Fuel EXe Trek Fuel EXe Megathread!

[ragetty]

I picked up my baja yellow 9.8 XT ‘M’ today – 18.6kg out of the box & tubeless (incl. see-thru frisbee on rear wheel).

Ordered in December, arrived at LBS roughly 2 months late. It is equipped as specified online at time of order, except for Charger 3 on the Lyrik. Also came with the chainguide.

I noticed ‘drag’ after switching off assist while I test rode a 9.7 back in October or so, and was slightly confused but didn’t think much more of it. My new EXe exhibits this too, but when setting off w/o assist from ‘cold’/new start/stationary, it does not. I have found that de-assisting, then stopping and waiting a few secs, and then continuing w/o assist, the drag appears to be gone. I also have the impression that simply back pedalling without stopping helped too (you have to be quick going uphill ;-). Either way, it seems possible to do a ‘drag delete’.

 

[Cell4soul]

I did 5000 feet (1.800 meters to be correct) with only the actual battery...

Good for you.

 

[Keith3007]

I think I am going to change my order from the range extender to the battery and get the Evoc E-Bike backpack. That would give me 720 wh of battery total. That would get me 40 miles and 5,000' elevation. I could keep one in my truck if I am riding laps. That would be some long rides. Evoc backpack: EVOC FR Trail Hydration Pack with Integrated Back Protection - Evoc Sports USA

Exactly what I do and would highly recommend, I use Stage 12, slim, room for battery (just) and all you need for a long day, keeps weight close to back, not an issue.

 

[Keith3007]

I did get the chainguide on the stock build, yes. The Bolts have already rusted on it though
View attachment 114375

I had some good news about the wheels this week. Trek replaced them with a Bontrager Line Elite 30 Carbon wheelset and XT cassette under warranty. It took a little over a month for them to be replaced but a good end result I think. While it was away, I asked about the headset and the workshop guy said it was fine.

Will look to swap the top part out for something that seals better, like the one mentioned above (thank you!)

My bike and my sons both rusted same, laughable they supply bolts that do this...

 

[Free_Tibet]

I picked up my baja yellow 9.8 XT ‘M’ today – 18.6kg out of the box & tubeless (incl. see-thru frisbee on rear wheel).

Ordered in December, arrived at LBS roughly 2 months late. It is equipped as specified online at time of order, except for Charger 3 on the Lyrik. Also came with the chainguide.

I noticed ‘drag’ after switching off assist while I test rode a 9.7 back in October or so, and was slightly confused but didn’t think much more of it. My new EXe exhibits this too, but when setting off w/o assist from ‘cold’/new start/stationary, it does not. I have found that de-assisting, then stopping and waiting a few secs, and then continuing w/o assist, the drag appears to be gone. I also have the impression that simply back pedalling without stopping helped too (you have to be quick going uphill ;-). Either way, it seems possible to do a ‘drag delete’.

The 'drag' occurences / situations and them stopping are exactly the same as I encounter.

 

[Salespunk]

Long time reader, first time poster.

Picked up my 9.5 EXe a couple of weeks ago. So far I'm enjoying it. Had a couple of interesting things happen so far. Mostly putting them down for potential buyers to look out for or be aware of.

Firstly, when the LBS went to put it together, they found that the rear rim was leaking air at the weld, when going Tubeless.
They pulled another wheel off some other stock and had the same issue. May pay to get that checked if you're planning on running tubeless on the stock wheelset but haven't set that up yet. It also came with a Sunrace cassette. How do I found out if it is microsplined Shimano hub or regular HG?

Riding the bike, I have found small stones get stuck in the chainguide and rub against the chain. Anyone found this happen to them or found a solution to prevent it? Was also looking at the 5DEV cranks and it says that they're not compatible with the e13 chain guide. Does anyone know why? Or if its worth keeping it on the bike?

I have a bit of a gap between bearing and headset cap. Is this normal or does it need pressed in more? View attachment 113585

So far I have found the dropper post quite good, but the lever gets stuck open sometimes, so was thinking of switching to the Wolftooth remote. On the site I wasn't sure which one was right for the dropper. Any tips?

Thanks!

I was the one that found the issue with 5Dev. The stock chain guide is very wide and clips the back of the cranks unfortunately. 5Dev cranks have a standard Q factor while the E13's are crazy wide which is why those clear the guide.

I have been riding mine on very aggressive terrain and have yet to drop a chain though. YMMV

 

[gmcttr]

Man, I was so close to pulling the trigger and buying the ExE primarily because I liked the idea that it seems of all the emtbs out there, this was the one that would be closest to being able to pedal like a regular mtb. I like the idea of being able to pedal without assist to work on my fitness and strength, and use assist when I get tired/not strong enough for the hills.

Now I'm really confused and uncertain about buying it until we know what this issue is. If it's a hardware issue I'd best be waiting for the next gen but who knows when that will be.

I had around 250 miles on my bike and had never noticed the drag until I read about it here and tried to replicate the situation. I will try the "tricks" some have mentioned to prevent it in a few days.

For my riding, it is a total non-issue and the bike has exceeded my expectations. I cannot overstate how happy I am with it.

 

[wizard604]

Man, I was so close to pulling the trigger and buying the ExE primarily because I liked the idea that it seems of all the emtbs out there, this was the one that would be closest to being able to pedal like a regular mtb. I like the idea of being able to pedal without assist to work on my fitness and strength, and use assist when I get tired/not strong enough for the hills.

Now I'm really confused and uncertain about buying it until we know what this issue is. If it's a hardware issue I'd best be waiting for the next gen but who knows when that will be.

I ride regularly with no assist for my commuter rides and do not experience drag at all. It pedals like a regular bike with motor off. I seldom engage assist unless I am in a rush. On the other hand I use assist for my climbs when mountain biking but usually only in Eco mode. Suggest you demo

 

[darvd29]

Is it still not possible to reprogram TQ for a 27.5 rear wheel to get accurate speed readings after mullet conversion?

 

[Emailsucks98]

Heard on climb #1:

Is that a Fuel EXe?
Yep, my buddy has one, no way you can get 4000’ out of a single battery

I ended up doing 3000’ (mostly in Eco) and finished with 40% battery left

I did have Eco turned down to 80w max, but I also used trail (@140w) a fair bit. Trails were so good! I did have my crank arm bolt loosen again, time for locktite

 

[thomasbran]

Heard on climb #1:

Is that a Fuel EXe?
Yep, my buddy has one, no way you can get 4000’ out of a single battery

I ended up doing 3000’ (mostly in Eco) and finished with 40% battery left

I did have Eco turned down to 80w max, but I also used trail (@140w) a fair bit. Trails were so good! I did have my crank arm bolt loosen again, time for locktite

It all depends on how much assist you use and how much eneregy you out in yourself. You can di 10000 ft if you use only 50W and pedal the rest. If you use max assist, more then 2-2500 feet will not ve possible. I just came back from a ride rigth now. I did 3000 ft uphill, 1/3 in eco with max 80W and the rest in mid with max. 150W. Had still 33% in the battery. I weigh 90kg and pedal with 150-180W on my own.
With only Eco and my settings and Pedalling 6000 ft are possible.

 

[Emailsucks98]

It all depends on how much assist you use and how much eneregy you out in yourself. .

All true! but rider weight is the biggest factor.

 

[ragetty]

Is it still not possible to reprogram TQ for a 27.5 rear wheel to get accurate speed readings after mullet conversion?

… YES! … you buy the new rear tyre to closely match the wheel circumference of the front.

Sorry, I know that isn‘t the answer you need … which is actually NO, at least not yet.

 

[Julie_X1]

Report on his and hers Fuel EXe’s, after 125 miles (200 km).

His: 9.5; fully Ride Wrapped; stock for now. He will be inheriting a couple of parts that came with my bike: a carbon Bontrager handlebar that (unexpectedly) came with my 9.7, a Bontrager Elite stem, an Arvada Elite seat.

Hers (mine): 9.7. Fully Ride Wrapped (already worth the price of admission due to wayward rocks). Minor changes: OneUp e-carbon bar, another Bontrager stem due to needing to increase my reach a little; Scott/Syncros seat and integrated fender; and Scott/Syncros ergo grips.

Motor and battery: No problems so far; very quiet; battery’s efficiency notably increased after a few charges. (The speed at which it appeared to drain at first concerned me a little).

I previously had a Specialized Turbo Vado SL and it had the same Mahle 1.1 motor as the first gen Levo SL. That motor felt remarkably natural, and how it felt like an extension of the body still impresses me to this day. The Trek feels very natural too, just a slightly different type of natural. I’m astounded with how silent it is. I can only really hear a low pitch whirl on boost mode. The Bontrager (108 POE) hubs that came on the wheels are really the only sounds I hear on the trail, and that hub sounds so good, it’s addictive!

Rest of bike:

My husband thinks his bike is great in every way. I know the Rockshox 35 Gold RL gets beat up a lot on the internet but we are still relatively new to mountain biking and he came from a Rockshox Judy TK and a Fox Rhythm 32, and he finds the 35 Gold RL an upgrade over those and more than enough for his skill level.

I’m very happy with the Fox suspension on my mine. I am totally overbiked for my skill level but I wanted Fox suspension as I prefer it a little more than the Rockshox I’ve tried in the past.

Things I don’t like so much:

I also prefer Shimano over SRAM but my 9.7 came with SRAM Code R brakes due to parts shortages. Those come stock on the 9.8 SRAM model. I prefer Shimano but, after some adjusting to make them more comfortable for my (very small) hands, I am used to them now, and they have confidence-inspiring stopping power. My brakes unfortunately also came with what I understand are the “SRAM turkey gobble” sounds that can come with some SRAM brakes. Oh well, I don’t really care, the braking force seems fine.

Chain guide: The bolts of the e-13 chain have already started to rust(!). I see that’s happen to a few other new EXe’s on the forum. Must be low quality bolts. I applied a bit of Fluid Film to the bolts, should stop them from rusting further.

In conclusion: Even though ours are the two most entry level models, the hubby and I are both amazed at the capability and quality of these bikes so far.

Kuat Piston Pro X bike rack:
We also bought a new rack, the Kuat Piston Pro X, when we got our EXe’s. So far, it’s been a fantastic rack - so easy to load and unload the bikes, and very stable on the rack while travelling.

 

[Pinkmaggit]

I have a bit of a gap between bearing and headset cap. Is this normal or does it need pressed in more? View attachment 113585

I've been thinking about this a bit more and decided to just swap in another, better headset. Does anyone know what size/standard the headset is? I'm guessing IS41?

Edit: Looked back through the thread and looks like a 41mm top bearing and 51.8 lower, so 41/52 for those looking. Post here

 

[Flow81]

I ride regularly with no assist for my commuter rides and do not experience drag at all. It pedals like a regular bike with motor off. I seldom engage assist unless I am in a rush. On the other hand I use assist for my climbs when mountain biking but usually only in Eco mode. Suggest you demo

This is really interesting. I have tried 2 motors on my bike, and 3 motors on 3 other bikes and all exhibit the behaviour described by @ragetty "drag’ after switching off assist". This made me think it is a design issue.

So very keen to understand if your motor has literally no drag after switching off assist.

On a cold start, no assist, my bike is also without drag. But after 2-3 minutes (no assist, not powered on) drag creeps in. It makes me think there is friction, and the heat generated between the clutches cause some expansion, which pushes into the motor. Best TQ comes up with some explanation (or a firmware update!).

Didn't we have a Lumen owner complaining on here too? Isn't it weird that the current firmware was released in Jan already, and they used to have very frequent updates?

 

[Mteam]

This is really interesting. I have tried 2 motors on my bike, and 3 motors on 3 other bikes and all exhibit the behaviour described by @ragetty "drag’ after switching off assist". This made me think it is a design issue.

So very keen to understand if your motor has literally no drag after switching off assist.

On a cold start, no assist, my bike is also without drag. But after 2-3 minutes (no assist, not powered on) drag creeps in. It makes me think there is friction, and the heat generated between the clutches cause some expansion, which pushes into the motor. Best TQ comes up with some explanation (or a firmware update!).

Didn't we have a Lumen owner complaining on here too? Isn't it weird that the current firmware was released in Jan already, and they used to have very frequent updates?

no drag here - I'm on my 2nd motor, neither have had any drag.

 

[Flow81]

no drag here - I'm on my 2nd motor, neither have had any drag.

good to know that there are motors out there working as intended, must be a bad batch doing the rounds

 

[Magnacus]

I've been thinking about this a bit more and decided to just swap in another, better headset. Does anyone know what size/standard the headset is? I'm guessing IS41?

IS41 IS52

DropSet™ 3

Why We Make This The simple answer is that many contemporary bicycle frame designs call for the headset bearings to ride inside the frame’s headtube. After decades of making press-in bearing headsets, we needed to make headsets that worked in these newer frames. From the beginning we understood...

chrisking.com

110-Series - IS41/28.6 | IS52/40 - Short Cover - Complete - BAA0768K - Cane Creek Cycling Components

110 is the last headset you’ll buy. Built around our premium Hellbender bearings, with cups cut from a finer grade of aluminum, and a full complement of robust weather seals, we’re confident that 110 will rise to the occasion of the finest custom builds and long-term upgrade investments. Classic...

canecreek.com

Hellbender 70 - IS41/28.6 | IS52/40 - Complete - Black - BAA1188K - Cane Creek Cycling Components

A headset designed to bridge the gap between the 40-series and 110-series headsets. Hellbender 70 has all the design characteristics, sealing elements, and stainless steel Hellbender bearings found on a premium 110-series headset, at a price closer to a 40-series. With a cleaner aesthetic...

canecreek.com

40-Series - IS41/28.6 | IS52/40 - Short Cover - Complete - BAA0741K - Cane Creek Cycling Components

Our 40-Series headset is the entry point for performance, quality, and value. Drawing from the premium 110-Series design, the 40-Series includes all the features necessary for a durable, lightweight, and easy to use headset. Highlights: Easily replaceable, sealed cartridge bearings 6000...

canecreek.com

But any other IS41 IS52 goes too.

 

[volts]

Yesterday my chainring got a good rock smacking on a technical climb.
Ring will need to be replaced and chain is totally gone. Until I get the new ring from e13 I have bent the tooth back and filed it a bit to make it work. Swapped the chain for a new one.
Problem is, motor feels a bit different now when it needs to put in power. Feels and sounds different, I am afraid some cog is damaged or teeth are missing or something, inside the motor.
I would have put on a bash guard but it's impossible on this frame/motor. I wonder why they made such a capable bike but didn't consider putting on some ISCG5 tabs.
I'm going to have to test the bike on a few steeper hills tomorrow or later today.
Gutted if it turns out the motor has problems.
Only 2 months and 1000km old.

Anyone else has some first contact encounters between the ring and rocks?

 

[Emailsucks98]

Started a separate thread regarding potential aftermarket link for the Fuel EXe....

 

[DugT]

Thanks for the replies!

Trek Warranty Support said there is a "Bulletin" for this problem for the Fox shock but not for the Rockshox, like mine. They said I should take my 9.8xt to my local Trek shop and, if they confirm the problem, the shop should order RockShox part 597187 which includes a new nut and axel. I don't know how soon that will happen because currently my local shop is a ski shop and, in the past, they have been unwilling to do warranty repairs on my bike during ski season, even though I bought it there.

I finally took my bike to the shop. They torqued the lower shock bolt to 17 nm and that solved the problem.

 

[darvd29]

It seems new Sram Transmission T-Type models have just dropped? Fuel EXe 9.9 X0 AXS T-Type - Trek Bikes (GB)

At least in my country they appeared today Seems like a great deal considering that it is priced on par with GX AXS but specced with Ultimate AirWiz suspension.

 

[Borut]

This is really interesting. I have tried 2 motors on my bike, and 3 motors on 3 other bikes and all exhibit the behaviour described by @ragetty "drag’ after switching off assist". This made me think it is a design issue.

So very keen to understand if your motor has literally no drag after switching off assist.

On a cold start, no assist, my bike is also without drag. But after 2-3 minutes (no assist, not powered on) drag creeps in. It makes me think there is friction, and the heat generated between the clutches cause some expansion, which pushes into the motor. Best TQ comes up with some explanation (or a firmware update!).

Didn't we have a Lumen owner complaining on here too? Isn't it weird that the current firmware was released in Jan already, and they used to have very frequent updates?

Im a lumen owner, with new motor instaled this week, motor its 2023 production and its totaly different story, no noise at all, 30% more quiet then old motor, and yestrday i did 1000m elevation and 9km, used only 11% battery many times i pedal without assistance, and now really no drag as levo sl as i had it before... ..now i can really say its a dream, i just hope it will stay like that....yestrday i really first time enjoy ride with tq and lumen

 

[wizard604]

This is really interesting. I have tried 2 motors on my bike, and 3 motors on 3 other bikes and all exhibit the behaviour described by @ragetty "drag’ after switching off assist". This made me think it is a design issue.

So very keen to understand if your motor has literally no drag after switching off assist.

On a cold start, no assist, my bike is also without drag. But after 2-3 minutes (no assist, not powered on) drag creeps in. It makes me think there is friction, and the heat generated between the clutches cause some expansion, which pushes into the motor. Best TQ comes up with some explanation (or a firmware update!).

Didn't we have a Lumen owner complaining on here too? Isn't it weird that the current firmware was released in Jan already, and they used to have very frequent updates?

After reading your post, I've tried it multiple ways. Starting with assist off and also by switching off assist mid ride. Neither produced any drag. My 9.7 was purchased Oct 2022 so one of earlier production bikes. Firmware is all updated.

 

[Mteam]

After reading your post, I've tried it multiple ways. Starting with assist off and also by switching off assist mid ride. Neither produced any drag. My 9.7 was purchased Oct 2022 so one of earlier production bikes. Firmware is all updated.

yeah I've been trying to reproduce the issue with my bike, couldnt reproduce it at all. Must just be a fault affecting a few bikes/motors.

 

[jabar1975]

Im a lumen owner, with new motor instaled this week, motor its 2023 production and its totaly different story, no noise at all, 30% more quiet then old motor, and yestrday i did 1000m elevation and 9km, used only 11% battery many times i pedal without assistance, and now really no drag as levo sl as i had it before... ..now i can really say its a dream, i just hope it will stay like that....yestrday i really first time enjoy ride with tq and lumen

What is the size of battery? 11% hill steepness for 9km and only 11% you have to pedal w/o assistance for majority of the hill.

 

[Borut]

What is the size of battery? 11% hill steepness for 9km and only 11% you have to pedal w/o assistance for majority of the hill.

I pedal 60% with assistance set on minimum

 

[grim007]

Hey guys
Whats the verdict about the creaking bushings for the Fox Float X shock?
Should I order from Offsetbushings.com | The Finest MTB Shock Bushings or the Fox ones?
Which are better quality? Does it even matter?

 

[levity]

Hey guys
Whats the verdict about the creaking bushings for the Fox Float X shock?
Should I order from Offsetbushings.com | The Finest MTB Shock Bushings or the Fox ones?
Which are better quality? Does it even matter?

Many of us have not had an issue with this. I’ve had the shocks on and off my EXe and my wife’s EXe multiple times to tune or service. Check the torque on the upper and lower bolts. I use 15Nm on both, but many seem to require 17Nm to secure theirs.