Test: The times when e-bikes were dubbed “granny bikes” are long gone. E-MTBs are becoming more and more popular, and even sporty riders are toying with the idea of a bike with electric assistance. It is precisely this target group that Kalkhoff wants to reach with the new Entice. A sporty e-trekking bike that should look equally good on and off the asphalt. We introduce you to the bike and give you impressions of the first test rides with the Kalkhoff Entice.
Kalkhoff Entice – model overview
The Kalkhoff Entice comes in three different models. It starts at €2.599 with the Move B9, followed by the Advance B10 for €2.999 and the Excite B10 is the top variant. The Entice is not only available with a diamond frame for men, but also with a trapeze frame for sporty women. Here is an overview of all models. You can find all further information here.
Loom: Integral 0.5, aluminum
Fork: SR Suntour NEX E25
Engine: Bosch Performance Cruise
Battery pack: Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh)
Drive: Shimano Alivio, 1 × 9
impellers: Rodi Blackrock rims with Shimano FH-M475 hubs
Price: € 2.599
Loom: Integral 0.5, aluminum
Fork: SR Suntour NEX E25
Engine: Bosch Performance CX
Battery pack: Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh)
Drive: Shimano Deore, 1×10
impellers: Rodi Blackrock rims with Shimano M6010 hubs
Price: € 2.999
Loom: Integral 0.5, aluminum
Fork: SR Suntour NCX E25
Engine: Bosch Performance CX
Battery pack: Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh)
Drive: Shimano XT, 1×11
impellers: Rodi Blackrock rims with Shimano M6010 hubs
Price: € 3.299
Kalkhoff Entice – The frame
The frame of the Entice is certainly one of the highlights of the bike. The design team at Kalkhoff has put a lot of effort into giving the e-bike distinctive and unique tube shapes. This is most evident on the head tube, which has a high recognition value with its distinctive trough. They don't experiment with the material and rely on tried and tested aluminium. The new Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V battery with a capacity of 13,4 Ah or 500 Wh is located in the slightly more massive down tube.
The combination of handlebars and stem forms a visual unit with the frame. The design fits perfectly with the clean look of the bike and provides a modern, minimalistic look. In line with this, the cables are also routed inside the cockpit. In general, the design of the Entice is very simple, as is the color scheme: the basic color is either black or gray and, depending on the model, is supplemented with small color accents.
Kalkhoff Entice – motor & battery
The inexpensive entry-level model of the Entice comes with the Performance Cruise drive from Bosch, while the two top models have the powerful Performance CX motor. A 500 Wh battery ensures the necessary range on all models. The Bosch Purion Display is used as the control unit for the battery and motor. The display is mounted next to the left handlebar grip. The plus and minus buttons can be operated with the thumb and you can switch through the different modes. Here, too, the sporty character of the bike is clearly underlined - the minimalist Purion display is otherwise mainly found on E-MTBs.
Eco mode, tour mode, MTB mode and tour mode are available. With the last update of the Bosch motor, the sport mode was replaced by the E-MTB mode. This supports between 120% and 300%, which corresponds to the levels between tour and turbo. Depending on the pedal pressure, the motor then supports the driver and always offers support that is adapted to the situation. This makes hill starts easier and traction on loose surfaces can be better controlled.
E-bikes: First Ride: The new eMTB mode on the Bosch Performance CX
E-Performance / Test: As part of the Bike Festival in Riva, Bosch presented a new mode for the Performance CX drive that is specially tailored to the needs of E-MTBs. The support mode, pragmatically named 'eMTB', dynamically controls the power, depending on what the driver needs in the respective situation. Bosch is certainly one of […]
Kalkhoff Entice – Equipment
All model variants tend to come with fairly sporty equipment and differ primarily in the drive. We had the top version Excite as a test model in the editorial office. The bike is equipped with an 11-speed Shimano XT derailleur. The configuration enables fast and reliable gear changes. Kalkhoff has equipped the Entice in such a way that the tour does not have to end at the end of asphalted roads. The Schwalbe Smart Sam tires look like narrow mountain bike tires and ensure a good grip on gravel and forest paths without showing too much rolling resistance.
Should it get a little rougher, the Entice models are equipped with Suntour suspension forks with 75 mm travel. The fork has a lockout and an adjustable rebound. You shouldn't have to worry about the brakes even on longer descents, because with the proven Shimano XT mountain bike disc brakes with 180 mm brake discs you have reliable and strong stoppers on board. The lighting is also nicely integrated. A Herrmans H-Black MR8 LED headlight is located under the stem-handlebar unit. The Busch & Müller Line Small LED reflector is also discreetly mounted under the saddle.
All equipment variants in detail:
EnticeMove B9 | Entice Advance B10 | Entice Excite B11 | |
---|---|---|---|
Motor | Bosch Performance Cruise, 36V / 250W | Bosch Performance CX | Bosch Performance CX |
Display | Bosch Purion | Bosch Purion | Bosch Purion |
Battery | Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh) | Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh) | Bosch PowerTube Li-Ion 36V, 13,4 Ah (500 Wh) |
derailleur | Shimano alivio | Shimano Deore | Shimano Deore XT |
Gear levers | Shimano Alivio M4000 | Shimano Deore M6000 | Shimano Deore XT M8000 |
in Kassetten | SHIMANO HG200 | SHIMANO HG500 | Shimano SLX |
Brakes | Tektro M285 | Shimano M396 | Shimano Deore XT M8000 |
Gabel | SR Suntour NEX E25, lockable | SR Suntour NEX E25, lockable | SR Suntour NCX E25 |
Links | EX concept | Kalkhoff One Piece, risers | Kalkhoff One Piece, risers |
Claw | Ergon GA30 | Ergon GA30 | Ergon GA30 |
Saddle | Selle Royal Rampage, Selle Royal Verve | Selle Royal Rampage, Selle Royal Verve | Selle Royal Rampage, Selle Royal Verve |
Seat post | EX concept | EX concept | EX concept |
pedals | MTB, flat, aluminium, with reflector | MTB, flat, aluminium, with reflector | MTB, flat with reflector, MTB, flat, aluminium, with reflector |
Rims | Rodi Blackrock, eyelets | Rodi Blackrock, eyelets | Rodi Blackrock, eyelets |
Hubs | Shimano FH-M475, with quick release | Shimano Deore M6010 | Shimano Deore M6010 |
tires | Schwalbe Smart Sam, 47-622 | Schwalbe Smart Sam, 47-622 | Schwalbe Smart Sam, 47-622 |
Price | 2.599 € | 2.999 € | 3.299 € |
Kalkhoff Entice – sitting position
Even if the Kalkhoff Entice has a rather sporty character, the seating position is not too stretched out. The light riser puts the rider in a discreetly upright position, which shouldn't cause any problems even for less trained e-bike pilots over a longer period of time. The saddle also finds a good compromise and offers a lot of comfort. The Ergon handles complete the positive impression of comfort.
Kalkoff Entice – in practice
Of course, we also put the new Kalkhoff Entice through its paces in practical tests.
As you can see, the conditions were rather mixed for the test. Past snowfall met subsequent thaw and made the paths around the editorial office slippery. But this provided additional fun with the Entice. The handy, almost playful character of the bike combined with the powerful CX drive and the slippery conditions made everyone happy. The Smart Sam tires also did a good job on slippery surfaces and provided plenty of grip when cornering.
After a very short time, it turned out that the new E-MTB mode for the Bosch CX motor is our favorite mode on the Entice. The support is very intuitive and always adapts to the current strength and cadence. A natural driving experience sets in, but you always have the enormous power of the Bosch drive at hand when you need it.
We also really liked the Purion display. It is housed on the left handlebar grip and is controlled via two generously designed and easily accessible + and - buttons. However, we rarely used them because we hardly used the Eco, Tour and Turbo modes due to the E-MTB mode. Even after a longer ride, the battery still had some reserves and should be enough for longer tours of 70 - 100 km with a little pedal support. Even with the engine switched off, the Entice is still quite drivable, even if longer distances should be taboo.
Even at the end of paved roads is not the end of the terrain with the Entice. The SR Suntour suspension fork at the front absorbs minor bumps and increases the comfort of the bike. The fork can be tuned to the rider's needs with air pressure and rebound adjustment. The Smart Sam tires roll well and do a good job off-road too. The Shimano XT brakes with 180 mm discs are easy to dose, but are also reliable anchors for stronger braking manoeuvres.
In the practical test, we only noticed a few minor points of criticism. On the Entice, the cables are routed through the control tube via the handlebar-stem unit. An optically successful solution, unfortunately the cables and lines on our test bike touched the tire when the suspension fork deflected. Here you have to help with something with cable ties to prevent this. The headset also tended to loosen on slightly more rugged terrain. The only thing that helps here is regular checking.
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