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Norco Fluid VLT Review | An Absolutely LOADED eMTB

With Bosch’s most sought-after motor, this is one eMTB that can hold its own on any terrain.

Norco Fluid VLT C1 E-Bike Review 2024
Designing a top-of-the-line eMTB isn’t easy. Everyone wants their eMTB to be as light as possible, or at least no heavier than necessary. But people also want as much power and range as possible.

Those two interests compete because as an eMTB gains power (bigger motor) and range (bigger battery), it also gains weight, so brands must choose how they want to balance one against the other.

The Norco Fluid VLT is a case where the brand did its best not to choose.

Our test bike was the Fluid VLT C1, a model of the “spare no expense” variety. Spending more than $10,000 on an e-bike, even for a sophisticated eMTB, can seem excessive, but the Norco Fluid VLT C1 demonstrates why such a hefty outlay can pay off in a better rider experience.

Nearly every feature and component choice on the Norco Fluid VLT C1 will make a mountain biker’s mouth water. For starters, there’s the full carbon fiber frame and RockShox suspension, which make big drops feel like curb jumps.

The highly-coveted Bosch Performance Line SX motor, one of the lightest full-power motors on the market, lived up to its reputation with a powerful yet controlled feel.

The parts pick heavily relies on SRAM’s top-of-the-line XX Eagle AXS group, and features 4-piston hydraulic disc brakes and electronic shifting. Everything added up to an incredible ride.

But there is more—much more, in fact—to discover with the Fluid VLT. See how it did in all of our testing below.

[Read more…] about Norco Fluid VLT Review | An Absolutely LOADED eMTB

Electric Bike Company Model J Review | Chill Vibe & Fun Ride

This retro scrambler e-bike combines customizable, classic style with a cruiser feel for a unique and comfortable ride.

Electric Bike Company Model J Review
Riding an Electric Bike Company e-bike is usually comparable to a relaxing day at the beach — if your favorite recliner came along too.

When EBC released its first moped-style e-bike, the Model J, we wondered if its feel would resemble the brand’s characteristic, cozy beach cruisers or break from the norm with unbridled speed.

At first glance, the Model J looked like a classic scrambler, with an open, minimalistic frame, a “gas tank”-style battery, and an upswept saddle.

On closer inspection, however, I noticed its larger-than-average wheels, standard fork, and BMX-style handlebars — each of which are common on EBC cruisers, but far from typical on your average moped-style e-bike.

As with all EBC e-bikes, the Model J’s appearance can be completely customized – from the paint scheme of its major structural elements down to its individual components. Our test bike matched most of the base model’s specs but included greatly appreciated comfort upgrades like a suspension fork, squishy rubber grips, and a half-twist throttle.

After an easygoing test ride, I found myself perplexed. With its supportive but non-adjustable saddle, the Model J felt much like a typical Moto-style bike. It wasn’t quite as peppy as I was prepared for, but it felt lighter, more comfortable, and more nimble than I expected.

Only the gauntlet of standardized performance tests here at Electric Bike Report would reveal the Model J’s true colors. Would it prove itself a champion of the moped-style e-bike category, or would it fall short of our expectations based on its design and EBC pedigree?

Spoiler alert: we loved most of what we experienced, but there is ONE aspect of its performance that prospective owners should be aware of…

[Read more…] about Electric Bike Company Model J Review | Chill Vibe & Fun Ride

Hesitant To Go Electric? See Pearson’s On And Off Gravel Bike

With a Mahle hub motor, carbon fiber frame and fork and a parts pick from Shimano’s GRX groups, this is ready for dirt roads right out of the box.

Hesitant To Go Electric? See Pearson's On And Off Gravel Bike

London-based brand Pearson has launched a new e-bike. The On and Off is a gravel e-bike that uses the Mahle X20 hub motor and is produced in three different versions to give buyers three different price points to choose from.

All three versions of the On and Off come with the Mahle X20 motor, which produces 250W and 55Nm of torque—the most powerful hub that Mahle makes. It is powered by a 350Wh battery which is estimated to offer up to 160km (100 mi.) on a single charge.

The On and Off features a full carbon fiber frame and fork. Both frame and fork sport enough tire clearance to run 45mm-wide Pirelli tires.

The parts pick draws from Shimano’s GRX gravel groups, with the top-of-the-line version receiving Di2 electronic shifting.

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Pricing on the Pearson On and Off begins at a bit more than $5000 and goes up from there. Buyers looking for a capable gravel bike that can lend a little extra oomph will appreciate the Mahle X20 hub and the fact that the complete system weighs just 3.2kg (7 lbs.) and unlike gravel e-bikes with mid-drive motors, should you push the On and Off beyond its considerable range, it will pedal with no resistance.

The On and Off comes in four sizes, which should fit riders from 5 feet 2 up to 6 feet 3.

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The Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Is a Year Old—What Does It Tell Us About the Future?

What new advancements does Bosch have in store for eMTBs, and how are Bosch’s competitors going to respond?

The Bosch Performance Line SX Motor Is a Year Old

During the summer of 2023 Bosch introduced a new motor, the Performance Line SX. This is Bosch’s lightest drive unit to date, weighing only 2.0kg (4.4 lbs.). What makes the Bosch Performance Line SX so special isn’t just that it is light; it is also powerful. At peak power output it produces 600W.

Light is good for performance-oriented e-bikes such as eMTBs, road and gravel e-bikes, but light only gets us so far. There are other lightweight motors out there. The Brose-made Specialized SL 1.2 motor weighs just 1.95kg (4.3 lbs.) and produces 320W at peak. The TQ HPR 50 weighs a tiny bit less than the Specialized, at 1.85kg (4.1 lbs.) and produces nearly as much wattage at peak: 300. The Fazua Ride 60 improves on both of those by running in the same neighborhood weight-wise (1.96kg), but producing a more muscular 450W.

The difference in weight between the Bosch Performance Line SX and the Fazua Ride 60 is 40g, or about 1.4 oz., which is roughly the weight of a slice of bread, or $1.75 in quarters. The difference between the Bosch and the TQ is about ⅓ of a one-pound box of pasta or a bit more than two Clif bars that you might bring along on a long ride. We’re talking very small amounts of weight … but a big difference in power.

It’s easy to see that the Bosch Performance Line SX motor offers nearly double the power-to-weight ratio of both the Specialized and TQ motors and roughly 33 percent more than the Fazua Ride 60. This is what makes the Bosch motor so exciting. Even compared to Bosch’s coveted Performance Line CX motor it shaves almost a third of the weight while producing the same peak wattage. It does give up some torque, though—55Nm for the SX compared to 85Nm for the CX.

E-bike manufacturers making high-end eMTBs have been racing to launch eMTBs using the motor. Because the Performance Line SX motor is essentially housing-less, it uses a different mount, which means that manufacturers can’t simply decide to swap out the Performance Line SX motor for the Performance Line CX motor. Brands must design an eMTB or other e-bike with the motor’s mount integrated in the design.

Because a manufacturer can spend two years designing a new model or revising an existing one, and because the Performance Line SX motor is only one year old, most companies have yet to begin offering an e-bike equipped with this motor.

That’s not to say you can’t find it out there. There have been plenty of early adopters. It can be found in Canyon’s Neuron:ONfly, the E-Lyte from Whyte Bikes, Norco’s Fluid VLT, Orange’s Phase EVO, the E-Troy Lite from Devinci, Mondraker’s Dune, the KTM Macina Race and Macina Scarp, M1-Sporttechnik’s 400 variants, and the Sonic EVO and Sonic EVA from Bulls.

In bike racing the absolute measure of a cyclist’s fitness is gauged by how many watts they can generate per kilogram of body weight. It’s the same for motors; the Bosch Performance Line SX generates 300W/kg and that number is the one that competitors like Shimano and Yamaha will be aiming to match.

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That the Performance Line SX motor lacks wide availability a year after its release isn’t surprising. There are a few reasons for this. First, Bosch likely knew that they would have limited production capacity for this motor during its first year. They very likely only offered it to a select number of customers so that they didn’t find themselves in a position where brand demand outstripped production. Back orders might be a happy problem to have, but they are still a problem.

It is likely that several brands such as Trek, Haibike and Cannondale are busy developing eMTBs that will use the Performance Line SX motor. With the world’s largest trade show for the bike industry—Eurobike—just around the corner, it seems likely that we will see some new e-bikes displayed there using this mount.

Our bigger question regarding Eurobike has to do with Bosch. Last year Bosch updated what was then their top-of-the-line motor, the Performance Line CX with the limited edition Performance Line CX Race. We’re wondering what goodies they might introduce in 2024.

We’re also wondering how Shimano, Yamaha, Bafang and others will respond to the Performance Line SX. They’ve had a year to prepare an answer. Not responding to such a motor would mean ceding high-end spec on lightweight eMTBs. Every company that can get their hands on that motor will.

I’m not a fortune teller, but I played one at a kid’s party once, which qualifies me to prognosticate here, maybe. Our guess is that they may make an update to the Performance Line CX motor. The Performance Line CX Race was always meant to be a limited-edition offering, whereas the Performance Line CX is one of the most popular motors for high-end eMTBs. Even if all we saw was a tweak to the software, there is a wide-range of performance parameters that could be doctored to provide a different mountain biking experience.

Giving the Performance Line CX motor some software tweaks—as we’ve seen with Bosch’s many recent updates to the smartphone Flow app as well as their Smart System—would be a way to reward existing owners while simultaneously making the case for why someone should buy a Bosch-equipped eMTB.

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Mahle Introduces New X30 Smart System Motor

Mahle’s new motor drops weight while picking up muscle over its X35 hub motor; the X30 motor will be compatible with components used by the X35 and X20 hubs.

Mahle Introduces New X30 Smart System Motor

Mahle, a maker of high-end hub motors, has introduced a new hub motor, the X30, to their lineup. Mahle already makes two of the lightest hub motors on the market, the X20 and X35.

The new X30 hub sits between the X20 and X35 both numerically and in terms of performance. The X30 produces 250W and 45Nm of torque which places it between the X20 (250W and 55Nm of torque) and the X35 (250W and 54Nm of torque).

The X30 is another lightweight wonder, weighing in at 1.9kg (4.2 lbs.). Compare that to the X35, which weighs 2.1kg (4.6 lbs.). Like the X35, the X30 comes with a threaded axle for bolt-on wheels. Also, the X30 is a freehub-equipped motor, same as the X35, meaning we will see it spec’d on e-bikes with 8-, 9- or 10-speed drivetrains.

The combination of 5Nm more torque and a loss of roughly 200g (4 oz., roughly the weight of a pair of socks) may not seem like much on paper, but we suspect that there will be a distinct enough performance difference that riders would notice the gains if switching from an e-bike with the X35 hub to the X30 hub. After all, tacking on an additional 5Nm of torque represents a 12.5 percent gain, an amount that will certainly be noticeable.

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Mahle’s X35 Smart System, including motor, battery and controller weighs just 3.5kg (7.7 lbs.), making it one of the lighter complete systems on the market. The X20 Smart System is even lighter. Because the new X30 hub is compatible with batteries from both systems, brands will be able to choose from capacities of 350Wh, 250Wh or 236Wh, as well as a 171Wh range extender battery.

We anticipate that we will see this on e-bikes in higher price points, especially on road and gravel e-bikes where it is acceptable to give up power in exchange for keeping weight low. Despite the bolt-on axle, we don’t anticipate seeing this on e-bikes retailing for $2,000 or less.

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Orbea Wild Review | Find Out Why It Won All Those Awards

The Wild combines impressive power and range with terrific handling in a stylish package.

Orbea Wild E-Bike Review 2024
Orbea is back with the latest incarnation of their long-travel 29er eMTB, the Wild. This is version four, and it shows a number of improvements and refinements over the previous version.

Let’s cover the basics before we jump into the improvements in our review of the Orbea Wild. The Wild is built around 29″ wheels front and rear and 160mm of travel in the fork and the rear. That places the Wild in enduro territory. Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor—arguably one of the most popular motors for eMTBs currently—provides the muscle. More on that motor in a bit.

To Power the Orbea Wild, riders can choose between either a 625Wh or 750Wh battery, and that’s but one of many options that buyers can specify thanks to Orbea’s MyO program. Few e-bikes offer as much flexibility and customization as Orbea does, but this has been one of their specialties ever since they entered the U.S. market at the turn of the century.

At 53 lbs. our M20 model of the Orbea Wild isn’t super-light for an eMTB, but that’s a terrific weight for an eMTB with this much power, range, and suspension travel. It also felt lighter and more nimble than you’d expect.

Often, when we look at e-bikes with this level of sophistication, we find ourselves asking where the weakness lies. With the Wild, we had to look hard. Let’s dig into its performance in our tests.

[Read more…] about Orbea Wild Review | Find Out Why It Won All Those Awards

Minnesota Rebate Program Website Crashes Hours After Launch

Overwhelming response from applicants caused the Minnesota Department of Revenue to shut the site down hours after it went live.

Minnesota Rebate Program Website Crashes Hours After Launch

“Debacle” is one of those words you don’t want anyone using in conjunction with government programs, but that’s the very word being used to describe the rollout of Minnesota’s e-bike rebate program. Within hours of launching the program—which Erik’s Bike Shop, one of the biggest retailers in Minnesota, cautioned potential buyers to act quickly due to the relatively small number of vouchers available—the website had received so much traffic that it crashed.

To be fair, it can be hard to gauge just how popular a new website will be, so calculating just how robust the servers for the site need to be can be a matter of informed guesswork. That said, the Minnesota Department of Revenue was caught flat-footed by the number of people applying for the rebate. There was always a high likelihood that the site would receive exceptional traffic as the program held only $2 million in funds. With rebate amounts capped at $1,500, that means that only 1,300 people would receive rebates. With such a limited number of rebates available in a state that saw an estimated 20,000 e-bikes sold in 2023 alone, the safe money would have bet a staggering amount of traffic to the Minnesota DOR website.

Following several hours of failed operation, the website was taken offline and the Minnesota DOR issued a press release that acknowledged the site’s issues and said, “We are working with our external technology vendors engaged for this program to understand and fix the technical issues on the site.”

Put another way, they are saying they are asking their hosting company (Minnesota IT Services) how much bandwidth they need.

Minnesota residents awaiting news of the program’s return can sign up for email updates with the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

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It’s unfortunate that Minnesota miscalculated how popular their e-bike rebate program would be. This will now delay the purchase of many e-bikes by weeks, if not months.

If anything, the site’s poor performance is further proof of just how desirable e-bikes are, though proving e-bikes are popular is about as difficult as proving chocolate is delicious.

The Minnesota DOR anticipates accepting 10,000 applications for an anticipated 1,300 rebate vouchers; once the applicant pool reaches 10,000, the application portal will be closed.

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Vinci Motorbike Review | Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?

An aggressive, conceptual moto-style e-bike every bit as fast as its sporty design suggests.

Vinci Motorbike E-Bike Review 2024
Look! Out on the road! It’s a torpedo on wheels!

It’s an off-road bazooka!

It’s… the Vinci Motorbike!

Whatever you might want to call it, this cafe-racer (or moped-style) e-bike sports a unique high-design aesthetic that’s unlike anything the team here at Electric Bike Report has seen before.

A key element of the Vinci’s artful, custom design is its offset and slanted cylindrical body. The bike’s tail end houses its 48V, 720 Wh battery and circular tail light. The projecting front “cannon” hosts a massive 2300-lumen headlight and cutouts to allow for effective steering.

As both a designer and e-bike reviewer, I can confidently say that it’s an appealing – and extremely refreshing – design.

The Vinci’s aggressive appearance isn’t just for show, though; this bike can get around! Its cast alloy wheels carry an integrated 750W rear hub motor with potential for blazing speed and confident climbing.

So does the bike’s performance match its looks? We tested the limits of this voguish speedster using our standardized tests to find out!

[Read more…] about Vinci Motorbike Review | Faster Than A Speeding Bullet?

Aventon Ramblas vs Trek Marlin+ | Power vs Precision

An affordable brand’s most premium e-bike against a premium brand’s most affordable one. The intersection point of great bikes at great prices, but which is best for you?

Aventon Ramblas VS Trek Marlin+ Comparison
I’m a fairly responsible adult (in most things). For example, I can set realistic budgets based on my income and expenses.

I’m also fairly knowledgeable about my passions and hobbies. I can identify and appreciate the differences between entry-level products, mid-tier ones, and premium ones. I tend to prefer the premium ones (go figure).

Sadly, it’s rare that my budget sees eye-to-eye with my tastes in the products I want. I know it’s a bit of an unrealistic ask, but I want top-tier products at rock-bottom prices. Since waiting on that seems foolish, I instead aim at getting the best of the middle tier with a price closer to the entry-level one.

Happily, that description applies well to two hardtail eMTBS: the Aventon Ramblas and the Trek Marlin+. Both are exceptional rides flush with desirable components and features, with a few standout ones that make the ride feel more premium. Either is great for hitting your local trails, and both work nicely as your one and only e-bike if you want to ride around town, too.

They look similar stacked next to each other, and there is plenty of overlap between them when it comes to their use cases and spec sheets. So… which should you choose?

I’ve extensively tested and reviewed them both, logging over a hundred miles apiece. I like both of them for very different reasons. So, if you’re stuck trying to figure out which one is best for you, keep reading below, and I’ll lay out all their key differences section by section.

*Note, we tested the Marlin+ 8, but there is the Marlin+ 6 as well.

Aventon Ramblas

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Trek Marlin+

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[Read more…] about Aventon Ramblas vs Trek Marlin+ | Power vs Precision

The Low-Down on Hydrogen E-Bikes – No Batteries, Just Water

The case for hydrogen is compelling: It’s cheap to produce, the tanks weigh mere ounces and the exhaust from the system is water.

The Low-Down on Hydrogen E-Bikes

Imagine an e-bike powered by a battery the size—and weight—of a 16-oz. water bottle. For many e-bikes, that would mean a weight loss of 6-7 lbs. That’s what happens when an e-bike runs off of hydrogen rather than a lithium-ion battery. The German company HydroRide, using the brand name Hyryd, is producing several different models of e-bikes, all of which are powered by hydrogen gas. They aren’t the first to consider using hydrogen for fuel in an e-bike.

The why of hydrogen gas is pretty interesting, Hindenburg notwithstanding. Here’s the first good reason to use hydrogen gas to power an electric motor: While an e-bike battery takes hours to charge, even with a 4 or 5A charger, a hydrogen tank can be filled or “charged” in mere seconds. The tank can be pressurized to 1 megapascal (MPa), which translates to 145 psi. Once charged, the tank can provide as much as 40 mi. of range on a single charge.

Here’s another reason why hydrogen is an interesting idea: Considering the size and weight of the tank, carrying additional tanks would be easy to do and purchasing additional tanks won’t come with a weight penalty of more than a few ounces. Doubling or tripling the e-bike’s range would not be difficult.

Yet another reason why hydrogen makes a compelling fuel: The exhaust is water.

Hydroride makes several different models of e-bikes. They offer a city model made for bike share programs, a folding e-bike and a “sport” e-bike that looks like it came from the set of a sci-fi movie thanks, in part, to a fork with only a left leg.

Hydrogen generator

The key to the system is the hydrogen gas generator which is roughly the size and shape of a home oxygen concentrator used by people with respiratory issues. The hydrogen generator takes 200ml (6.7 oz.) and turns that into 5g of hydrogen gas over a 5-hour period of time. That 5g of hydrogen gas is what goes into the tank. Changing tanks on the e-bike takes about 10 seconds, they report.

The tank has a capacity of 390ml (13.1 oz.) and measures just 9.8 in. tall and 2.4 in. in diameter. One tank will hold 20g of hydrogen, which means that it takes about five hours to generate enough hydrogen to give an e-bike 40 mi. of range. That’s pretty close to what we see with many e-bikes.

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The trick to making a system like this work in the home would depend on having a stock of chargeable tanks. Owners would do well to have two or three tanks, at minimum. Considering that we’re talking about an aluminum container and not a lithium-ion battery, buying a half-dozen of them wouldn’t be a big expense.

With multiple tanks used in rotation, owners could put a fresh tank in the e-bike each morning, put another in the hydrogen generator before leaving work and charge a couple more on the weekends. Range anxiety would be nonexistent.

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