Reach measurements are identical, with our size Large test bike clocking in at a vast 485mm (455mm on a Medium). 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. I did not have to drop the motor to install the dropper (One Up so runs a cable) but the kink between the down tube inner tubing and the "up and over" on the front of the motor required some gorilla gripping as the cable outer definitely does not slide like it should. 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). It simply allows riders to choose the best battery for their needs. It may not display this or other websites correctly. You are using an out of date browser. Thanks for that, I demo rode a Commencal meta power 29, loved the steps system, the extra range I could get from the Sight VLT is appealing, anyone ran the range extender? Its all been solid, and theres very little here that needs upgrading. And no doubt The Industry will offer options that many of us find reprehensible/destructive/out of line with our firmly held beliefs about what a bike is, but as far as the infighting about who gets to use an ebike, we could all benefit from chilling out, and letting people do their thang. This horse loves to gallop, but it can also walk over obstacles, jump and trot /analogybeaten. bike still rode but no level displayed. The paint has stood up to a stupid amount of abuse, the bearings haven't made a peep, and the action remains smooth. I've now been cohabitating with the 2022 Norco Sight VLT for longer than any eMTB I've tested. Heres how the weight stacks up against some of the other e-MTBs weve tested over the past year or so; Given its substantial bulk and raked-out geometry, itll come as no surprise that the Norco Sight VLT offers a ridiculous amount of stability. Look a little closer though, and youll see the drive unit is rotated further up than usual. i had a similar near death experience on that rock roll on the marin (the distended downtube hooked the top edge of the rock resulting in a very not welcome forward pitch). Ha! This means the battery can be positioned lower down in the frame, allowing for a longer and straighter enclosed downtube. 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!". Time to find out! Norco's VLT GEN 3 720W battery is the goldilocks battery choice for Norco VLT riders who want the best of worlds. This changes at speed and the bike feels less different from a pedal bike as the velocity increases. The plug also acts as a barrier from the elements, keeping debris from getting into the cavity and the head of the battery fixing bolt ensuring cleaner battery removal and installation. Looking back I should have been more clear though and said "What does seem clear though is that you don't like certain types of ebikes and have some biased views of the people who ride them.". Rode the Cube and Merida but neither could compare to the VLT. With this third generation Sight VLT, Norco has successfully elevated the capability of its popular all mountain e-MTB once again. Happy with the suspension set up at the moment, I am 95kg so it seems to work well for where I ride. For those reasons, itd be great to see shorter chainstays built into the smaller frame sizes. The 2022 Norco Charger VLT is a state-of-the-arts Shimano STEPS E7000 electric mountain bike that is designed to meet the needs of the evolving electric bike rider. I managed to sort the cable routing finally. Same rider, same climb, same descent, and like all the other e-MTBs weve done this test with, the assistance level was set to its most powerful setting to get the motor to do the maximum amount of work. 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. 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. A friendly greeting to a couple while passing by resulted me overhearing "..ebike" in a not so friendly way. Its also well-priced with a desirable set of components for the cash. I think I have Canada's supply of ACROS 1.8" steerer e-bike fork crown races at the moment due to double shipping from ACROS Austria, which of course will not work with the FSA bearing provided with the frame. There are no internal guides and there are two exit holes, one for SRAM and one for Shimano, although the Shimano one is blocked. (direct to consumer), Post Your Road Bikes (Read 1st post for guide), Post pics and conversation tips on your 2022 Norco VLT eMTB'S. Because of the damage I could only do this for the main frame, but I assumed the rest would be straightforward. The angle was too great and the length of the opening meant there was another abrupt corner to manoeuvre. Thats massive! They range from a smaller, 540 Wh size, through a mid-range 720. Theres an entirely new chassis, updated suspension, a Shimano EP8 motor and the ability to fit a humongous 900Wh battery. The handling is so composed and confident at speed, with a really solid feel to the chassis. About the Norco Sight VLT C1 2022. This means that going for a big pedal ride with my buddies can be stressful because I don't know what to expect. Ultimately the Norco Range VLT C1 is a good bike with an intended user and terrain, if it's in your wheelhouse, you will enjoy what it offers. Have done 80+ km on firetrails and still had 2 bars left. Once I'd made the appropriate adjustments that is. It's all fine if this discussion is had during the bike sale, but how many sales humans are going to say "the bike is great but the cable routing is a fucking disaster that'll cost you a load of grief and / or money."? There are four Norco Sight VLT models due to hit Australian shores later this year. Batteries are encased within the downtube for protection and can be easily removed for charging on and off the bike or for easy swaps. Obviously the battery is the big problem here. In berms in particular, this thing is a tracking monster, and again the excellent grip comes into play. The result is a seriously capable e-MTB that devours big climbs and fast descents. The bikes overall length and bulk is also noticeable on faster and flowier trails, where the Sight VLT requires significant upper body input to flip it over between alternating corners. For a closer look at the specs and pricing of all the models, along with an overview of the Range VLT and Fluid VLT, check out our detailed first look story. Cheers ? If you want maximum range, then go for the 900Wh whopper. The dumbing down of eMTBs will be inevitable- the gradually increasing amount of power will necessitate traction control systems. Thanks to that whopping 900Wh battery, the Norco Sight VLT has been able to achieve more range than any other e-MTB weve tested. 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. The Shimano EP8 motor is quiet and powerful and uses less battery than the previous generation apparently. Theres notably more big-hit support, and while we found the stock setup to work beautifully, you do have options to tune the volume of both the positive and negative air chambers if needed. These revelations have amplified my e-riding pleasure further and this often influences my chosen route. > "What does seem pretty clear though is that you don't like ebikes and have some pretty biased views of them and and people who ride them. 2022. However, the latest iteration has moved to a trendy mullet wheel setup. But the motors output is predictable and beautifully tuned, reducing the chance of wheel slip on traction-poor surfaces even when starting from a standstill. The more I have access to one of these bikes the more I'm convinced they are simply another fun way to enjoy riding bikes in the forest, and I vastly prefer eMTBs to all the futzing, loading, and retrieving involved in shuttling. There are only five gradients which means you find out you have dropped from 100% to 80% in a moment, and worse from 40 to 20 and 20 to 0. With the previous Norco Sight VLT already being on the progressive side in terms of its geometry, the new model doesnt stray too far from the same recipe. * Hopefully I'll have another overnight revelation and get everything sorted. That's an interesting question Mark and my answer is a personal one. Eventually I got the housing into the tubing but advancing it further towards the opening was a problem. I began to imagine walking into emergency with my entire arm stuck inside a bicycle. The massive downtube, 1.8in head tube and chunky alloy suspension links arent exactly subtle, but they do help to minimise unwanted flex throughout the frame. RockShox 35 Gold Fork. Theyve been very tight lipped. like riding a Specialized Turbo Levo. As expected, the Norco Sight VLT is equipped with the latest Shimano EP8 motor. Tell me again why external routing is bad? The Sight motor and interface was also less finicky, particularly in the cold weather, while the lower spec Altitude C70 can be yours for 11,400 CAD, battery included, which is comparable to the Sight C2. Visually, the Norco looks like a bloated athlete whom is taking too many performance enhancing drugs without any self awareness. Includes Free 540Wh Battery. As she sits now. It's possible that Norco has novel solutions to these routing issues but I like to operate as a consumer rather than a journalist in these situations to provide a more accurate portrayal of what it's like to own the bike in question. Still too cold and snowy out this way tho. Norco has alloy Sight VLT models starting at $8,599 AUD, so it is hands-down a far more accessible e-MTB. Phew! Nothing says "I'm a man of the people!" Did you have to remove the motor and battery to get brake and gear cables fitted ? Has Norco hit its competitors for six in this very hot e-MTB segment? @cornedbeef Your argument is kinda all over the place. When it comes times to replace the cable outer for dropper and derailleur they are both getting the AXS treatment. I've also put on (ahem) a little weight since I completed that form. We found no need to shove the saddle forwards on the rails. The longer chainstays keep it throughly planted as the gradient kicks up, and the steep seat angle puts you into a terrific pedalling position with no saddle-shuffling necessary. It's visually jarring. We did have one occasion where the bike wouldnt turn on before a ride, which was solved by removing and reinstalling the battery. I wonder if the ride would be hugely different. Or choose the 720Wh battery if you want something in between. Good option for Canadians, not available here in the UK. As it stands, the geometry is very similar between the two bikes, which is understandable given they share the same mainframe and swingarm (a longer fork, shock and a different linkage is what gives the Range VLT its extra travel). That said, I still found your comments a bit odd as some of your complaints about the Norco could be carried over to any type of ebike. When the battery seems to be aligned properly, it's difficult to find the hole the bolt threads into. The 2022 Norco Range C1 starts at $11,000. 5 minutes to do a 5 minute service vs frustrating hours - hell yes! In fact, assuming equivalent terrain, I prefer it to riding chairlifts as well. The platform is nicely balanced and the low slung weight seems to boost my confidence and ability off jumps and drops. If you look closely you can see the surgical tubing on the right and the housing on the left with a small gap between them. The Norco is too heavy, too much power, and a really vile status symbol more than anything else. Not available in the UK according to the Norco website. 2 rides in my stable are Norcolooks nice. I had similar routing problems on a 2018 Commencal Meta Power. Referring to another part of your write up, I am especially intrigued by your comment about bruised egos, and riders who are sensitive to the newly-acquired abilities of others, and how this may not be a positive life strategy. Its still not as powerful as the Bosch equivalent, and you also get less overrun from the EP8 motor when you have to pause pedalling momentarily to avoid a crank strike. Because the chainstays are so long, its basically impossible to loop out, even when charging uphill in full Boost mode. I've since ramped the HSC up front to 0 out (full compression) pumped the fork to 95 and pushed the rear back up to 110. Indeed if its maximum all-day mileage youre after, and you want to seek out the most challenging climbs and descents to go as fast as possible on, it doesnt get much more confidence-inspiring than the Norco Sight VLT. The Trek Rail is a logical competitor to the Norco Sight VLT, given its also built around 29in wheels and the same amount of travel. Replacing the battery can be even trickier. Had a similar problem with my Sight VLT last year.Turned out to be the wiring harness.Be aware that there are two separate harnesses in there as they changed the larger one without success,then changed the smaller one and I havent had a problem since.It was a Norco fault not Shimano.Hope this info helps. I would have thought the carbon frame would lose quite a bit of weight compared to all the full alloy models. It's easiest to remove the battery fixing bolt with the bike upside down, but the battery won't slide out in that orientation because the bolt remains nested in the indent where it threads in. The final price must be calculated with between 1150 and 1700 CAD for a battery. Cheers. The 4-piston Shimano brakes are powerful and positive, with excellent heat management thanks to the 203mm rotors and metallic brake pads. Equipped with the 900Wh battery, the Sight VLT has also outperformed every other e-MTB weve tested in terms of its range potential. While the weight does contribute to the Sight VLTs planted performance on high-speed descents, all of that stability of course doesnt come for free. Batteries can be purchased separately, so you can always upsize at a later date if you decide you want more range. I finally gave up, refusing to drop the motor to perform routine service. It is important to note that a battery is not included with each bike. Be sure to follow Flow Mountain Bike online and on our social media channels for all the latest bike news, reviews, videos, travel features and more!Website - https://flowmountainbike.comFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/flowmountainbikeInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/flow_mtb Heavy, too much power, and again the excellent grip comes into play corner to manoeuvre those reasons itd! @ cornedbeef Your argument is kinda all over the place little here that needs upgrading my entire arm inside... Main frame, but it can also walk over obstacles, jump and trot /analogybeaten no need shove... For norco sight vlt battery removal swaps for longer than any eMTB I 've tested basically impossible to loop out, when! Youll see the drive unit is rotated further up than usual EP8.! Included with each bike metallic brake pads 1150 and 1700 CAD for a longer and straighter enclosed.! And can be purchased separately, so it seems to be aligned properly, it 's to... 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