First test and impressions of the BMC Fourstroke AMP LT

During the presentation of the new Fourstroke family, BMC saved this new electric version of the range for last. The BMC Fourstroke AMP LT arrives as one of the most sophisticated eMTBs of the moment and we were lucky enough to be among the first to test it.

If you haven't already done so, here you can find the different models and prices of this bike.

First rides with the BMC Fourstroke AMP LT

The first thing that struck us is that it is really difficult to differentiate this electric model from the conventional one, even when the two models are in close proximity. So it says a lot about the neat aesthetics of this AMP LT. 

For the test day, the brand prepared a demanding course led one more day by its star ambassador, the Frenchman Julien Absalon. And our test model was the LTD, the top of the range.

If at first glance, the bike looks like a conventional bike, this feeling is maintained when we start riding it at a standstill. Its 15.9 kg and the natural pedalling offered by the new TQ-HPR50 motor give the sensation of dealing with a muscular MTB.

 

Following recommendations from both Julien and the BMC staff, we were conservative with the battery from the start, as the route was going to have a considerable gradient with ramps all the way to the end of the course. So after trying out the different assistance modes we tried to ride most of the time in ECO mode.

At this level of assistance, the bike feels like a muscular one, as you don't feel the typical "artificial" push of an E-Bike, nor do you hear any sound from the motor. We could explain it by saying that it's as if you were pedalling on one of those days when you feel strong and are surprised by the ease with which you are able to climb.

As the kilometres go by and the pace becomes more demanding, we begin to suffer in some sections, but unlike other electric bikes where we don't see the point of suffering when we can increase the assistance, on the Fourstroke AMP LT the sensation is so natural that we can enjoy the effort as on any conventional MTB.

When we got to the top of the course, Absalon counted up how much battery we each had left, and that's when we realised that we had been very conservative. This meant that for the rest of the route we could push the TQ engine without fear of running out of battery.

With the route full of quite technical descents and climbs, we could see that the suspension is as absorbent as its muscular version, in fact we noticed a slightly higher sensitivity and in sections of pedalling we used the intermediate position of the shock absorber a little more. We left the lockout only for long asphalt uphills.

On technical climbs, the tremendous traction offered by the APS suspension system coupled with the thrust of the engine made easy what is normally a real challenge.

We also had to climb a few of those ramps that test both the capacity of an E-Bike and our technique. And even though it's not the most powerful motor, the thrust and power delivery is so natural that the handling of the Fourstroke AMP LT is easy and predictable.

During our first ride with it we were only able to obtain partial range data, but we can confirm that for a 40 km ride with a gradient of almost 1000 m over demanding terrain, we arrived at the end with 27% battery remaining. Bearing in mind that we even "wasted" a bit of assistance at the end.

So our first impression is that although the battery capacity is not the largest, its 360Wh is more than we expected.

After this first day with the BMC Fourstroke AMP LT we can conclude that it is a very advanced eMTB that is perhaps not aimed at attracting a public that is not used to MTB. On the other hand, it will delight all bikers who want to go further with the same effort and will enjoy unique electric sensations.