Bakcou EVs Are Monsters of the Urban Mobility Game, and Some Are Even Military-Worthy!

One team I recently came across who is taking a different approach to e-biking is Bakcou, most likely short for "backcountry," but this has yet to be verified. Yet, it doesn't matter how this crew got its name.

What's important is that they designed their e-bike to be used for so much more than just riding to work and carrying some groceries; their e-bikes are built for the back roads, for the explorers, ranchers, hunters, fishermen, and according to Bakcou, even military first responders.

Now, Bakcou's story is similar to that of other e-bike brands on the market in that it all began from a need. In Bryan Child and Dave Andre's case, the founders, the need was to access hard-to-reach landscapes without disturbing the local wildlife with noisy and polluting ICEs. The e-bike quickly became a contender for this task.

Up next was how to ensure that their machines reach as many hands as possible. To achieve this, Bakcou set out to offer maximum power and capability for as low a price as possible. But this is where I feel the brand may be feeling the sting a little in terms of accessibility to all.

The least expensive e-bike on this manufacturer's website is selling for no less than $3,200 (€2,900 at current exchange rates), so a bit more than the average Joe is typically willing to drop on an EV of this nature, especially in this economy. But not all is lost; we're clearly not buying an average two-wheeler, and I really mean it.

For example, that $3,200 option, the Flatlander, is rocking a beefy 750 W motor on the rear hub and, with it, can reach a top speed of over 35 mph (56 kph). This means that it's outside of Class 3 regulations, so you'll need to be riding this around on private property or try your luck with the local 5-0. Furthermore, a 25 Ah removable battery pack is added to this magic, good for up to 80 miles (129 km), according to the manufacturer.

At the opposite end of the Bakcou price spectrum sits a monster! The MAV3 is this manufacturer's machine aimed at military responders and, with that, requires a knee-shaking $9,300 (€ 8,500) to own. Why so much? Well, for starters, look at this thing, it looks friggin bulletproof!

A massive aluminum frame with a step-through design hides two 15 Ah batteries and is shaped to accommodate 26 x 4.8 in cross-section tires. Best of all, a mid-mounted motor from Bafang cranks out a peak of 1,500 W of power and 160 Nm (118 lb-ft) of torque. To best describe how I feel about all this - "What did you see, Timmy?!" "It, it, it was a monster!!"

The rest is then completed with an industry top-shelf Rohloff E-14 internal gear hub, four-piston brakes from SRAM, and a front fork from KKE with 140 mm (5.5 in) of travel. Be sure to check out all the other little knick-knacks that make up this bugger.

Now, as I explored all this brand has to offer, I, too, fell in love with one of their bikes, the Scout. Why? Well, it comes across as the most normal of all the options I spotted, but even so, it is, in fact, yet another monstrosity in the best possible way. The Scout option comes in with a price tag of $5,600 (€5,100), and while that number is outside of most people's budget yet again, I urge you to read on.

Here, we're looking at a full-suspension demon, so riding around should feel a whole lot like cruising on air, depending on how rough the trails may be. With an aluminum frame, this thing weighs 69 lbs (31 kg) without the battery pack, the largest of which boasts 21 Ah of juice.

Sucking juice out of that battery, a mid-mounted Bafang motor is there once again, and this time, Rohloff has been dropped in favor of an SRAM NX drivetrain with an 11-42T range. Drop all that onto an RST Renegade fork, connect a RockShox Monarch Air spring in the back, and yes, you just might be able to chase down local wildlife after your first missed shots during a hunting session.

E-bikes not your thing? Well, Bakcou has yet another trick up their sleeve, a lineup of friggin e-scooters. As you can guess, bigger is better yet again! The Badger is their smallest e-scooter option. With it, a top speed of 15 mph (24 kph) is possible with pneumatic tires to soften up rides.

However, it's the Timberwolf ($2,500) and Grizzly ($3,000) that come across as completely different from what I've seen before. For example, the Grizzly is an e-scooter built around 26x4 inch cross-section fat tires, with a rear swingarm and a motor with 1,000 W of power. It even has a cargo rack, for god's sake. What more do I need to say?

As for myself, the only e-bike that grabbed my attention was the Scout, but once I saw the Grizzly e-scooter, I lost my cookies, simply based on the fact that I'm an adrenaline junky, and this thing looks like the right stuff to deliver just what I need. G.G. Bakcou, G.G.

One last thing I do want to point out is that Bakcou is made up of real people with real hearts, and currently, they have a "New EBike Purchase" sale going on where folks like you and me can get our hands on some pretty neat stuff for free. Be sure to check it out.