Over the years we tested a lot of e bikes but there was never any bike that truly stole our team's heart. It took us a while to figure out what kind of bike we want to make for NS. We ask ourselves what makes an e-bike great, well, if we put the motor aside for a moment, it all comes down to the bike's geometry and suspension, and these are the main points that we focused on.
We looked for a geometry that works best on a motor assisted bike? And that's one that is not necessarily the same as on our analog mountainbikes. The geometry must be complemented by suspension that works perfectly on a bike that is inherently heavier than a normal mtb, and the tires, brakes and cockpit all need to have more of a "moto" character.
Back to the motor: there are no "bad" drive units on the market these days. What we think is critical for our customers is reliability and easily accessible service if something goes wrong. That's why we chose to work with Shimano. We believe that they have similar values as we do and excellent customer service all over the world. Although it's been around for a while, we really like the E7000-motor from Shimano. We are not alone in this opinion. In the words of E-Mountain Bike Magazine: "We were immediately impressed with the superb natural ride-experience the Shimano Steps E7000 provides! Shimano's "small" drive unit delivers power inconspicuously, but still offers the level of support you need from a standstill, climbs and when cruising just below the 25 km/h threshold. In direct comparison with it's bigger brother the Shimano Steps E7000 feels more natural. It is also quieter and easier to modulate, especially in boost mode."
One of the key things we noticed is that the NS crew doesn't dig wimpy rides. So, we made sure that the E-Fine is a big, burly machine. It's fitted with the excellent SRAM 35 Gold RL fork, a coil shock and aggressive tires. Also, to make sure everyone could feel comfortable on the E-Fine we included an option to adjust the heigh of the BB to suit personal preferences.
So, have we succeeded in making a e-bike that all the guys in our team would love? Well, even the most die-hard dirt jumpers in our company are lining up to borrow a prototype for a weekend of shredding. Something that we haven't seen previously with other e-bikes that have been laying around in the office. Our team riders love the E-Fine, our close friends who would never consider going electric are changing their minds.
Honestly, we believe we have achieved our goal.
Ram: NS Bikes E-fine AL w/ 150mm travel, AL6061-T6 + AL6066-T6, custom hydroformed tubes, Shimano Steps E7000 system 504WH integrated Shimano battery
Motor: Shimano Steps E7000
Dator: Shimano SC-E5000
Knapp-enhet: Shimano SC-E5000
Batteri: Shimano BT - E8035-L, Capacity 14 (Ah) / 504 (Wh)
Bakdämpare: X-FUSION H3C Trunnion 205x62,5, spring: 350 lbs/in
Framgaffel: Rock Shox 35 GOLD RL CROWN ADJUST 29, DEBONAIR 160MM travel E-MTB ,15x110mm Boost, 1.5 tapered steerer tube, 44mm offset
Styrlager: NS Bikes custom tapered IS42/IS52 reach adjustable offset cups (+/-10mm), sealed bearing
Styrstam: NS Bikes Quantum Lite 45mm, 35
Styre: NS Bikes 800mm, 38mm rise, 35
Handtag: NS Bikes Hold Fast supersoft
Sadelstolpe: X-Fusion Manic internal S:125, M:150, L: 170mm, 31,6mm
Sadel: WTB Volt Medium Steel SL
Frambroms: Shimano Deore MT420 4 piston, 203mm
Bakbroms: Shimano Deore MT420 4 piston, 203mm
Fälgar: Octane One Solar 29" front, Octane One Solar 27.5" rear, 32h, tubeless ready
Ekrar: Spokes w/14mm nipples
Framnav: NS Bikes 110x15mm Boost (sealed bearings)
Baknav: NS Bikes 148x12mm Boost (sealed bearings)
Däck Fram/Bak: Schwalbe Big Betty BikePark 29x2.4"/Schwalbe Big Betty BikePark 27.5x2.4"
Vevarmar: Shimano FC-E8000, 165mm, 38t
Kedja: KMC e11 Silver , 11spd
Bakväxel: Shimano Deore RD-M5100, 11spd
Växelreglage: Shimano Deore SL-M5100-R, 11spd
Kassett: SunRace CSMS7 , 11-46t, 11spd
Vikt: ca. 25,5 kg
