Fazua Ride 60 Proves E-MTB Qualities for the First Time in the Haibike Lyke

A good five months have passed since Fazua presented its second drive, the Ride 60. At the premiere in April, model series from Riese&Müller and Canyon were to be seen, which equipped urban ebikes with it. At the Eurobike in July, Velo de Ville followed suit, also with bikes whose playground is the urban traffic. But there is much greater potential in the Fazua Ride 60. Haibike is now proving this with its first light e-MTB called Lyke.

Some of you may be surprised by this news. After all, for years Haibike’s e-mountain bikes were supposed to convey one message above all others: We deliver endless power. Gladly paired with massive frame constructions and flashy colours. With the Lyke, the manufacturer is not doing a U-turn. Rather, it is sailing into previously unknown waters and expanding its very own map of the world, to stay in sailing language for a moment.

Only the beginning?

According to reports, the manufacturer considers the integration of the drive and the opening of a whole new segment to be a step that could be followed by others in the future. He is deliberately targeting people who appreciate the sporty appeal of cycling. Who perhaps still ride a conventional bike, but at the same time think about an ebike from time to time, but can’t really get used to the idea of buying one. Because ebikes seem too clunky to them. Because they don’t want to propel 25 kilograms. Especially not if the battery runs out unexpectedly early. Because riding an ebike often requires so much more than just getting on the bike and going.

Fun on big wheels

The Lyke is designed to dispel such concerns. Haibike plays the fun card. What is meant, of course, is riding fun. And the fun object is a light, agile trail bike that brings the advantages of electric assistance to bear at precisely the moments when they are most in demand. Before and after that, you are welcome to get the impression that you are riding your previous bio-bike.

Based on such preliminary considerations, Haibike designed a frame made of carbon, geared it to suspension elements with a travel of 140 millimetres front and rear and set it on 29-inch wheels. A steep seat angle of 77.3 degrees and a fairly flat head angle of 65 degrees provide a modern compromise between downhill and uphill riding. And of course, the Haibike-typical double kink in the top tube is not to be missed.

Everyday usability more important than record weight

In order for more people to actually consider switching to an ebike, the manufacturer really wanted to make it easier for them to charge the battery. From his point of view, it is crucial for many people not to have to carry the ebike to the socket, but to be able to connect the battery at the place of their choice. As soon as an ebike is to be taken on a trip together with the car, convenient removal of the energy storage unit is also an advantage.

Haibike has even subordinated the ultimate reduction of the total weight to this goal. A completely fixed battery would have reduced the weight of the frame even further. So now there is an opening near the bottom bracket through which the battery can be pulled out. But wait – isn’t the mid-mounted motor in the way? Yes, normally it would. But the combination of the special shape of the Fazua Ride 60’s drive unit and Haibike’s ingenuity prevent this collision.

Skilful turning

The manufacturer has simply rotated the motor for integration. A look at the history shows that he has already done the same with other motors on other ebikes. Just not as extreme as in this case. The majority of the motor protrudes into the seat tube inside the frame at an angle of around 90 degrees. This clears the way in the down tube for the battery. Fittingly, it slides almost to the end of the down tube. The low position of the motor and battery makes for a great balance of the bike. This results in longer contact with the ground while riding as well as extremely agile and manoeuvrable handling. The skid plate mounted below the bottom bracket basically only protects the opening for battery removal, but not the motor at all. The motor is almost completely enclosed by the frame. At the end of all this fiddling, the total weight of the top model of the Lyke is around 18 kilograms.

In the course of developing this new bike, Haibike also took a fresh look at the kinematics. The result is the abandonment of a classic four-bar linkage in the sense that the manufacturer had mostly used in the past. Instead, the Lyke’s shock is attached to the top tube via an adapter. This has proven itself for years with competitors such as Specialized, Trek and many others.

Technology that pays off

The actual equipment of all three models, Lyke SE, Lyke 11 and Lyke 10, is of a very high quality. A complete damping system from Fox with Kashima coating is one of the reasons why the price of the top model Lyke SE climbs to a hefty 9,999 euros. Brake and shifting components from Shimano’s noble XTR groupset as well as a wheelset with carbon rims and the Transfer Factory dropper seatpost from Fox contribute just as much.

Those who are willing to invest so much get to enjoy an absolutely convincing riding experience on the trail in return. The torque of 60 Newton metres and the three available support levels prove to be very well balanced. Whether you want to emphasise the ebike side of the Lyke or its proximity to a regular trail bike is entirely up to you. You can really go for it, let your lungs burn with the minimum support level and reminisce about the old days. Or you can build up so much momentum in Rocket mode that, primarily uphill, things suddenly become possible that were previously beyond the realm of the rideable. Downhill, every pre-setting becomes more or less irrelevant. You hardly feel the few kilograms that distinguish the Lyke from a comparable conventional trail mountain bike. Instead, it becomes clear how successfully the existing masses are distributed.

Less is more

During our test ride, we were positively surprised by how well the minimalist operating concept of the Fazua Ride 60 with the almost invisible ring control on the handlebar and the LED hub embedded in the top tube works in practice. The remote in particular rightly deserves to be called intuitive. Press up once and you’ll reach the next higher support level. Press down once and the motor reduces accordingly. Not having to fiddle with the top tube during the ride is worth its weight in gold. After several metres of ascent, just one LED of the battery indicator goes out at the end of the ride. The Ride 60 is not particularly energy-consuming. Accordingly, the 430 watt hours of the battery should be sufficient for everyday use. If you want to play it safe, you can use a range extender with 210 additional watt-hours. Haibike offers this as a plug-and-play solution in the now quite widespread form that fits into an ordinary bottle cage.

Haibike Lyke 2023 at a glance

• Variants: Lyke SE, Lyke 11, Lyke 10
• Motor: Fazua Ride 60
• Battery: Fazua Energy 430
• Control units: Fazua LED Hub and Fazua Ring Control
• Suspension fork: Fox 36 Float Factory Air, Fox 36 Float Performance Air
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore XTR, Shimano Deore XT, Shimano SLX
• Brakes: Shimano XTR M9120, Shimano XT M8120, Shimano Deore M6120
• Maximum permitted total weight: 120 kg
• Price: from 6,499 euros

Pictures: Winora-Staiger GmbH