2023 Floor 604 Boar Hunter Evaluate

Not way back, I printed a evaluate of the 2023 Floor 604 Boar Hunter’s sister bike, the Boar Explorer. These bikes have practically an identical configurations, excluding the paint scheme, wheels and tires, and storage. 

Since I’ve been working my approach by way of the Floor 604 ebike lineup, and contemplating that the climate is popping towards the cooler aspect, I assumed I’d take the Boar Hunter for a little bit of exploration alongside the riverbed and see the way it handles its pure habitat.

If you happen to’d wish to see the opposite Floor 604 ebikes I’ve reviewed, take a look at:

On a heat early-September night, Melissa and I headed out with the digicam, some new lenses, and a mission to snap an attention-grabbing photograph whereas using the Boar Hunter alongside the river. With the fires having dramatically worsened the air high quality for many of the summer season, the current respite has been welcome – and prompted me to get outdoors and revel in it.

Due to a predictable torque-sensing powertrain, the Hunter let me benefit from it and snap some nice photos whereas using locations that solely monster fats tires will allow you to comfortably go. 

Phrases & Pictures: Cameron Martel

Floor 604 loaned us this ebike for per week for the needs of this evaluate. I’d wish to thank Ebikes Calgary for facilitating the mortgage of this fat-tire ebike. webBikeWorld doesn’t have a monetary relationship with Floor 604 or Ebikes Calgary.

2023 Floor 604 Boar Hunter Specs

• MSRP: $2,799 USD / $3,699 CAD
• The place to Purchase: Surface604Bikes.com / CalgaryEBikes.ca
• Guarantee: 1-year
• Prime Velocity: 22 mph / 35 kph
• Vary: 72 km (45 miles) w/ 14 Ah, or 105 km (65 miles) w/ 20 Ah
• Bike Weight: 52.5 lbs (23.8 kg)
• Weight capability: 285 lbs (130 kg)
• Motor: Bafang 500 watt rear hub
• PAS: Torque sensor with 5 settings, thumb throttle
• Brakes: Tektro Auriga hydraulic brakes with 180 mm entrance/rear rotors
• Gearing: SRAM X5 groupset
• Battery: 48V 14 Ah or 48V 20 Ah
• Wheels: 26” x 4.5” Kenda Juggernaut Sport

Driving the Floor 604 Boar Explorer

Because the speedo topped 45 kph on the lengthy, shallow downhill towards the river, I clamped the hydraulic brakes exhausting and got here to a lifeless cease shortly after. Feathering the brakes, I stored the rear tire from locking up because the Hunter stopped on the base of the hill.

The large entrance rack could give the impression that the Boar Hunter is forward-heavy, but it surely’s surprisingly not that a lot completely different than using the front-rackless Boar Explorer. In comparison with the Explorer, which has 27.5″ x 4.5″ wheels and tires, the Hunter’s 1″ diameter smaller association feels a bit extra nimble on turn-in and simpler to maneuver round; there may be all the time loads of traction, and you’ve got numerous management when using gradual as a result of stiff forks.

With the tires inflated to twenty psi, there’s a little bit of cushion to take a few of the jarring bumps out of the paths. It’s virtually nearly as good as having suspension, and a heck of loads lighter and thus simpler to experience on the tight trails of the riverbed I’m searching for.

Stopped on the head of the singletrack I’ll be weeding by way of momentarily, I couldn’t assist however take a second to understand the scene. A freshwater river flows as I’m using a motorbike designed to get out within the wild and hunt, and in seconds, I’ll be surrounded by bushes, water, and dust, and sand. Don’t fear: Earlier than I obtained sappy, I put my foot again on the pedal and began to experience.

I actually do have the most effective job, although.

Aesthetics & Design

I’m not a lot of a hunter myself, however plainly if you happen to personal a camouflage bike, it’s best to experience it in locations the place the camouflage is smart. By the point my week with the bike was over, I used to be in like with the paint job – a primary for me, for certain.

Massive entrance and rear steel racks complement the large tires, that are hefty in additional than simply look. They’re well-made and sturdy, and simply detachable must you wish to shed some weight. In addition they type an enormous a part of the bike’s aesthetic, including further ruggedness and utility to the Hunter’s look.

Not everybody enjoys the Hunter aesthetic, and I’m not usually one for it both, but it surely works on this bike.

Torque-Sensing Powertrain

I known as the pedal-assist configuration on the Hunter’s twin chic, and the identical excessive reward applies right here, too. Floor 604 makes use of a dropout torque sensor and rear hub motor, with customized configuration baked into the software program and controller.

It’s Floor 604’s secret sauce, and it’s fairly good. The help is clean, quiet, and pure feeling. You possibly can inch alongside if you want, with the Hunter blissful to conform, and also you’ve all the time obtained full energy accessible if you mash the throttle except you’ve got the pedal help set to 0.

It’s an easier setup than a mid-drive, and for the place the Hunter goes, it has sufficient energy and vary to get you into and out of the bush. It by no means feels overwhelming – you don’t surge ahead when energy comes on – and it’s all the time predictable. 

So inching alongside streams and rock beds is straightforward, and between the large tires and electrified powertrain, you’ve obtained all of the traction and brute power you want, too.

Storage

The Boar Hunter comes outfitted with sturdy entrance and rear racks. The rear rack is mounted through 4 bolts and is the place the LED taillight sits.

The entrance rack is bigger than common and securely mounted to the forks. This implies it strikes if you flip the bike, so preserve that in thoughts when securing your gear. This hefty rack might carry a good quantity of weight – good for transferring gear round within the bush or to your favourite fishing spot.

The Hunter has loads of storage inventory from the manufacturing unit, however add some pannier luggage to the combo, and also you’ve obtained a viable alternative for a automobile for a lot of varieties of journeys. Contemplating you could get the Hunter with as much as 105 km (65 miles) of vary, it’s a great setup that prices virtually nothing to run.

By way of real-world vary, I wager you’ll see within the 90% of the marketed ranges, assuming you retain the bike on PAS 1 or 2, and pedal alongside repeatedly. 60 – 65 km (40 miles) on the 14 Ah battery and 80 – 90 km (56 miles) on the 20 Ah battery are achievable figures. The experience I took for this photoshoot was 22 km (13.5 miles) lengthy, and I had used 15% of the battery by the point I obtained dwelling. The battery life was additionally related for the opposite rides I took.

Construct High quality & Parts

Floor 604 bikes are usually constructed fairly effectively, and the Boar isn’t any exception. The wiring is built-in into the body the place doable, welds are clear all through the body and racks, and the camo wrap can also be good high quality.

Forks & Body

The Hunter has a reasonably upright using place, which makes longer rides extra comfy. The stable forks within the entrance are lighter than their coil-sprung or air-bound counterparts, and the entrance finish feels nimble and fast to maneuver regardless of the fats tires and entrance rack.

The geometry is just like their Shred eMTB, which is extra upright than different hardtails. 

Wheels & Tires

With 26″x 4.5” wheels and tires, the Boar Hunter is provided for all-terrain and all seasons. If you happen to get pleasure from fats bike using within the snow, the Hunter is a good match.

I’m an enormous fan of fats tires for overlanding, single tracks, and forging your personal approach by way of the bush. Driving alongside the creekside and navigating the rocks and streams is pleasant with these tires.

Spec says to inflate them to a max of 30 psi. I ran them largely at 20 psi, but in addition 28 psi after I was extra on-road than not. There’s particular rolling resistance if you run them at decrease strain, however the experience high quality improves significantly. It’s a trade-off, however the fantastic thing about the drivetrain is that you should utilize the motor to compensate for the elevated rolling resistance of low-pressure tires.

Handlebars, Show, & Shifting

The total-color show seems to be good and is generally simple to see, save for direct daylight, the place it doesn’t have sufficient brightness to overpower the solar.

Sadly, like each different LCD display I’ve seen on ebikes, the display scratches fairly simply. It’s not made with gorilla glass, so it’ll present put on if it will get hit or scratched by one thing. The above photograph exaggerates the impact considerably, because it’s much less noticeable when using, however it’s noticeable.

See additionally

The excellent news is that changing screens is easy and never too costly. You should purchase replacements from Floor 604; putting in them solely takes a couple of minutes. 

The left handlebars have the brakes, throttle, and show management pad. The management pad is how you modify pedal help settings, flip the headlight on or off, flip the bike itself on or off, and manipulate the settings menu.

Press the “i” button twice rapidly to enter the settings menu, use the + / – buttons to navigate, and use the “i” button as enter. The settings menu is the place you may reset your journey odometer, make settings adjustments to the show (comparable to altering from MPH to KPH), and take away the velocity limiter (the code is 0512, however you didn’t hear that from me).

I ought to be aware that Floor 604 ships the bike as a class-2 ebike and doesn’t advocate unlocking the bike in areas that don’t allow class-3 bikes. Guarantee you recognize your native ebike legal guidelines earlier than unlocking the velocity limiter.

The best bars have the SRAM shifter, brakes, and bell. I just like the SRAM X5 setup: The set off shifter is fast, has good tactile suggestions, and could be very constant. It’s one in all my favourite setups at this worth level.

The one factor I’d change can be the grips; I’d set up some cruiser-style grips, which I discover extra pleasant for longer rides and with minimal lack of management.

Brakes

The Boar Hunter comes with Tektro Auriga 2-piston hydraulic brakes and 180 mm rotors on each wheels.

There’s an argument to be made for utilizing 4-piston brakes as a substitute of 2-piston. “Regular” bike brakes are inadequate for ebikes as a result of battery’s and drivetrain’s further weight. Because of this lots of my ebike critiques for bikes with mechanical brakes comprise a quick monologue about how all ebikes needs to be outfitted with hydraulic brakes.

Nevertheless, not all hydraulic brakes are created equally. The HeyBike Tyson I simply reviewed additionally has hydraulic brakes from a no-name OEM model. They’re nice, however don’t stack as much as the Tektro fashions.

Braking on the Boar is nice: the calipers have a robust chunk, and the rotors resist warmth fade effectively. Nevertheless, if you happen to’re on the heavier aspect, and if you happen to’re going to have the bike carrying a load by way of hilly terrain, you might wish to think about upgrading to 4-piston calipers. The improve is pretty cheap (beneath $250) and can give a heavier bike extra stopping energy. That mentioned, for the way I experience, the inventory brakes are simply nice.

Paint & Graphics

I do know the Boar is on this photograph, but it surely’s exhausting to make out. It’s nonetheless a pleasant photograph, although.

The decaling is pretty minimal, and the wrap on the body does many of the speaking. It’s good high quality throughout. No complaints from me.

A Nice Option to Take Your Gear In, And Out Of the Bush

The most important piece of suggestions I’ve on this bike is that it wants fenders. Floor 604 sells them, and there are lots of aftermarket choices accessible. With large, fats tires and presumably a predication for off-road terrain, you have to them.

The Hunter is a reasonably good worth, utilizing high quality name-brand parts and with many sensible design selections all through. Coming with each entrance and rear racks, entrance and hind lights, and that includes a whisper-quiet 500-watt motor that places out 80 nm of torque, the Hunter is provided to take you wherever you’re feeling so inclined to go.