WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE BIMOTAL ELEVATE
BIMOTAL ELEVATE DRIVE UNIT | The Bimotal Elevate consists of five different components. You have the main drive unit and rotor gear, battery and battery tray as well as the thumb throttle, then the cables connecting the system. Altogether, the system weighs in at 8.8lbs (4kg). The motor weighs 3.3lbs (1.5kg) and the 300Wh battery weighs 3.4lb (1.55kg). The remaining weight comes from the system’s cabling, battery tray and rotor gear. When factoring in the total weight on your bike, it is worth noting you would subtract the weight of your water bottle cage as well as the stock brake disc.
Speaking of brake discs, the rotor gear that drives the system is mated to a specific brake rotor that can be purchased in sizes ranging from 140mm to 203mm. The system is currently only compatible with this size range. This rotor gear has metal teeth, with a life expectancy of around 3000 miles if proper tooth lashing is achieved. The drive unit itself has a set of hard plastic gear teeth on it, with a life expectancy of around 1000 miles. This part is much cheaper to replace at $30 than the rotor gear at $195, and the plastic teeth are plenty strong enough to stand up to the abuse. The brake mount on your bike is replaced with Bimotals new system, which has male quick release pins that the motor sits into and is tightened with a seat post style quick release lever that is easily actuated with one hand.
POWER OPTIONS AND PRICING | There are two power output options for the motor: 750W or 1,250W of Peak Power, both with the same 70Nm maximum torque output. The system will run you $2,195 for the 750W variant, or $2,595 for the 1250W model.
Our test unit was the 750W variant. If you have purchased the 750W unit, you can send it back to Bimotal to receive the 1,250W power upgrade for an additional $500.
BATTERY | Bimotal uses a 300Wh battery, mounted to the bike with a custom designed tray. The tray has elongated holes to ensure there is plenty of room for adjustment, depending on the shape of your frame. If you do not have bottle cage mounts, they have stated there are additional options for mounting, but currently there is nothing listed on the website.
When it comes to the battery life, Bimotal has a claimed range of 1,500 to 3,500 feet of elevation, or 6 to 15 miles. This of course depends on how happy you get with the throttle, among other variables. Charge time on the battery is a respectable 90 minutes with the included 4A charger. Should you desire longer days, additional batteries can be purchased for $395. The system is wired with a series of cables that are routed externally on your frame – how you install them is up to you, as every frame is different and will require different routing.
COMPATABILITY | The system is only compatible with bikes that have an external post mount from 140mm to 180mm, or ISO brake mount. This is due to the mounting kit style and where the motor needs to sit for the gears to interact. Lastly, you must have four-piston brake calipers to work properly with the new adaptor and disc. The system demands one size larger brake rotor than what the Post Mount size is on your frame. For example, if you have a 180PM you would use a 200mm brake rotor.
BIMOTAL APP | The Bimotal Mobile App is a very easy to use app that is used to tune and set up the system for your bike’s wheel size. In the app, you can see your current power mode as well as battery life. At the time of the test battery life is not shown in percentages but rather colors, these colors shift from a traditional looking green down to a red once you are running low on juice. I would love to see an estimated percentage displayed, to take some of the guesswork out of your rides.
THE DIRT
SETUP | Installation was fairly straightforward and could be done by anyone with some basic knowledge of bike maintenance. The most complicated and important step was getting the gear lashing set correctly, which determines the interface between the rotor gear and the drive gear. This is not a complicated thing to get right but it does take attention to detail and some measuring calipers for the most precise fit. There are detailed instructions within the installation manual, which can be found on Bimotal’s website. Outside of that, all you really need to do is run some cables, install the throttle and you are good to go.
Getting the throttle in a happy place with my brakes and lever position preferences was a bit difficult. I do not like to have any clamps near the grips, as I ride fairly inboard on the bars. Because of this, I was limited on how far I could rotate the throttle down without bottoming out on my dropper lever. I would not say my cockpit positioning is wildly different from most people, but enough to necessitate some concessions on setup position for the throttle.
Neil from Bimotal ran the cables and used zip ties to keep everything in place. I did not have to fuss with the cables after installing the system. You could shrink wrap everything for an even cleaner factory look, which I’d likely do if it was my bike.
Along with the hardware, the Bimotal app allows for customization. You can select what mode you want to be in, with three preset options, each with customizability. Both the peak torque and peak power can be adjusted, as well as how responsive the thumb throttle is. Level 4 gave me the best feeling of being able to feather the power but still have a snappy feel when I wanted it. There is also a live display showing how much current power output the system is giving, as well as current speed.
CLIMBING | There was no lack of power output on the trail. I was able to get up even my steepest climbs with minimal effort. Sure, that was full power and being very throttle happy, but that was my preferred way to use the system. On our Ari Delano Peak test bike with my 170lb rider weight, I was able to get 2,000 feet of climbing done on one battery charge. This was in full power mode and held wide open at every possible chance I got, so I would say the range per Watt Hour on the 300Wh battery is perfectly acceptable. This could easily be pushed to 4,000 feet in a lower power mode, but for me it lived maxed out.
Since the system is powered by the thumb throttle, you must keep pressure on it the entire time to continue getting assistance. At this time there is no overrun, so as soon as you let off, the system powers down. This was tricky in bumpy technical climbs, as the bouncing from the bike would shift my thumb, either giving me full power or cutting power completely. There were some awkward moments and a few close calls as a result, but it was more frustrating than anything. If you wanted to just keep your thumb planted on the throttle you could, but you would need to stop and de-tune the motor, so you were not going too fast. A mode selector on the throttle would be great to see added to the system.
The motor is not quiet, but it’s not 2-stroke loud either. I do not think it is all that much louder than previous generation Bosch systems, but the difference is normal eMTB’s have some frame to insulate the motor sound, whereas the Bimotal Elevate motor sits free of anything to cut the sound. The pitch is not super high, so the annoyance I felt was low. There was no sneaking up on people though. In my ride notes from the Tech Check, I stated the motor did not have a rattle. Since then, I’ve found some rattle can come from the gear lashing when the motor is not engaged. This is somewhat like the Gen 3 Bosch rattle. It was most notable when the bike was bounced in the parking lot, and less noticeable out on the trail.
When used on my 600-foot climb in full power, by the time I got to the top of the hill the motor was quite hot. You would want to let it cool off for a few minutes before handling it, such as when removing it for the descent. With that said, I did not have any overheating or power loss issues from the system.
Should you not want an e-assisted ride, you can remove the drive unit and battery and use the bike as it was before installing the system. There is no additional drag added, just roughly 2lbs in added weight from the rotor gear, battery tray and cables. You could also remove the battery tray to cut more weight down, if desired.
DESCENDING | The Elevate system is capable of being left on the bike as you descend, but you will pay the price when it comes to suspension performance. While adding weight to bikes is all the rage right now, that weight is not meant to be added at the rear axle. Leaving the Bimotal Elevate system mounted increases the sprung weight the shock and bike’s kinematics must deal with.
With that said, I would say about 70% of my rides the drive unit was left on the bike. We have short punchy laps in my zone, so it just made the most sense to leave it on. With that extra weight the bike was not as playful on jumps or side hits but still rode the slow tech stuff well.
The biggest impact of that weight I felt was a harsh spike in compression after hitting square edge bumps. This was most noticeable in single compression events, over repeated bigger hits. It wasn’t optimal, but also not world ending. It was also very easy to remove with the two quick release levers, so this also could be a moot point for your patience and riding zones.
When the Bimotal Elevate system was mounted to the DH bike in other zones, I pulled the motor off 100% of the time, as the climb was a straight service road for 1,500’ with some elevation burning rut tracks all the way down. In my eyes, this is where the system needs to live. DH bikes are so dang fun, but parks don’t open early enough and close too soon. With this you can greatly extend your dual crown season. It’s a great excuse to get a DH bike!
When it comes to battery weight, I would say the weight placement on the frame’s bottle cage mount did not have a huge impact on the bike’s performance. At first it did feel different to dip into corners, but after a few trails it felt normal.
FINISH AND VALUE | Overall, the fit and finish of the Bimotal Elevate system is solid. I would say the one area that looks a little “DIY” is where the cable enters the battery. There were no connection issues, but it doesn’t look as refined as I’d love to see. Replacing parts when worn out is simple and can be done by the end user. The system is water resistant but not waterproof, so do not fully submerge the bike. That is a no brainer, I think. I used the system in the rain with no issues, but when I was washing the bike I removed the battery and motor just to be safe. It would be great to have an actual battery percentage display to reduce range anxiety, if we’re stressing the details.
Value is subjective. Between $2,220 and $2,600 depending on what power level you opt for, it’s cheaper than a new eBike, which is typically $5k for something solid at minimum. If the system was $1,500, I feel it would be much easier to recommend to a larger audience. But, with that said if you are in the market for something like this, I’m not sure there is a better option.
The Wolf’s Last Word
It may not be for everyone, but the Bimotal Elevate eBike conversion system gives riders a very cool option to add some uphill assistance to their mountain bike. This is for sure the best way to spend more time on your DH bike when the lifts aren’t running, but it comes at a cost. 
Price: $2,195 – $2,595
Website: Bimotal.com
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ABOUT THE WOLF
Cole’s den is in Spokane WA, where he relocated a few years back. Growing up in the lush, loamy playgrounds of the PNW, his soul is forever tied to steep, rooty descents and that unmistakable squish of perfect dirt. After 19 years of shredding, Cole’s been on every kind of rig out there. Once a die-hard fan of big travel bikes, he’s now on a quest for the mythical short-travel do-it-all machine. And yes, skids may be for kids, but this middle-aged manchild is here to prove they’re also for anyone who loves having a damn good time.
Rank: Professional Amateur
Size: 6’1” / 185cm | 170lbs / 77kg
Social: @adventuresbycole
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