2022 Rambo Bikes Krusader Review

Video Review

Written Review

Today we are reviewing the Rambo Krusader electric bike. I’m just going to tell you right now, if you’re a hunter, bike-packer, or just love getting outdoors to experience what this beautiful planet of ours has to offer, you’re gonna love this ride!

The Krusader is a powerful, capable and accessory-ready, deep-woods machine that is geared for extreme adventures. We reviewed its big brother, The Prowler, last year, and we are so excited to get the chance to do some exploring on another Rambo electric bike! 

The Krusader is a top-of-the-line electric bike with premium components that really shine on this light, and nimble ride. I say light, but it comes in around 74 pounds, but considering there are two 500-watt hub motors here, it seems like it should weigh significantly more. And how much can you expect to pay for a dual-motored off-road monster like this? The MSRP on the Krusader is $4,999 USD, but at the time of this review it’s on sale for $2,999.99 USD, which is a seriously huge holiday discount.

The Krusader comes in one frame size, and it currently comes in one color, a TrueTimber Viper Woodland Camo pattern, which is pretty cool if you ask me. Rambo offers a limited lifetime warranty on the frame, a 1-year comprehensive warranty and a 30 day return policy. Rambo also offers free shipping to the contiguous United States, which means you don’t have to factor that in to your budget. 

Enough preamble! Let’s dive into the specs. 

The Rambo Krusader has 2 Bafang hub motors for a whopping 1,000 nominal watts and an even higher peak wattage output of 1,500 watts. When it comes to measuring the torque, it’s hard to say it has the traditional 85Nm of torque, because of the dual motor system, it really does feel more like the advertised 160Nm of torque. This thing pulls harder than a mule heading back to the stables! In short, this motor combination is ridiculously powerful! Let’s talk about top speed. Out of the box, the Krusader will hit about 17  mph easy with just the throttle, and we were able to get it up to about 30 mph with the pedal assist. And on the downhills? Forget about it!   

However, since the Krusader only has one gear, it’s difficult to pedal faster than about 17 mph, unless you enjoy making eggs. This means that if you unlock the top speed, you’ll only be able to use the dual motors to keep you going at high speeds, and again, this will seriously eat away at your battery life. 

When it comes to climbing hills and accelerating, the dual Bafangs ate up any incline we threw at them. If you’re planning on taking the Krusader off-road, I can’t think of many scenarios where this thing wouldn’t absolutely crush! A swamp maybe? Actually, scratch that. A swamp is one of the areas the Krusader will shine thanks to the dual motors and huge 4 inch fat tires. If you’re looking to ride a bike through deep mud, you’re as good as gold on this chariot. 

The battery on the Rambo Krusader is a 48 volt, 14 Ah system with a max estimated range of 25-30 miles. This range is totally doable if you keep the pedal assist in a low setting and use the throttle sparingly, but at full power, the motors demand a lot of juice and will eat up the battery quickly. So, if you plan on covering some distance, plan on putting in some work to maximize the battery life. 

The battery is locking and removable and is partially-integrated into the downtube, which is a huge step forward from a traditionally mounted battery. Having the battery at a lower point on the frame helps with the center of gravity, which is a huge bonus considering the difficult terrains you’ll most likely be riding on. 

As we already covered, the Rambo Krusader weighs in at 74 pounds, but it has a 300 pound carry capacity. Rambo did a decent job at planning ahead and provided some attachment bosses on the frame. There are four bosses on the stem in case you want to attach a load-bearing basket, and there a few sets of bosses at the rear of the frame that can accept a rear rack or even a trailer. The 6061 aluminum frame is rigid and seems well suited for rough paths and trail blazing.

For suspension, the Krusader has GT MRK air forks with about 120 mm of travel. These forks are adjustable and really soak up big bumps and drops. While they’re not really built for catching air, they’re perfect for exploring that back 40, or exploring that new hunting area you’ve always dreamed about, but never been able to reach before. 

The giant 26” x 4” Kenda tires act as another layer of suspension thanks to their huge air volume, and they also provide great traction on all types of terrain, especially when you experiment with lower tire pressures. 

To bring the Rambo Krusader to a stop, we’ve got Logan HD-E500, dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 180mm rotors in the front and rear wheel. These brakes are enough to bring that hungry mule to a stop in a hurry! It may seem like overkill in perfect riding conditions, but again, the Krusader’s home is deep in the woods, where it’s wet and muddy, and that’s when the extra braking power really comes in handy. With proper braking technique, this setup offers quite a bit of control when descending steep sections of trail. 

The handlebars feel like a good width for maintaining control, and the locking, Velo Ergonomic, grips ensure your hands don’t come flying off the handlebars. On the left side we’ve got the control pad, and on the right we’ve got our thumb throttle. The Bafang display is bright enough to see in direct sunlight, and has the ability to be tilted, though the stem prevents a full arch of movement. That’s not a huge deal, as I found that just forward of its backward limit was the perfect vantage point for me. 

Overall, the Krusader is an impressive machine that fits right in with the other offerings from Rambo. The Krusader could slam pavement in its sleep, and prefers to be roaming in the wilds of nature. If you’re a hunter, or just a trailblazer of epic proportions, the Krusader is a ride worth checking out.