenever the brakes are the levers are depressed, ensuring the rider isn’t fighting agains the motor when trying to stop, another great safety feature
- Control center is easily visible even in direct sunlight and offers a plethora of information including current speed, max speed, average speed, battery level, range, pedal assist mode, wattage output and more
- GT MRK 355 front suspension does a great job of soaking up hard hits and making for an overall pretty smooth ride, features preload adjust and lockout
- I love that the electric controls are reachable from your left hand without having to take your hand off the handlebars, it really keeps your eyes on the road
- Grippy platform pedals are extra wide and grippy and help keep my feet in place even when hitting extra bumpy terrain
- Battery has a capacity of 11.6ah, good size for such a powerful application, battery is locking and removable and even has a LED charge level readout
- Gearing is good for high speed thanks to the 11-32 teeth cassette in the rear and 36 teeth chainring up front, I love the metal chain ring guard
- Tons of available accessories like bags, tail gate lift, trophy cart, it even has provisions for a strong mounted front rack
- The fat tires really excellent in soft and loamy terrain, even does great in gravel, even more capable than regular fat tires!
Cons:
- No included rack, fenders, lights, rear suspension, many accessories are available, but you must purchase after the $3,999 price
- Despite the Carbon name, this is not a real carbon fiber bike, it is an aluminum alloy frame which is still great, so it gets its carbon name from the carbon fiber wrap motif throughout the bike
- I did like the front suspension, but I did wish that it had a suspension seat post, it would really round off the comfort well
- The grip twist shifting was not my favorite, trigger shifters would offer a more tactile and accurate feel, also, it was mounted upside down which made understanding what gear you are in take some time
- Control center can’t be removed, leaving it vulnerable to theft and scratching when the bike is left at a public bike rack
- Only one frame size may limit the range of rider heights the bike can accommodate
- I love that it includes a kickstand, but it is mounted near the crank arm, so it can produce pedal lock when reversing in a garage for example
Resources:
Martin Ringeisen
5 years agoI am looking at buying an ebike for my outdoor lifestyle. I am torn between a older used felt outfitter and the rambo 750 xp. If you have to pick between the two which would you go with?
ReplyCourt
5 years agoHi Martin! I love the way the Felt models look, but they don’t have a throttle. If that’s important to you, then the Rambo might be your best bet. If you want to ride on mountain bike trails where they have specific laws, the Felt (and any Class 1) might be the best legal option. The higher powered, faster, throttle operated electric bicycles are often prohibited, but my experience is that this law is not enforced a lot. It might just become a liability if you hurt property or another person or animal while using the bike… it could be considered an unlicensed vehicle. Most forest areas that allow ATV, motorcycles, snowmobiles allow any type of ebike.
ReplyHeath Osborne
3 years agoCool e-bike how much $$$?
ReplyCourt
3 years agoHi Heath, I always put the price in the details “introduction” section of the page and this one costs $3,999 USD (or at least that was the price when we covered it). I also started putting it in the video title, but that’s more recent :)
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