I've been riding mountain bikes for around 30 years and until the end of last year, I rode with conviction without motor assistance. Not that I had a problem with e-bikes. I rode a test bike from time to time and had fun with it. But I wasn't really blown away by these bikes. With the 25 kilometer per hour limit, they were too lame on the flat, too heavy and too sluggish downhill and then there was the constant whirring, no! Until the day I took my first ride on a Norco Sight VLT to test the Shimano Steps E8000 motor. That was a life-changing experience and I'm coming out of the closet. I am now an e-mountain biker too!

But it was a long way from the first ride to the point where I built the "perfect" e-MTB. Unfortunately, I can't do it off the shelf. My seven "regular" bikes are all custom-built according to my needs and preferences and for the respective purpose.

From my point of view, the ten points below are essential for an e-bike as I like to ride it. The Norco fulfills several purposes for me. As a test rider for Ride magazine, I always have e-MTB material to test. That doesn't really work with a normal bike, because there are other forces at work. Privately, I mainly use the e-bike in winter or in muddy conditions. As I pedal at a higher cadence, I warm up faster on cold days. Thanks to the additional support, I struggle less with spinning tires in snow and mud. And one of the most important arguments in favor of the motorized bike is that I can tackle very exposed trails and the steepest ramps that are only possible with supernatural forces on a normal bike. You can also completely exhaust yourself in a short time on longer uphills. The motor is always stronger than your legs and you can never pedal enough. Cadence is king! With a normal bike, you'll never reach your limits, you'll be done after a short time. One last advantage of a motorized bike is that you are more likely to go looking for new trails and risk riding a few hundred meters of altitude in vain. If you don't find a cool descent, the level of frustration is not so high, as you haven't completely exhausted yourself on the uphill.

For me, these ten factors make a perfect e-bike:

Suspension & geometry - Norco Sight VLT with Fox Performance 36 & Fox Float DPX

Many e-mountainbikes are sluggish and cumbersome to ride. They often spoil the downhill fun. Not so the Norco Sight VLT, which rides like a heavy downhill bike thanks to its balanced geometry. The factory-tuned Fox suspension gives the bike plenty of grip and a certain liveliness to play with the terrain. Even on the first ride, I noticed that this e-bike rides very differently to anything I've had under my butt before. Norco has done everything right in terms of geometry and suspension tuning.

Manufacturer/distributor: www.norco.com/ www.indiansummer.ch

Motor/software - Shimano Steps E8000

In addition to the appropriate geometry, the motor has a major impact on riding enjoyment. There's not much to say about the Steps E8000 from Shimano, it's well-known and proven. It boasts dynamic yet powerful support as well as simple and reduced operation. The built-in battery with 630 kilowatt hours also enables longer tours.

Manufacturer/distributor: www.shimano-steps.com

Wheelset - DT Swiss HXC 1200 Spline 30

The first thing that has to go on the Norco is the wheelset. Here comes something light. Many will ask themselves why - for a bike that is firstly super heavy and secondly still motorized. I follow my own philosophy when it comes to wheels. They have to be light for better acceleration and they need high-quality hubs that turn with little resistance. Because I always ride robust and very heavy tires. I try to save a few hundred grams on the wheelset. Whether you can really feel the weight advantage on an e-bike is an open question. You clearly notice the advantages of good hubs: The bike takes the momentum noticeably longer.

For this reason, I have installed the HXC1200 carbon wheelset from DT Swiss. It uses the tried-and-tested 240 mm hubs as well as lightweight - but E-MTB-compatible - spokes. The hookless rim has an internal dimension of 30 millimetres and provides ideal support even for plus-size tires. The wheelset runs wonderfully and can withstand wild rides with low air pressure. Visually, it is still a stunner, so every scratch on it hurts a lot.

Price: CHF 2418.00

Manufacturer/distributor: www.dtswiss.com

Tires - Schwalbe Eddy Current

If, like me, you ride an e-bike primarily in poor conditions or on steep and exposed terrain, you need robust and chunky tires. There's no getting around Schwalbe's Eddy Current. When you hold them in your hands for the first time, you wonder whether they are motocross tires and whether they really need air. Quite simply, they are massive!

The front and rear wheels have a different profile, both are 2.8 inches wide and tubeless. Even an air pressure of well under one bar leaves the tires cold. They have taken numerous punctures just like that. They provide super grip in corners, outstanding traction uphill, bite through gravel and also into any surface when you brake. They simply dig through deep mud and provide plenty of propulsion. Clearly THE e-bike tire for me, regardless of the fact that one weighs over 1350 grams.

Price: CHF 85.00 each

Manufacturer/distributor: www.schwalbe.com

Handlebars - Sqlab 30X aluminum

Only aluminum handlebars and no carbon, really? Caught out. Of course only bling bling belongs on such a top bike! Unfortunately, I don't have a carbon fiber version to hand and the aluminium Sqlab 30X is just lying around. This will be replaced by the carbon version, but not because of the high quality, but because I like the flex of the carbon fiber version and have installed it on all my bikes. The geometry is decisive for the choice of handlebars. The 12 degree backsweep and 4 degree upsweep are not only ergonomically sensible, they also make it much easier to push bikes into corners when riding actively.

Price: CHF 109.00

Manufacturer/distributor: www.sq-lab.com

Saddle - Sqlab 60X Ergowave

I've always laughed about e-bike saddles - what's the point? Until I rode different ones for a longer period of time. The Sqlab 60X offers three striking advantages over all other saddles. Thanks to the Active technology, back pain is history. As the saddle moves by around 7 degrees, it always mobilizes the intervertebral discs when pedalling. After a disc hernia, I used to hardly be able to cycle without back pain. Since I've been riding the Active saddles from Sqlab, the pain has simply disappeared. The Ergowave shape supports the pelvis and prevents it from buckling. Thanks to this "stabilized" sitting position, you need less energy to hold your pelvis in place and therefore have noticeably more power for your legs. Pedaling uphill is noticeably easier. Thanks to this elevation at the rear of the saddle, you no longer slide backwards over the edge of the saddle on steep climbs. This is an important aspect, especially when e-biking, as you are always seated rather than pedaling in a cradle position. To further eliminate sliding, the 60X has a profiled surface that keeps your backside in place.

The saddle is available in four widths to suit the respective sit bone distance. This can be determined by the Sqlab specialist dealer.

Price: CHF 179.00

Manufacturer/distributor: www.sq-lab.com

Pedals - Magped Enduro

This product combines the best of both worlds for me. The advantages of a click connection and the freedom of flat pedals. On slippery surfaces - especially in mud and snow - I prefer to rush through the bends with one foot off the pedal to keep my balance. Nevertheless, I like the firm connection uphill to have a more even pedal stroke. The Magped Enduro have strong magnets on both sides that allow you to ride like a clipless pedal. Twelve pins on each side provide additional grip. The right choice of shoes is crucial. Classic all-mountain shoes with a coarse profile do not work. You need a flat shoe sole with a fine profile and grippy rubber that can still be fitted with cleats. The ION Rascal proved to be the perfect shoe. It takes a little while to adjust the pedals correctly, but then the pins bite into the soft sole and the floating magnet "sucks" onto the metal plates on the shoe with a satisfying click. Mud or snow only minimize the forces marginally.

It takes some practice to blindly find the perfect position over the magnet. Then the grip is very good. Nevertheless, you can easily take your foot off the pedal in all directions. The Magpeds are robustly built and have already taken a few knocks. The workmanship of the tested pre-series was not optimal, but the sometimes unclean holes for the pins were rectified during series production.

Brakes - Magura MT7 Pro with HC3 levers

When the bike - as in my case - weighs more than a third of your own body mass, it must be possible to brake this greatly increased bike mass in a controlled and efficient manner. The 4-piston MT7 brakes from Magura are just right for this. Not only does it apply the brakes mercilessly, it is also easy to modulate. This is particularly important on loose surfaces, because if the 23-kilo mock-up starts to slip, the fun quickly comes to an end. With a 200 mm disc at the front and a 180 mm disc at the rear, Elevation loss orgies are no problem. Even in sub-zero temperatures, the MT7 has never let me down. It does its job well and has been maintenance-free so far. For perfect ergonomics, I have retrofitted the HC3 brake lever. This shorter version - co-developed by Danny McAskill - is individually adjustable. The adjustment of the lever ratio and therefore the braking force is unique.

Shifting - Sram NX Eagle cassette and chain, as well as 1-click shifters

The gears of an E-MTB have to withstand much more force than a regular bike. There is a simple recipe for keeping wear to a minimum. With the NX Eagle cassette and chain, Sram offers products that are designed to do just that. The extra steel keeps wear to a minimum - as do the 1-click shifters from the same company. As only one gear can be changed per shift, the remaining components do not have to withstand the high shear forces that occur during multiple gear changes. These parts make the shifting process significantly smoother and reduce wear and tear.

Lighting - Supernova M99 Mini Pro-25

Light is a must for rides at dusk or after sunset. Supernova has an ideal solution for e-bikes. Some of their lamp heads can be connected to various e-bike motors and eliminate the need for a lamp battery. However, the motor and battery must be removed from the Norco and this can only be done by a specialist dealer.

With the Shimano motor, the light is switched on and off via the control element and the display. The external switch can be used to switch between low beam (450 lumens) and high beam (1150 lumens). The switch is compatible with Magura brake levers and an additional brake is not required for this combination.

The illumination is just enough for trail riding. Not because of the brightness, but because of the somewhat limited light diffusion. The ideal combination is with a powerful helmet lamp. Without this, it will be difficult off-road anyway, as the cone of light is usually not in your line of vision. As with cars, the difference between low beam and high beam is the increased brightness and the larger cone of light.

In all honesty, there is an eleventh point that helps to create a perfect e-bike, but it is extremely tricky.

Chip tuning - Badass Box 4

Now it's time to hit the ice! Some people get frustrated when they reach the 25-kilometer per hour mark on the flat and the engine stops assisting them. It's really annoying when you then have to accelerate the extra weight of the E-MTB yourself or bob along at 25. This can be easily remedied with a chip tuning - for example from Badass. Unfortunately, however, this is only permitted on private property. It's not legal and you shouldn't do it. But honestly, it's just really fun to ride at the speed you want and not the one you've been told.

As a magazine, we have to point out that chip tuning is illegal and will invalidate any warranty claims. But the topic cannot be hushed up. Tuning is part of everyday life and keeps the industry and the authorities busy. But it was no different back then with motorcycles. To be honest, some people tuned their mopeds to be able to ride faster. It is simply naive to believe that this topic is not highly topical among end consumers ...

Manufacturer/distributor: www.badassebikes.com

So much for the features of the (almost) perfect e-bike. But why is it only almost perfect? The Norco Sight VLT has one major disadvantage. The battery cannot be removed for charging and therefore has to be charged on the bike. Of course, it's a shame if you don't have a power connection in the basement or bike room.

And why is the Norco Sight VLT the (almost) perfect e-mountain bike for non-e-mountain bikers? For two reasons: Firstly, as mentioned at the beginning, the Sight VLT rides like a regular bike in terms of character. Secondly, the Norco is an extension of your own fleet and not a replacement for a non-motorized bike.

But now to the actual test report:

Motor / battery

Shimano Steps E8000 / In-Tube Battery
Power: 250 watts
Torque: 70 Newton meters
Battery capacity: 630 watt hours

Processing & details

The Norco Sight VLT has a carbon main frame. The fully integrated battery can only be removed by a specialist dealer. The motor must be removed for this. This design makes the frame lighter and more stable than versions with a removable battery. The frame design is discreet and very appealing. The block-lock headset from Acros prevents the front from over-rotating and the handlebars from hitting the top tube as a result.

On the flat

The riding position is slightly stretched and centered over the bike. It pedals comfortably on flat terrain and the handling is playful. If you go over the 25 kilometer per hour limit, the freewheel comes into play and you can accelerate under your own power without the motor revving.

Up the mountain

When going uphill, there is a lot of pressure on the front wheel and thanks to the high-quality suspension, it is easy to pedal up the roughest trails. So you're always on the lookout for even wilder trails to master. But it's not as if the motor simply pushes you up. It takes some skill and a good feel for the right pedal pressure to master technical trails. E-power alone won't do it.

Downhill

As mentioned above, Norco has done everything right in terms of geometry - it's not for nothing that the bike has won numerous tests. Downhill, the Sight VLT is perfectly planted on the ground and literally soaks up obstacles. It is easy to maneuver through tight corners. Jumps go surprisingly well with the "little fatty" and it usually absorbs botched landings without grumbling.

Conclusion

For once, I'll keep it short and subjective: for me, this bike is the benchmark for all e-bikes that I test. The only thing that doesn't quite suit me is the fully integrated battery. But I can live with that, because the rest is pure fun.

Recommendation

Yes, dear non-E-mountainbikers, I advise you to test this bike thoroughly and revise your opinion on the subject of E-MTBs. Start with the standard version, you don't have to spend the whole piggy bank on the custom version. Do as I do, stay motorless at heart and enjoy the extra power from time to time with the really successful Norco Sight VLT or another e-bike. You may lose friends after coming out, but you'll quickly make new ones.

Specifications