New E-MTB Finna Wind Peak: A Refreshing Spanish Breeze

When a major name such as Cervélo announces that it now wants to produce ebikes after having completely abstained from doing so until now, this creates quite a stir in the industry. Of course, this also happens on a smaller scale, i.e. with less prominent manufacturers. Take the Barcelona-based brand Finna, for example. Founded in 2012, the Spaniards have so far mainly focussed on the gravel and bikepacking sectors and have always dispensed with electric assistance. At the start of 2024, a surprising announcement popped up, at least for us: Finna is presenting a mountain bike for the first time. And its first ever ebike at that.

Finna Wind Peak

The newcomer to the programme is called Wind Peak. An English name for a model chosen by a Spanish brand. Some of you might have expected something different. However, this seems to be a tradition at Finna. There is currently only one model that deviates from this pattern and it was named after the Taroko Nature Park in Taiwan.

But let’s stay with the Wind Peak. Usually, the wind should not play a role when riding this model. After all, the majority of mountain bike trails in Europe tend to run through large wooded areas. And in these areas you are quite well protected from the wind.

Downhill doesn’t always have to be bad

What you can expect with the Wind Peak, however, is a lot of wind in your face. Because this e-mountainbike is clearly designed with downhill riding in mind. A suspension system with 170 millimetres of travel at the front and even 185 millimetres at the rear paired with a fairly slack steering angle of 64.5 degrees is sure to make many an enduro heart beat faster. The quad-link rear triangle with Horst link should provide you with a high degree of riding stability and act in a rather drive-neutral manner. Both the suspension fork and shock come from the Italian manufacturer Formula. Both use a coil spring as the suspension element. This means that the system is incredibly effective at absorbing smaller bumps in particular and has a characteristic linear suspension and damping behaviour.

On its website, Finna particularly emphasises the steering angle of 64.5 degrees. For the manufacturer, it combines agility and confidence and also supports the most precise steering behaviour possible. As a result, the Wind Peak should prove to be an E-MTB that steadfastly makes its way downhill while still remaining easy to manoeuvre.

Cockpit featuring Formula Cura 4 brake levers

Special motor for E-MTBs

In any case, the not-too-steep seat angle of 71 degrees indicates that the uphill qualities played a somewhat subordinate role in the design of the frame. Nevertheless, you need not fear climbs. The Ep3+ MX from Italian manufacturer Polini provides the necessary compensation. You can recognise the motor variant designed for e-mountainbikes by the suffix MX. At 90 Newton metres, it features a higher torque than the Ep3+. The continuous rated power of 250 watts can rocket up to a maximum of 600 watts at peak times. In terms of values, the Ep3+ MX is therefore a nose ahead of units such as the Bosch Performance Line CX, while a Giant SyncDrive Pro 2 weighs around 300 grams less with 85 Newton metres and identical power.

The major advantage of the motor installed in the Wind Peak over other competitors is its extremely extensive customisation options. This starts with the fact that, in addition to the preset Touring, Dynamic and Race riding modes, two further adjustable modes are included as standard. You can use the Polini ebike app to customise these to your personal preferences. One of the standard modes can be used as a point of departure. This can then be customised accordingly. There are five levels at which you can specify how much of the motor’s power is to be utilised and to what extent it should support you. This offers plenty of scope for experimentation and optimisation. Just like the danger of getting lost in the settings. But you can always select Touring, Dynamic and Race as a lifeline. You can also specify the speed at which the motor stops providing assistance or how long it continues to push as soon as you stop pedalling.

Polini Ebike App offering numerous options for customising riding modes

Enormous bandwidth in terms of range

These very detailed settings have a direct influence on the respective energy consumption. For this reason, Polini does not specify an approximate range for the drive. Finna provides an overview that shows, for example, that in the preset Dynamic mode, the range on flat terrain can vary between 40 kilometres at level 5 and 130 kilometres at level 1. Overall, the drive seems to be more for those who have very specific ideas about the motor behaviour or are very keen to experiment. By the way, a walk assist is of course on board as well.

Depending on the setup, the motor can therefore consume quite a bit of power. Together with Polini, Finna provides you with a capacity of 630 watt hours. You won’t find the battery integrated in the down tube on the Polini website. It could therefore be a version specially made for Finna. Normally, only batteries with capacities of 500 watt hours or 880 watt hours would be available. Taking this into account, the 630 battery seems to be a reasonable medium size that balances weight, range and dimensions quite well.

Carbon combined with classic shift cables

With its own weight of 23 kilograms, the Wind Peak does a lot to extend the riding pleasure for as long as possible. One reason for the relatively low weight is the carbon frame. Its down tube is fitted with a frame protector as standard. This is primarily intended to protect the paintwork from excessive damage caused by stones or other minor impacts. You can choose between sizes S, M and L for the frame.

The frame protection on the down tube is part of the standard equipment,

The rest of the equipment doesn’t hold any big surprises. Since the suspension is already from Formular, it is hardly surprising that the same applies to the brakes. The Cura 4 is equipped with 203 millimetre diameter brake discs at the front and rear. There is also a conventional Sram GX Eagle derailleur system offering twelve gears. The 29-inch wheels are fitted with 2.5-inch-wide WTB Verdict tyres. Together with all the other components, this results in a price of 7,599 euros.

E-MTB Finna Wind Peak at a glance

• Frame: Carbon
• Suspension fork: Formula Selva C, 170 mm
• Motor: Polini Ep3+ MX
• Battery: Polini, 630 Wh
• Control unit: Polini Switch Controller Display TFT
• Display: Polini Integrated LED display
• Drivetrain: Sram GX Eagle
• Brakes: Formula Cura 4
• Weight: 23 kg
• Maximum permitted total weight: n.a.
• Price: 7,599 euros

Pictures: TOP FUN, S.L.