Test: The Bulls E-Stream EVA TR3 is the women's top model of the new Brose E-Fullys from Bulls for the 2019 season. For almost 4.000 euros, the 120mm E-MTB comes with remarkably good equipment - and the brand new Brose Drive S Mag Drive.
With the E-Stream EVA model series, Bulls is launching several full-suspension e-mountain bikes for the 2019 season, all of which are equipped with new Brose drives and integrated batteries. With the Bulls E-Stream Eva TR3, we have chosen the top model of the series for the test for almost 4.000 euros - the highlight of the 120mm fully is undoubtedly the brand new Brose Drive S Mag motor, which was introduced last summer and compared to its predecessor not only has more power, but is also a good deal lighter thanks to the magnesium housing. Our test bike weighs just over 24kg, which doesn't break any records, but is still remarkable in view of the robust equipment, the wide tires and the overall price, which is quite cheap for an E-MTB in this class.
With 120mm of spring travel at the front and rear, 2,8 inch wide plus tires in 27,5″ and a balanced geometry, the E-Stream EVA TR3 is an all-rounder as it should be: Female touring riders with limited off-road ambitions will get their money’s worth as well those where a no-trail ride is not a real ride. The rest of the equipment also matches – especially the powerful Magura disc brakes with 4-piston calipers at the front are really appealing and are among the best you can currently get for a trail mountain bike on the market. The 10-speed circuit from Shimano's Deore series works excellently and doesn't have to hide behind the components of the higher-quality SLX or XT groupset in terms of performance. Thanks to "only" 10 gears, it is also significantly more robust and tends to require less maintenance in continuous operation than 11-speed or even 12-speed gears. Thanks to the new 11-42 cassette, it also offers a range that is more than sufficient for an E-MTB.
The big equipment highlight of the new Bulls E-Stream EVA TR3 is undoubtedly the electric duo of the new Brose Drive S Mag motor and the 750Wh SuperCore battery. The latter sits - as befits a modern e-bike in 2019 - perfectly integrated in the down tube. Thanks to the extremely compact dimensions of the new Brose motor, the bottom bracket area only catches the eye at second or third glance. The innovative magnesium housing reduces the weight of the drive unit to well below 3kg. This makes the Drive S Mag one of the lightest e-bike motors on the market. A lot has also happened "under the hood" compared to the Drive S Alu, which is still available: the magnesium variant brings more power on trails or asphalt with the same torque and the new Flex Power Mode ensures a noticeable increase in agility.
Product news: Brose e-bike motors 2019: Drive S Mag, update for Drive T and new controls
Product News / E-Performance: Numerous innovations for the Brose e-bike motors 2019 were announced as part of the Eurobike Media Days in Serfaus. In addition to a completely new motor, there are also updates for the existing drives and, for the first time, displays and controls directly from Brose. Brose Drive S Mag – Lighter, more compact, more powerful Pretty much a […]
The comfortable chassis from Fox should also put a big grin on the face of most riders. The fork harmonises perfectly with the 4-link rear triangle, which provides generous spring travel and reliably absorbs bumps. If you want to really let it rip on the trail, you might miss some rear-end feedback, but we think Bull's emphasis on comfort and safety is spot on with the E-Stream EVA TR3. The 2,6″ wide plus tires from Schwalbe also go very well with it. It's worth experimenting with the air pressure here: If you inflate the big tires like you would with conventional mountain bike tires, you lose the big advantages: comfort and traction. The tires can only show this at pressures below 1,5 bar. Of course, the risk of punctures increases with low air pressure - that's why we think it's a bit of a pity that the Smart Sam Performance tires installed ex works can't be ridden tubeless.
The bike also shows its excellent all-round character in the seating position: not too long, not too short and with moderate angles, it remains lively and controllable even on flat terrain and on tours, but can definitely show its teeth off-road. The short stem and wide handlebars suit it well, even if they may require a short adjustment period for riders coming from more classic bikes. The icing on the cake in terms of versatility would have been a dropper post, which probably fell victim to the red pencil; However, if you want to retrofit these, you can now fall back on cheap and well-functioning supports in the aftermarket. Speaking of all-round character: Thanks to the Monkey-Link attachments for front and rear lighting, it can be attached and detached in a flash and is powered by the integrated battery - great thing.
