By Nathan Stieren, CEO, Rambo Bikes · New Mexico archery elk · September 2026
Ten days of New Mexico rain will tell you the truth about a bike.
It tells you about traction. About brakes. About whether the suspension still works with clay packed into it. And it tells you whether you trust the machine enough to ride it in the dark before shooting light with a bow strapped to your pack.
This September, my good friend Torey and I spent ten days chasing bulls with our bows in New Mexico, hunting with a guide who knew the country. We both filled our tags.
The bike I rode is the reason I'm writing this. It wasn't my Hellcat.
Two Seasons on My Favorite Bike
Let me get this out of the way: my gunmetal gray Hellcat 2.0 FS is my all-time favorite bike. I ran it out west the last two seasons, and I'd ride it tomorrow.
What I love about it is simple. Power, and control over how that power hits the ground.
The Hellcat runs dual 1000W hub motors, and I can switch between front-wheel, rear-wheel, and all-wheel drive while I'm riding. Greasy climb coming up? Flip to AWD. Back on hardpack? Drop to rear-drive and stretch the battery. You don't stop. You don't get off. You adjust and keep moving.
Add full suspension, fat tires, and a 300 lb load rating, and it's a hunting bike start to finish.
So when I tell you another bike became my first pick for out west this year, know that it wasn't an easy call.
Why We Built the Venom RS
I've ridden dirt bikes my whole life. That's where the Venom RS came from.
"Having ridden dirt bikes my whole life, I knew we needed to incorporate this power into our line here at Rambo. Add the stealthiness of the electric motor, and this has become my new out west hunting machine."
The Venom RS isn't a pedal bike with a big motor bolted on. It's a full-power electric dirt bike:
- Motor: 4,000W continuous / 10,000W peak LPMSM
- Torque: 390 N·m peak
- Battery: removable 72V 35Ah lithium-ion, up to 75 miles in ideal conditions
- Suspension: 200mm FastAce front fork, FastAce rear shock
- Brakes: 203mm hydraulic discs, front and rear
- Ride modes: Eco, Sport, Sport+
- Weight: 130 lbs on a forged 6061-T6 aluminum frame
- Top speed: 38 mph
On paper, that's a lot of bike for an elk hunt. In the mud, it made sense.
New Mexico Had Other Plans: Rain, Then More Rain
We hit a wet one. It rained constantly.
If you've ridden wet clay, you already know what that does. Two-tracks that were dust in August turn to grease. Clay packs into the tread until your knobbies act like slicks. A rut grabs your front wheel and tries to put you on the ground. Every downhill turns into a brake-control drill.
That's where the Venom RS won me over.
Torque you can control
390 N·m sounds like too much for slick ground. In the wrong mode, with a heavy hand, it can be. But the twist throttle and three ride modes let you decide how much of that torque actually reaches the dirt.
Ride it like a dirt bike. Weight forward on the climbs, smooth on the throttle. It kept pulling through slick ground all trip.
Suspension built for ugly terrain
200mm of front travel and a real rear shock mean ruts, rock, and washed-out cuts don't beat you up or knock you off line. After a week of long days in the saddle, that matters more than any spec sheet.
Brakes you trust on the way down
203mm hydraulic rotors at both ends. On a wet clay descent, stopping is the whole game. Climbing gets the attention, but the descents are what decide whether you trust a bike in the rain.
Light enough to manhandle
At 130 lbs, when you do get crossed up in a rut, you can muscle it back on line instead of fighting it.
By the end of the hunt, the bike was caked. Mud in every gap. It kept running.
"Next level reliability. Holds up in the most extreme conditions you can throw at it. Enough battery range for all day backcountry mountain riding."
Stealth Still Matters With a Bow in Your Hand
Archery elk is a close-range game. You're trying to get inside a bull's world without him knowing you're there.
A gas dirt bike would give me the power. It would also announce me to the whole drainage.
The Venom RS has no engine note and no exhaust. It isn't silent. You'll hear tire noise on rock and some motor sound under load. But it doesn't sound like a machine coming up the mountain, and that's the difference that counts when you're bowhunting.
Dirt-bike power without the dirt-bike noise. That's what I'd wanted for a long time, and that's why it's my new out west hunting machine.
Bikes to Scout, Boots to Hunt
A lot of New Mexico elk country is big and open. On foot, you can burn a whole day just figuring out where the elk aren't.
That's where the bikes earned their keep. We used them a lot to cover big, open country and scout where we'd hike in. Ride to a spot, look it over, move to the next one. Once we knew where we wanted to be, we parked the bikes and went in on foot.
That's how I think about a hunting bike out west. It doesn't replace the hike. It decides where the hike goes, and it saves your legs for the part that counts. With a 38 mph top speed and up to 75 miles of range, the Venom RS covers a lot of country in a morning on routes open to motorized use.
Two Tags Filled
Torey and I both came home with bulls.
That's ten days of work, a hunting partner like Torey, a guide who put us in the right places, and the elk doing their part. It's also a bike that kept getting us where we needed to be when the weather said stay in camp.
Then the real work started. We quartered both bulls and packed them out on our backs, the way elk have always come off a mountain. No bike changes that part. What the bikes change is how much you have left in your legs when it's time to do it.
The Hellcat Made the Trip Too
The Venom RS was my bike this year, but a Hellcat 2.0 FS in camo came along too.
Having both in camp showed how different they are. The Hellcat is pedal-assist with fat tires, AWD you can switch on the fly, and a rack built to carry weight. The Venom RS is throttle, torque, and long-travel suspension. One isn't better than the other. They're built for different jobs, and on a western hunt you can find a use for both.
Hellcat vs. Venom RS: Which One I'd Take
I'm not retiring the Hellcat. These bikes do different jobs, and you should know which job you're buying for.
| Hellcat 2.0 FS AWD | Venom RS | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Full-suspension AWD hunting ebike | Full-power electric dirt bike |
| Motor | Dual 1000W hub motors | 4,000W continuous / 10,000W peak |
| Drive control | FWD / RWD / AWD, switch on the fly | Direct drive, Eco / Sport / Sport+ |
| Front suspension | 120mm air fork | 200mm FastAce fork |
| Load rating | 300 lbs | 220 lbs (rider + gear) |
| Published range | 65–110 mi (20Ah) / 95–140 mi (30Ah) | Up to 75 mi |
| Best for | Hauling, pack-outs, mixed terrain, long range | Steep, slick, technical ground where power and control matter |
Here's the honest part: the Venom RS is not a pack mule. That 220 lb rating includes you. Our bulls came out in backpacks. If you want a bike to carry gear, a cart, or meat, the Hellcat's 300 lb rating and rear rack are built for that work.
The Venom RS is how I want to get to the elk.
Pick the Venom RS if:
- You've ridden dirt bikes and want that feel on an elk hunt
- Your country is steep, rutted, or turns to clay when it rains
- You want power and suspension first, and you have a separate plan for pack-out
Stick with the Hellcat if:
- You want to switch drive modes for traction and range
- You need payload on the bike: gear, a cart, or meat
- You want the longest range in the Rambo lineup for multi-day trips
Before You Take a Venom RS to New Mexico
- It's a motor vehicle in the eyes of land managers. At 38 mph and 4,000W, the Venom RS is not a Class 1, 2, or 3 ebike. Ride only routes open to motorized use, and check the Forest Service Motor Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for your unit.
- Check New Mexico's OHV registration rules before you haul it out there.
- Wilderness areas are closed to all bikes, motorized or not.
- 75 miles is a ceiling, not a promise. Mud, climbing, rain, and Sport+ all pull range down. The battery is removable, so charge it at camp or at the truck. Our range guide covers what drains a battery in the field.
- Clean it at night. Clay on brake rotors and suspension seals is a problem you want to deal with in camp, not on the next morning's descent.
For a full checklist, see our western elk hunt prep guide.
FAQ
Is the Venom RS a good electric bike for elk hunting?
Yes, for access in steep, rough, or muddy country. It has 4,000W continuous / 10,000W peak power, 390 N·m of torque, and 200mm of front travel. Its max load is 220 lbs including the rider, so plan a separate pack-out for meat. On our New Mexico hunt, both bulls were quartered and packed out in backpacks.
Can the Venom RS handle mud and wet clay?
Our CEO rode it through ten days of constant rain on a New Mexico archery elk hunt. With ride modes to manage the torque, plus long-travel suspension and 203mm hydraulic brakes, it held up on slick clay climbs and descents.
Is the Venom RS quiet enough for bowhunting?
It has no engine and no exhaust, so it's far quieter than a gas dirt bike. It isn't silent: you'll hear tire noise and some motor sound under load. Ride it smooth on the last stretch in.
Venom RS or Hellcat 2.0 FS: which is better for elk?
It depends on the job. The Venom RS is the power-and-terrain pick for steep, slick, technical ground. The Hellcat 2.0 FS AWD has on-the-fly FWD/RWD/AWD, a 300 lb load rating, and longer range, which makes it the better hauling and pack-out bike.
Can I ride the Venom RS on public land in New Mexico?
Treat it as an off-highway motor vehicle, not a Class 1–3 ebike. Ride only routes open to motorized vehicles on the MVUM, follow New Mexico's OHV registration rules, and stay out of designated wilderness.
How far can the Venom RS go on one charge?
Up to 75 miles in ideal conditions on its removable 72V 35Ah battery. Mud, steep climbs, cold, rain, rider weight, and Sport+ mode all reduce real-world range.
Ready to Ride Your Own Country?
The Venom RS changed how I hunt out west. The Hellcat is still the bike I'd hand anyone who needs to haul. Either way, you'll get deeper, quieter, and with more left in your legs when the bull answers.
