Bakcou Mule

richard-shrubb
Written by Richard Shrubb
Expert Reviewer, Contributing Author
kristy-snyder
Edited by Kristy Snyder
Professional Editor

Ratings

5/5
5
5/5
5
4/5
4
4.5/5
4.5
5/5
5

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More About the Bakcou Mule

Year
2019
Class
Types of Riders
https://ebikes.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/bakcou-mule.webp

50 mi

RANGE

35 mph

TOP SPEED

8 hrs

CHARGE TIME

79 lbs

WEIGHT

Mid-drive

MOTOR TYPE

Bakcou Mule Review: Takeaway

A bike that’s made for serious wilderness riding, the Backou Mule has huge amounts of power, a great range, and good payload capacity. These make for an electric bike that’ll get you wherever you want to go, far off the beaten track.

Ideal For...

Fishing
Hunting
Camping
Road Trips

E-Bike Overview

Offered with options up to a 1.2 kWh battery, the Backou Mule is designed to get you far into the wilderness reliably and comfortably. Where some fat tire electric bikes are essentially for cruising your neighborhood, the Mule doesn’t fit that specification at all.

Retailing at up to $6,200 with the largest battery option, all models come with the market-leading Bafang Ultra 620 mid-drive motor. This 1,000W motor can be toggled between full power and street-legal 750W when you’re riding on the road, and as such can be considered a Class 2 e-bike for road use. Pumping out an enormous 160 Nm of torque when required, it’ll enable the e-bike to be as surefooted as a mountain goat on steep inclines.

Thanks to the torque sensor, this is a surprisingly efficient e-bike, too. You can expect a range of 50 miles even in heavy terrain with a high payload with the 1,200-watt, 25 Ah battery option. This makes the Mule ideal for big overlanding trips or getting out to a favored hunting ground far from civilization.

You can carry up to 100 lbs of gear on the included rear rack, making the Mule a leader in the overlanding e-bike world.

Reasons to Buy

Premium off-road components on this machine include the four-piston Tektro hydraulic brakes and Maxxis Minion tires that are ideal for gripping loose and wet surfaces. With the 100mm travel BCEB GT MRK fork and the Bafang Ultra motor, the Backou Mule is a serious overlanding beast that’s certainly not all show.

Things to Consider

With all that power available to hand, take care to note your state’s legal stance on e-bikes before you go for a ride. Law enforcement can take action if you’re using its throttle at speeds over 20 mph or pedaling with power assist over 28 mph. This could ruin the otherwise high moment of having a beast like this to play with.

Specs

Brand
Bakcou
Motor
Bafang Ultra 620 mid-drive
Battery
17.5 Ah (840 Wh) upgradeable to 25 Ah (1.2 kWh)
Display
Bafang LCD
Power Delivery
Thumb-throttle/PAS
Fork
BCEB GT MRK 100mm travel
Gearing
Shimano Alvio 9-speed, 11-46t cassette
Brakes
Tektro HD E-750 4-piston hydraulic with 180 mm rotor
Wheels
26” x 4” Maxxis Minion
Accessories
Rear fender, rear rack

The specs above come from the manufacturer and may vary from what you’ve experienced. Notice something that needs correcting? Let us know.

Ratings

Power
5/5
5

Offering up to 1,500W of peak power, the Bafang Ultra 620 motor is rated above road legal. It can be down-powered at the flick of a switch to 750W for road use. Even then, it can hurl out 160 Nm of torque — far more than Bosch or Yamaha motors. On the road, it’ll get you to 20 mph quickly, though do be aware that fat tires have a lot of rolling resistance. Prolonged runs at full speed will deplete the battery.

Range
5/5
5

Using the 1.2 kWh, 25 Ah battery option, you’ll get class-leading range out of this e-bike. A radius of 20 miles from base is possible, which is far and away more than many of its competitors.

Range is impacted by terrain, weather conditions, and payload. A heavier rider on mountainous terrain won’t get as far as a lighter rider on flatter terrain.

Comfort
4/5
4

You’ll be sitting in a forward-leaning, trekking position. This will make your upper body tired after some miles in the saddle, but this will often be due to maneuvering your body weight to get the machine across obstacles.

The fat tires are designed to be inflated at a lower pressure than traditional mountain bike tires, and this allows them to roll over rocks and obstacles with greater comfort. Supporting this is the BCEB GT MRK fork that’ll handle the roughest terrain presented to it.

Durability
4.5/5
4.5

With quality branded components like Tektro, Bafang, and Maxxis on this e-bike, the Bakcou Mule is built to last.

Bakcou also offers a one-year limited warranty on its e-bikes, backed up by second-to-none after-sales customer service.

Style
5/5
5

Sometimes ugly can be pretty too, especially when that ugliness is about function. The Bakcou Mule is no catwalk heroine but more of a sturdy, tough beast that will tackle whatever terrain you wish to throw at it. We love the in-tube battery and great proportions that make this a serious overlander.

Our Research Methodology

We personally research and test every e-bike featured in our reviews and guides to provide accurate, data-driven recommendations. Learn how we review.

About Our Editorial Team

richard-shrubb
Written by Richard Shrubb
Expert Reviewer, Contributing Author
Richard is a well-established journalist and copywriter with years of experience in the EV and e-bike world. He has worked with international sailing magazines, e-bike publications, and national newspapers.
kristy-snyder
Edited by Kristy Snyder
Professional Editor
Kristy Snyder is a professional writer and editor living in Pittsburgh with over 10 years of content creation experience. When she's not contributing to eBikes.org, Kristy enjoys reading, practicing yoga, drinking beer, and hitting up rail trails.

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