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Whyte Bikes are back in a big way! After grabbing the attention of the cycling industry and wider social media audience earlier this year at Eurobike when they revealed a prototype carbon fibre e-MTB, featuring a brand new compact and lightweight Bosch motor they have now finally launched a small collection of three Whyte E-Lyte e-mountain bikes! One of mountain biking’s worst kept secrets, with bikes hiding in plain sight, can now be poured over in our latest product launch feature as we take a closer look behind one of the hottest, most highly anticipated e-MTB of recent times.
Whyte Bikes are back in a big way with the E-Lyte!
At the heart of these capable new Whyte trail bikes is a completely new lightweight, compact motor from Bosch (we take a closer look at the motor further down this feature), which is a significant piece of tech that customers, retailers and bike manufacturers have all been speculating on for some time. As more and more bike brands began to launch their own lightweight e-bike options featuring motors from other manufacturers the expectation grew regarding what Bosch would develop in answer to the trend for smaller, lighter drive systems.
Whyte are first to the party with the all-new Bosch Performance SX motor.
Humans, what are we like?! We always want the best of everything don’t we? First off there was the quest for the fastest, most powerful and efficient e-mountain bikes available; powering you over any obstacle in your way while carrying you further into your longest ride without any concern for running out of battery power before the end of your ride. Then we all began talking about compromised ride quality and the gradual move away from natural-feeling trail bikes, with the extra weight of a typical e-MTB taking away some of the bike’s agility out on the trails.
No problem, said the bike brands! In response they began to develop lightweight e-mountain bikes featuring smaller, lighter e-bike drive systems which took up less room, allowing designers play around with frame geometry more freely and decrease overall weight to produce bikes that felt more natural and capable on even the tightest, most technical trails. But there was a problem, smaller lighter batteries meant less range capacity and lighter less powerful motors meant significant mis-matches in power on those mixed e-MTB social rides.
There’s 3 models to choose from in the small E-Lyte range.
It seemed there was a choice; pick a lightweight e-MTB and enjoy the thrill of an agile trail bike but accept that battery range and power is compromised, or go ‘full-fat’ with the most powerful and efficient options, resigning yourself to the fact that some of the ride qualities you enjoy on your non-e-bike may not transfer to your motor-assisted option. Until now!…
Yes, Whyte have created an e-mountain bike that’s fast, light, agile AND powerful; with the help of that superlight Bosch Performance SX motor their small range of E-Lytes have magically combined all of the very best ride qualities an ‘acoustic’ non-e-mountain bike with the power and efficiency of those more typical full-fat e-MTB’s. With the lightest E-Lyte 140 Works model weighing in at just 16.4kg (size medium) and featuring 55Nm of torque, 600W of peak power, and a total combined battery capacity of 650Wh the new E-Lyte has the power to keep up with your ‘full-fat e-MTB’ mates and the battery range to take your social rides even further with no concerns.
Whyte have created an e-mountain bike that’s fast, light, agile AND powerful!
With a lightweight, tough carbon fibre chassis the E-Lyte boasts the kind of modern, progressive trail geometry that we’ve come to expect from a British bike brand which has cut its teeth on the unforgiving U.K. singletrack trails we all love so much. The E-Lyte’s sophisticated suspension configuration includes Whyte’s ‘Shape.it Link V2’ allowing you to adjust the bike’s geometry to suit your preferred riding style and terrain.
There’s three different models available, with two featuring 150mm of travel upfront and 142mm of travel on the rear. The E-Lyte 140 Works, Whyte’s lightest, most cross-country-focused model features 140mm of travel upfront and 135mm on the rear making it a great option for those of you looking for an even more efficient shorter-travel trail bike capable of taking your rides further into the wilderness on one charge.
We’ve included the full specifications of all three models available at the bottom of this feature. Read on for more information on Bosch’s brilliant new Performance Line SX motor and look out for the all-new Whyte E-Lyte arriving at Wheelbase in December 2023, available to buy online and in store.
A lightweight carbon chassis, compact drive system and sophisticated suspension configuration combine to make up the agile E-Lyte.
The all-new Bosch Performance Line SX Motor:
All three of the Whyte E-Lyte e-mountain bikes feature the brand new lightweight Bosch Performance Line SX Motor, which has been greatly anticipated by industry insiders and customers alike, with all of the big brands queuing up to spec it on their own bikes. This time, however, Whyte were first to the party with this small range of superlight e-MTB’s boasting Bosch’s lightest, most compact motor yet; the SX motor has a peak power output of 600W with 55Nm of torque all neatly packaged into a weight of 2Kg.
The new Performance Line SX motor is paired with Bosch’s new CompactTube 400Wh internal battery, also weighing 2kg for a total drive system weight of just 4kg. All bikes in the range also include the option to fit an additional 250Wh PowerMore range extender (sold separately) that can be carried in the water bottle cage, bringing the total battery capacity to 650Wh and helping negate any potential range anxiety you might have on longer rides.
The new Bosch Performance Line SX motor really could be the ultimate e-bike motor and is certainly going to play a massive part in reshaping our expectations of a modern e-mountain bike. Noticeably compact, this small motor has freed up the Whyte designers to design their perfect trail bike around it, while keeping the centre of gravity nice and low. Bosch have constructed the motor’s housing from Magnesium to lower overall weight and, perhaps even more significantly, they have been able to decrease pedaling resistance by a whopping 50% for a more efficient and natural feel when the motor cuts off as it passes it’s legally permitted speed limit.
Just like Bosch’s other top of the range motors the new SX’s drive system includes the option to adjust settings through the brand’s app, fine tuning the ride to suit you. The Performance Line SX also includes a new ‘Sprint’ mode which is said to enhance your pedaling input more naturally as you increase your cadence and hold your speed closer to the motor’s legal cut-off.
Compact, particularly light and featuring 50% less pedal resistance the all-new Bosch Performance Line SX motor boasts a more natural feel.
Whyte E-Lyte Fast Facts:
- Frame: Carbon (all 3 models)
- Wheel Size: 29 front & rear
- Suspension Travel: 135mm rear/140 front (E-Lyte 140 Works)
- Suspension Travel: 142mm rear/150mm front (E-Lyte 150 Works / E-Lyte 150 RSX)
- Head Tube Angle: 65-65.6° (E-Lyte 140 Works)
- Head Tube Angle: 64-64.6° (E-Lyte 150 Works / E-Lyte 150 RSX)
- Drive System Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX mid-torque (55Nm), full power (600W)
- Drive System Battery: 650Wh of combined battery (when 400Wh internal battery is combined with optional 250Wh PowerMore range extender)
Whyte E-Lyte 140 Works RRP £10,999.00
- Frame: Uni-directional carbon mainframe and seatstays, Tapered Head tube, ISCG 2 Guide mounts, Internal cable routing, Shape.it Link V2 and 12,mm x 148mm Boost dropouts
- Rear Shock: Fox Float Factory, Evol LV, Adjustable Rebound and 3 Position Compression
- Fork: Fox Float 34 Factory 29”, 140mm Travel, 44mm Offset, Grip 2 Damper, Tapered Steerer, 110mm x 15mm Boost E-Thru Axle
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX mid-torque (55Nm), full power (600W)
- Battery: 650Wh of combined battery (400Wh internal + 250Wh PowerMore range extender sold separately)
- Headset: FSA No.69/SRS 1-1/8”/1.5” ACB – W/15mm top cover – side entry internal routing
- Shifter: SRAM AXS Pod, Right, MMX
- Crankset: SRAM XX Isis Carbon, 165mm arms, XX Gen4 Direct Mount 32T, T-Type Light EMTB
- Cassette: SRAM XS 1297, T-Type, 10-52
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM XX SL T-Type AXS
- Chain: SRAM XX T-Type, 12 Speed
- Brake Levers: SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth
- Front Brake: SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth, 4 Piston, 200mmDisc
- Rear Brake: SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth, 4 Piston, 180mmDisc
- Front Hub: DT SWISS XMC 180, straight pull, 6 bolt, 15 x 110mm
- Rear Hub: DT SWISS XMC 180, Straight Pull, 6 bolt, 12 x 148mm, XD
- Spokes: DT SWISS T-Head, Revolite Black, Alloy Nipples
- Rims: DT SWISS XRC 1501 Spline
- Tyres: Good Year Escape Tubeless Ready Tan wall 29 x 2.4 800g front & rear
- Handlebar: Race Face NEXT R Carbon, 20mm Rise, 35mm Bar Bore, 800mm Wide
- Grips: Whyte Lock-on Enduro Grip
- Stem: Whyte Trail Full CNC, 40mm Extension, 35 Barbore
- Seatpost: KS Lev Ci, 30.9mm – 175mm drop, with Southpaw remote
- Saddle: Terra Aidon X1, 145mm, fibre reinforced nylon with Wingflex, Carbon 7x7mm rail
Whyte E-Lyte 150 Works RRP £9,999.00
- Frame: Uni-directional carbon mainframe and seatstays, Tapered Head tube, ISCG 2 Guide mounts, Internal cable routing, Shape.it Link V2 and 12,mm x 148mm Boost dropouts
- Rear Shock: Fox Float X Factory Series, EVOL, Lock Out, 210mm x 50mm
- Fork: Fox Float 34 Factory 29”, 140mm Travel, 44mm offset, Fit4 damper, Tapered steerer, 110m x 15mm Kabolt axle
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX mid-torque (55Nm), full power (600W)
- Battery: 650Wh of combined battery (400Wh internal + 250Wh PowerMore range extender sold separately)
- Headset: FSA No.69/SRS 1-1/8”/1.5” ACB – W/15mm top cover – side entry internal routing
- Shifter: SRAM AXS Pod, Right, MMX
- Crankset: Hope E-Bike Cranks, 155mm length, Bosch mounting
- Cassette: SRAM XS 1295, T-Type, 10-52
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM XO T-Type AXS
- Chain: SRAM XO T-Type, 12 Speed
- Brake Levers: Hope Tech 4
- Front Brake: Hope Tech4 V4, 4 piston, 200mm Floating Rotor
- Rear Brake: Hope Tech4 V4, 4 piston, 200mm Floating Rotor
- Front Hub: Hope Pro 5, 6 bolt, 15mm x 110mm, 28H
- Rear Hub: Hope Pro 5, 6 bolt, 12mm x 148mm, XD, 32H
- Spokes: DT Swiss New Champion 2.0mm, Black Stainless, Brass Nipples
- Rims: Whyte Innegra Infussed Carbon Trail rims, 28H front, 32H rear
- Tyres: Good Year Newton MTF Trail, Tubeless Ready 29 x 2.5 Front, Good Year Newton MTR Enduro, Tubeless Ready 29 x 2.4 front & rear
- Handlebar: Race Face Next R Carbon, 35mm barbore, 20mm rise, 800mm width
- Grips: Whyte Lock-on Enduro Grip
- Stem: Whyte Trail Full CNC, 40mm Extension, 35 Barbore
- Seatpost: Whyte drop.it II Adjust, 30.9mm, M/L 140-170mm Travel, XL 170-200mm Travel, MMX Paddle Remote Lever
- Saddle: Fizik Terra Aidon, 145mm wide, Wingflex, S-Alloy Mobius rail
Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX RRP £7,999.00
- Frame: Uni-directional carbon mainframe and seatstays, Tapered Head tube, ISCG 2 Guide mounts, Internal cable routing, Shape.it Link V2 and 12,mm x 148mm Boost dropouts
- Rear Shock: RockShox Deluxe Select + RT, DebonAir, Fast Black Coating, Adjustable Rebound and 2 Position Compression
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+ 29”, 150mm Travel, 44mm Offset, DebonAir+, Charger 3 RC2 Damper, Fast Black Coating, Tapered Steerer, 110mm x 15mm Boost
- Motor: Bosch Performance Line SX mid-torque (55Nm), full power (600W)
- Battery: 650Wh of combined battery (400Wh internal + 250Wh PowerMore range extender sold separately)
- Headset: FSA No.69/SRS 1-1/8”/1.5” ACB – W/15mm top cover – side entry internal routing
- Shifter: SRAM AXS Pod, Right, MMX
- Crankset: Whyte 155mm ISIS arms, GX Gen4 Direct Mount 36T, T-Type
- Cassette: SRAM XS 1275, T-Type, 10-52
- Rear Derailleur: SRAM GX T-Type AXS
- Chain: SRAM GX T-Type, 12 Speed
- Brake Levers: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth
- Front Brake: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth, 4 Piston, 200mmDisc
- Rear Brake: SRAM Code Bronze Stealth, 4 Piston, 200mmDisc
- Front Hub: Alloy, Double Sealed Cartridge Bearings, 15mm x 110mm Boost Thru Axle, 28 Hole
- Rear Hub: Alloy, Light assist e-bike specific, Double Sealed Cartridge Bearings, 12mm x 148mm Boost Thru Axle, 32 Hole
- Spokes: DT Swiss New Champion 2.0mm, Black Stainless, Brass Nipples
- Rims: Whyte Innegra Infused carbon Trail rims, 28H front, 32H rear
- Tyres: Maxxis Minion DHF, Exo TR MaxxGripp 29×2.5 Front, Maxxis Dissector, Exo+ TR MaxxTerra 29×2.4 rear
- Handlebar: Whyte Custom 6061 Alloy, 20mm Rise, 35mm Bar Bore, 800mm Wide
- Grips: Whyte Lock-on Enduro Grip
- Stem: Whyte Trail Full CNC, 32mm Extension, 35 Barbore
- Seatpost: Whyte drop.it II Adjust, 30.9mm, M/L 140-170mm Travel, XL 170-200mm Travel, MMX Paddle Remote Lever
- Saddle: Fizik Terra Aidon, 145mm wide, Wingflex, S-Alloy Mobius rail
Written by Johnny Dodgin
All photos Whyte’s own
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