{"id":38288,"date":"2022-07-01T10:00:24","date_gmt":"2022-07-01T08:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=685901"},"modified":"2022-07-01T10:23:16","modified_gmt":"2022-07-01T08:23:16","slug":"new-whyte-e160-focused-on-performance-with-oh-so-low-centre-of-gravity","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/new-whyte-e160-focused-on-performance-with-oh-so-low-centre-of-gravity\/","title":{"rendered":"New Whyte E160 focused on performance with oh-so-low centre of gravity"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Alex Evans\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 01 July 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

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British bike brand Whyte\u2019s newest E-160 electric mountain bike<\/a> has been tweaked and refined as Whyte seeks to hone its focus on lowering its centre of gravity (COG).<\/p>\n

The brand claims the changes improve how the bike rides, making it feel closer to a non-assisted bike, while also making battery removal and installation easier.<\/p>\n

The 150mm rear-travel<\/a> emtb range now includes a full 29in-wheel<\/a> bike and a dedicated mullet setup<\/a>, where the front is 29in and the rear 27.5in, both available in medium to extra-large sizes. The extra-small and small sizes get 27.5in hoops front and rear, making them a better fit for smaller riders.<\/p>\n

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Could the E-160 RSX soon be the ebike to beat?<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

The move from Bosch\u2019s Performance Line CX<\/a> motor with basic Purion display to the Smart System and redesigned down tube sees an increase in battery capacity, with space for up to a 750Wh unit, plus increased smartphone connectivity.<\/p>\n

Prices start at \u00a36,399 for the E-160 S 29er and MX, rising to \u00a37,699 for the mullet-only E-160 RS, and top out at \u00a37,999 for the E-160 RSX, which is sold with 29in wheels only.<\/p>\n

2022 Whyte E-160 frame and suspension<\/h2>\n
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The down tube doesn\u2019t have a large cut-out for the battery. This, Whyte claims, improves stiffness.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Whyte\u2019s focus on lowering the E-160\u2019s COG is founded in the belief doing so will \u201cdramatically improv[e] the ride performance by minimising the\u2026 negative effects of poor weight distribution in three main areas\u2026 pitch, roll and yaw.\u201d<\/p>\n

In order to investigate the importance of lowering the bike\u2019s centre of gravity with the aim of improving the way it rides, Whyte used computer-modelling software to cut the bike into portions, giving each section its own COG.<\/p>\n

Each section\u2019s centre of gravity is then averaged out to produce the whole bike\u2019s centroid (arithmetic mean position of all points). The aim was to make this as low as possible.<\/p>\n

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The Bosch motor has been rotated (clockwise in this image) so the battery can fit beneath it, lowering the bike\u2019s centre of gravity.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Along with the anti-clockwise rotation of the motor (when seen from the driveside) \u2013 used on all current Whyte full-suspension ebikes, so the battery can be mounted beneath the motor \u2013 the brand has managed to lower the battery further for the latest E-160 by relocating the connector from the bottom of the battery to the top.<\/p>\n

This, Whyte claims, culminates in a ride \u201cthat feels much more like\u2026 an \u2018acoustic\u2019 bike,\u201d with a planted feel while maintaining the ability to change direction quickly.<\/p>\n

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Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Whyte is also keen to highlight its down tube\u2019s design that remains intact, without the cut-out used on many other brands\u2019 designs for battery installation or removal.<\/p>\n

The \u201cuncompromised\u201d down tube means it retains its torsional stiffness and structural importance.<\/p>\n

For the 2022 bike, the down tube has been re-profiled and hydroformed to fit tightly around Bosch\u2019s 750Wh battery, that slides into the down tube using Bosch\u2019s slide-in-rail system.<\/p>\n

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The new E-160 uses the chunky 1.5in and 1.8in headset standard.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Because the system is modular, owners can swap between 750Wh, 625Wh and 500Wh Power Tube battery sizes without having to buy a whole new bike.<\/p>\n

The brand has moved to the 1.5in upper cup and 1.8in lower cup headset standard, while making changes to the internal cable and electric wire routing. The E-160 now uses SRAM\u2019s UDH, too.<\/p>\n

Suspension<\/h3>\n
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The four-bar Horst-link suspension design has around 25 per cent progression.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Although the new E-160 still uses Whyte\u2019s Horst-link four-bar suspension<\/a> \u2013 dubbed Quad-Link 4 Suspension by the brand \u2013 found on its other full-suspension bikes, it has worked hard to tune the bike\u2019s shock damper tunes.<\/p>\n

Whyte said its in-house enduro racer<\/a> and engineer Sam Shucksmith helped develop the tune on both Fox and RockShox shocks fitted to the bike, going through many iterations to find the perfect performer.<\/p>\n

The E-160 has 150mm of rear-wheel travel and, like its full-suspension stablemates, the overall rate of progression of its travel is around 25 per cent.<\/p>\n

2022 Whyte E-160 motor and battery<\/h2>\n
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The charge port sits on top of the motor.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Bosch\u2019s Smart System Performance Line CX motor and 750Wh battery are fitted to the 2022 E-160, although, as mentioned, the frame is compatible with the smaller 625Wh and 500Wh batteries, too.<\/p>\n

The motor boasts 85Nm of torque and 250w of assistance, and via Bluetooth connectivity thanks to the Smart System, the motor\u2019s modes can be adjusted in Bosch\u2019s Flow smartphone app.<\/p>\n

This latest generation also features Tour+ mode. This functions similarly to eMTB mode, where increased rider inputs make the motor provide more assistance.<\/p>\n

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SRAM Code RSC brakes take care of slowing down the E-160.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

However, none of the E-160 bikes are fitted with a Bosch display. Instead, an LED controller \u2013\u00a0with battery and mode indicator \u2013\u00a0is fitted to the left-hand side of the handlebars. A Bosch Smart System display can be added as an aftermarket upgrade, however.<\/p>\n

2022 Whyte E-160 geometry<\/h2>\n
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The E-160 is enduro-race ready.<\/span><\/figcaption> Alex Evans \/ Our Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Bike geometry<\/a> across manufacturers seems to be converging on what is becoming a universally agreed sweet spot, where bikes with those perfect figures tend to ride well.<\/p>\n

The 2022 E-160 doesn\u2019t buck the trend, its figures looking spot-on for a trail\/enduro ebike.<\/p>\n

Headline numbers include a 64.2-degree head tube angle (low setting), 75.3-degree actual seat tube angle, 446mm chainstays and a 483mm reach figure for the size large.<\/p>\n

Whyte E-160 29in wheel geometry<\/h4>\n
<\/colgroup>
2022 Whyte E-160 geometry 29in wheels<\/caption>
\ufeffSize<\/th>Medium<\/th>Large<\/th>Extra-large<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Reach high\/low <\/b>(mm)<\/td>455<\/td>483<\/td>510<\/td> <\/tr>
Stack high\/low <\/b>(mm)<\/td>631.5<\/td>645.1<\/td>658.6<\/td> <\/tr>
Head angle high\/low<\/b> (degrees)<\/td>64.8\/64.2<\/td>64.8\/64.2<\/td>64.8\/64.2<\/td> <\/tr>
Seat tube angle <\/b>(degrees)<\/td>75.5<\/td>75.3<\/td>75.1<\/td> <\/tr>
Chainstay<\/b> (mm)<\/td>446<\/td>446<\/td>446<\/td> <\/tr>
Wheelbase <\/b>(mm)<\/td>1,234.8<\/td>1,269.2<\/td>1,302.7<\/td> <\/tr>
Bottom bracket height<\/b> (mm)<\/td>344\/336.2<\/td>344\/336.2<\/td>344\/336.2<\/td> <\/tr>
Standover<\/b> (mm)<\/td>771<\/td>773<\/td>776<\/td> <\/tr>
Rear travel<\/b> (mm)<\/td>150<\/td>150<\/td>150<\/td> <\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>