To run the forums, host the website, and travel, I charge a universal service fee for my reviews. This review was sponsored by Revolve. My goal is to be transparent and unbiased, this video and written review are not meant to be an endorsement of Revolve products.
The Chopper is a fat tire hub-drive ebike with a slightly different focus than most. The Chopper takes cues from the custom motorcycle scene with a relaxed angled ridding position, similar to a “bobber” style motorcycle and has these swept back 12” long handle bars that rise high almost like a Z bar or “ape hangers”. This makes for a ride that draws attention, yet is fairly comfortable for the rider at the same time. The comfort, looks, and features are set at a value price of $1,800. The aluminum alloy frame comes in just one size and color: this kind of satin matte black. But for as gruff as it looks, it is surprisingly light, weighing in at only 63.2lbs. As I mentioned, the bike has a comfortable and relaxed ride due to the seat tube being angled back, but it also has comfort in other forms. For example, the saddle is a cruiser style saddle which is much more comfortable for long rides than an active style saddle and features these springs underneath for a little bit of travel. In the front you get a suspension fork with these thick and sturdy 34mm stanchions. You can configure the suspension with a lockout clicker or use the preload adjust. But the big win for style and comfort is these Kenda Gigas 4” fat tires with knobby grips because the knobby ends can act almost as mini shock absorbers. These are rated for 5-30psi, and you may want to drop it all the way down to 5psi if you are going on some adventurous terrain like sand or snow, but do be mindful that having a lot of loose rubber can rub against itself and cause a pinch flat or what some people call a ‘snake bite’. Also giving the bike its signature looks is the 24” well in the rear and 20” wheel in the front. You would think this would make it heavier in the back, but surprisingly, the bike is a little bit front heavy if anything. Anyways, the comfort continues with items like the ergonomic stitched leather grips, so all in all quite a lot of cushy features. I suppose you could go a step further and swap the 27.2mm seat post with a body float or thud buster. I love that this bike comes with steel fenders although the front one is not a full length, but I suppose it still helps keep you dry or keep the up-flinging terrain at bay. They don’t rattle much and are very sturdy since they are steel, however, they are prone to scratches and the scratch itself could rust over time if not taken care of. Another great feature are these integrated front and rear lights. The front is a Blaze-Lite headlight that is mounted on the suspension fork which is not so great, because that can produce bouncing if you are on some uneven terrain. The rear light is really unique… to kind of add to that bobber style, they encased it in aluminum alloy and added these vertical guards to it… it looks great and finishes off the styling well. The bike has really good weight distribution overall and while it does have a higher attack angle, the suspension, saddle, and knobs soak up the bumps well. Other features include a rear mounted kickstand to eliminate pedal lock, an integrated bell, and Wellgo platform pedals.
Driving The Chopper is a 500 watt geared Bafang hub-motor that can be operated by 5 levels of cadence based pedal assist, or the trigger throttle. The cadence based pedal assist on this bike is not the best, probably due to the more basic 5 magnet sensor where as 12 magnet seems to be the industry standard nowadays. The delay in the cadence sensor was pretty prominent and a lot less responsive than other bikes I have reviewed. That being said though, this bike feels so much more at home with the throttle and really most people with this bike will likely be wanting it for that throttle to complete the motorcycle concept feel. Besides, pedaling on comfort saddles over long stretches of time will eventually rub your thighs to the point of discomfort, so it really is a much better experience just cruising with the throttle. I really enjoyed using the trigger throttle and it was smooth and responsive getting me up to 25mph easily, a welcome contrast to the pedal assist. I did notice that the controller is external, mounted in front of the rear tire. I do worry about the controller bing exposed, especially in a bike meant for rough adventure. However, many manufacturers have been going with this setup lately because separating the controller from the battery can make battery replacement easier and a lot less expensive. Mechanically, the bike has an entry level Shimano Touney 14-28 cassette and a 48 tooth chain ring in the front. The chain ring has an alloy guard but no chain cover, but I guess it can still help out if you’re wearing pants. The chain is longer on this bike, so it is a shame there is no slap guard to protect this all black bike from getting knicks and scratches. I would recommend getting an aftermarket slap guard or at least put some box tape over the area to protect that long chain from creating problems down the road. A big win in the mechanical side for me though is the hydraulic brakes. The Chopper uses Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with motor inhibitors and a 180mm disc in the front and 160mm in the rear. This is a great setup, because as I said before, the bike is slightly front heavy, so having that larger bake up front helps out a lot.
Powering the bike is a 48v 13ah lithium-ion pack that I am told is using Samsung cells. The battery weighs 7.7lbs and attaches with lock and key. It has a LED infogtaphioc for charge level readout and has an on/off switch. The on/off switch is somewhat of a safety feature, but I find it a little annoying since it makes turning on and off the bike a 2 step process. It also has a USB port, but I have yet to test it out. In theory, you could use it as a portable charger, kind of like a portable power brick if you have the USB cords to tap into that power. Overall the battery is very capable, something I would consider a high capacity battery, something not often seen in value priced ebikes. As I mentioned before, the controller is separate from the battery, so the cost of replacing this pack is only $500. Not bad at all considering the cell brand and the capacity. It does come with a 2amp charger, which is on the slower end, but I am told that will extend the overall life of your battery. 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.
The display here is a color LCD that swivels, but unfortunately is not removable, nor does it have a USB charging port. I is controlled by 3 buttons mounted on the left handlebar. The buttons are up, M, and down. Once the battery is on, you want to hold the M button which boots up the display. Right away, the display is going to show you speed, odometer, battery level (in percentages, which I personally love because it takes out the guess work), headlight status, and ambient temperature. If you press the M button, it will cycle through different readouts where the odometer is, going to trip, status, runtime, assist level, or watts. The up and down arrow will cycle through the various modes of pedal assist from 0-5. Setting it at 0 is a throttle only mode and where the bike starts out when first turned on, but do be careful as it is a live throttle at that point. If you want to really dig deep, you can hold up and down for settings. This will display configuration for units, brightness, auto off, battery voltage, assist level, wheel diameter, speed limit, magnetic steel, start mode, driving mode, assist sensitivity, assist start power, assist magnetic, and current limit. Really just a lot of options to experiment or tinker with if you feel so inclined. One of my favorite features however is to change the white background display and invert it to a black background because it’s really great for night time riding. To change this hold M and down at the same time.
The Chopper is a fun bike and really gets you in the mood for some summer cruising. However, there are some tradeoffs here and there, so let’s touch on those real quick. I like the wheel setup, but I do worry about some dealers not having both of the different sizes in stock if something were to happen. Another point of worry along the same lines is the 6 month warranty. Revolve is a great company, and it is great that they support their products. That being said, 6 month is not the most competitive warranty out there. The biggest tradeoff though would be the pedaling setup. This bike is made for fun throttle cruising, if you wanted something more active, you may want to consider other offerings. This is due to two factors. The first being the comfort saddle which is very plush and welcome, however, if you needed to pedal for long distances, your thighs could start rubbing the sides, making it unpleasant. Second, the 5 magnet cadence sensor creates a large delay when activating the motor, guiding you even more to wanting to use that trigger throttle. As stated earlier, it does the throttle very well and you would likely be very happy with it if you are the target audience for this machine. I love the style and finishing touches like the rear light and the stitched grips, it is quite an attention getter and puts you in a unique and fun state of mind when riding it. And it’s hard to complain when you have a high capacity battery and fat tire setup for $1,800! I would like to thank Revolve for letting me try out The Chopper, really a fun and unique bike.
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 Ebike forums and share your own photos, videos, and review updates to help others! Have fun out there, and ride safe :)
Pros:
- A unique look that some are sure to love, taking cues from motorcycle choppers and bobbers and mixing it with a fat-tire electric bike loaded with comfort and cruising potential
- A relaxed riding position with an angled seat tube, 12” high rise bars, a trigger throttle, and good weight distribution
- The saddle is a cruiser style saddle which is much more comfortable for long rides than an active style saddle and features these springs underneath for a little bit of travel
- Also included is a suspension fork with these thick and sturdy 34mm stanchions, you can configure the suspension with a lockout clicker or use the preload adjust as well
- Kenda Gigas 4” fat tires with knobby grips, rated for 5-30psi, you may want to drop it all the way down to 5psi if you are going on some adventurous terrain like sand or snow
- Sturdy steel fenders that don’t rattle much at all, full size in the rear, short in the front, likely to keep that design aesthetic of a motorcycle
- Both the front and rear have included battery integrated lights, I especially like the rear light, they encased it in aluminum alloy and added these vertical guards so it looks great and finishes off the styling well
- I really enjoyed using the trigger throttle and it was smooth and responsive getting me up to 25mph easily, a welcome contrast to the pedal assist
- A big win here is the hydraulic disc brakes, they include motor inhibitors, with a 180mm disc in the front and 160mm in the rear, his is a great setup, the bike is slightly front heavy, so having that larger bake up front helps out a lot
- The 48v 13ah lithium-ion pack is nice to see in a value priced ebike, it has a USB charging port on the side so I theorize this could be used as a portable power brick, replacement is only $500 retail
- The color display is easy to read and I like that you can invert the colors to make it easier to read when night riding, there are a lot of features and settings here, great for those that want to dig deep, I also love that the battery shows in a percentage infographic rather than just ticks that can leave you guessing
- Overall, really fun to take out and get into a different kind of zone, gives you a feel that is very unique and catches a lot of attention wherever you go
Cons:
- Revolve offers a 6 month warranty which is not the most competitive out there, but I am glad they do support their products and even have some dealers to help out
- Having 2 different wheel sizes could be hard to get stock from some stores or dealers if you need both wheels serviced at the same time, you may have to wait longer for parts
- I like the steel fenders, but they are prone to scratches and the scratch itself could rust over time if not taken care of, something to be mindful of
- Since the bike has a longer chain, I really wish there was a slap guard to protect that awesome black paint from knicks and scratches, I recommend getting an aftermarket neoprene slap guard, or at least putting some box tape down to help protect it
- The integrated headlight is a great feature, but it is mounted on the suspension fork, so it could produce bouncing illumination as well as bouncing visibility
- I like the color display, but it is not removable, so try to keep it out of the extreme elements when parked, it also doesn’t have a USB charging port, something I think would fare well in a cruiser like this
- The controller is mounted in front of the rear tire, luckily, the fender can help protect it, and more and more companies are going with external controllers, I just worry about it being out in the open, although this one does seem pretty protected
- The comfort saddle really is cushy when cruising, but if you have to pedal over a long distance, the wider saddle can create thigh rubbing, becoming quite uncomfortable
- Delay in the 5 magnet cadence sensor is very apparent, one of the less responsive I have reviewed in a very long time, it makes starting out difficult for some so I really recommend cruising with the throttle as it does a much better job
Resources:
Mark Presley
6 years agoI love the looks on this bike! Unique seems a weak description… I wonder how difficult it would be to replace the 5 pole cadence sensor with a 12 pole? Anyone know??
ReplyElectric Bike Zone
6 years agoWe appreciate the all details shared in this review. The video review with Sam was pretty fun, too. Thanks!
Reply