Yamaha

Giant’s Stance E +1  makes a compelling option if you’re in the market for a top budget e-bike. It looks fantastic, it comes with a punchy Yamaha motor, and it boasts the reassurance that comes with buying from one of the biggest bike brands in the business. If you are familiar with the Stance analogue bike, you’ll already know that it’s Giant’s entry-level full-suspension trail platform. You’ll also know that one of the key ways that Giant delivers the Stance at a more competitive price point is to strip back some of its suspension tech. Well, Giant takes the exact same approach with it’s entry-level e-bikes. So instead of featuring Giant’s signature Maestro twin-link suspension, the Stance E+ 1 uses a flexstay design for the 125mm rear suspension – eliminating some of the complexity and cost. Dubbed FlexPoint, the reduction in component parts should, in theory, offer a weight saving, but given that the Stance E+ 1 tipped our scales at a hefty 26.24kg, any advantage has been negated by the cheaper specification needed to hit the target price-point. Giant Stance E+ 1 Need to know Entry level e-bike platform with 125mm travel and 29in wheels RockShox 35 Silver fork pumps out 140mm travel Custom Yamaha SyncDrive Sport motor delivers 75Nm torque Removable 625Wh battery for extended range FlexPoint suspension design reduces complexity and cost Neat colour LCD controller and combined display Stance E+ 2 available for £3,499 Weight: 26.24kg size L Frame and geometry Simple does not mean that the Stance E+ 1 frame is lacking, though. Giant uses its top-end ALUXX SL aluminium, and the sculpted tubing profiles and oversized pivot hardware are all first rate. And while some entry-level e-bikes feel like the wheels will come off in under six months of abuse, the Giant frame feels reassuringly solid, so you know it will easily go the distance. And with that 625Wh battery tucked neatly into the underside of the down tube, you’ll also be able ride that much further, or in a higher power mode, than either the Yamaha Moro 07 or the Decathlon Rockrider E-Expl 520S. Both of which sport smaller, lighter 500Wh batteries. Removing the Giant’s battery for charging separately from the bike is really easy, but you do need to tighten the T25 battery latch securely when reinstalling it, otherwise it will rattle inside the frame. Also, if you want to ride further still, the Stance E+ 1 is compatible with Giant’s 250Wh EnergyPak Plus range extender. But what about the motor? Giant has partnered with Yamaha to produce a custom SyncDrive Sport motor which delivers 75Nm torque. That’s 10Nm less than on the Yamaha Moro 07 or the Shimano EP801 equipped Polygon Siskiu T7E that won this test. Which basically means you have to work harder on steeper climbs to keep up with the higher torque bikes. On the plus side, it also puts less strain on the battery, which helps boost range. Suspension Small but mighty. The Stance E+ 1 only …Continue reading »

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Most of the best electric mountain bikes are designed around a second party motor, but not the Yamaha Moro 07. Instead, Yamaha built its first e-mountain bike around its own PW-X3 motor, a unit that boasts 85Nm torque and a very smooth power delivery. And because Yamaha has no reason to hide that it’s a Yamaha, the motor isn’t disguised under excessive housings or plastic casings. One look at the motor and it’s clear that it is incredibly streamlined and slender. In fact, Yamaha boasts that the PW-X3 motor, with Praxis crankarms, has a very narrow Q-factor (the distance between the outer edges of the crankarms). So we measured it. And Yamaha is right; it’s 10mm narrower than the Shimano EP801 motor on the Polygon Siskiu T7E and 20mm narrower than SRAM’s new Powertrain motor. And, depending on the crankarms used, the Q-factor of the Yamaha system can be as much as 26mm less than the Bosch CX motor used on the Whyte E-160 that was in our 2023 E-bike of the Year test and the Orbea Wild and Canyon Strive:ON tested in our Enduro E-Bike head-to-head. But why does this matter? Well, the narrower Q-Factor makes for a more natural and efficient pedalling action, which is an instant win, even on a bike with a motor. And with our pedals as much as 20mm further inboard, we had improved pedal clearance when cranking through deep ruts or when the bike was lent over in a corner. In fact, having a narrow Q-factor on an e-bike is probably just as important as having really short crank arms. Yamaha Moro 07 Need to know Yamaha’s entry-level e-bike with Yamaha PW-X3 motor Dual Twin frame design with 150mm travel (claimed) Removable 500Wh battery Interface X display with five power modes Narrow Q-Factor motor design 160mm RockShox Lyrik fork and Super Deluxe shock Magura MT5 brakes and Shimano 12-speed XT transmission 27.5in wheels with 2.6in Maxxis tyres Weight: 23.62kg size L Three frame sizes: S, M and L There‘s currently only two models to choose from in Yamaha’s e-mtb range, the Moro 07 that we are testing here, and the slightly more expensive 30th Anniversary Factory Silver edition at £4,350. That’s right, Yamaha has been making e-bikes for 30 years, even if this is the Japanese giant’s first e-mtb. Both models share the same frame and specification, it’s just that the 30th Anniversary edition gets a brushed alloy frame finish for that factory racing look. Also if the futuristic concept bikes that Yamaha presented at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show are anything to go by, then the Moro is just the beginning of Yamaha’s e-mtb journey. So what exactly is the Moro 07? In a nutshell it’s an entry-level 150mm travel e-bike, with a surprisingly high-end specification, 27.5in wheels and 2.6in tyres. It comes in three sizes, S, M and L, and you can order the bike online then have it delivered straight to your door, or collect it from a Yamaha dealer. …Continue reading »

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Verdict: A decent attempt from Yamaha at applying their drive system to an e-gravel option, but has a few too many niggles

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