Sharp looking bike!

Nice write-up, thanks.

(just need some pics of that beast in the wild )

 

To be honest, the pictures really turned me off. But when I demo'd it for 3 days, it grew on me. Intense has just announced the Black/Grey version and if I had to do it all over again, that's the color choice I'd take.

Nice bike for sure. Just curious at 5'9" you chose a large? I'm guessing on the fence med/large? Also, what's the price point?

I rode both med and large and both sizes felt good. The sizing chart has 5'9" for both med and large. My strength is turning, so I chose to get a bike that's more stable at speed. Intense, right now only has one build and one price point $7,590. The bike shop gave me a good discount and I upgraded a few things right off the bat, like carbon wheels and DI2 XT shifting.

 

Nice bike for sure. Just curious at 5’9” you chose a large? I’m guessing on the fence med/large? Also, what’s the price point?

 

Absolutely brilliant insight.

The bike isn’t pretty but I’ll get one ASAP!!!

A lot of what you say is about the Shimano motor and is spot-on!!!

Expand more on the spec and handling when you have the chance. Good value?

 

Thanks for this great review. The Tazer is now on my list for my next ebike.

A question: How easy is it to remove the battery? I store my bikes in an unheated building and in winter I need to remove the battery to charge it. (It is not good to charge an ebike battery at cold temperatures (or hot)).

 

A question: How easy is it to remove the battery? I store my bikes in an unheated building and in winter I need to remove the battery to charge it. (It is not good to charge an ebike battery at cold temperatures (or hot)).

Super easy, less than 10sec as long as you have the key!

I have not changed to the Shimano DI2 stuff and worry about wearing out the chain and cassette prematurely as it seems to shift very abruptly. It is difficult to shift without it doing it while the motor is delivering power. I heard that the DI2 stuff is integrated into the motor so that it tells the motor to decrease power when each shift occurs. Is that true?

My main issue is that I am very worried that I will not want to get back on my analog bike(Intense Primer) anymore. When I go into my garage to pick a bike, I have a hard time saying no to the Tazer.

I heard DI2 was supposed to let off the power, but if it does, I can't feel it. DI2 unfortunately is not a DIY install as it requires a call to Shimano and the Shimano tech links into the bike shop's computer and the handshake between esteps 8000 motor and DI2 is completed. Without this, DI2 will not work. Majority of the time it shifts smoothly into gear, but when it does clunk, it usually shifting into a harder gear. I've not done any adjustments to the DI2 since it was installed and I've had 3 different wheels and upgraded to XT cassette. I think this afternoon, I'll Google DI2 adjustment, perform and see if it's better tomorrow.

 

I also just purchased a Tazer and love it. I dont think i could write a better review. All of your comments are spot on. I have not changed to the Shimano DI2 stuff and worry about wearing out the chain and cassette prematurely as it seems to shift very abruptly. It is difficult to shift without it doing it while the motor is delivering power. I heard that the DI2 stuff is integrated into the motor so that it tells the motor to decrease power when each shift occurs. Is that true?
As with others, I too wasn't too stoked on the look of the tazer but it has also grown on me and appreciate that I can run a common, stock Shimano battery at a much lower price than many of the competitors out there. It is also very easy to change out compared to many other designs. It would be nice to be more stealthy out on the trail and keep the fact that I am on a ebike a little more discrete but oh well.
My main issue is that I am very worried that I will not want to get back on my analog bike(Intense Primer) anymore. When I go into my garage to pick a bike, I have a hard time saying no to the Tazer.

 

I'm really stoked about this review. From our new e-moderator too.

And you know what, this would not have been possible a month ago as other would have attacked him for writing this. Now we have a good place to share information.

Throw him some 'rep' love if you like the content. And follow the example he set and share some insights.

 

Great review. I have had mine for a couple of months now. At 5' 10" I went with the medium and couldn't be happier with my choice. PNW tight switchbacks, steep up down transitions, fast flowing trails with long climbs to access all.
I set mine up mostly the same with the following changes.

Frame: Tazer, Carbon Fiber,Medium, 155mm travel, 64.9 HTA
Motor: Shimano Steps E8000 20mph 250W / ECO / Trail / Boost
Fork: FOX FACTORY Standard 36 FLOAT, Kashima, 170 mm, FIT GRIP2, 15QRx110 BOOST, 51mm Offset
Shock: FOX FACTORY FLOAT DPX2, Trunnion Mount, EVOL, 3-Position Lever 185x55mm
Crank: Shimano XT 175mm, 34T
Pedals: Shimano XTR trail
Shifter: E7000 11 speed, E7000 Mode
Derailleur: Shimano XTR DI2 11 speed
Cassette: Shimano 11-speed XTR Cassette 11-40 w/ Wolf Tooth 45 cog
Chain: Shimano E-bike, 11 speed
Chain Guide: E-Thirteen Chain Guide
Saddle: WTB Silverado w/ Ti Rails
Seat post: Fox Factory Series Transfer, 31.6mm, 150mm travel w/Wolf Tooth I-Spec Lever
Handlebar: Shimano Pro Tharsis Trail Carbon Di2 31.8 20mmX 800mm
Stem: Shimano Pro Koryak Di2 31.8 400mmx 0 Degree
Brakeset: Shimano XT 4-Piston Hydraulic Disc, 203mm Front and Rear
Headset: Cane Creek 40 Series, ZS44/EC49.40
Grips: ODI Ruffians
Wheelset: Front DT H1700 28X30mm, Rear DT H1700 27.5X35mm Stock
Tires: Front: 29X2.60, MINION DHF II, FOLDABLE, 120TPI, 3CMAXX TERRA/EXO/TR
Rear: 27.5X2.8, MINION DHR II, FOLDABLE, 120TPI, 3CMAXX TERRA/EXO+/TR
Tubes: Cush-Core inserts
Travel (front/rear): 170mm / 155mm
Build Weight W/ Pedal: 49.64 pounds

Would like to see other peoples builds and thoughts.

 

Great review. I have had mine for a couple of months now. At 5' 10" I went with the medium and couldn't be happier with my choice. PNW tight switchbacks, steep up down transitions, fast flowing trails with long climbs to access all.
I set mine up mostly the same with the following changes.

Frame: Tazer, Carbon Fiber,Medium, 155mm travel, 64.9 HTA
Motor: Shimano Steps E8000 20mph 250W / ECO / Trail / Boost
Fork: FOX FACTORY Standard 36 FLOAT, Kashima, 170 mm, FIT GRIP2, 15QRx110 BOOST, 51mm Offset
Shock: FOX FACTORY FLOAT DPX2, Trunnion Mount, EVOL, 3-Position Lever 185x55mm
Crank: Shimano XT 175mm, 34T
Pedals: Shimano XTR trail
Shifter: E7000 11 speed, E7000 Mode
Derailleur: Shimano XTR DI2 11 speed
Cassette: Shimano 11-speed XTR Cassette 11-40 w/ Wolf Tooth 45 cog
Chain: Shimano E-bike, 11 speed
Chain Guide: E-Thirteen Chain Guide
Saddle: WTB Silverado w/ Ti Rails
Seat post: Fox Factory Series Transfer, 31.6mm, 150mm travel w/Wolf Tooth I-Spec Lever
Handlebar: Shimano Pro Tharsis Trail Carbon Di2 31.8 20mmX 800mm
Stem: Shimano Pro Koryak Di2 31.8 400mmx 0 Degree
Brakeset: Shimano XT 4-Piston Hydraulic Disc, 203mm Front and Rear
Headset: Cane Creek 40 Series, ZS44/EC49.40
Grips: ODI Ruffians
Wheelset: Front DT H1700 28X30mm, Rear DT H1700 27.5X35mm Stock
Tires: Front: 29X2.60, MINION DHF II, FOLDABLE, 120TPI, 3CMAXX TERRA/EXO/TR
Rear: 27.5X2.8, MINION DHR II, FOLDABLE, 120TPI, 3CMAXX TERRA/EXO+/TR
Tubes: Cush-Core inserts
Travel (front/rear): 160mm / 155mm
Build Weight W/ Pedal: 49.64 pounds

Would like to see other peoples builds and thoughts.

Nice build [emoji106]
How's the 170mm fork feeling? Should have slacked it out somewhere around 64.5 degrees, but I bet the shorter fork offset helps?
And you went with longer cranks 170mm?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

This is not a "Tuning" but E-Max will allow free toggle of the Cable shift to Di2. You will still need the SM-PCE02 Shimano computer interface.

 

It is a little harder to keep the front end down on real steep punchy climbs. I have to sit on the nose of the seat. But the feel of the fork is awesome.
On the crank arm length it is just what I am use to. I might go back to the 165 mm and see how I like it.
I never rode the bike stock. Set it up this way from the beginning.

 

I demo'd some Tazers with with my teenage kids last week and thought it was fantastic.
I've been telling myself that I'd wait until an Ebike was a necessity for me due to age or injury but after riding one, I WILL have one in my garage before long.

After 40 years of mnt bikes and dirt bikes the two have come together. I really liked that I could carry speed uphill over obstacles that I would have normally gassed my legs or just too technical. What a blast.

Not only did it climb well, it handled well on the downhills too.

I tried all 3 power modes and even rode it uphill with the power off and surprisingly it was not as bad as I expected.

I used trail mode most often which keeps you going at a pretty good speed when climbing.

Boost mode was damn near too much especially on the tight stuff (almost scary)

Eco mode was sufficient on climbs but Trail mode made things fun.

My big concern is, will these be allowed on local trails or are will they be banned, leaving me nowhere to ride it in the SF Bay Area?

 

Tell me about it! Jaxs bike shop let me have a 3 day demo & that was it, had to have one. My brother won't even try it, because he knows the same will happen.

Ask your local retailer about places near you and then double check the areas are open. Sometimes they want to make a sale and the areas are not truly legal, but not enforcing the no ebike policy.

 

I got a Specialized Evo in December of last year and I have loved the bike. A buddy of mine got a Tazer right around the same timeframe and now I don't like riding with him because he's too fast on it. Now I'm REALLY looking into getting a Tazer as well, especially because they have the low key black/grey option instead of the yellow. The build seems very solid for the price considering the Levo at the similar price point has semi-budget suspension and components.
Here's a question for you guys, the 350 wheel has the star ratchet internals, have any of you upgraded the engagement to the 36 or 54 tooth ratchet? That is almost a necessity on normal bikes but I don't know how much difference it would make on an E-bike.

 

As an avid eMTB rider, this comment is concerning-about your buddy being faster than you and you wanna get a different bike to keep up. Buy a motorcycle then? how is your Levo getting left behind? something has to be broken?

 

Good question. I understand that DT Swiss uses the 24 tooth ratchet because it's torque capacity is larger that the 36 or 54 tooth version. I have a 54 tooth on my Turner Flux and a 36 that I took off. I might try swapping it out but honestly have not found the need on the Tazer for quicker engagement. Worth I try

 

I havent changed mine out. I agree that I havent found the need. As far as being faster on the Tazer, every review I could find on the Tazer said that the tazer was a very confidence inspiring ride. I concur. The slack head angle/ 29er front wheel combined with a steep seat tube angle and fat rear wheel feels spot on. I havent rode other ebikes, but I feel like a superhero on the DH while riding the Tazer. And it is very comfortable to climb on as well. Overall, I think Intense nailed the handling on this bike. I really like having the longer travel both front and rear. The suspension feels even deeper than 155/160mm travel bike.

 

I’ve got 2 sets of wheels for my Tazer, the stock DT wheel set as a backup and Bontrager line pro carbon wheel set. The rear Bontrager has according to them 108degree engagement. Unfortunately I’ve broken the Bontrager twice, but besides the ratcheting freewheel noise they make, I really can't tell difference between them. I’ve got to agree with the others and say a faster engaging rear hub isn’t needed.

 

Had a chance to ride the 19 Tazer Pro and an 18 Comp Carbon Levo (27.5” wheels) back to back and see how they compared. I’m aware that the 18 Comp Carbon Levo isn’t the most current model but I thought it would give me a half decent idea on how the 2 bikes compared. The trail was mostly rocky single track with some smooth sections. This is the first time I’ve ever ridden an e-bike so they both took some getting used to.
Jumping to the conclusion, the Tazer was superior in every way except how loud the engine is. The Levo was so quiet you probably wouldn’t be able to hear it as it rode by.
The suspension, drivetrain, and seat dropper were all fantastic.
My main complaint about both bikes was the power delivery while pedaling at a slow cadence. I would think that you would want the most power delivery when pedaling slowly as you try to get up to speed. Both bikes didn’t provide much power when trying to climb steep hills in a low gear. Power delivery at higher speed was more than sufficient.
I quickly came to realize that Ebikes don’t like to climb technical sections where you might need to stop pedaling to get over an obstacle. You really have to carry your speed into the obstacle because as soon as you stop pedaling, you really feel the weight. Neither of the bikes loved doing any drops that were more than 3-4 feet tall. You landed much harder and you could feel it.
I kind of wish that the Tazer had the ability to fit a 29” wheel in the rear. When going over rough terrain, it felt like the rear wheel kept trying to fall into the crevices instead of rolling over them. Maybe it is just the weight of the bike?
The Tazer definitely rolled better and gained speed quicker when starting to roll down hills even without pedaling. It felt like the bike was giving assist even when you weren’t pedaling. It was quite nice.

I plan on riding a buddies 19 Expert Levo to see how much the frame makes a difference. Unless the 19 is WORLDS better than the 18 and the Tazer, it is hard to justify the cost of a Levo. The Tazer comes with top quality parts at a significant discount compared to the Levo. It drives me insane that You can spend $8500 on the Levo and not get top level suspension, wheels, and dropper post. It’s almost a no-brainer to go with the Tazer. The biggest advantage the 19 Levo will have is the bigger battery and a cleaner look. It will still be about 2 pounds heavier than the Tazer. I don’t plan on going on 3+ hour rides where the battery life of the Tazer would be the biggest weakness so that isn’t a big deal.
What do you guys think?

 

Had a chance to ride the 19 Tazer Pro and an 18 Comp Carbon Levo (27.5" wheels) back to back and see how they compared. I'm aware that the 18 Comp Carbon Levo isn't the most current model but I thought it would give me a half decent idea on how the 2 bikes compared. The trail was mostly rocky single track with some smooth sections. This is the first time I've ever ridden an e-bike so they both took some getting used to.
Jumping to the conclusion, the Tazer was superior in every way except how loud the engine is. The Levo was so quiet you probably wouldn't be able to hear it as it rode by.
The suspension, drivetrain, and seat dropper were all fantastic.
My main complaint about both bikes was the power delivery while pedaling at a slow cadence. I would think that you would want the most power delivery when pedaling slowly as you try to get up to speed. Both bikes didn't provide much power when trying to climb steep hills in a low gear. Power delivery at higher speed was more than sufficient.
I quickly came to realize that Ebikes don't like to climb technical sections where you might need to stop pedaling to get over an obstacle. You really have to carry your speed into the obstacle because as soon as you stop pedaling, you really feel the weight. Neither of the bikes loved doing any drops that were more than 3-4 feet tall. You landed much harder and you could feel it.
I kind of wish that the Tazer had the ability to fit a 29" wheel in the rear. When going over rough terrain, it felt like the rear wheel kept trying to fall into the crevices instead of rolling over them. Maybe it is just the weight of the bike?
The Tazer definitely rolled better and gained speed quicker when starting to roll down hills even without pedaling. It felt like the bike was giving assist even when you weren't pedaling. It was quite nice.

I plan on riding a buddies 19 Expert Levo to see how much the frame makes a difference. Unless the 19 is WORLDS better than the 18 and the Tazer, it is hard to justify the cost of a Levo. The Tazer comes with top quality parts at a significant discount compared to the Levo. It drives me insane that You can spend $8500 on the Levo and not get top level suspension, wheels, and dropper post. It's almost a no-brainer to go with the Tazer. The biggest advantage the 19 Levo will have is the bigger battery and a cleaner look. It will still be about 2 pounds heavier than the Tazer. I don't plan on going on 3+ hour rides where the battery life of the Tazer would be the biggest weakness so that isn't a big deal.
What do you guys think?

I think the '19 Levo will blow you away. It's lighter than the Tazer, better proven suspension design from the stumpy. Quieter, longer range 700wh, more torque. And aesthetics are killer, not to mention the software apps like Blevo.

 

6,000$ US now is about 8,000$ Canadian.
Living in Quebec buying new there is 15% taxes added = 9,200$.
I would be lucky to sell it 4,000$ a year later so my cost = 5,200$
and 4 months it will be waiting, it is winter, snow fat season.
There is no way it makes any sense.
Haibike offers more value with Yamaha
same for Giant
Marin with Shimano
the Tazer and Specialized are just WAY over priced in my opinion.

 

650 Miles later... Tazered

mtbbiker (Craig), is that you?

I held off buying one hoping a frameset option would be made available.

Fast forward to March 2019. My wife hinted wanting to get back to riding again so I took the opportunity to demo the Tazer for two reasons: 1) make sure she actually wants one and 2) to make sure size medium would fit her (which coincidentally dove-tailed into the third reason- so I could ride it too). Whiz! Bang! Boom! Bought one at the end of March. Freaking most expensive bike I had to buy at one go as I've always built my own bike from frame sets. However, the components for the most part are bang on.

My (and technically in principle, my wife's) Tazer is size medium and for the most part still stock except for a few personal changes.

1. Swapped out the Intense recon riser bar for Renthal Fatbar 780.
2. Swapped out stem to 55mm Truvativ Hozfellar
3. Took out the saddle. My skinny asian ass didn't gel with it and switched to a Tioga Spider Outland
4. Replaced the grips with ODI Troy Lee lock ons
5. SLX r der and shifter went to my parts bin straight out of the box for a SRAM XO1 rd and XX1 shifter respectively.
6. Eventually, swapped the 2.8 rear Minion DHR with 2.6 size. Not a fan of fat tires.

Overall, for a first year model eMTB, the Tazer is a well rounded attempt at the category. Jesus christ, the paint job is next level.

I'm not going to go into further details on the rest of the component highlights and little low lights as I believe, a lot of these factors come down to personal preference and specific riding style.

Overall, the bike handles great on the descents. The added weight makes braking bumps slightly disappear. I still ride my Tracer 275 analog bike half of the time on the same trails and I can tell the difference on the rough stuff (Tazer plows and deflects so much less). The Tazer is one stable and ground-hugging beast. It can fly and pop playfully as well as long as you carry the speed which is always on demand and is the vital key. I predominantly spend 90% of my ride time in ECO mode.

After 669 miles I noticed a few nuisance that I hope I could still rectify or at least confirm with other Tazer (or Shimano motor) users. Below are two of the striking ones:

SHIMANO motor
When coasting downhill and hitting square edged hits or general rough stuff, there seems to be rattle-like noise coming from the drivetrain area. I've padded every contact point there is with thick andsoft 3M mastic tape. I've also shortened my chain as much as I could get away it but the noise is still there. It drives me crazy. One user with a Shimano e8000 told me that the noise is more than likely coming from the motor "free play" and is normal. He demonstrated this theory by grabbing the crank and pulled on it fore and aft. There's that familiar noise as it engages the drive. I don't know. It's not the battery, not the battery cover (I taped it once to eliminate that potential noise source) and definitely nowhere in the conventional drive train components (checked the cassette for tightness). Bah! Maybe just wear ear plugs like Gwinn.

Shock mount.
The trunion shock mount constantly creaks. Had to relube that area almost every week.

At just under 700 miles. I've had to change my stock chain at mile 650 as it stretched. Cogs are still good with the new chain. Checked the DT H1700 wheels and my god, the spokes are still tensioned to spec and rims run true and straight. I land sideways a LOT. Still happy with it but just wish my wife would ride it more.

 

mtbbiker (Craig), is that you?

I held off buying one hoping a frameset option would be made available.

Fast forward to March 2019. My wife hinted wanting to get back to riding again so I took the opportunity to demo the Tazer for two reasons: 1) make sure she actually wants one and 2) to make sure size medium would fit her (which coincidentally dove-tailed into the third reason- so I could ride it too). Whiz! Bang! Boom! Bought one at the end of March. Freaking most expensive bike I had to buy at one go as I've always built my own bike from frame sets. However, the components for the most part are bang on.

My (and technically in principle, my wife's) Tazer is size medium and for the most part still stock except for a few personal changes.

1. Swapped out the Intense recon riser bar for Renthal Fatbar 780.
2. Swapped out stem to 55mm Truvativ Hozfellar
3. Took out the saddle. My skinny asian ass didn't gel with it and switched to a Tioga Spider Outland
4. Replaced the grips with ODI Troy Lee lock ons
5. SLX r der and shifter went to my parts bin straight out of the box for a SRAM XO1 rd and XX1 shifter respectively.
6. Eventually, swapped the 2.8 rear Minion DHR with 2.6 size. Not a fan of fat tires.

Overall, for a first year model eMTB, the Tazer is a well rounded attempt at the category. Jesus christ, the paint job is next level.

I'm not going to go into further details on the rest of the component highlights and little low lights as I believe, a lot of these factors come down to personal preference and specific riding style.

Overall, the bike handles great on the descents. The added weight makes braking bumps slightly disappear. I still ride my Tracer 275 analog bike half of the time on the same trails and I can tell the difference on the rough stuff (Tazer plows and deflects so much less). The Tazer is one stable and ground-hugging beast. It can fly and pop playfully as well as long as you carry the speed which is always on demand and is the vital key. I predominantly spend 90% of my ride time in ECO mode.

After 669 miles I noticed a few nuisance that I hope I could still rectify or at least confirm with other Tazer (or Shimano motor) users. Below are two of the striking ones:

SHIMANO motor
When coasting downhill and hitting square edged hits or general rough stuff, there seems to be rattle-like noise coming from the drivetrain area. I've padded every contact point there is with thick andsoft 3M mastic tape. I've also shortened my chain as much as I could get away it but the noise is still there. It drives me crazy. One user with a Shimano e8000 told me that the noise is more than likely coming from the motor "free play" and is normal. He demonstrated this theory by grabbing the crank and pulled on it fore and aft. There's that familiar noise as it engages the drive. I don't know. It's not the battery, not the battery cover (I taped it once to eliminate that potential noise source) and definitely nowhere in the conventional drive train components (checked the cassette for tightness). Bah! Maybe just wear ear plugs like Gwinn.

Shock mount.
The trunion shock mount constantly creaks. Had to relube that area almost every week.

At just under 700 miles. I've had to change my stock chain at mile 650 as it stretched. Cogs are still good with the new chain. Checked the DT H1700 wheels and my god, the spokes are still tensioned to spec and rims run true and straight. I land sideways a LOT. Still happy with it but just wish my wife would ride it more.

Yes my friend, it's me Craig! Excellent review and dead on, including that noise that bugs you. I always thought of it a combination of several things: battery rattling, the 4 piston finned pads rattle and chain slap.

I've built Up my chain stay protection, added some insulation on battery and when my pads wear out will replace with non finned ones. Hopefully that will quite it down some. I was getting a squeak to and actually took apart all the pivots. All the pivots have these super thin black spacers between the bearing and frame. These black spacers all showed some sign of rubbing of the black coating off. I regreased and retorqued all the pivot points and dead silent now.

 

Great posts from both of you. I agree with everything stated all the way down to the annoying rattle. Been trying the same solutions without any luck. I got my Tazer on June 3rd. I have left it mostly stock aside from some 800mm bars. Just went past 700 miles yesterday. After some steep climbing. I noticed the chain skipping in the 42t cog. I checked the chain and it read more than .75. I have a new cassette, chain coming tomorrow. I guess the only thing surprising is how fast I got to 700 miles. Wow! Riding it never gets old.

 

Just as with regular bikes, check a chain checker tool handy in your tool box.
For eMTB, I was told check every 400-500 miles. If the chain stretched to .5, replace it and extend your cassette life. My ratio has always worked out to a 2 to 1 chain to cassette replacement.

 

Also, I decided to leave the Shimano stuff on the bike with the theory being that replacements are considerably cheaper than the Sram stuff. I hope this ends up being a good move. I did change out the shifter to a XT so that I could get the multi-release feature. There is a big improvement in feel as compared to the SLX shifter as well.

 

The 2 reports of creaking are particularly disappointing to me. I have a Commencal Meta Power 275 I ride almost daily. Could not be happier with it but would prefer mixed wheel size and slightly longer reach of the Tazer and had my eye on a good deal to switch.

But I owned a Tracer for 4 years and suffered through far too many creak chasing/regreasing/pivot replacement episodes. It appears the Tazer uses the exact same cone/collet bearing system and thus the creaking noted comes as no surprise to me. Santa Cruz seems to be a little more successful with the cone/collet style but I don't think Intense ever got the design or tolerances to the same level of optimization.

 

I've owned so many intense frames over the last decade or so (including all generation of Tracers and ALL of their DH frame I raced religiously). Creaking was never a problem for me as far as their pivots and contact surfaces in any of their frame -even the early flexy models. The key to it is proper and routine maintenance. I'm anal and OCD when it comes to noise so I put in the detailed work and time to attend to every single potential noise source. I think my Tazer is settling in nicely. I will probably stop using loctite on the trunion mount and just use the good ol greasy to keep that area quiet once and for all.

As far the rattle from the motor/BB area, it's either the "free play" from the motor itself or maybe a better narrow-wide chain ring (if any other would fit the e8000 mount). The other eMTB's I tried with the same e8000 motor (BMC, Commencal and Pivot) have the same noise.

Otherwise, the Tazer is a solid performer and have a solid no non-sense package. I'm pretty happy and content. I encourage anyone to demo a Tazer or if you're in my area in Socal, I'd be happy to lend you mine for a run or two. It's game changer.

 

I have not had any creaking on the Tazer. Just the weird rattle coming from the BB/ motor area. I have owned 14 Intense bikes since 1999 as well as other frames from other brands. Creaking in pivots is not just a issue with Intense. If you keep up with greasing the pivots, there isnt a problem. Also, I have stopped using a hose or water to clean my bikes. Rather, I wait for the dirt to dry and then dry brush it off then wipe down with a wet rag. This has all but eliminated creaks until the pivots need fresh grease. Dont let this stoip you from looking at the Tazer. Its a great ride!

 

864 miles and my Tazer makes no noise. Very quiet ride. I have greased all the pivot points so maybe thats why, or I'm too slow to make it rattle?

I've done the following to mine;

Changed both tires to Rekons (2.6F and 2.8R)
Changed the bars to Enve high rise with Redmonkey Karv grips
Changed the shifter to XTR (shorter throw)
Bought another battery door which I drilled holes in for battery cooling
Switched out the shock to a DVO coil
Switched out the stock Fox wipers for Push wipers (and changed the fluids)
Installed new non-finned rear brake pads
New chain @ 855 miles

I certainly would have not problem buying this bike again. I really like how the faster it's pushed the better it handles.

Oh, and ozzer, your ass ain't that skinny bro, which is odd for an Asian......

 

Agree the problem isn't unique to Intense. As a used-to-be-engineer, the problem in my mind is the cone/collet pivot axle that has become so prevalent. manufacturers love it as it offer a neat and tidy packaging solution but it relies on impossible taper alignment and tolerances and allows over thrusting the bearings.

After I sold my tracer (for that reason) and got an Ibis HD4 with tried and true shoulder bolt style pivots not one creak.

I'm sure I'm the outlier but when you ride everyday your criteria becomes different than the 1x or 2x/week rider. The Tazer was super enticing for me but nothing is worse chasing creaks all the time.

 

Honestly, all bikes need maintenance. I’ve got close to 1,500 miles on the Tazer and those are almost all super hard miles! Took apart all pivots around 700 miles and not a squeak since. Love my Tazer!


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I am really surprised that the Tazer hasn't been a more popular choice in the current ebike MTB market. I was waiting for Intense to release a ebike mainly because I was looking for a longer travel ebike than was presently on the market. I also like the geo on most of the offerings from Intense. Slack head angle, steep seat angle, low BB. When released, the tazer checked all the boxes for me. In my opinion, the tazer has better geo, more travel, and a better spec when it comes to the parts you really need. The YT Decoy is definitely a similar choice with maybe a better spec and a little cheaper. I cant imagine having any less travel. I really think that 160mm is a minimum amount of travel if you are riding anything chunky or rough. Especially at ebike speeds with ebike weight.
The prego downtube must be more of a turn off than I would have thought. I have found it to be very useful. I have folded a tube and made a separate little CO2 cartridge kit that I can fit in front of the upper battery mount and a small flat tool kit with chain tool, tire levers that fits under and behind the lower, aft battery mount. Add on a water bottle cage and Im all set. I also like that I can carry a battery in a pack(which Ive only done once) for longer rides. Swapping batteries at the car for another few laps is also a good option and can be done quickly with just a key. And extra batteries are cheaper than most. Whats not to like here?

 

The prego downtube must be more of a turn off than I would have thought. I have found it to be very useful. I have folded a tube and made a separate little CO2 cartridge kit that I can fit in front of the upper battery mount and a small flat tool kit with chain tool, tire levers that fits under and behind the lower, aft battery mount. Add on a water bottle cage and Im all set. I also like that I can carry a battery in a pack(which Ive only done once) for longer rides. Swapping batteries at the car for another few laps is also a good option and can be done quickly with just a key. And extra batteries are cheaper than most. Whats not to like here?

This...

I've done the same exact thing stuffing extra supplies above and forward the battery inside the frame compartment. I dislike carrying stuff on me or a pack.

Just need to remember to carry the battery key with me though. Lol