For 2018, Haibike is expanding their line and offering some lower priced options which is very exciting for people who appreciate their style and quality but are on a fixed budget. I met with Ken Miner, Director of Sales, to explore some of their flagship models. Haibike moved their North America headquarters from Simi Valley, California to Denver, Colorado in March 2017 and have since been working on some Class 1, 2, 3, legislation with Governor John Hickenlooper to make it easier to ride electric mountain bikes on trails.
So, it used to be that Haibike SDURO models always used the Yamaha drive system and the XDURO models were using Bosch but starting in 2018, they have adjusted things so you may see both drive systems on both lines. In short, SDURO is the more affordable line now and XDURO is more performance oriented and high cost. They say it’s a geometry focused nomenclature vs. motor brand nomenclature. Think “extreme” when you think about XDURO and “sporty” when you think about SDURO.
The first model we checked out was the SDURO FullLife with 150 mm travel using the Bosch PowerPack step-in battery priced at $4,500 which has a shorter top tube and may be geared towards women a bit since they tend to have shorter arms than guys… but guys can still enjoy this model if they want a more upright body position.
Next, we looked at the SDURO FullSeven 9.0 which is priced at $5,400 and features the Bosch PowerTube 500 battery. What’s really unique here is that Haibike has developed a rail system above for use with bottle cages or other accessories that can also support a second battery mount for up to 1,000 watt hours of capacity! I was told that Bosch is waiting for UL listing on the PowerTube so we won’t see the in-tube models from Haibike until around August of 2018.
A bit later, we looked at the SDURO Radius Tour model which uses 20” wheels and is more of a compact design using the Yamaha drive system and battery. They developed this for commuting in the city and have special folding metal pedals. Also, the headset has a swiveling design so you can turn the handle bar to the side and make the bike lay flat on its side or fit easier against other bikes without taking up so much room. This electric bike is priced at $3,000 and Ken told me it is very balanced, has lights, and plastic fenders.
At this point in our discussion, Ken and I walked over to the XDURO line which are using longer travel suspension in 2018. The first model was the AllMtn 10.0 which offers 150 mm travel and uses the more powerful Yamaha PWX drive system which offers up to 95 Newton meters of torque, has a lower cadence threshold (for faster starts) and a higher supported cadence up to 120 RPM vs. just 120 with the original Yamaha PW. There’s also a new stem display which is a bit more compact, rugged, and stealthy looking. This model is priced at $6,400 and should be available in early 2018.
A bit later, Ken showed me the latest Haibike FatSix 8.0 which uses the older Yamaha PW motor system which offers 80 Nm of torque and a more limited cadence range. This electric fat bike is priced at $3,700 and offers a derailleur hanger so you could potentially add a second chainring up front for more gearing choice.
Towards the end, we looked at the XDURO Nduro 8.5 model with 180 mm travel which is more of an enduro bike (for some climbing and downhill performance). This model uses the Bosch CX motor system with up to 75 Nm of torque and very fast starts and full 120 RPM pedal support. This is their mountain-specific motor model, the Nduro 8.5 is priced at $5,200. One of the cool things about Haibike is that they offer four frame sizes for almost all of their different models. Ken mentioned that in 2018 Haibike is going to offer a $4,000 hardtail carbon fiber electric mountain bike! The final model that we actually looked at in person was the XDURO DwnHll 10.5 with 200 mm suspension travel for $6,700. The idea is that you can pedal this up mountains and then enjoy downhill riding in areas that don’t have lifts or helicopter access. The Downhill model is using the Bosch Performance Line CX motor. Most of their mountain bikes are coming with the Bosch Purion display and have EMTB mode enabled.
At the end, Ken showed me their “innovation award winner” ebike called the XDURO AllMtn 8.0 which offers 150 mm travel, full suspension, a 20 speed drivetrain, Yamaha PWX motor priced at $5,000. I also mentioned their new value-priced model which is $2,200 vs. the cheapest model in 2017 being $2,600. This new e-bike is called the SDURO Cross with more of an urban setup that uses 700c wheels.
You can see some of my previous Vintage Electric ebike reviews at electricbikereview.com/brand/... and learn more about the company at their official website: www.haibike.com/ EBR was paid to perform this review #Sponsored We try to be honest, thorough, and fun! Comparison tools, shop directory, and forums at: ElectricBikeReview.com