Fuel EXe Trek Fuel EXe Megathread!

[Magnacus]

Any updates on availability for the fidlock base?

No Update for now.
It's new for the dealer too.
Since >>noone<< has this adapter in stock, its quite an adventure to get/order it.

 

[Magnacus]

A quick update from my EXe:
Since I take very care of the frame, I used a protection film.
After my first long tour, I checked again for chafing spots. And found some:

I placed some slapper tape on the main frame, between the link.
The sensor cable was chafing.

Second charf spot is the rear brake line:
Charing spots on the lower and upper chainstay.
I used a second layer film. Should last a while.
(of corse I used cable ties, the pic is done without and then tied up again)
Also I noticed when riding in high (flipchip) the tention is higher and the chafing is also stronger.

Third is the AXS Cable:
This is not a mayor problem.
I used some more slaper tape....

 

[Cell4soul]

I think it is a dealer only update.

I just had a firmware update. It is dealer only and it cost $29.99.

 

[njatherton]

I just had a firmware update. It is dealer only and it cost $29.99.

They charge? Can't see me getting any unnecessary updates done.

 

[KevinNY]

Anybody know what head set bearing the Fuel EXE uses, I have a clicking kinda creak from that area

I had the same problem on my other bike (also a Trek), which was entirely my fault as I must have overtightened my headset cap during maintenance. The clicking drove me nuts until I fixed it by loosening the headset cap and redoing it.

I suggest you check your headset cap is not too tight. Loosen your stem then loosen your headset cap. Snug up the headset cap (probably no more than 2 or 3nm) till you have no play with the fork, then torque your stem to spec.

See if that helps.

 

[Magnacus]

probably no more than 2 or 3nm

Totally correct!

 

[Cell4soul]

Another ride on the EXe this morning. Just had a firmware update. I don’t notice any change in the motor while riding. The bike has still never had an issue and is still quieter than the tires on the trail. I highly recommend the bike to anyone that is on the fence.

I was torn between the EXe and Shuttle SL. I made the right choice. There are numerous issues with the Fazua motor.

 

[slightly_sketchy]

Picked up my Fuel EXe 9.8XT in beautiful Mulsanne blue on the 11th!

Demoed an EXe 9.5 a few weeks ago and did a 3000 ft day on Tiger Mountain near Seattle, took it down a bunch of super chunky black trails with a few jumps and flowy sections. Absolutely loved it even with the base model spec. The power delivery of the TQ is stunningly natural and it really did feel like I just had superpowers climbing instead of a loud motor with lots of overrun pushing me up the mountain.

The next weekend I demoed a Transition Relay on Galbraith and hated it - it was too heavy (like 50 lb in the PNW mullet/Fox 38/coil build), the Fazua motor is super clunky with unrefined power delivery and terrible controls, and the bike rattled really bad. After only a short amount of time on that bike I had made my decision on the Trek. The PNW build was $11k and had alloy bars, cranks, and wheels compared to the carbon on the 9.8XT build for $2300 less. Sure it had the new Sram transmission but it did not feel revolutionary enough for the additional cost.

As soon as I got the new EXe home I swapped the dropper for a 180mm OneUp which is significantly improved over the 150mm Bontrager, and swapped the SE5 tires for an Assegai 3C MaxxGrip front and Dissector 3C MaxxTerra rear tires with a Cush Core XC in the rear. Currently waiting on a full tailored Ride Wrap to be shipped so I can worry a little less about scratching/chipping the new paint. Already ordered a 160mm air spring for the Lyrik so I can try out the bike with 160mm front and possibly 150mm overstroked rear travel (that voids the warranty right? Not that they have to know...).

Only issue I've had is creaking from the motor/bottom bracket when pedaling - something I've seen mentioned earlier in this thread so I'll be bringing it to the Trek shop nearby to have them go through the motor mounts. Oh and that I had a pretty bad OTB on my first ride when an unexpected drop came up and got a mild concussion so now I can't ride for a bit

 

[KevinNY]

Only issue I've had is creaking from the motor/bottom bracket when pedaling - something I've seen mentioned earlier in this thread so I'll be bringing it to the Trek shop nearby to have them go through the motor mounts. Oh and that I had a pretty bad OTB on my first ride when an unexpected drop came up and got a mild concussion so now I can't ride for a bit

I had to adjust the compensation screws on the motor mounts. Once I adjusted the compensation screws then torqued the motor back to spec, the noise is gone entirely.

See illustration below from the owner's manual:

 

[yase]

My 9.8xt does not have compensation screws, it has machined black aluminium inserts that are not adjustable.

 

[KevinNY]

My 9.8xt does not have compensation screws, it has machined black aluminium inserts that are not adjustable.

Did you take the motor out to check? The motor bolt goes through the compensation screw.

 

[yase]

Sure did, had it out a few times. I have had my bike since August last year so maybe they have since changed to the adjustment bolts. Would be great if anyone could post a picture of them so I can confirm. I am currently away on business but will post a picture of my setup when I get back for comparison

 

[Mteam]

Sure did, had it out a few times. I have had my bike since August last year so maybe they have since changed to the adjustment bolts. Would be great if anyone could post a picture of them so I can confirm. I am currently away on business but will post a picture of my setup when I get back for comparison

They look like machined black aluminium inserts

I'm pretty sure you have them. You use a torx bit in one side to adjust,I think there's only 1mm max of adjustment so they don't move by much

 

[Swingset]

Really starting to put some miles on after an epic winter and a bunch or trail damage. I have been defending the stock Bonty tires until I replaced them with a 2.5 DHF with the sticky rubber and a 2.4 DHR. I had forgotten how good the Maxxis stuff is especially with right pressure. Its been about 9 months on the bike and its worked flawlessly. The motor is quiet and has just the right amount of power for me. Other than the ridiculous range extender wait I cant recommend it enough.

 

[Piccirilli]

I just had a firmware update. It is dealer only and it cost $29.99.

I just brought my bike into the Trek store where I bought mine, firmware update was free. Though not sure if they will start charging once warranty period is over.

 

[njatherton]

Really starting to put some miles on after an epic winter and a bunch or trail damage. I have been defending the stock Bonty tires until I replaced them with a 2.5 DHF with the sticky rubber and a 2.4 DHR. I had forgotten how good the Maxxis stuff is especially with right pressure. Its been about 9 months on the bike and its worked flawlessly. The motor is quiet and has just the right amount of power for me. Other than the ridiculous range extender wait I cant recommend it enough.

I swapped the bonty tires after a few rides because they were too unpredictable & put maxxis dhf 2.5 / dissector 2.4 combo on which were a struggle to get on the carbon rims, very tight. I was then getting a lot of rim dings on the rear when hitting rocks hard (20psi). I tried fitting an insert in the rear but could not for life of me get the dissector seated back on the rim & had to remove the insert. But then I had 1 rock ding too many & got a split in the side of the carbon rim which Trek warrantied ( & took only 2 days to arrive at my Trek lbs) & ripped the bead on the tire. I refitted the bonty tire with the insert without a struggle & it is a completely different tire, grips much better (now 19 psi) & no dings - so far.

 

[Emailsucks98]

Picked up my Fuel EXe 9.8XT in beautiful Mulsanne blue on the 11th!
Oh and that I had a pretty bad OTB on my first ride when an unexpected drop came up and got a mild concussion so now I can't ride for a bit

Predator maybe?

Nice bike and congrats, I'm loving mine!

 

[Swingset]

Recent round table on Pinkbike with the tire makers and the #1 issue going forward was the ETRO standard. I have I9 305 rims and the Maxxis tires mounted by hand. Beads seated with a low volume floor pump.

 

[slightly_sketchy]

I had to adjust the compensation screws on the motor mounts. Once I adjusted the compensation screws then torqued the motor back to spec, the noise is gone entirely.

See illustration below from the owner's manual:

View attachment 118431

Hmm interesting, thanks for the note! I'll definitely check into that.

Predator maybe?

Nice bike and congrats, I'm loving mine!

Lol it was actually the last drop on NOTG, the one with the tree in the middle of the landing . I rolled up to it slowly and my tire slid over the log.

I swapped the bonty tires after a few rides because they were too unpredictable & put maxxis dhf 2.5 / dissector 2.4 combo on which were a struggle to get on the carbon rims, very tight. I was then getting a lot of rim dings on the rear when hitting rocks hard (20psi). I tried fitting an insert in the rear but could not for life of me get the dissector seated back on the rim & had to remove the insert. But then I had 1 rock ding too many & got a split in the side of the carbon rim which Trek warrantied ( & took only 2 days to arrive at my Trek lbs) & ripped the bead on the tire. I refitted the bonty tire with the insert without a struggle & it is a completely different tire, grips much better (now 19 psi) & no dings - so far.

I swapped the SE5's immediately because I did not like them on my demo bike lol. I also had the same problem with getting an insert on the rear with a Dissector. I gave up and took it to the LBS and they charged me $15 to throw it on - well worth the several hours of struggling it took me. Try out the Assegai on the front, too, it's super sticky!

So far the bike is awesome though besides the creaking. Cleaning some super techy climbs I've never cleaned before, can't wait to get out on some real trails again after my new helmet arrives and my head is fully healed.

 

[acoustic ebiker]

Time to upgrade suspension!
Have an EXe 9.8 AXS in Large, running a Fox 38 160mm in front, and now looking to upgrade rear shock to a Fox DHX2 205x65 Trunnion. From what I've read, this increase in stroke will not cause any clearance and bump up travel to 152mm? Anyone with experience on this?
Also, looking for advise on spring rate - Im 88kg(194lbs) riding mostly aggressive enduro on flat pedals. Now also going to give E-enduro racing a try - good challenge for a light e-mtb
Thanks in advance!

 

[Mteam]

Time to upgrade suspension!
Have an EXe 9.8 AXS in Large, running a Fox 38 160mm in front, and now looking to upgrade rear shock to a Fox DHX2 205x65 Trunnion. From what I've read, this increase in stroke will not cause any clearance and bump up travel to 152mm? Anyone with experience on this?
Also, looking for advise on spring rate - Im 88kg(194lbs) riding mostly aggressive enduro on flat pedals. Now also going to give E-enduro racing a try - good challenge for a light e-mtb
Thanks in advance!

65mm shock stroke puts the seatstay bridge within a gnats whisker of hitting the seat tube,you may decide that's fine,but I thought it was too close for comfort

 

[BiGJZ74]

Time to upgrade suspension!
Have an EXe 9.8 AXS in Large, running a Fox 38 160mm in front, and now looking to upgrade rear shock to a Fox DHX2 205x65 Trunnion. From what I've read, this increase in stroke will not cause any clearance and bump up travel to 152mm? Anyone with experience on this?
Also, looking for advise on spring rate - Im 88kg(194lbs) riding mostly aggressive enduro on flat pedals. Now also going to give E-enduro racing a try - good challenge for a light e-mtb
Thanks in advance!

RobRides made a vid on YouTube about this exact thing. Think he put it in the high setting w/ a 170 Ohlins Fork with coil.

 

[apollon]

Final update:
FIDLOCK® Force Connector
Partnumber 09656-000002(BLK)

Google found nothing so far.
I'll contact my local dealer and keep you posted. This may take a while.

From Fidlock: thank you for your enquiry. At the moment we do not sell the force connector. Therefore it is not available for purchase. Look for it in our webshop towards the end of the year.

 

[5earchkaine]

Not quite. I definitely have drag, like the clutch is engaged.

Also, my motor runs hot, and then cuts the power. Today I climbed in max/boost mode around 900ft vert in 17mins, and the system cut the power to 50% of before, presumably because the motor is too hot. At that point the motor was actually uncomfortably hot to the touch.

Motor does not cool down to “normal” performance capability for the rest of the ride, and I have erratic power delivery for the rest of the ride.

I am thinking I could have something like a dragging clutch creating excessive heat, which forces the thermal management to kick in, and cutting the power. This could obviously have excessive drain on the battery too.

Granted, I ride in the Southern Hemisphere, with temps in 25-30C (80-86F) range. But surely this should have been tested? Anyone having issues with the motor running hot? Or feelings of clutch dragging when you turn the system off whilst coasting on a flat surface on a ride?

Hi, were you able solve the problem?

I had some similar experiences with bike these days. At the moment it's pretty hot here (30C). Today I climbed around 500m in boost mode with default settings. At around 300m I had only half of the max assistance.. My input was ~200w, bike 110w to max 150w (boost mode). The moter was quite hot. After a 10min downhill full assistance was back. No error codes...

 

[Cell4soul]

Really starting to put some miles on after an epic winter and a bunch or trail damage. I have been defending the stock Bonty tires until I replaced them with a 2.5 DHF with the sticky rubber and a 2.4 DHR. I had forgotten how good the Maxxis stuff is especially with right pressure. Its been about 9 months on the bike and its worked flawlessly. The motor is quiet and has just the right amount of power for me. Other than the ridiculous range extender wait I cant recommend it enough.

Same

 

[Emailsucks98]

Another ride on the EXe this morning. The bike has still never had an issue and is still quieter than the tires on the trail. I highly recommend the bike to anyone that is on the fence.

I was torn between the EXe and Shuttle SL. I made the right choice. There are numerous issues with the Fazua motor.

Yeah, another classic ride last night on mine. Left the house thinking I'd do a short ride but conditions were so good I ended up doing 20 miles, 3,600'. As much as I love having the flexibility of 2 batteries, this was a 1-battery ride and one is enough for weekday rides of this length, for me. All black & dbl-black descents and this bike rides so well, it's playful & poppy like a good non-eBike, flickable in corners, easy to hop & redirect, but the climbs go so much faster. The battery finally quit when my house was in sight

I did have the stock L crank arm come loose yet again. Tightened on the trail, but this is like the 8th time. I think it's time to replace them, pondering the E13 helix vs the 5dev. Don't really want to give up the chainguide.

 

[Swingset]

I was constantly beating my crankarms on the rocks on my Decoy. Once you ride them loose the splines are toast. I ended up putting on a new set and all my creaking went away. I am pretty careful about not letting them get loose. The E13's my EXe have been great from the jump.

 

[slightly_sketchy]

Did a full Ride Wrap on the frame (except for seatstays and chainstays) today, man what a pain. Couldn't get the rear wheel off, ended up stripping out the rear through axle which really sucks. Not sure what I did wrong but that thing would NOT budge at all even with a 12" wrench and 6mm hex driver. Won't be able to ride this weekend anyways because of other engagements but I guess I'll be bringing it to the shop on Monday or something.

 

[Cell4soul]

Yeah, another classic ride last night on mine. Left the house thinking I'd do a short ride but conditions were so good I ended up doing 20 miles, 3,600'. As much as I love having the flexibility of 2 batteries, this was a 1-battery ride and one is enough for weekday rides of this length, for me. All black & dbl-black descents and this bike rides so well, it's playful & poppy like a good non-eBike, flickable in corners, easy to hop & redirect, but the climbs go so much faster. The battery finally quit when my house was in sight

I did have the stock L crank arm come loose yet again. Tightened on the trail, but this is like the 8th time. I think it's time to replace them, pondering the E13 helix vs the 5dev. Don't really want to give up the chainguide.

5Dev’s may be my best upgrade of all on the bike. My pedal strikes are rare now. they really are a lower profile. I run 155 mm.

 

[Cell4soul]

I know it is somewhere in this forum, but hoping not to read back numerous pages for the answer. My EXe just started the bottom bracket creek. Is this a motor mount torque issue, chain ring or pedals? Depending on which this is, what tools are needed to correct the issue. What is the torque spec? I really appreciate the response and saving me time from digging through pages (I did try the search feature).