Haibike XDURO FS RX Electric Bike Review [VIDEO]

A truly worthy off road electric bike has landed here in the US and it’s name is the Haibike XDURO FS RX!

The FS RX features the advanced Bosch Performance mid drive e-bike system, 120mm of front and rear suspension, a hydroformed aluminum frame, a solid mix of components (RockShox, Fox, Shimano, DT Swiss,  etc.) and the 27.5″ wheel size.

At $5,200 this is not an inexpensive bike but it does offer a lot of bang for the buck.

Make sure you check out part 1 of this review with a video, large detailed pictures and specifications of the Haibike FS RX to get familiar with this e-bike.

In this second part of the full review of the Haibike XDURO FS RX, you will get an idea of the ride characteristics, range test, pros, cons, and overall thoughts on this full suspension electric mountain bike.

What you can expect from the Haibike XDURO FS RX:

To get acquainted with the new FS RX, checkout this video:

Probably the most remarkable part of the FS RX is the Bosch Performance mid drive system. This year Bosch jumped into the US market with their mid drive system spec’ed with a 350 watt motor (60 Nm of torque) that can assist you up to 20 mph.

Bosch has a significant presence in the European market and now they are focused on launching their system in the US on a number of bikes. They have been working on e-bike systems since 2009 and it is impressive to see the progress they have made since.

Here is a video with more background on the Bosch e-bike systems:

The mid drive system from Bosch is highly advanced with 3 sensors (torque, cadence, and wheel speed) that take 1,000 readings every second!  These sensors monitor your pedaling style and force to provide you with the appropriate amount of assist. In addition the system can sense when you are going to shift gears and ease off on the power to make shifting smoother.

Like all mid drive systems, the motor’s torque and power is multiplied by powering through the gears of the bike.  By shifting to lower gears on the bike you can enable to motor to assist you on the steepest climbs and shifting to higher gears will assist you up to a 20 mph cruising speed. You can keep pedaling above 20 mph if you want.

Pedal assist is the name of the game with the Bosch system; there is no throttle to be found on their systems. There are 4 different levels of pedal assist (Eco, Tour, Sport, and Turbo) in addition to a no assist option. The assist is adjusted up or down with the control pad on the left side of the handlebars.

The Bosch Intuvia display provides information like pedal assist level, battery level, speed, odometer, trip distance, clock, max speed, average speed, trip time, and……estimated range!

The range function is very useful because you will know approximately how much range you have left based on the current battery level and what pedal assist level you are in. The system will recalculate based on what kind of terrain you have been riding on.

When the battery is fully charged these are the estimated ranges that the display provides:

Eco = 58 miles

Tour = 30 miles

Sport = 24 miles

Turbo = 22 miles

Another interesting feature of the display is that it has a USB port that can charge your phone or MP3 player and it is also used to run diagnostics on the system. The display can easily be removed for taking with you when you lock up the bike.

It is very easy to read the large display day or night thanks to the bright backlit display.

Powering the system is the Bosch Powerpack 400 lithium battery.  It is a 36V 11ah (396 Wh) pack that weighs 5.5 lbs and has a relatively small size for that energy density. With the Bosch charger, the battery can be 50% charged in 1.5 hours and 100% charged in 3.5 hours.

Alright, so that is the low down on the Bosch system, let’s talk about the rest of this full suspension e-mountain bike.

The Haibike FS RX is a very capable full suspension mountain bike with 120 mm (4.75″) of front and rear travel and the relatively new wheel size of 27.5″ (the intermediate size between 26″ and 29″ wheels).

The 6061 aluminium hydroformed frame has been engineered to create a bike that fits well while adding material to the high stress areas on the frame. Internal cable routing on the FS RX keeps cable/wire clutter to a minimum.

Haibike uses a 4 bar linkage rear suspension on their frames and the position of the rear shock “through” the seat tube of the frame has a unique look! The Fox CTD LV shock has 3 different levels of adjustment for climbing, trail riding, and descending.

A RockShox Reba R front suspension fork with 120 mm of travel and a 15 mm thru axle smooths out rough roads. There is a fork lockout button on the handlebars and this improves pedaling efficiency when you don’t need the suspension activated.

A 10 speed Shimano SLX drivetrain with 11-36t cogset is the spec on the FS RX and it provides enough range for climbing steep hills as well as cruising at 20 mph. 10 speed drivetrains are pretty common on mountain bikes these days.

Slowing the FS RX down is handled by the Shimano M615 hydraulic disc brakes. A large 203mm rotor is on the front wheel and a 180mm rotor is on the rear wheel.

Speaking of wheels, the rims and spokes are from DT Swiss; a well know brand in the wheel world.

Haibike did not cut corners with the tires; they spec’ed the well known Schwalbe Nobby Nic’s that have an aggressive all mountain tread.

Riding the Haibike XDURO FS RX:

Well after going through the details of the FS RX, you can tell that it has been designed for true off road riding.

And to put it to the test, I definitely spent some time riding this bike on the rough terrain here in AZ.

I have to say that the FS RX did very well and the Bosch system lives up to it’s reputation as an off road worthy kit.

Oh yeah, and it is a lot of fun!

The low and centered weight distribution of the motor and battery provide for an agile handling bike in technical terrain. In a lot of situations it is hard to tell that there is the extra weight of the motor and battery.

It also helps that the FS RX is relatively light for an electric bike at 48 lbs.

The Bosch pedal assist system is very responsive and it has an intuitive feel.  There is no delay when the assist turns on or off; it responds to your pedal power almost instantaneously.

The 4 levels of assist have a distinct difference in their assist power so that you can find the one that suits the terrain that you are riding and your energy level. Changing the pedal assist level is very easy thanks to the control pad on the left side of the handlebar.

Reading the Bosch Intuvia display in any lighting condition is possible thanks to the large numbers, backlight, and front and center location on the handlebars.

At 350 watts of power at the mid drive, the FS RX can get up and go pretty quick but it is not a speed racer. It is really suited for climbing steep hills and going the distance (when riding in Eco mode).

The 120mm of front and rear suspension does a great job of soaking up the rough terrain. Quality suspension components from RockShox and Fox make for a plush ride with many ways to fine tune the suspension performance to fit your riding style. The lockout features on the shocks are nice if you want to stand out of the saddle and crank on the pedals on smooth terrain.

I have grown to like the 27.5″ wheels because they have agility in technical terrain like a 26″ wheel but they have the ability to roll over more obstacles like a 29″ wheel.  The Schwalbe Nobby Nic’s are solid tires that hook up well in the corners.

The FS RX has a solid ride feel thanks to the quality components from Shimano.

Shifting the Shimano SLX drivetrain was pretty smooth but there is a tendency for some “hard shifts” on the higher gears.  For the most part the Bosch system eases up when you shift, but on the lower part of the cogset there is a definite abruptness.

Speaking of shifting, there is some motor sound that you can hear when you are in the lower gears of the bike.  It is not really loud but there is some noise.  In the higher gears the motor noise is not as noticeable.

There is plastic shrouding around the motor and it seems that this could be vulnerable to impact from rocks.  I didn’t have any problems on the terrain that I rode, but I wonder about long term durability of the plastic shrouding.

Overall, the FS RX has a fun and well balanced ride feel. It is fun to have some help on the climbs and then enjoy carving a descent on a bike that feels very similar to a traditional mountain bike.

The Haibike XDURO FS RX Ride Test Results:

Here is the real world information on how the Haibike XDURO FS RX electric bike performed on a riding circuit that includes hills, flats, traffic, wind (when available) etc.

While testing these bikes I like to put them through the toughest conditions to see where their bottom line is in regards to range and speed.

Range: As you can see from the GPS info that I recorded, the Haibike XDURO FS RX traveled 28.8 miles and did a total elevation gain/loss of around 2,500 ft. Considering that I weigh 190 lbs and I pedaled very lightly this is pretty good range for a 36 Volt 11 ah battery pack (396 Watt Hours) with a 350 watt motor.

When I started the ride it was interesting that the range estimated 22 miles in Turbo mode, yet the bike went 28.8 miles with significant climbing. It is a good thing that the estimated range was conservative!

Watt hours are the total energy in a battery pack and it is based on the volts x amp hours of a pack. This is a way to compare the size of the “gas tank” of electric bikes.

Please keep in mind that if you pedal more, weigh less than me, ride slower and/or you use the bike in terrain that is not as hilly you will get more range. These results are from tough testing.

Speed: The Haibike FS RX can get up to 20 mph on flat ground. The FS RX does a great job of climbing hills thanks to it’s mid drive motor and 10 speed drivetrain.  Even the steepest hills can be tackled using the low gears of the bike.

Weight: The FS RX tips the scales at 48 lbs.

The weight distribution of the FS RX is very good thanks to the mid drive motor and the mid mounted battery pack.  The low and centered motor and battery provide for an electric bike that handles very well both on and off road.

Pros

Fun! The Haibike FS RX is a lot of fun to ride! Being able to easily climb up steep hills/mountains and then enjoy carving a descent with 120mm of front and rear travel will put a smile on your face.

Bosch: The Bosch mid drive Performance system is a high quality product that performs well and has some nice features like estimated range, fast charging, and good range.

Components: The component mix on the FS RX is well thought out with an off road worthy mix of brand name components like RockShox, Fox, Shimano, DT Swiss, etc.

Cons

Sound: There is some motor noise when using the lower gears on the bike for climbing a hill.  The noise is not as noticeable when in the higher gears of the bike.

Hard Shifts: Shifting in the lower gears has some abruptness.  It is not as noticeable in the the lower gears.

Plastic Parts: It would be nice to see less plastic shrouding around the motor.

Conclusion

Overall the Haibike XDURO FS RX is a fun and very capable off road electric bike.  The Bosch Performance system has a high quality ride feel and the RockShox/Fox suspension system enables you to ride a variety of rough terrain.

If you plan on riding off road a lot then you should definitely checkout the Haibike XDURO FS RX.

Please keep in mind that this is a relatively short term test. This testing can’t really give you the long term review of durability and reliability. My thoughts on the quality of this bike are from previous experiences with similar bikes. If you own this bike and have some input on the long term durability, please share your comments with the Electric Bike Report community below.

The Haibike XDURO FS RX retails for $5,200 (USD) at the time of this review.

Where to buy a Haibike XDURO FS RX? Check with Currie Technologies for a dealer near you.

Do you have any questions about the Haibike XDURO FS RX?  Do you own the Haibike XDURO FS RX?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Thanks!

-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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