Have had a chance to try the new bike out on Cathkin Braes, which I know well. Here's what I think so far regarding the new versus old bike; particularly regarding the EP8 motor and also some points raised in the recent MBR review.
Motor:
EP8 Doesn't feel any more powerful than the E8000 however the assist feels much more subtle. I almost never use boost on the E8000 as it kicks in fairly abruptly. I think I might use it a fair bit on the EP8.
New motor is much quieter, the whine is almost gone. I could not hear the knocking or clattering noted on the over run though but maybe that is cos my hearing could be better. Certainly is not an issue so far for me.
I won't be using STunlocker on this bike to give me that extra 5mph of assist as I will not risk losing the warranty due to the new system change log. But I'm going to miss that 5mph on the E8000.
General riding:
I expected the 29" frontwheel to be the the standout difference. It wasn't, to me, the front felt pretty much the same as the old bike.
The big difference is the Zeb fork. It's fecking wonderful. I have the Lyrik on the 18'VR with the 21' spring and a Fox 36 factory on another bike. This ZEB is better in every way.
My 18'VR is a size large, after reading the MBR review I thought about sizing down. I'm glad I didn't as the bike feels the same fit despite the longer front end (I'm 5'10"). Lifting the bike you know it is a lot heavier, 2.5kg in my case, but that weight seems to disappear on the trail. I have already changed the rear shock to coil so won't comment on the RS air shock. Rear feels great though. Seems to be more support off jumps.
If I'm out on my own I remove the battery on the 18'VR to lift the bike over stiles etc. I'm going to miss that.
On my first ride I couldn't believe how noisy the bike was. After a couple of hundred meters it was clear that the battery was rattling in its' mount. I just put some foam behind it temporarily, however the battery top mount will need to be adjusted in a similar way to the old bike. Apart from that the bike was pretty quiet. In the past I worked with arc gouges and in press shops so my low frequency hearing is pretty fecked tho.
Final thoughts: It's not a pretty bike, like the new Santacruz for example. But it's a big improvement on the old one ?. Looking forward to getting it out on some properly steep trails.
Motor:
EP8 Doesn't feel any more powerful than the E8000 however the assist feels much more subtle. I almost never use boost on the E8000 as it kicks in fairly abruptly. I think I might use it a fair bit on the EP8.
New motor is much quieter, the whine is almost gone. I could not hear the knocking or clattering noted on the over run though but maybe that is cos my hearing could be better. Certainly is not an issue so far for me.
I won't be using STunlocker on this bike to give me that extra 5mph of assist as I will not risk losing the warranty due to the new system change log. But I'm going to miss that 5mph on the E8000.
General riding:
I expected the 29" frontwheel to be the the standout difference. It wasn't, to me, the front felt pretty much the same as the old bike.
The big difference is the Zeb fork. It's fecking wonderful. I have the Lyrik on the 18'VR with the 21' spring and a Fox 36 factory on another bike. This ZEB is better in every way.
My 18'VR is a size large, after reading the MBR review I thought about sizing down. I'm glad I didn't as the bike feels the same fit despite the longer front end (I'm 5'10"). Lifting the bike you know it is a lot heavier, 2.5kg in my case, but that weight seems to disappear on the trail. I have already changed the rear shock to coil so won't comment on the RS air shock. Rear feels great though. Seems to be more support off jumps.
If I'm out on my own I remove the battery on the 18'VR to lift the bike over stiles etc. I'm going to miss that.
On my first ride I couldn't believe how noisy the bike was. After a couple of hundred meters it was clear that the battery was rattling in its' mount. I just put some foam behind it temporarily, however the battery top mount will need to be adjusted in a similar way to the old bike. Apart from that the bike was pretty quiet. In the past I worked with arc gouges and in press shops so my low frequency hearing is pretty fecked tho.
Final thoughts: It's not a pretty bike, like the new Santacruz for example. But it's a big improvement on the old one ?. Looking forward to getting it out on some properly steep trails.
