VOLUME 59 ISSUE 22 JUNE 1, 2022 P125
shifter/derailleur components on
the 2022 models.
Really, pushing the Tazer MX
Pro model to its limit on moderate
enduro trails to hefty downhill runs
is a bit out of my ability. This bike is
burly—truly built for a strong rider
that wants a bike to hold up to
the abuse they'll throw at it. Like a
moto training day, this bike works
best when ridden hard.
To get the most out of our
Tazer MX test bike, we went to
the steeper local trails and even
the off-road motorcycle routes at
our favorite local MX track for a
day. In town, we really enjoyed
riding out of the garage on the
bike instead of loading up the
bike in the van. That's really
one of the best things about the
eMTB world. They make shuttles
a bit obsolete and absolutely rip
on the downs. I don't need to
load up, change clothes at the
trailhead, ride and change again
to drive home. I can simply roll
out on a charged-up bike from
home and ride—a lot. All roads
are fun to transition when you
have boost mode, and when you
want to get a pure MTB experi-
ence, just point it downhill or
cross-hill and start trying to push
it to its limit.
As a Class 1 ebike, the power
assist cuts off as soon as speed
hits 20 mph, so the power
here is really for crushing hills,
shuttle runs and getting up to
that golden speed anywhere. On
downhills, the bike becomes a
pure performance bicycle again
and there's no hiding shoddy
geometry or compromises in de-
sign hoping to be hidden by the
power output of the battery.
The Intense Tazer MX really
shines when the power isn't
on—a testament to Jeff Steber's
(Intense's founder) bicycle de-
sign prowess and the entirety of
the production build. Having the
extra heft of a 50-pound bicycle
as you crush enduro trails or loft
A mullet wheelset (29-inch front /
27.5-inch rear) makes the Tazer MX
surprisingly nimble for a massive
travel, 50-plus pound mountain
bike. It's certainly biased towards
momentum runs, but it can dice
more than decently, too.
