What do you get when you combine brand name bicycle components with an award winning motor and battery system packaged for off road use? A bike that’s fun, light, durable and ready for just about anything. While it’s true that high end components and high prices do not a good bike guarantee… OHM has done an amazing job putting this package together. The Sport XS750 is well balanced in terms of front to rear weight distribution, it’s rugged and durable, poweful and reliable all at once. It’s easy to handle due to its relatively light weight, is responsive due to its torque-sensing pedal assist integration and is comfortable due to its fork and seat post shock absorption systems.
The frame, components and electric drive systems on this bike work very well together. The mid-frame battery/controller unit is positioned above the bottom bracket and is protected from rocks and other train hazards by the burly downtube which makes perfect sense. At the same time, it can be easily removed with just one hand using a flip up lever making it easy to charge on or off the bike. The pack includes a keyed lock for securing to the frame but the key does not have to be left in the bike when riding as so many other ebikes require. Even though the battery unit is quick and easy to take off, once it’s secured, it rests against the seat post and downtube with multiple touchpoints so it doesn’t rattle or come lose with heavy riding. OHM has improved upon the standard BionX downtube design greatly with this pack and that really sets it apart from a do-it-yourself BionX kit products.
Beyond the base design of this bike, the frame, the shock, the motor and battery unit… There are a couple delighters that I want to call out. The integrated high-power front and rear lights make riding at night fully possible and are so often left off electric mountain bikes. One of the big benefits of having an integrated battery pack is leveraging that power to run things like lights so this is great to see with the Sport XS 750. I’m also a huge fan of the integrated seat post shock that will come in handy in bumpy off-road environments. This feature pairs nicely with the traditional shock on the front fork making it one of the few ebikes out there truly capable and comfortable when riding off-road.
As far as the motor system goes, OHM has partnered with BionX and is running their newest, high-end SL 350 HT. It offers 350 watts of power running in a “high torque” configuration for improved hill climbing ability. One of the major benefits this motor offers is regenerative braking and “regen mode” to capture energy when coasting down large hills. You can choose from four regen mode settings depending on how steep the hill is and how much energy you want to put back into the battery pack – use it like an engine brake. The downside of a gearless hub motor is that it usually offers less torque than a geared equivalent. That’s where the “high torque” upgrade comes in handy with this ebike and in my experience it’s fully capable of climbing mid-sized hills for average sized riders.
Driving the motor on this bike is a 37 volt Lithium-ion battery pack with 9.6 amp hours of capacity. These specs don’t quite match some other electric mountain bikes like the Volton Alation 500 but they are a bit lighter weight and BionX has designed them to work together very efficiently so the drop off isn’t huge. The true beauty of this battery pack system is where and how it’s mounted. The fact that it uses Lithium-ion cells means it will endure many charge cycles before losing capacity and is much lighter than alternative battery technologies.
There are so many features to call out on this ebike including the built in fenders and rear rack that make it useful for commuting. It’s really a multi-purpose platform that’s rated for trail riding with components built to last. The pedal assist configuration on this bike uses a torque sensor vs. pedalec which means it responds with speed and varied intensity depending on how much force and speed the rider contributes. It extends rider input more fluidly as a result and is the correct choice for the technical challenges presented by off road riding. That said, you actually have to push the pedals to get a response with this ebike verses other bikes that use pedalec sensors which simply sense movement before providing one level of motor input. The other neat thing about the drive system on this bike is that it includes throttle mode which can be used in conjunction with pedal assist to get you going if pedaling becomes too hard up a steep section.
The one drawback of BionX systems however, is that they require two pedal strokes by the rider before activating, even using the throttle. This is sold as a safety feature but I dislike it. You may see me struggle to get the bike going in the video review above during the test ride and this is the reason why. I forgot about the two pedal thing and for a moment thought the bike wasn’t responding. Worth noting here is that the frame includes a two year warranty and the battery and components all come with a one year warranty. Since the components and drive system are all built by well established companies like BionX, Shimano and Magura, you can expect great support.
I loved riding this bike because of the weight distribution, shocks and quality feature set. BionX makes powerful reliable systems and their LCD controller is very intuitive to use. The fenders, lights and seat post shock take it over the top and really help to justify the high-end pricepoint. For someone who wants a quality electric bike that’s easy to use and rated for off road riding, this would be an excellent choice.
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Paul DeGarie
12 years agoInstalled 48V 350W BionX on a 27 spd. Raliegh 8.0 mountain bike with disk brakes front hydraulic adjustable forks. Bike weight 52 lbs. Consul center mount of handlebar. Have mounted rear rack and fenders Continental 2.5 thorn proof tires and sealed heavy duty no flat inner tubes. Have front & rear LED lights. Shock mounted seat.
ReplyMy weight is 175 lbs. My best range with 1/2 bar showing is 48.7 miles.
Presently have close to 4000 miles. My total build cost $2518.00
Court Rye
12 years agoNice! That sounds awesome, do you have any pictures? You can share them on the Facebook page or email me through the contact form, I’d love to see the bike, maybe build something like that myself. Sounds like you did a lot for a little sum of money ;)
ReplyTom
11 years agoWhat is the best topeak bag for the topeak rear rack assembly on the XS 750. I have had it for about four months now and have decicded to look into purchasing one.
Thanks, Tom
ReplyCourt Rye
11 years agoHi Tom, Topeak offers a bunch of cool bags but I like this one (DXP Trunk Bag) because it has side pockets that unfurl into pannier style sacks where you can store lots of stuff. It looks pretty similar to the other bags but the extra capacity could be really handy and I think it will work with the XS 750 but haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure :)
ReplyThomas
10 years agoI have the 2014 Ohm XS750 Sport. I love the bike, but would like to travel further without changing out the current battery system. A little to much $ right now for me. Is there a place where I can find another center weighted battery like mine or is there a less expensive way to install a new battery in the battery housing if necessary. Regards, Thomas
ReplyCourt Rye
10 years agoHi Thomas, the battery design appears to be very specific to this model and is likely a partnership between OHM and BionX which definitely makes the motor and display panel. I’m sorry that I can’t offer more insight here. Your best bet might be to contact OHM directly and see if they might sell a 2014 battery to you as a returning customer for a discounted rate. Everyone I’ve met from the company has been very supportive and responsive, I hope this helps.
Reply