Motors for The biggeer guys

Dec 18, 2019
115
53
UK
Where can I find this info on weights?
I’ve had a look on a few manufacturers pages but can’t seem to find it, might just be blind??

You have to do a bit of detective work. Recent, full test, reviews on E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine - The leading E-Mountainbike Magazine has started to highlight the issue and gives the all up weight limits on recent models. Some manufacturers websites list the weight limits, but a lot don't, so you need to email them and ask and then there are other forums, such as singletracks etc, where you'll find the odd discussion on rider weight limits.

Don't quote me, but I believe that the USA Industry Standard for MTB Bike Frames is 300ib, which is 136kg but, although the frame may be able to take the weight, it's usually the wheels, followed by the suspension components, that keep the weight limits low. I've never ridden a carbon frame, as i've seen plenty of big unit riders break their frames and they tend to fail from the inside, so you don't notice until you have a catastrophic failure when out riding. At least with alluminium, you'll usually see it crack first. That said, in 33 years of riding ally mtb's, i've only cracked one.
I did rather like the Heckler on a recent test ride however, for similar geometry/spec and between two to three grand less, the Kona wins out. The new Mondraker Level R is also on my test ride list, but it has the Bosch motor. It is one sweet looking bit of kit though.
 
Last edited:

knut7

Administrator
Author
Subscriber
Apr 10, 2018
670
1,379
Norway
The new Merida eOne-Sixty and eOne-Forty have a 140kg limit. Several Moustache bikes have a 150kg limit, and they come with the new Bosch and 625Wh battery. Check out the Moustache Game 29. I havent found the weight limit for this bike, if youve got a dealer around, ask them. Chances are it's 150kg
 

Beatn1K

Active member
Jan 25, 2020
120
49
UK
You have to do a bit of detective work. Recent, full test, reviews on E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine - The leading E-Mountainbike Magazine has started to highlight the issue and gives the all up weight limits on recent models. Some manufacturers websites list the weight limits, but a lot don't, so you need to email them and ask and then there are other forums, such as singletracks etc, where you'll find the odd discussion on rider weight limits.
(y)
....although the frame may be able to take the weight, it's usually the wheels, followed by the suspension components,
^^ This...
Consider that the manufcaturer will probably be quoting their frame limits. They will of course spec their machines carefully when choosing components but liability for these isnt theirs....

it s kind of interesting- dont think there is a standard as such (?)
Reckon most of the eMTBs are developed from MTB components? It isnt a massive market compared to other bicycle segments...
 

wepn

The Barking Owl ?
Jul 18, 2019
1,006
1,145
AU
I am currently sitting at 140kgs (down from 165kg)and aiming to drop another 20kg
That really is very impressive. The low carb emtb regime really works.
I'd say test ride the top 2 candidates and then you'll know. I agree with the collective wisdom - motor torque & battery capacity are most important assuming the bikes pass your 140 kg MTOW requirement.

108 Nm, 672 Wh, 48V & alloy looks pretty good to me.

Web_MY20_Altitude_PP_C90_C1_Hero_0.jpg


My off-road MC mates say they keep fit without pedals. If true there's always this monster :)

https://www.bikes.com/en/bikes/altitude-powerplay/2020
 

R120

Moderator
Subscriber
Apr 13, 2018
7,819
9,190
Surrey
You can loose a fair amount of weight quickly on an EMTB, I dropped from 14 stone down to 13 in about 6 weeks just riding my EMTB 3/4 times a week when I first got it. I didn't get it to loose weight, but I had been out of action following a broken ankle for a while and put on some timber during that time. Dint alter my diet or anything, just got out and rode, and the emtb enabled me to maintain a pace i couldnt have done on a normal bike.

a lot of those rides where only about 10-15 miles and an hour or so long, but they where done without no stops and basically quick blasts fitted around work and family life.
 

Busybee

New Member
Jan 31, 2020
18
12
Australia
You can loose a fair amount of weight quickly on an EMTB, I dropped from 14 stone down to 13 in about 6 weeks just riding my EMTB 3/4 times a week when I first got it. I didn't get it to loose weight, but I had been out of action following a broken ankle for a while and put on some timber during that time. Dint alter my diet or anything, just got out and rode, and the emtb enabled me to maintain a pace i couldnt have done on a normal bike.

a lot of those rides where only about 10-15 miles and an hour or so long, but they where done without no stops and basically quick blasts fitted around work and family life.

Yeah I agree with you, I normally get out for 75 mins on a ride up our local hills and about 10klm and 225m of elevation. Out of the 75mins 45-50 is actual moving time the rest is 1-2 recovery stops on the way up and 10mins once I get to the top before I head back down. I did the same ride on a levo comp alloy and shaved 15 mins off the climb and didn’t need to stop once I hit the top, just a quick drink and off I went. I figure I can get halfway back down and hit another trail to the top and come back down in the same 75min time frame without any long breaks, that in theory will keep my heart rate in a better position for exercising.
 

Dec 18, 2019
115
53
UK
The new Merida eOne-Sixty and eOne-Forty have a 140kg limit. Several Moustache bikes have a 150kg limit, and they come with the new Bosch and 625Wh battery. Check out the Moustache Game 29. I havent found the weight limit for this bike, if youve got a dealer around, ask them. Chances are it's 150kg

Watch out, the figures quoted are for bike and rider. You need to deduct the bike weight to get the true rider weight allowance. All the figures i've quoted are for the rider weight, wearing clothing and carrying any backpack/gear etc.
 

Hasse Birkmose

New Member
Jul 19, 2019
93
42
Denmark
I know the yt decoy is not on ur list but I am 6’1 an 130ish Kg I spoke to yt regarding my weight before I ordered mine as I had concerns an they said combined weight is max 150Kg that’s u,kit,bike etc. I also spoke to a mechanic in a reputable bike shop an said the fox 36 an x2 would have no problems with my weight an that the max pressures are way under (his words not mine) my forks are at 145psi with 3 tokens 15% sag an rear shock at 325 with 3 tokens 23% sag an it’s almost spot on just need to fettle a bit more am she will be all good. E8000 motor has no issues with my fat ass on it at all an the battery lasts quite well if I’m on flat I just turn the motor off plus I use eco quite a bit . Can’t comment on other bikes as the decoy was what I wanted an did not test any other bikes
Agree on the love of the Decoy my only problem is that the mates have now got 625wh batteries and are quite a bit lighter than me. Effectively i will probably have 30% less "juice" and i hate that. I cant wait for the rumored larger battery!
 

Zimmerframe

MUPPET
Subscriber
Jun 12, 2019
14,028
20,818
Brittany, France
Agree on the love of the Decoy my only problem is that the mates have now got 625wh batteries and are quite a bit lighter than me. Effectively i will probably have 30% less "juice" and i hate that. I cant wait for the rumored larger battery!
I think it's always been rumoured as march.. so maybe soon.

If it's made in China though, there could be delays. Companies try to get their stocks in before Chinese New year and coronavirus hit then, so lots of orders weren't completed and not all staff returned to a lot of companies afterwards, so a lot of companies are suffering shortfalls in stock.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
Yes battery size is something I have been looking at, I like the look and spec of the Marida e160 8000, but the 504wh battery is a little bit of a turn off.
The Merida has a light battery and you can carry it in a back pack for your longer rides. For shorter rides you leave it in the car or at home. The benefits are that you have two batteries trust you can cycle which is better than one battery. You also have a lighter bike most of the time. My brother has three Meridas, two previous external battery models and on new model with the internal battery. He hasn't even used the new battery because he's never exceed his range. We do lots of long rides with up to 1200 meter climbs and around 48 to 50 kilometers. He weighs 120 kilos without backpack, water etc. The Merida is an excellent bike and we love the Shimano motors. I ride Giant with Yamaha, also 504 Wh and we ride with lots of people on Specialized Levos. If I had to buy a bike today it will be a Merida. Fantastic software available for tuning the Shimano motor.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
Agree on the love of the Decoy my only problem is that the mates have now got 625wh batteries and are quite a bit lighter than me. Effectively i will probably have 30% less "juice" and i hate that. I cant wait for the rumored larger battery!
Excellent bike. Personally I'd rather ride with an extra battery than riding with a heavier battery. This means you can ride with one battery 90% of the time and only reach for the second battery when you need it.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
You can loose a fair amount of weight quickly on an EMTB, I dropped from 14 stone down to 13 in about 6 weeks just riding my EMTB 3/4 times a week when I first got it. I didn't get it to loose weight, but I had been out of action following a broken ankle for a while and put on some timber during that time. Dint alter my diet or anything, just got out and rode, and the emtb enabled me to maintain a pace i couldnt have done on a normal bike.

a lot of those rides where only about 10-15 miles and an hour or so long, but they where done without no stops and basically quick blasts fitted around work and family life.
I lost 40 kilos on 40 weeks. Riding a bike and sight changes in how I ate. Not less just clever.

45 minutes to an hour of so you need, preferably every day. I have a blog where it's all explained of your interested. Bottom line is that biking becomes much nicer and more fun when you lose weight and your power to weight ratio goes up as well.
 
Dec 18, 2019
115
53
UK
The Merida is a nice bike, but the geometry is on the small side for us larger/taller guys. The stack is superb, but reach is short and they could really do with an XXL option in their line-up.
 

Busybee

New Member
Jan 31, 2020
18
12
Australia
I lost 40 kilos on 40 weeks. Riding a bike and sight changes in how I ate. Not less just clever.

45 minutes to an hour of so you need, preferably every day. I have a blog where it's all explained of your interested. Bottom line is that biking becomes much nicer and more fun when you lose weight and your power to weight ratio goes up as well.
I would be interested in having a read of your blog mate
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
The Merida is a nice bike, but the geometry is on the small side for us larger/taller guys. The stack is superb, but reach is short and they could really do with an XXL option in their line-up.
Look at the e140 and modify the shock and fork to 160mm. The frame is larger. My brother had both the old e160 (two) and a new e140 that he converted to an e160 because of the larger frame. He is 1,9 meters tall. Funny thing is in the end he prefers the smaller e160.
 
Dec 18, 2019
115
53
UK
Look at the e140 and modify the shock and fork to 160mm. The frame is larger. My brother had both the old e160 (two) and a new e140 that he converted to an e160 because of the larger frame. He is 1,9 meters tall. Funny thing is in the end he prefers the smaller e160.

Thank you for the advice. I've checked the geo on the 140 and, being 1.98m, it's too short in the cockpit length. I found the Whyte E-150 to be similar, in that it just felt far too cramped, with my knees too close to the bars - especially when compared to the new Heckler and Remote, which are really roomy. I need to look at bikes with a slightly longer wheelbase, which helps compensate for my height, along with an ETT of around 800mm and a good stack. That said, you'd think a Kenevo would fit the bill, but the steeper ST and slacker HT angles combine to shorten the actual cockpit length for taller riders, which is a shame given the burliness of the build. I suspect it'll be even worse with the new Norco's and their 79 degree ST. The XL only has a 638 ETT and, if you check one of the youtube reviews, the rider just looks a tad odd in his seating position, being fairly bolt upright. It may well be awesome on the downhills, but it's going to be way too specific for my requirements. The good news is that, for taller and heavier riders, the choice is increasing year on year.... as well as the prices!
 

Supratad

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2019
393
306
North Yorkshire, UK
I lost 40 kilos on 40 weeks. Riding a bike and sight changes in how I ate. Not less just clever.

45 minutes to an hour of so you need, preferably every day. I have a blog where it's all explained of your interested. Bottom line is that biking becomes much nicer and more fun when you lose weight and your power to weight ratio goes up as well.
God I wish!
I've put on 4lbs since getting the Levo, and I've been out almost once a week since November. I'm gonna convince myself its fat in my legs being replaced with muscle mass.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
God I wish!
I've put on 4lbs since getting the Levo, and I've been out almost once a week since November. I'm gonna convince myself its fat in my legs being replaced with muscle mass.
That's only 2 kilos. Less than a proper hydration pack. But watch it. If you continue going along that vein it's not gonna be pretty ???. I'm more concerned that your Levo only gets used almost once a week. Looks like somebody put you up to buying the bike rather than you doing it for yourself. You remind me of my buddy here who bought my brother's Levo off him but since buying it has only used it like 3 times in the last 18 months. Every time his tyres are flat and the tyre juice is dry or turned into water. Come on brother! Get on that bike. It's going to be replaced by new tech before you know ?
 

Supratad

Well-known member
Nov 13, 2019
393
306
North Yorkshire, UK
Hmm, well that's a lot of assumptions but I don't want to be the narky internet guy who shouts "you know nothing about me". The once a week deal pretty much ties in with the popular economics concept of the working week, i.e. I go to work all week and have two days off at the weekend.
You might struggle with the "economics" and maths bit if you equate once a week with 3 times in 18 months.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dax

Dan63

Well-known member
Feb 4, 2019
289
170
Brisbane
Don't quote me, but I believe that the USA Industry Standard for MTB Bike Frames is 300ib, which is 136kg but, although the frame may be able to take the weight, it's usually the wheels, followed by the suspension components, that keep the weight limits low. I've never ridden a carbon frame, as i've seen plenty of big unit riders break their frames and they tend to fail from the inside, so you don't notice until you have a catastrophic failure when out riding. At least with alluminium, you'll usually see it crack first. That said, in 33 years of riding ally mtb's, i've only cracked one.
I did rather like the Heckler on a recent test ride however, for similar geometry/spec and between two to three grand less, the Kona wins out. The new Mondraker Level R is also on my test ride list, but it has the Bosch motor. It is one sweet looking bit of kit though.
That ain't a bad thing. I've got a Shimano e8000 bike and have recently ridden 3 bike with the gen 4 Bosch motor on a demo day, Focus, Scott, Trek. Have got to say the Gen 4 bosch is all round a lot better than the Shimano. More punch from a standstill especially if taking off in a higher gear. More torque all over. More high cadence support where the Shimano tends to spin out and fall over at higher cadence. EMTB mode seems fantastic as well. Noise level similar to the Shimano.

Look at the e140 and modify the shock and fork to 160mm. The frame is larger. My brother had both the old e160 (two) and a new e140 that he converted to an e160 because of the larger frame. He is 1,9 meters tall. Funny thing is in the end he prefers the smaller e160.

The 140 is a 160 with a shorter stroke shock, shorter forks and otherwise basically the same with a smaller frame. ie. a Large E140 shares the same frame with the Medium E160.
 

Wernher

Active member
May 30, 2019
180
181
Cape St Francis
That ain't a bad thing. I've got a Shimano e8000 bike and have recently ridden 3 bike with the gen 4 Bosch motor on a demo day, Focus, Scott, Trek. Have got to say the Gen 4 bosch is all round a lot better than the Shimano. More punch from a standstill especially if taking off in a higher gear. More torque all over. More high cadence support where the Shimano tends to spin out and fall over at higher cadence. EMTB mode seems fantastic as well. Noise level similar to the Shimano.



The 140 is a 160 with a shorter stroke shock, shorter forks and otherwise basically the same with a smaller frame. ie. a Large E140 shares the same frame with the Medium E160.
They make the game one size larger for the e140. And they also have a larger stem. Check their website but it's correct that otherwise it's the same frame with shorter future and shocks which can be internally adjusted to 160 on the rear and with a new air spring in the front which is what my brother did. Incidentally be is also around 1,9 meters tall. Loves his bike.
 

eebit

Active member
Patreon
Subscriber
Sep 27, 2018
82
129
Germany
Hey Everyone

Im looking at getting my first Ebike and hearing alot of mixed reviews about some motors not being suited for heavier riders, I currently ride a Specialized stumpy carbon comp and love it, but i just never have enough free time to ride as far as I would like, so im looking at the Ebike to help maximise my time on a bike.
I am currently sitting at 140kgs (down from 165kg)and aiming to drop another 20kg and 6 foot 1" tall
the bikes i have ridden so far are Levo comp and Trek powerfly 5, enjoyed them both.

Im liking the look of these bikes through my local dealers
Levo Comp
Focus Jam2 with bosch gen 4
Trek Rail 7 with Bosch gen 4
Norco sight vlt c2 with shimao e8000
Marida e160 8000 with shimano e8000
Rocky Mountain Instinct BC edition

Can anyone give my some insight into how these motors preform with a larger rider
Cheers for your input
Matt
if you want power, nothing comes close to the Haibike FLYON models. They have 120 Nm of Torque VS 75 - 90 Nm of the other systems. A different league entirely.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dax

Dec 18, 2019
115
53
UK
if you want power, nothing comes close to the Haibike FLYON models. They have 120 Nm of Torque VS 75 - 90 Nm of the other systems. A different league entirely.



Yup, alright for the smaller guys that weigh less than 92kg, kitted up for riding, as that's the maximum rider weight limit.
 

EMTB Forums

Since 2018

The World's largest electric mountain bike community.

555K
Messages
28,072
Members
Join Our Community

Latest articles


Top