The struggle to decide between Kenevo and merida e160

[V86]

I really struggle between these two that I can buy at the local bikeshops

Merida e160 900e is a beast of a bike but a bit out of my price range . I can buy it but its not smsrt money wise.
So the 800 is a bit more in my price range. But for the same price I can get a demo used kenevo expert or a kenevo comp.

Any thoughts? I have only parkinglot ride both of them (e160 and comp/kenevo) .
I used to ride a scott ransom 20 (160mm front and rear) some years ago but I would say I'm still quite a neewbie when it comes to MTB and EMTB

The kenevo Comp was the budget winner in the newest e-mountainbike magazine issue Out Now! E-MOUNTAINBIKE Issue #017 – Right Choice! | E-MOUNTAINBIKE Magazine
The merida e160 800 has won this title before but (mostly lack of innovations since the lst model) did't make it to the top this time.

From what I've heard the merida can be a bit more playfull on the trail and the motor engages faster than the brose (wich can be critical in technical climbing)

I will ride it as an enduro with both alot of downhill but also trail.

 

[Janluke]

I believe there is a new Kenevo coming out towards the end of the year and I've just bought a current model expert for quite a bit less the I paid for my merida 160 800. I've not ridden the Kenevo yet although I did test the Levo with the same motor. I wouldnt say(from a short test ride) that the bros engages any slower than the Shimano just smoother but other more informed osters may be able to confirm

 

[Nopper]

Both were on my list, and I decided on the Eone sixty 900e, which I got online in Germany for a amazing price. IMHO the Merida is more playfull and more of an allrounder. Weight difference cannot be neglected either. And it looks classy retro cool in stealth black ;-)

 

[V86]

Seems like I double posted this thread, sorry about that. I think I will keep this and try to delete the other one.

It will also be my daily driver to work since I have alot of single track , stony trail , smoth rockformations and quite a few stairs between my home and my work.

Yes the stealthy black color of the 900E looks wicked and just that is worth the upgrade from the 800 But I don´t see that happening unless I get it at a 30%+ discount.

 

[Nopper]

Seems like I double posted this thread, sorry about that. I think I will keep this and try to delete the other one.

It will also be my daily driver to work since I have alot of single track , stony trail , smoth rockformations and quite a few stairs between my home and my work.

Yes the stealthy black color of the 900E looks wicked and just that is worth the upgrade from the 800 But I don´t see that happening unless I get it at a 30%+ discount.

I did get 24. Did help with my purchase.

 

[Dan63]

How much are the bikes where you live? The Merida are hands down the cheapest emtb available and best value for money in Australia

 

[njn]

Kenevo expert.

 

[Gary]

They're very different bikes
Be honest about what you want to ride and the choice will be easy.
the Merida is a long travel trail bike and handles like one rather than an enduro/DH bike (not the slackest/lowest/longest 160mm bike out there)
The Kenevo is a beast (heavier/longer travel) with more or less old skool DH geometry and sizing (by old skool I mean 2010ish).

If Enduro/DH is your bag and you're looking for more modern Enduro geometry and high spec you really can't beat the Vitus E-sommet VR (similar H/A to the Kenevo but lower, longer reach and lighter).

all 3 are good bikes

 

[V86]

How much are the bikes where you live? The Merida are hands down the cheapest emtb available and best value for money in Australia

From Norwegian kr to Australian dollar:
Merida eone sixty 900E is 11556 AUD
Kenevo Expert is 10731AUD

Kenevo comp and e160 800 are both around 7429 AUD

In other words probably alot more expensive than in Australia? Anyway the Comp and 800 is closer to my budget. But would love a expert or 900E if I got a good deal on it.

Funny enough, the bikeshop I´m most likely buying it from has a close connection to how the Merida as a bike brand was started
Merida was just the name of the Taiwan OEM factory until a Norwegian bikeshop owner ordered alot of custom bikes and asked for permission to use the Merida name as a brand on the bikes.

 

[Dax]

How about a YT?

 

[Dan63]

From Norwegian kr to Australian dollar:
Merida eone sixty 900E is 11556 AUD
Kenevo Expert is 10731AUD

Kenevo comp and e160 800 are both around 7429 AUD

In other words probably alot more expensive than in Australia? Anyway the Comp and 800 is closer to my budget. But would love a expert or 900E if I got a good deal on it.

Funny enough, the bikeshop I´m most likely buying it from has a close connection to how the Merida as a bike brand was started
Merida was just the name of the Taiwan OEM factory until a Norwegian bikeshop owner ordered alot of custom bikes and asked for permission to use the Merida name as a brand on the bikes.

Wow that's incredible. In Australia we normally get ripped off on most things and generally pay a lot more.
I recently picked up my e160 900 for $5000, ticket price $5450. The e160 900e has a ticket price of $6750. Specialized are substantially more expensive for a bike with poor specs.

 

[V86]

How about a YT?

The YT decoy won't be here before the summer though?

Do the Direct to customer manufacture sell without local VAT when shipping Global though? Cause I would get a 25% VAT/tax on top of what I pay for the bike and shipping.

My closest local dealers though have :
- Specialized (levo/kenevo)
- Merida (eone sixty)
- Focus (jam 2 and Sam2)
- Moustache (Samedi line)
- Haibike

 

[Lad]

Wow that's incredible. In Australia we normally get ripped off on most things and generally pay a lot more.
I recently picked up my e160 900 for $5000, ticket price $5450. The e160 900e has a ticket price of $6750. Specialized are substantially more expensive for a bike with poor specs.

I've seen one 900e in black/gold advertised for 6,200AUD (size M, I need L). This is incredible value for money considering the spec on this bike. On top of it I've got a LBS on the doorstep who is Trek/Merida/Norco dealer.

Just for comparison, Focus Jam2 Drifter is $7,500.. Norco VLT $8,500.. Thok Mig R $7000 and YT Decoy CF Base $9000 and CF Race Pro is cool $12,000.

Giant used to be very good value, although it has changed with their new ebikes. Out there with Focus and Norco.

 

[Swissrider]

All bikes are compromises. I love my Kenevo but for me I wanted a bike that would really soak up the rocks and deal with the steep stuff. For this there is no substitute for long travel, quality suspension and slack angles. But its a heavy beast and this, plus travel, makes it harder to flick it about. As said above, buy the bike that suits what you ride and how you want to ride it. If you pay a bit more, you’ll forget this quickly if you’re really happy with the bike.

 

[str8line]

Overall super happy after about 12 hours on my Kenevo Comp. I think the motor engages fine but you really don't want to let up going uphill anyways, and you just spin a big ring since it's a friggin bike from the future! Actually I've only tried one other bike (2019 Levo) but the motor engagement felt similar to the Levo. They could be better I suppose. And maybe that's why I'm having trouble shifting because it is harsh. The motor is silent though, which is important to me. I tried a 2019 Levo and I think I made the right choice, the Kenevo is just more bomber. Coming off my Enduro 29er and I also spend a lot of time on a KTM 450, so in some respects the Kenevo feels nimble as hell and in some beefy. After 4 days in Moab and some steep rocky trails in the Wasatch above SLC, Utah and a lot of fast flowy stuff, it handles everything you can throw at it. The brakes are super stout. Not a lot of modulation but a lot of power. The suspension isn't super plush(Pike on my Enduro) but it eats everything. The thing wants to bomb the trail going up or down and there are never any surprises.

I paid $4700 USD plus tax after $1000 off from Specialized on the 19 Kenevo's during their spring sale, in case you guys are wondering.

 

[V86]

Overall super happy after about 12 hours on my Kenevo Comp. I think the motor engages fine but you really don't want to let up going uphill anyways, and you just spin a big ring since it's a friggin bike from the future! Actually I've only tried one other bike (2019 Levo) but the motor engagement felt similar to the Levo. They could be better I suppose. And maybe that's why I'm having trouble shifting because it is harsh. The motor is silent though, which is important to me. I tried a 2019 Levo and I think I made the right choice, the Kenevo is just more bomber. Coming off my Enduro 29er and I also spend a lot of time on a KTM 450, so in some respects the Kenevo feels nimble as hell and in some beefy. After 4 days in Moab and some steep rocky trails in the Wasatch above SLC, Utah and a lot of fast flowy stuff, it handles everything you can throw at it. The brakes are super stout. Not a lot of modulation but a lot of power. The suspension isn't super plush(Pike on my Enduro) but it eats everything. The thing wants to bomb the trail going up or down and there are never any surprises.

I paid $4700 USD plus tax after $1000 off from Specialized on the 19 Kenevo's during their spring sale, in case you guys are wondering.

I just got 30% off on a demo used kenevo expert 2019 (full service on the bike + the shock and fork, new breakpads, a new chain and a new rim for the back tyre was included)
?

Apart from the back rim that had taken a hit and some miner scratches it was nothing wrong with it.

 

[V86]

Any tips for what spring I should go for btw? (I'm about 100kg and will hopefully closer down to 90kg later in the seaseon ?)

 

[Ross1137]

Merida is ugly,motor is louder, has external battery.... Yuck.

 

[Pedro78]

For the eonesixty's with rockshox forks you can increase the travel to 170mm or 180mm for £40-ish which will also slacken the head angle!!

 

[RoJo]

For the eonesixty's with rockshox forks you can increase the travel to 170mm or 180mm for £40-ish which will also slacken the head angle!!

I've just done this 180mm 2019 Debonair + RC2 Changer 2 damper. I can't believe how plush the fork feels now. It feels better than my Fox 36 Grip on my acoustic bike. Unfortunately I chewed up my entire drivetrain, so I'm waiting for parts before I give it a full review with Pros/Cons, but so far I have to say I'm really impressed.

 

[Jamsxr]

Had a ride on a Kenevo at the weekend on my local trails, I was well over biked but it didn’t stop me having an absolute blast on the thing. It made me realise I want to get an eBike ASAP.

I’ve nailed it down to the Marida and the Meta Power 29, they suit my local riding best but also have plenty of downhill prowess. I’m leaning towards the Meta due to value but I’m going to pop into my local Marida dealer to see if there is a deal to be done, although 29 has always been my preference so that could seal the deal for the Meta.

Personally I have no problem with an external battery, they represent a proper sorted (usually playful) MTB with years of development, plus the addition of a motor and battery. I think the 900e black and gold is one of the best looking bikes on the market.

 

[RoJo]

Had a ride on a Kenevo at the weekend on my local trails, I was well over biked but it didn’t stop me having an absolute blast on the thing. It made me realise I want to get an eBike ASAP.

I’ve nailed it down to the Marida and the Meta Power 29, they suit my local riding best but also have plenty of downhill prowess. I’m leaning towards the Meta due to value but I’m going to pop into my local Marida dealer to see if there is a deal to be done, although 29 has always been my preference so that could seal the deal for the Meta.

Personally I have no problem with an external battery, they represent a proper sorted (usually playful) MTB with years of development, plus the addition of a motor and battery. I think the 900e black and gold is one of the best looking bikes on the market.

Others are welcome to disagree, but I don't think you can be overbiked when you have a motor to assist you back up the hill. No harm having travel in reserve for trips to more gnarly trail centres or for getting you out of trouble.
I own the Merida eOneSixty 800, but having tried the Kenevo on many occasions, I would swap given the chance. The component build on the Kenevo just seems a bit more burley and up to the job of carrying the weight. Sure it maybe weighs 2kg more but I think it's weight well spent. The Kenevo is also really playful in its own way. Gary commented about the old school DH geometry of the Kenevo - it's not particularly long/low/slack. I see this as a huge asset. The low down weight from the motor and battery keeps the bike stable, which means that it doesn't have to be long or slack. This has the effect of keeping it very playful and in my opinion is the Kenevo's greatest asset.
Controversially the thing I hate about the Kenevo is the internal battery. If you keep your bike somewhere where the temperature fluctuates (too cold, or >40C damages them), or somewhere where the battery could be stolen, or your bike isn't normally kept near a charging point, you'll need to take it off. The Merida is super convenient in this respect.

 

[Jamsxr]

Others are welcome to disagree, but I don't think you can be overbiked when you have a motor to assist you back up the hill. No harm having travel in reserve for trips to more gnarly trail centres or for getting you out of trouble.
I own the Merida eOneSixty 800, but having tried the Kenevo on many occasions, I would swap given the chance. The component build on the Kenevo just seems a bit more burley and up to the job of carrying the weight. Sure it maybe weighs 2kg more but I think it's weight well spent. The Kenevo is also really playful in its own way. Gary commented about the old school DH geometry of the Kenevo - it's not particularly long/low/slack. I see this as a huge asset. The low down weight from the motor and battery keeps the bike stable, which means that it doesn't have to be long or slack. This has the effect of keeping it very playful and in my opinion is the Kenevo's greatest asset.
Controversially the thing I hate about the Kenevo is the internal battery. If you keep your bike somewhere where the temperature fluctuates (too cold, or >40C damages them), or somewhere where the battery could be stolen, or your bike isn't normally kept near a charging point, you'll need to take it off. The Merida is super convenient in this respect.

The overbiked comment wasn’t necessarily a negative, it’s just on the trails at the time 180mm was definitely overkill, a shorter travel bike would have been a little more poppy an manoeuvrable. Having said that the Kenevo was still extremely fun, and like you say, also has your back on a more gnarly trail on a different day.

I’m drawn toward the Meta as it seems very well suited to my local riding but excels when things get steep and gnarly, despite having only 150mm.

I’ve been bombing trail centres and parks on my 140mm trail bike and a downhill rig for uplifts/gondolas. I’ll always turn to my trail bike when I want to have fun and the downhill when chasing time.

(E)MTB has to be the most subjective sport in existence, so although I enjoy the debate/discussion on what suits what, it’s sometimes useless because bike choice, riding style and trail type are such personal/variable things.

 

[Donnie797]

Any tips for what spring I should go for btw? (I'm about 100kg and will hopefully closer down to 90kg later in the seaseon ?)

I'm 100kg as well and upgraded my Kenevo to a 571lbs spring (recommended for max rider weight of 105kg) which is perfect for me and gives me the 30% sag. Check out the chart here (and the following posts).

 

[Pedro78]

I've just done this 180mm 2019 Debonair + RC2 Changer 2 damper. I can't believe how plush the fork feels now. It feels better than my Fox 36 Grip on my acoustic bike. Unfortunately I chewed up my entire drivetrain, so I'm waiting for parts before I give it a full review with Pros/Cons, but so far I have to say I'm really impressed.

I'm not sure to go for 170mm or 180mm. On my previous normal bike I changed the fork from 170mm to 180mm and though it felt much plusher and smoother (which could have also been due to changing from a 2014 Fox 34 to a 2018 Lyric) I never used the 10mm extra of travel. I'm still undecided but I suppose the extra 10mm (180mm) will give just that little bit more slacker head angle...how are you finding it?

 

[srileo]

Wow thats a straight up steal. Impossible to get a '19 Levo comp anywhere at that price. Current levo comps are $6k for a middling spec.

 

[Jamsxr]

Can’t beleave they charge that much for a bike without a dropper!!

 

[R120]

Both of these bikes are about to be replaced with newer models, and whilst both good they are not at the cutting edge of EMTB bikes compared to a lot of what is now available - they are also two very different bikes.

You definitely can be over biked on an EMTB, just as you can be on a normal MTB - All EMTB's feel amazing on first try, but you should chose your bike as you would a normal MTB, with the right spec and geometry for the riding you want to do.

A big travel enduro bike is going to fell cumbersome if you mainly ride tight single track, yes you can manhandle them, but if you dont need 180mm of suspension for what you normally ride then you are not going to need it on an EMTB.

Modern geometry and suspension means that most bikes with slack geometry and 150 out back and 160 out front will rail down anything this side of a full on DH track.

Almost weekly we are seeing new bikes coming to market with more up to date geometry and system integration (and I dont mean aesthetic, I mean integrating the battery and motor in a way that minimise's the extra weight). You only need to look at the new YT launched last month and the Propain Ekano launched today to see how much better the latest Shimano bikes are in terms of geometry, components, and system integration compared to those released a couple of years back, and look at the latest Levo to see what the kind of features the new Kenevo will likely have.

I guess the point I am making is that in todays marketplace there are a lot of newer bikes that are more up to date, and I dont see a reason to go for either of these unless you are getting a cracking deal - both are good but if ridden back to back with a more up to date bike you will notice the difference.

 

[Jamsxr]

I wasn’t actually that impressed by the YT geo, clearly I need to try one. Compared to the Marida it’s got a shorter reach, longer chain stay and slacker seat tube... I really don’t think there’s much in it if component specs are on par. You definitely won’t be gettting a worse, less capable or less fun bike. Just no carbon bling and no promise of a larger battery - I personally like the ability to use two rather than one big one.

I know someone who recently picked up a Kenevo Expert for 4K, I’m sure the new one will be circa 7k plus so it’s all relative.

 

[OlaGB]

The Merida Eone-sixty isnt being discontinued, the 800 is supposed to be sold in 2020 as well acc to info ive seen.
The 900 as being replaced with a carbon frame bike as a new top model, makes sense from a economical perspective.

But this "new and better geo" needs to be calmed down alittle. I dont know the kenevo to well, but i do know my Merida, and it is very much still up to date, _for its intended use_!

My last bike was a very up to date enduro competition bike (manual bike) 2018 Rocky M Instinct bc 29", and the geo on my 900E is actually very close to it (0.5dg steeper front).
The 900E is a bit more playfull, quicker into turns, and slighty less straightline point and shoot "freighttrain".
Might not be the best climber, but it still climbs VERY well, and the short chainstay is short for a reason.
The instinct bc was great for a bit rougher trails, but both bikes are _very_ good.

The Decoy is (based on geo and reviews), a fast downhill enduro bike. And apparently a very good one for the task.
But its not the best for more twisty technical and playfull trails.
Its impossible to be best at everything, even for a bike.

We all should advice people to buy a bike for theire intended use and needs, not just point them at the latest fasion/looks.

And the external battery might not be for all, but its actually superior at just about everything but the looks.

I would say, both bikes in topic are great bikes, choose the one that fits youre riding style the best, and wallet (price vs specs should also be considered).