Whether you think of hunting as a hobby, a passion of yours, or a lifestyle, one thing's certain – spending time out in the wilderness and exploring the great outdoors is a huge part of who you are.
But as you probably know, getting out there and reaching your next hunting spot can be quite a tricky task, especially when you decide to leave your vehicle behind and take a more eco-friendly approach – an electric hunting bike.
Yes, that's a thing – and the BAKCOU Mule Elite Electric Hunting Bike is here to prove it.
Outdoor enthusiasts designed the BAKCOU bikes for other outdoor enthusiasts, all sharing the same goal of going further, climbing higher, and exploring more – with minimal disturbances to the wildlife and environment.
You'll see in our BAKCOU Mule review:
This electric hunting bike is built to handle rough terrain and extreme conditions with unmatched ease, no matter where the next hunting trip takes you!
You can't go hunting on a bike that isn't capable of going off-road, period. And when it's time to go deeper into the woods – whether it's to follow a trail, do some scouting, or set up your trail cameras – you need a bike that can keep up with the extreme conditions.
The BAKCOU Mule is one such electric hunting bike:
Designed for serious hunters that want to travel further and faster – without compromising stability, stealthiness, or safety – it's every bit as rugged as it is high-performing.
The Mule is indeed in a league of its own.
Frame & Tires
As a hunter, you're very likely to venture into rough terrain and "paths less traveled." You need a bike that can handle it all, from dust and dirt to mud and water, without bending under pressure and giving up on you.
Rest assured that the Mule's high-grade 6061 aluminum alloy frame was made with these extreme trails in mind and is up to the task.
What's more, it's somehow both a beauty and a beast, all at the same time:
The rugged, rust-resistant frame, the Maxxis Minion tires that measure 26 x 4 inches, the aggressive-looking, wide-stance pedals, the shock-absorbing seat post, and the broad, 740-millimeter handlebars for added stability – this thing has "outdoors" written all over it!
The primary goal was to make a durable hunting bike, but BAKCOU didn't overlook the aesthetic aspect of its design. The Mule is a surprisingly good-looking bike.
Plus, it comes in three different color schemes – matte black, the so-called Desert Tan, and the unique Kuiu Verde 2.0 Camo finish that can work in pretty much any natural environment.
Even better, it comes in two different configurations. Besides the "standard" 18-inch model with the 29.5-inch stand-over height, BAKCOU recently came out with the step-through version of the Mule, with a lowered crossbar and a stand-over height of 26 inches.
Oh, and did we mention that, even though it weighs only 68 pounds, it can haul 300-pound loads without breaking a sweat?
The foundations of Mule's greatness are, without a doubt, more than reliable.
Motor & Brakes
It may be called the Mule, but this bike is every bit as fast and agile as the wild animals that you'll be hunting while riding it.
This workhorse – or, rather, mule – of a bike is engineered with the unparalleled performance of the Bafang ULTRA M620 mid-drive motor.
Not only is the ULTRA their best motor to-date but is generally considered the "diesel engine" of mid-drive electric bike motors, too.
The fact that it can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour – even in off-road scenarios – is both mind-blowing and terrifying at the same time.
That said, the Mule's motor has both brains and brawn:
Besides packing powerful performance in a heavy-duty frame, it gets the added intelligence boost from the integrated torque sensor.
The sensors provide continuous feedback to the motor, ensuring that it delivers precisely the level of performance that you require at any given moment – instead of leaving you stuck with predetermined power settings.
Oh, and it comes with Walk-Assist mode, which dials the speed down to three miles per hour so that you can walk alongside your Mule while it does all the heavy lifting.
You wouldn't be the first hunter to question the distances that you can reach on the back of an electric hunting bike. The battery is, after all, what determines the bike's range.
On that note, we're glad to report that the motor isn't the Mule's only powerful component. The battery – and the distances that it can travel on a single charge – are every bit as impressive.
Again, you get more than one option here:
BAKCOU Mule's Lithium-ion Extended Distance 48V battery is available in three different sizes – 14.5Ah, 17.4Ah, and 21Ah – to meet your needs. Whichever one you choose, you'll have plenty of juice to give the Mule that extra push.
And since the smart Bafang mid-drive motor knows how to put that battery power to use as efficiently as possible, you can get as much as 40 miles out of a single charge. While the competition averages out at around 20 miles, the Mule offers double the range!
Even if you get carried away by the thrill of the hunt and run the battery dry, the Shimano Alivio nine-speed gearing is more than capable of getting you where you need to be.Post-Test Summary: BAKCOU Mule Pros & Cons
Besides the distinct advantage of being exceptionally well made, rugged, fast, and agile – even in the most challenging terrain – the Mule also gets bonus points for being available in several different configurations.
The sheer level of flexibility that you get here is hard to beat!
Furthermore, maintaining a sense of control – something that a lot of electric bikes struggle with on off-road trail rides – is exceptionally easy, even at maximum speed. Despite the tremendous amounts of power and torque, the ride feels natural, and more importantly, stable.
It's hard to find a reason to complain, especially when you consider the price point. You'll see hunting e-bikes on the market that cost as much – or more – and still don't offer the same performance levels and features as the Mule!
We would've preferred some chrome in the cog-set, but that's just us being nitpicky. Seriously, though, we have no complaints whatsoever!
What Do We Like about BAKCOU Mule?
PROS
What Don’t We Like about BAKCOU Mule?
Cons
Conclusion
If everything you saw today in our BAKCOU Mule review wasn't enough to convince you that you're looking at the best electric hunting bike currently available on the market, we don't know what to tell you.
Of course, there's a lot more to be said about this workhorse of a bike – the name "Mule" is incredibly fitting – but it's time to wrap things up. Plus, you won't know how genuinely fantastic this hunting bike is until you take it for a ride out in the wild yourself.
After putting this BAKCOU electric hunting bike – and a ton of competing models – to the test, we can confidently conclude:
The BAKCOU Mule Elite Electric Hunting Bike is head – and shoulders – above the pack!
Our Rating - 94/100
Tremendous amounts of power and torque combined with "smart" features and a sturdy but lightweight frame make the BAKCOU Mule the ultimate electric hunting bike!