Revolve The Chopper Review

Revolve The Chopper Electric Bike Review
Revolve The Chopper
Revolve The Chopper Bafang 500 Watt Hub Drive
Revolve The Chopper 48v 13ah Battery Pack With Key
Revolve The Chopper 12 Inch Handlebars Cockpit View
Revolve The Chopper Color Display
Revolve The Chopper 20 Inch Wheel Integrated Headlight Front Suspension Fork
Revolve The Chopper Comfort Saddle Rear Fender Integrated Light
Revolve The Chopper Comfort Saddle With Rear Springs
Revolve The Chopper Front View Suspension Fork Headlight
Revolve The Chopper Wellgo Platform Pedal Chain Ring
Revolve The Chopper Kenda Gigas Fat Tire Hub Drive
Revolve The Chopper Rear Light Kenda Knobby Tires
Revolve The Chopper Side Profile Angled Riding Position
Revolve The Chopper 2amp Battery Charger
Revolve The Chopper Battery Charger
Revolve The Chopper Stock High Step Black
Revolve The Chopper Electric Bike Review
Revolve The Chopper
Revolve The Chopper Bafang 500 Watt Hub Drive
Revolve The Chopper 48v 13ah Battery Pack With Key
Revolve The Chopper 12 Inch Handlebars Cockpit View
Revolve The Chopper Color Display
Revolve The Chopper 20 Inch Wheel Integrated Headlight Front Suspension Fork
Revolve The Chopper Comfort Saddle Rear Fender Integrated Light
Revolve The Chopper Comfort Saddle With Rear Springs
Revolve The Chopper Front View Suspension Fork Headlight
Revolve The Chopper Wellgo Platform Pedal Chain Ring
Revolve The Chopper Kenda Gigas Fat Tire Hub Drive
Revolve The Chopper Rear Light Kenda Knobby Tires
Revolve The Chopper Side Profile Angled Riding Position
Revolve The Chopper 2amp Battery Charger
Revolve The Chopper Battery Charger
Revolve The Chopper Stock High Step Black

Summary

  • A unique hub-drive fat tire bike with a style reminiscent of chopper style motorcycles with its matte black accents, 12” rising handlebars, 25mph throttle performance, and wide saddle with comfort springs
  • Very comfortable all around thanks to the saddle, front suspension fork, relaxed riding position, angled back seat post, higher reach handlebars, and knobby Kenda tires
  • The high capacity battery at 48v 13ah and the 500 watt electrical system are complimented very well by Tektro hydraulic disc brakes with motor inhibitors
  • As this bike is made for cruising, the throttle is a lot of fun, but pedaling for extended periods of time are uncomfortable due to the thigh rub on the saddle and the pronounced delay in the 5 magnet cadence sensor

Video Review

Introduction

Make:

Revolve

Model:

The Chopper

Price:

$1,800

Body Position:

Upright Relaxed

Suggested Use:

Neighborhood, Cruising, Cargo

Electric Bike Class:

Speed Pedelec (Class 3)
Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

6 Month Comprehensive

Availability:

Canada, United States

Model Year:

2019

Bicycle Details

Total Weight:

63.2 lbs (28.66 kg)

Battery Weight:

7.7 lbs (3.49 kg)

Motor Weight:

9 lbs (4.08 kg)

Frame Material:

Aluminum Alloy

Frame Sizes:

17 in (43.18 cm)

Geometry Measurements:

17.25" Seat Tube, 23.25" Reach, 28.5" Stand Over Height, 32" Minimum Saddle Height, 28" Width, 77" Length

Frame Types:

High-Step

Frame Colors:

Satin Black

Frame Fork Details:

Mozo Spring Suspension Fork, 67mm Travel, 32mm Stanchions, Compression Adjust with Lockout, Preload Adjust, 135mm Hub Spacing, 9.3mm Threaded Axle with 15mm Nuts

Frame Rear Details:

170mm Hub Spacing, 12mm Threaded Axle with 11mm Flats with Nuts

Attachment Points:

Fender Bosses

Gearing Details:

6 Speed 1x6 Shimano Tourney Derailleur, Shimano MF-TZ500-6 14-28 Tooth Cassette

Shifter Details:

Shimano SIS Indexed Thumb Shifter

Cranks:

Prowheel Forged Alloy, 170mm Length Crank Arms, 48 Tooth Chainring with an Alloy Guard

Pedals:

Wellgo Wide Aluminum Alloy Platform with Fixed Pins

Headset:

Integrated, Sealed Bearing, Straight 1-1/8"

Stem:

Alloy, 50mm Length, 25.4mm Clamp Diameter, Two 10mm Spacers, Three 2mm Spacers

Handlebar:

Aluminum Alloy, High-Rise, Ape Hangers,12" Rise, 700mm Length

Brake Details:

Tektro Hydraulic Disc with 180mm Front Rotor and 160mm Rear Rotor, Dual-Piston Calipers, Three-Finger Levers with Motor Inhibitors Adjustable Reach

Grips:

Ergonomic, Padded, Stitched, Faux Leather

Saddle:

Comfort Style, Sprung, Faux Leather

Seat Post:

Aluminum Alloy

Seat Post Length:

300 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

27.2 mm

Rims:

Samson Champion, 6061 T6 Aluminum Alloy, Double Wall, 36 Hole

Spokes:

Stainless Steel, 13 Gauge, Black with Silver Nipples

Tire Brand:

Kenda, 20" x 4" (98x406) Front, 24" x 4" (98x507) Rear

Wheel Sizes:

20 in (50.8cm)24 in (60.96cm)

Tire Details:

5 to 30 PSI, 0.4 to 2.1 BAR

Tube Details:

Schrader Valve

Accessories:

Steel Paint-Matched Fenders (100mm Width), Blaze-Lite Integrated Headlight, Integrated Alloy-Encased Backlight, Rear-Mount Adjustable Length Kickstand (38mm Mounting Provisions), Replacement Battery Pack ($500)

Other:

Locking Removable Downtube Mounted Battery Pack, 1.2lb 2 Amp Charger, 350lb Weight Capacity

Electronic Details

Motor Brand:

Bafang

Motor Type:

Rear-Mounted Geared Hub
Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

500 watts

Battery Voltage:

48 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

13 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

624 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

7 hours

Estimated Min Range:

25 miles (40 km)

Estimated Max Range:

40 miles (64 km)

Display Type:

Fixed, Adjustable Angle, 3.5" Color LCD

Readouts:

Ambient Temperature, Light Icon, Battery Percentage, Current Speed, Odometer, Trip Distance, Status, Run Time, Watts, Assist Level (0-5)

Display Accessories:

Independent Button Pad on Left, Buttons: Up, M, Down, (Hold Up for Lights, Hold M and Down for Dark Background, Hold Up and Down for Settings Menu)

Drive Mode:

Cadence Sensing Pedal Assist, Trigger Throttle (5 Magnet Sensor)

Top Speed:

25 mph (40 kph)


Written Review

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:

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Comments (2) YouTube Comments

Mark Presley
5 years ago

I 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??

  Reply
Electric Bike Zone
5 years ago

We appreciate the all details shared in this review. The video review with Sam was pretty fun, too. Thanks!

  Reply

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