Riding the 22/23 Intense Tazer MX carbon

The Tazer MX carbon is the latest emtb from Intense. Some might say this isn’t new, but you’d be wrong, and you’d be right. See our video review of the bike or keep on reading below.



The Intense Tazer MX is based on the original 2019 frame. When the Tazer was designed, the only internal Shimano battery, the BT-E8020, was a big brick. I thought it was a good idea doing what Intense and Pivot did. They used the lighter Shimano external battery and hid it inside the frame. Sure, the downtube has a belly at the lower half, but the bikes running the internal battery had chunky downtubes too.


The 2022 Intense Tazer MX, it's the same bike for 2023 but with different colors.

A 500 Wh battery in 2023?​

There are many bikes with smaller batteries these days, but they’re all lightweight emtbs. Full power emtbs usually are at 630-750 Wh. At sub 24 kg with a 85 Nm Shomano EP8 (800) motor, the Intese Tazer MX doesn’t belong to the lightweight category. Still, it’s surprisingly lightweight for what it is. The main reason Intense can build a relatively long travel dual crown bike is the battery. At about 2.5 kg, it’s more than a kilo less than a 630 Wh battery. This battery saves both weight and cost. And it’s easily removable.

The Shimano EP8 (800) makes for a silent ride​

Running the old battery, Intense had to go with the first generation EP8 motor. The new EP8 (801) requires newer batteries with the gen2 BMS. But it’s not a big deal, the EP800 has turned into a very pleasant motor. Some months ago, Shimano upgraded the internals of the motor to reduce motor rattle that could be heard while coasting. We didn’t notice much noise when riding this bike. See our review for more info on the motor.

Geometry​

We rode the Tazer MX in size L/XL. The Tazer is usually available in 4 sizes, but the MX version only comes in two. At 181 cm I was wondering if the smaller S/M frame would be a better fit for our trails. The L/XL is a big bike with a 1.294 mm wheelbase. But riding the bike, the sizing felt fine. 450 mm chainstays isn’t very long, considering this is a downhill oriented bike.


The headtube angle is listed at 64.5*, the same as the regular Tazer. That’s a bit strange as this bike has got a 170 mm travel fork, 10 more than the Tazer. Is the fork axle-to-crown length very short? Or could the head angle be closer to 64*? Regardless, it’s a fine number for such a bike.

The seat tube is sufficiently steep at a little under 75*. The relatively straight seat tube ensures the angle remains steep as the seat is raised. A 505 mm reach seems a lot, but there is very little offset between the fork steerer tube and the handlebars. What I’d normally refer to as a very short stem. So the distance between the saddle and handlebars isn’t as long as one would think.


A short stem and a Shimano display.

Specs​

As you’ve gathered by now, this bike has a dual crown fork, an Öhlins 38 Race. The coil shock is Öhlins too, a TTX22M. The eThirteen wheels are fitted with Maxxis Minion DHR ll EXO+ rubber. We get a well-functioning Shimano SLX 12s drivetrain, and we get Magura MT7 brakes. This bike is listed at €7.499 (U$ 8.990). For that you get it all but a big battery. Is it a good price? I don’t know, I’m having trouble keeping up with the prices in other markets. In Norway, it’s very competitively priced.

An MX?​

Intense wanted the Tazer MX to resemble a Moto Cross bike. And they succeeded. The dual crown fork and the mullet wheels. And even a front plate over the forks. Yeah, I don’t know what it’s called. It reminds me of an MX, which I have never ridden.

Riding our local trails​

This is early season around here. The more exposed and steep trails are still covered in snow. So, we did a lot of slow speed riding. Climbing with the Tazer MX was a breeze, it climbs as well as most emtbs. The only time we noticed we were riding a DH bike was when track standing and turning the handlebars to shift the balance. The handlebars can’t be turned much due to the forks overlapping the front end of the frame. That’s to be expected with such a fork.



Riding flatter trails at moderate speeds, this is of course not the most inspiring ride. But it’s not bad either. The bike is very lightweight for what it is, making it fine for our forest trails. And when adding a bit of speed, we had a good time in our neck of the woods.

We had to seek out some longer descents too, this is what this bike is all about. Even though this bike has DH forks, it’s not a full-fledged DH bike. With 38 mm stanctions and 170 mm travel, this by no means big and bulky for a DH fork. And I think that’s a good choice of forks.



Trading attitude for speed, the front end felt so precise and sure footed. Front end stability was in a different league compared to 36 mm single crown bike we brought along. We rode narrow trails at decent speeds and the confidence we had riding the Tazer MX was at a different level compared to what we usually ride. And this sub 24 kg bike didn’t object when braking hard to do rapidly approaching, tight turns.

We also brought the bike to a very small and flat kids bike park. It was not the perfect tool for the job, the long wheelbase made the turns on the skinnies a challenge. And it’s a bit of a hassle on the pump tracks. Yeah, this really goes without saying. We wouldn’t have brought the bike here if it weren’t for the jumps. With a bit of speed, this big bike cleared them all. This really is playful for a dual crown bike.

My thoughts​

The looks of this bike might be odd. We never noticed while riding though. And the upside of going with this lightweight 500 Wh is noticeable. The Tazer MX isn’t a heavy and bulky DH bike. It’s one of the more lightweight long travel emtbs we’ve ridden. And it was a great ride. Sure, the limited steering angle can be a bit of a compromise for a trail bike. But if your trails are fast and steep, it a compromise I’d take.