Riding with a bunch of people whose fitness is varied, and being able to stay together, is like a party on wheels. Having tested the last two iterations the Norco Sight VLT 27.5 in 2019, and the Norco Sight VLT 29 in 2020 we were intrigued to see how the Canadian brand would improve on its electric all-rounder. Because of the damage I could only do this for the main frame, but I assumed the rest would be straightforward. Down to 18.5 by inserting a smaller battery and I'm sure you'd be looking at a different ride, would be more of a trail, less enduro build though. 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). Norco went a unique route here and is selling batteries separately. Obviously the battery is the big problem here. Turning the bike upside down and wearing a headlamp, I could see there was a short gap between the entry/exit port and the internal tubing where the housing needed to cross from one side of the massive down tube to the other in a short distance. The angle was too great and the length of the opening meant there was another abrupt corner to manoeuvre. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I get it, ABS is probably great for commuting. It flutters over chunder comfortably, and there is excellent composure under heavy braking. 01. Heres how it panned out; No doubt about it, the Sight VLT absolutely crushed the competition with just shy of 2,500m of elevation gain. It combines 150mm of rear wheel travel with a 160mm fork. After about 15 tries I got the end into the opening of the port but no further. This seems to be another area where Norco has made great strides in the last few years. 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. Swapping the battery isn't as easy as you'd expect. 2022 Norco Sight VLT eMTB, FORK Fox Rhythm FLOAT 36, 160mm Travel, 44mm Offset, E-Rated 03. The clear, accessible, yet protected, on/off switch is a huge improvement over the previous generation. And these can be nasty falls into rock gardens, onto fallen logs with knots sticking out, or off something high. Still too cold and snowy out this way tho. That is a huge footprint, and it sees the Sight VLT well suited to riding brakes-off and flat-out on really rough and demanding terrain. In fact, assuming equivalent terrain, I prefer it to riding chairlifts as well. Had a derailleur problem after a stack and replaced the NX with XO. It's not particularly high, but it's very exposed and blind and frankly, it scares me. Damn That fork really pops. like riding a Specialized Turbo Levo. This has required futzing for me every time. 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. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. This doesn't feel like a bike at all, and I don't like what the Norco represents.a rich person's plaything to "enter" a sport whom I doubt knows trail ettique, any aspect of the communal nature of trail riding, or how to descend at all. Can easily ride for 3 hours in any hills. 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. It holds its line assuredly through off-camber corners, and even when plummeting down the most brutal rock-filled gullies, we never felt like we were being pushed off-course. no issues since. 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. The Shimano EP8 motor is quiet and powerful and uses less battery than the previous generation apparently. It's comforting to know that as I get older I'll be able to keep having epic adventures and huge climbs with my buddies while enjoying the descents as much as ever. Santa Cruz Megatower 2 CC Frame 2023 3,699. In fact, its the most stable 160/150mm travel e-MTB weve tested. No complaints here at all. Quote. You are the first. A camera would have helped this arthroscopic procedure but all I had was my left fingers and thumb as my eyes. 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. *I just had a promising strategy come to me in fact. 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. A proviso is that the door can be tricky to open with gloves or with cold fingers because the ledge designed to give you some leverage is both narrow and sharp on my dainty digits. Its not impossible, it just requires a more active riding style compared to the lighter and more agile e-MTBs weve tested. To suit Dans riding weight of 80kg, we ended up running 5psi more in the Lyrik (90psi with 2 Tokens) and 10psi more in the Super Deluxe shock (210psi with 3 Tokens). To suit Dans height of 183cm, we elected for a size Large in the Norco Sight VLT. The rear end has been sorted from the get go using Norco's Ride Aligned setup guide, and it got me close for a solid starting point. The most economical model, the Norco Sight VLT A2 29 2020 has a starting price of 4699 USD. Just seen 22.3kg for a size m - thats impressive with the bigger battery. When I saddle up an eMTB, particularly a burly one like this, there is an adjustment I have to make to prevent mayhem. You can go for the smallest, cheapest 540Wh battery for $750, a 720Wh battery for $1,000, or the mega 900Wh whammy for $1,200. JavaScript is disabled. Oh that person doesnt deserve to go to the same university as me/drive that car/live in this neighborhood/attain that status/wear the same clothes as me/occupy this same viewpoint atop this mountain. 2023 Cube Stereo Hybrid emtb with ABS - who asked for that. You can really feel more power coming on when you increase your effort, while the Norco feels more linear. Moreover, wear the right clothing. Please, It appears you're using an old version of Internet Explorer which is. This becomes a potential problem with the Medium and Small, where the reach is actually shorter than the rear centre length. I replaced it with an old aluminum Bontrager that I have always liked and the ride improved noticeably. peering in the cable holes it looks like the cables/hose are squeezed beside the battery and probably require removal of motor/battery to replace. Possibly a good candidate for AXS. Yeap, we're up in your social medias too. Theres an entirely new chassis, updated suspension, a Shimano EP8 motor and the ability to fit a humongous 900Wh battery. The. 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. Three proprietary battery options available (sold separately), Select your ideal capacity from 540Wh ($749), 720Wh ($999), 900Wh ($1199), Proprietary batteries featuring 21700 lithium ion cells, Batteries remove and install in seconds with a single onboard tool, Removable batteries for off-bike charging, bringing a spare, or selecting the 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. Stepping down in travel to 160/150mm, the Norco Sight VLT will be the bread-and-butter eBike for a majority of enduro and aggressive all mountain riders. The four-bar suspension design flips the shock up to sit underneath the top tube, an angled piggyback reservoir maintaining bottle clearance. Norco made a bold move by making the batteries modular and giving these bikes three capacity options; 540, 720, and 900 watt hours. It's very close for me but one thing that tips the scale in the Norco's favour is the availability of the 900wh battery. The snow made it clear and it packed in and lost grip more than I'd like. I finally gave up, refusing to drop the motor to perform routine service. Norco has introduced a new 29er version of the Sight VLT, but while it may look similar, this is a completely different e-MTB on the trail. im about 70kg in weight.. Where is the speed sensor located? Just like its predecessor, the 2022 Norco Sight VLT features 29in wheels, a 160mm travel fork and 150mm of rear wheel travel. Cheers. There's another carbon. Check out our Merida eOne-Sixty review for more. In fact, the battery is sold separately at point of sale, so choose wisely. Having a theoretical solution isn't the same as getting it done however and the surgery was just beginning. The frames all take the same batteries and the geometry only changes about a degree per model along with other small changes. Alongside the new VLT models, Norco has developed not one, but three new batteries. Any chance you could share your settings on the shock? Thats allowed Specialized to bring the rear centre length down to just 442mm a whole 20mm shorter than the Sight VLT. Of course this ability explains one of the veiled reasons some people dislike eMTBs so vehemently. Equipped with a SRAM X01 Eagle drivetrain of 12 gears (1x12). 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? A Shimano STEPS EP8 motor drives all three. I was happy with the settings and nothing needed to be adjusted. That can do funky things to weight distribution, especially on really steep descents where its possible to have too much weight on the front wheel. Good option for Canadians, not available here in the UK. would like to hear a 1st hand experience. 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. Norco Sight VLT C1 29 2021 on the other hand costs 7499 USD, and it's the most expensive model. That's an interesting question Mark and my answer is a personal one. As one of the most popular options out there, the Levo hits the same travel sweet spot as the Norco Sight VLT. Merida fully committed to the mullet setup when the latest eOne-Sixty platform launched in 2019, and its totally paid off. This bike went straight to the top of my most wanted list until i saw your comment about non removable battery. 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. Posted in: Eventually I got the housing into the tubing but advancing it further towards the opening was a problem. To help us quantify the limit of its capabilities, we subjected the Sight VLT to our shuttle range test. Even though this handles surpringly well for its heft, it's really turned me off to this type of ebike", "coming from someone whom typically does emtb rides on a Levo". If you're somewhere in the middle there's a 720 as well. You can choose which of the three battery sizes you want at the dealer. In fairness to cornedbeef I was a bit quick with my judgement on some of your post. COLOR: Deep Red/Cherry Red Size: Buy now OR Add to cart - Plastic motor shroud is flimsy and seems unfinished This sort of mayhem is no match for the Sight. 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. The frame features a removable battery for easy . It holds its line assuredly through off-camber corners, and even when plummeting down the most brutal rock-filled gullies, we never felt like we were being pushed off-course. 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. I wonder if the ride would be hugely different. It's not for everyone, and certainly not for me all the time, but it's a blast and a great alternative for this 56-year-old bastard. ;). Riding Type. I could even say the same thing about mtb's too as I've seen more than enough newbies making the same sort of mistakes you mention. As for the tyres, we set those up with 25psi in the front and 27psi in the rear. I've also put on (ahem) a little weight since I completed that form. Norco Sight VLT C1 29 2020 on the other hand is the most expensive at 7499 USD. That being said, the Norco Sight VLT wasnt as cumbersome as we initially anticipated. 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. Check out our video review of the Norco Sight VLT here: Monster-trucking down gnarly, wide-open descents, the Sight VLT is totally in its element. Still, the big battery is appealing in that it basically eliminates any range anxiety whatsoever. Luckily, it's a very big bolt and should be hard to cross-thread. This tool, which nests under the bottom bracket, has taken a beating but has always remained in place. Launching it might be the best solution but I haven't seen anyone do it. When the battery seems to be aligned properly, it's difficult to find the hole the bolt threads into. The next step was to remove the battery to get a view of what was going on. The Trek Rail 9 features an alloy frame, though it up-specs to a RockShox ZEB, which is a brilliant fork. Just in case, I attempted to attach the new housing to the old so that removing the damaged housing would guide the replacement into place. Confirmed weight for our Norco Sight C1 VLT test bike is a substantial 25.32kg (without pedals). I externalized the derailleur and dropper cables and secured with zip ties. The dual 29in wheels and enormous wheelbase means its a bit of a handful on really tight, slow and janky singletrack. Shimano Deore Drivetrain. Replacing the battery can be even trickier. 2021 Identiti Mettle Mountain Bike 16" Small Frame Full Suspension 160mm Enduro. Both were double downs and the front tire is a MaxxGrip and both have been surprisingly durable, particularly considering how many road miles they've seen. Or perhaps even a dropout flip-chip, with short and long settings, so that riders can choose between the two. Batteries are sold separatley specifically to allow riders to choose from a 540Wh . I agree that its not a great looking bike in the least, I personally applaud the modular approach to battery options. Norco's VLT Gen 3 900W battery is the ultimate battery option for riders who need the most amount of range possible. And not by a small margin either. Well, technically you could, but theres no geometry adjustment built into the frame to accommodate a mullet wheel setup, so it isnt recommended. the 630watt battery is superior to my friends 500watt If I pushed from the bottom, the housing would simply push straight toward the front of the bike and buckle rather than making the corner. There are some decent gaps there for mud and water to get into, and the main bolt for securing the battery is also in prime position for getting packed full of dirt. However, the latest iteration has moved to a trendy mullet wheel setup. 2022 Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay with Dyname 4.0 Motor, Gambling on the Retrogrouch - Shimano XT LinkGlide M8130, [Forum] NSMB - 2023 - Hardtails Leaning Against Stuff Thread, The New Crankbrothers Mallet Trail Pedals. Its also well-priced with a desirable set of components for the cash. My backyard is a lot like yours - options for short lunchtime blasts, or all day adventures. The Spinlok plug is comprised of a thru-bolt and nut with an expanding rubber mid-section. The Assegai/Dissector tyre combo is absolutely superb, and were thrilled to see DoubleDown casings. We did have one occasion where the bike wouldnt turn on before a ride, which was solved by removing and reinstalling the battery. Class 2 also offers pedal-assist up to 20 mph, but also has a throttle-powered mode that allows users to engage the motor. Each frame size gets a 40mm stem and 800mm wide riser bars, which we promptly cut down to our preferred width of 780mm. Check out the comparative feature here: https://flowmountainbike.com/tests/2020-merida-eone-sixty-vs-2020-norco-sight-vlt-29er---------------------------------------------------------------------------2020 Norco Sight VLT 29er Review0:00 - Intro0:26 - The Sight VLT Review0:54 - Wheelsize \u0026 Travel1:37 - Geometry2:33 - Build Kit2:44 - Frame Features \u0026 Piggyback Battery3:26 - The Lineup3:55 - Sizing4:37 - Suspension Setup5:32 - Weight5:41 - Strengths8:34 - Shimano STEPS E80009:45 - Weaknesses11:07 - The Verdict---------------------------------------------------------------------------Love mountain biking? Thats massive! Removal is easy once the bolt is taken out, but when putting it back in, it takes a second to line up the bolt and start screwing it in. 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.". It's easy to imagine how nasty that fall would be. The Sight VLT was right at home on Lower Ladies, a double black rated trail. This changes at speed and the bike feels less different from a pedal bike as the velocity increases. The suspension has also improved markedly over the previous model. Or choose the 720Wh battery if you want something in between. Looks very tidy though I'm not in the market anyway, This bike went straight to the top of my most wanted list until i saw your comment about non removable battery. 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. On the Large and XL frames, theres actually enough room in there to fit two bottles an uncommon feature for any big travel bike, let alone one carrying a motor and battery. Seeing the prices published and thinking about those of normal Norco MTBs that have excellent quality but are not cheap there I find enough in line if I think of those of the other top brands, indeed, talking about a carbon frame if for example comparing prices with the Specy Levo 2019 we are still something lower but with the best components on the Sight. Indeed with such an expanse between the grips and rear axle, and the battery effectively playing the role of a 5kg kettlebell, you need a lot of torque on the bars to lift up the front wheel. Solving a challenging up for the first time is almost as gratifying as completing a previously unconquered drop or rock face. FRAME Aluminum, 150mm Travel, Ride Aligned 02. 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. If someone needs to work harder they can drop down a mode and if someone is struggling they can stay in boost, and everyone gets their workout. The new Norco Sight VLT features improved suspension performance, the excellent Shimano EP8 motor, and the option to fit a whopping 900Wh battery. 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