I've also put on (ahem) a little weight since I completed that form. So a nice element for me is knowing I can go for a ride, put in some miles and get a decent workout and do some downhill without being in the red zone and unable to move faster than a snail's pace. Anyone on here ride a Sight VLT, I just got mine and had some issues trying to get it charging, the manuals that came with the bike were no help at all. Skinny bits, exposed sections, there wasn't anything I had to shy away from on the Sight including the most technical and janky local trails. Its battery is also easier to remove from the frame for charing separately. The latest Brose-manufactured motor is also stupendously smooth, intuitive, and quiet. I straightened my arms and pushed the bike forward, certain I was about to land in a heap, but the fork saved me and I rode it out and even hit the next step-down without catching my breath. When it comes times to replace the cable outer for dropper and derailleur they are both getting the AXS treatment. It's easy to imagine how nasty that fall would be. I just thought it was a bit shitty to rake Norco like that considering they've been pretty good. There is about 800 gms in the motor and I'm guessing about 1600-1700 gms in the battery so circa 2.5kgs? It worked perfectly for that ride and several more but it was niggling at me this past week so I decided to dig into the repair. The Assegai/Dissector tyre combo is absolutely superb, and were thrilled to see DoubleDown casings. I'm 5' 10", 215lbs with gear and tend to plow and currently have a Ripmo AF with a 550lbs spring on a Jade X that's perfect. What's next? I have a deposit on a Lg Range VLT C2 that comes with a 500lbs spring. Hopefully none of those cables are touching the steerer. Time and again it seems like bike designers get to two days before the deadline and have an "oh fuck we have to route cables through this thing!". You are the first. I added some more pressure and even more high speed compression (the 36 seems to love lots of compression damping) and the bike began to feel great, sitting higher in the travel but still responding well to heavy bottoms and lower intensity hits. I have a good sense of how to reel it in on my mountain bikes, but the extra mass of bikes like the Sight VLT changes that equation. Shimano Deore Drivetrain. - EP8 clacking noise. The charge port door is also awkward to grasp and open. (direct to consumer), Post Your Road Bikes (Read 1st post for guide), Post pics and conversation tips on your 2022 Norco VLT eMTB'S. In the greater scheme of things, you'll find the additional weight more than makes up for the greater range! Love this bike. Awesome write. 11% battery is quite a lot of vert. VLT Battery Install. Prices kick off at $8,599 AUD for the Norco Sight A2 VLT, and top out at $12,599 AUD for the Norco Sight C1 VLT. It's seriously time to ask which ebikes serve to "democratize", which are for the outsider trying to buy the greatest/latest/most expensive eMTB as a status symbol, and which are plain unregulated motorcycles with the "ebike" slapped on it that were never designed for mountain bike trail infrastructure. The short chainstays, restrained geometry and poppy suspension makes the eOne-Sixty a very comfortable and naturally agile bike to ride, and at 22.94kg its also a lot more willing to move around compared to the Sight VLT. Photo - Cam McRae. Possibly a good candidate for AXS. FORK Fox Rhythm FLOAT 36, 160mm Travel, 44mm Offset, E-Rated 03. I would have thought the carbon frame would lose quite a bit of weight compared to all the full alloy models. First the bike has foreign balance, then its too heavy, too powerful, then its ugly, then it belies your assessment of what Norco is, then its destructive, dangerous, etc etc. eMTB The range afforded by the massive 900wh allows you to climb in boost mode for the duration of a big ride, but those who need less power can choose lighter and less expensive versions, while those who would like to double up can swap out batteries based on the day's adventure. relates to the overly stiff Deity Skywire 35mm carbon bar. Thankfully there were no witnesses because I'm sure this was a comical sight. I get it, ABS is probably great for commuting. This meant Wil could also test out the Sight VLT, despite his 175cm height being better suited to a Medium. 3 Battery Upgrade Options: 540Wh, 720Wh and 900Wh. Thanks to that whopping 900Wh battery, the Norco Sight VLT has been able to achieve more range than any other e-MTB weve tested. Norco Sight VLT A2 29 2021 is the most economical model, with a starting price of 4699 USD. Battery life is amazing. These weren't mounted for all 1180 kms of this test, but I'd guess they have seen at least 650 of those. A more advanced element of eMTB riding, that I've been slowly getting better at, is tackling technical climbs that I'd never consider under my own power. That is very long, and it really sees Norco swimming upstream of its competitors, all of which are going shorter in the pursuit of agility. Once I'd made the appropriate adjustments that is. would make for a massive day out. They range from a smaller, 540 Wh size, through a mid-range 720. I've got a long way to go, and while being on a new learning curve has been confounding at times, the satisfaction has outweighed the frustration and the Sight has been keen on the task despite its seemingly downhill-focussed demeanour. With my left arm rammed up the Sight's rectum, I was completely blind and it was difficult to reach the surgical hose from the outside by the head tube of the upside down bike with my free right hand, and similarly challenging to reach over my left shoulder to feed the housing through. Norco Sight VLT Details Three battery options including 900Wh Wheel size: 29" only Travel: 160mm front, 150mm rear 64-degree head angle 78-degree effective seat angle 462mm. As I tried to guide the housing into the frame at the head tube it became clear this wasn't going to be simple. The Norco Sight VLT C1 29 EBike is a carbon electric allmountain bike with Norcos legendary descending capability quick confident climbing and the boost you want to ride faster and further. If you're somewhere in the middle there's a 720 as well. this bike does sound nice on paper. We found no need to shove the saddle forwards on the rails. Is it shock size too? I wonder if the ride would be hugely different. I think your judgement was accurate. All-New 3rd Generation Alloy Frame. Its also well-priced with a desirable set of components for the cash. Check out our Merida eOne-Sixty review for more. Just seen 22.3kg for a size m - thats impressive with the bigger battery. The frame features a removable battery for easy . Cornering is another big strength and the bike loves to be tipped over hard, even on uneven surfaces. In the process of adding all that extra capability however, the new Sight VLT has moved quite far away from the original 27.5in model that we loved so much back in 2019. The Sight VLT has been a popular bike here in Australia, and to ensure that remains the case, Norco has come out firing with this 3rd generation model. Charging overnight would consistently get me 5 bars but in actuality, only 89%. Certainly for shorter riders, or for anyone whos chasing a more nimble ride quality, there are other mullet e-MTBs wed recommend like the Spectral:ON, Levo and eOne-Sixty. Posted in: Very happy with how good it feels and very happy with the components. would like to hear a 1st hand experience. A Shimano STEPS EP8 motor drives all three. The general public sees us all as mountain bikers and giving ammunition to those who would love to see mountain biking banned globally isn't good for any of us. I've been on a vlt 1 for almost a year now. I thought my set up was pretty good initially but over time I began to notice some harshness in the fork during repeated high intensity impacts. Put it onto the rough terrain its designed for, at the speeds it wants to travel, and its possible to acclimatise to the Sight VLTs overall heft and length within a couple of rides. The Merida eOne-Sixty continues to be one of our benchmark e-MTBs because its such a fantastic all-rounder. I'm not sure why the cable for the power button can't go to the right side but I'm sure there is some engineering rationale. The Spinlok plug is comprised of a thru-bolt and nut with an expanding rubber mid-section. It's not just that they can get up ridiculous obstacles and pitches; they can also string these together in short succession without time between to get sorted. The 720Wh Norco VLT Generation 3 Battery offers 33% more range than the smaller 540Wh Norco VLT Generation 3 Battery with a marginal 690g weight penalty (for the number crunchers, it's a small 22% penalty). While the previous statement remains true, the Sight almost claimed me on a move (seen below) I'd only done a couple of times before. It's noisier than the Sight and, while better than the previous generation, it doesn't pedal nearly as well without power. We did have one occasion where the bike wouldnt turn on before a ride, which was solved by removing and reinstalling the battery. Norco Sight VLT A2 E-Bike. The Norco Sight VLT A1 29" E-Bike is a carbon electric all-mountain bike with Norco's legendary descending capability, quick, confident climbing, and the boost you want to ride faster and further. The vlt has very little progression built into the suspensionunfortunately. A significant difference is the Dyname's multi-pulley, semi-high pivot suspension system. REAR SHOCK Fox FLOAT X2, Performance Elite Chassis, Custom Factory-Level Spec &. Granted, there are land use- and access issues tied to ebike use, no doubt. Needless to say, with the front-centre-to-rear-centre ratio tipping in a less favourable direction, the issues with agility will be exacerbated for shorter riders. The platform is nicely balanced and the low slung weight seems to boost my confidence and ability off jumps and drops. However, a smaller battery would still only see the complete bike weight drop to 24.63kg (720Wh) or 23.94kg (540Wh). Equipped with the 900Wh battery, the Sight VLT has outperformed every other e-MTB weve tested in terms of its range potential. Had a derailleur problem after a stack and replaced the NX with XO. I don't even know where you could get spare batteries from, I assume Norco/Simplo sell them? The Shimano EP8 motor is quiet and powerful and uses less battery than the previous generation apparently. Good article Cam. The dual 29in wheels and enormous wheelbase means its a bit of a handful on really tight, slow and janky singletrack. This sort of mayhem is no match for the Sight. Swapping the battery isn't as easy as you'd expect. no issues since. Eventually I managed to put some pressure on the hose and advance the housing inside with my thumb and forefinger, a couple of millimetres at a time. Monster-trucking down gnarly, wide-open descents, the Sight VLT is totally in its element. To remove from the frame at the head tube it became clear this was bit! 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