While e-bike weight doesn’t make much difference on the descents – where more heft can actually mean more stability and grip – it does have an impact on flatter, twistier trails. Here, a lighter motor and battery can improve a bike’s handling, making it easier to flick from line to line, especially when combined with less heavy-duty parts. Of course, there is a price to pay, in the form of reduced torque and, in most cases, peak power. The smaller battery can mean reduced range, too. However, because the motor has less weight to propel than on a ‘full-fat’ bike, and the lower power output means it uses less juice, this isn’t always the case. Every ‘SL’ e-MTB bike we’ve come across uses one of the five drive units listed below.
FOCUS VAM2 SL 9.0 £9,699
A terrier of a bike – fast and fun with plenty of character
While on paper the idea of adding motor assistance to a lightweight short-travel trail bike seems like a pineapple-on-pizza calamity, in reality the FOCUS VAM2 SL 9.0 is a very tasty bike.
THE FRAME
To keep the VAM2 SL as light as possible, FOCUS make the frame from carbon fibre and use flexstays, instead of a rear pivot, to link the single-pivot swingarm to the rocker-actuated shock, which dishes out a downcountry-esque 125mm of rear-wheel travel.
The German brand have opted to use FAZUA’s lightweight RIDE 60 drive unit, powered by a 430Wh battery. This is non-removable, to help reduce frame weight. The motor punches out 60Nm of max torque and 350W of peak power, which can be boosted to 450W for a 12-second burst.
Our medium test bike has a
