Fantic XF1 Casa Electric Mountain Bike Review Part 1 – Pictures & Specs

New to the North American market is the Italian Fantic XF1 Casa full suspension electric mountain bike with 3″ wide off road tires and the high performance Brose mid-drive system.

In addition this 27.5″ Plus size wheel full suspension eMTB features a solid mix of components from Rock Shox, SRAM, and others for $5,490 ($5,790 w/ dropper post).

In this first part of the review you will get a detailed look at this bike with a BUNCH of pictures and the specifications.

Part 2 of the Fantic XF1 Casa review will give you info on the ride characteristics, results from the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this eBike.

Alright, let’s take a closer look at the Fantic XF1 Casa!

Fantic’s roots are in off road motorcycles and the Fantic XF1 Casa is a good demonstration of how they have applied their attention to detail to this fully capable all terrain electric mountain bike. 

The Fantic XF1 Casa comes in 4 different size options: Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large. The bike being used in this testing and review is the Large frame. The geometry of the these different sizes are in the specs section below. 

Fantic is an Italian company with roots in motorcycle design & manufacturing that goes back to 1968. Their eBikes are in many European markets and now they are available in the US and Canada! Their North American headquarters is in Sausalito, California. 

In addition to this fully capable all-terrain eMTB, Fantic has a variety of other mountain bikes, fat bikes, and gravel bikes for touring and commuting.

The Fantic XF1 Casa aluminum frame features hydroformed tubes to put the material where it is needed for added strength at the high stress areas. There is some internal cable routing to protect the cables/wires and keep the overall look of the bike clean. In this picture you can see internal cable routing on the top tube for the handlebar remote for a dropper seat post. 

Here’s a look at the top tube to seat tube junction with a reinforcement gusset. It creates this triangular area that looks pretty cool while providing added strength. You can also see the large 27.5 x 3″ wide Vittoria Bombolone rear tire beyond. 

Rear suspension is made up of the Rock Shox Delux RL shock with a sophisticated CNC aluminum linkage system.

The Rock Shox Delux RL shock can be tuned to your riding weight and style by adjusting the air spring (with a shock pump) and the damping. It also has a lockout lever option for a more efficient ride on smooth roads or trails. 

This is a view of the Vittoria Bombolone rear 27.5” x 3.00” tire and rear suspension linkage. There is plenty of clearance between the large rear tire and frame which is helpful when riding in muddy conditions. 

The left side of the suspension linkage and Rock Shox Delux RL shock. 

Fantic uses the BMZ lithium 36V 11.6Ah (417 watt hour) lithium battery as the stock option on the XF1 Casa. This battery  pack weighs 7.4 pounds and it is mounted on the downtube of the frame providing a low and centered weight distribution, which is good for overall bike handling. You can see the lock at the bottom of the pack on the right side and Fantic supplies 3 keys with each bike. 

There is an option for the 630 watt hour Long Run battery for an additional $400 and that will provide about 50% more range. 

Fantic provides a 3 year warranty on their battery packs.

On the left side of the battery is the battery level indicator towards the top of the pack and the connection plug is towards the bottom. 

Here is a closer look at the battery pack connection plug that is firmly held in place with a strong magnetic connection. 

This is a view of the battery pack connection plug removed from the pack. This is also the charging port for the battery pack. 

Here’s a look at the frame after the battery pack has been removed. The battery pack slides forward and up and off of the frame mount once it has been unlocked with the supplied key. 

The BMZ battery can be charged on or off the bike. The charging port on the battery pack is towards the bottom of the battery pack and the charger connection is firmly held in place with a magnetic connection. The charger is about the size of a laptop charger. Charging an empty battery takes 6 to 8 hours.

The 417 watt hour battery pack weighs 7.4 pounds. 

The quiet Brose 250W mid-drive motor provides pedal assist up to 2o mph and it has the ability to provide 90 Nm of torque. Also, note that it uses a conventional size chainring (32T) compared to the Bosch mid-drives that use a very small chainring size. 

The Fantic XF1 Casa is a Class 1 electric bike per California law which is a pedelec providing pedal assist up to 20 mph.

Here is a video from Brose that gives you a look inside this mid-drive motor: 

https://youtu.be/fxEc3MZ4ey0

Brose has its roots in automotive components “Our years of experience as a specialist for mechatronics systems and as a global market leader for electric motors in the automotive sector, were the optimal preconditions for developing an innovative motor concept for high-quality e-bikes. We brought the entire team together within an e-bike centre of excellence at the Brose engine plant in Berlin. Production of the drive system takes place at the Brose manufacturing plant in Berlin.”

The basis for the Brose eBike motor is a steering motor produced millions of times over for cars.

The Brose motor is fully encased in the Fantic XF1 Casa aluminum frame for solid protection. The bash guard removed for this picture.

Fantic added a bash guard below the motor that provides additional protection for the cables that are routed near the motor location. 

The Rock Shox Reba Boost suspension fork has 4.7″ or 120mm of suspension travel. It features a thru-axle for solid lateral (side to side) stability and the Boost spacing (110mm) provides enough clearance for the 3″ wide Vittoria Bombolone tires. 

The fork also has a lockout for a more efficient ride on smoother roads. This prevents the fork from bobbing up and down when you stand out of the saddle and pedal hard. The lockout is engaged or release from a remote on the right side of the handlebar.

The 27.5″ x 3″ wide Vittoria Bombolone tires have nice rounded profile and tread pattern. These larger 27+ size tires can be run at lower pressures (+ or -) 20 psi to provide a bit of tire suspension and the ability for the tire to mold itself to the terrain for very solid traction. 

A SRAM GX rear derailleur shifts through the 11 speed SRAM cogset that has a 10t to 42t gear range and when combined with the 32t chainring is a nice spread for off road riding. 

SRAM Level hydraulic discs brakes are spec’ed front and rear. The front rotor is a 200 mm rotor and these hydraulic brakes have a solid feel with impressive stopping power.  

Here is the rear SRAM Level hydraulic disc brake with 180mm rotor. A 12mm rear thru axle with the Boost 148 spacing (for Plus size tires) provides for solid side to side stiffness of the rear wheel.  

In the center of the handlebar is the Brose display that shows the 3 different pedal assist levels (Cruise, Tour, Sport), speedometer, odometer, trip odometer, current time, trip time, and battery level.

The display is backlit for good visibility both day and night.

The display can be quickly removed from the handlebars when locking the bike up.  

There is a USB connection under the display for charging a smartphone, tablet, or other USB chargeable device. 

The Brose control pad on the left side of the handlebar adjusts the pedal assist levels (up & down arrow buttons), and the center button cycles through the display settings. Also on the left side of the handlebar is the front SRAM Level hydraulic disc brake lever that has reach adjustment to fit the size of your hand. You can also see the grips with a fine file pattern that have lock on collars for solid attachment to the handlebar. 

Here’s a look at the SRAM Level hydraulic brake lever for the rear brake, the SRAM GX 11 speed rear shifter and the Rock Shox fork lockout remote. 

Here’s a look at the paddle/trigger of the SRAM GX 11 speed shifter (below the bar) and the Rock Shox fork lockout remote (above the bar). 

The aluminum pedals have a wide and relatively narrow platform that provide a solid grip. 

The San Marco Dirty Fantic saddle has a narrow performance style profile with center relief section. 

The Fantic XF1 Casa tested in this review came equipped with a KS dropper post with a manual actuation lever just below the seat. The stock version of this bike will come with a KS dropper post with a handlebar remote.

A dropper post moves the seat down and out of the way so that you can lower your center of gravity and move around the bike better in challenging terrain. They also make a big difference when cornering by moving your center of gravity down so that you can carve a corner easier. 

Fantic XF1 Casa Electric Bike Specifications

Frame: Aluminium frame with CNC parts

Fork: Rock Shox Reba Boost suspension fork with 4.7″ or 120mm of travel

Motor: Brose mid-drive 250W with 90 Nm of torque

Battery: BMZ lithium 36V 11.6Ah (417 watt hour) lithium battery. The battery weighs 7.4 pounds. 3 year warranty on the battery. There is an option for the 630 watt hour Long Run battery for an additional $400.  

Assist Options: 3 levels of pedal assist: Cruise, Tour, Sport. Torque sensor pedal assist. 

Speed: Pedal assist (no throttle) up to 20 mph which makes this a Class 1 eBike

Display: Brose display with information on: pedal assist level (Cruise, Sport, Turbo), speedometer, odometer, trip odometer, battery level. Backlit for good visibility both day and night. The display is quickly removable. USB charging port under the display.

Drivetrain: SRAM GX 11 speed shifter and rear derailleur. SRAM 11 speed cassette 10t to 42t range. 32t chainring.

Brakeset: SRAM Level hydraulic, 200mm disc on the front and 180mm disc on the back

Tires: Vittoria Bombolone – 27.5’’ x 3.00″ Plus size mountain bike tires

Sizes: Small, Medium, Large, X-Large. See frame geometry below.

Colors: Black or White

Weight: 55 pounds. 47.6 pounds when the battery is removed.

Price: $5,490 or $5,790 with a KS dropper seat post with handlebar remote. 

Here is a link to the specifications page of the Fantic XF1 Casa electric bike.

Now checkout part 2 of the Fantic XF1 Casa review with info on the ride characteristics, the range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts!

-Pete

Review Note: Each company pays a fee for a review on Electric Bike Report because of the considerable amount of time that it takes to provide an in-depth review of each eBike. A lot of time is spent on the full range test with distance & elevation profile, the wide variety of detailed pictures, in-depth video, and the write up with the specifications, ride characteristics, pros, cons, and overall thoughts. The reviews on Electric Bike Report are focused on providing you with a detailed “virtual” look at each eBike to help you determine if it is the eBike for you or not.

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