Fantic e-bikes in Australia: big power, big travel

In October at Crankworx Cairns, Smithfield was buzzing with mountain bikers and mountain bikes. There was plenty of new products and bikes on display, and one of the most prominent stands was right near the front gate. The stand was covered with burly looking e-bikes, with riders checking in for a suspension squish, tyre kick and even a quick blast around. While I hadn't seen the Fantic Bikes before, I quickly got the run down from the Fantic crew about the Brose motor equipped eMTBs out of Italy.

Who are Fantic?

Fantic are an Italian company, and if you're a fan of two wheels you may know of their motorbikes. They're also manufacturers of E-mobility items, urban e-bikes and of course – long travel eMTBs which are befitting of their motorbike roots.

While Fantic have models from 160-200mm of travel, Fantic Australia are primarily importing the 180, 190 and 200mm eMTB models into Australia, and they're available via their dealer network, with pricing starting at $10999.

This amount of travel puts Fantic up against the likes of the Specialized Kenevo and other really big e-rigs, but we're told that the suspension layout that Fantic use keeps a playful feel while still delivering tonnes of travel.

Fantic's layout and placement of the motor and battery also plays a role. Their 720Wh battery is shorter than most, so it can sit lower down in the frame to keep the centre of gravity closer to the ground. The battery release is top side, to make removal easy, and reduce ingress of dirt or water. It also means you don't drop your battery onto the ground on removal, and you don't need to lay the bike over to remove it.

Fantic use a huge hydroformed main triangle for stiffness, with an oversized main pivot and stays to keep the back end working and not flexing around. Their suspension system is a floating design. The lower shock mount sits on the swing arm and Fantic state that it allows for a very progressive rate. We suspect that means there is a lot of midstroke support, along with a very supple feel from the coil shocks that are run as stock.

All the Fantic e-bikes use the Brose S-Mag motor, this one has 90Nm of torque and is light weight at 2.9kg. This unit gives upto 410% assistance of what you're putting in. What's really cool, is how the torque does not drop off at higher cadences. So when you're spinning up a techincal climb to get to your next descent, the bike is going to keep giving you the full support needed. To that end, Fantic bikes are equipped with 155mm cranks on most models as well, to help keep the best support and have the most ground clearance.

Here's a closer look at the three key models from Fantic in Australia:
Fantic XEF 1.8 Sport – $10999
Fantic XEF 1.9 Factory – $15999
Fantic XXF 2.0 Factory – $16999
 

The Fantic XEF 1.8 Sport

The Fantic XEF 1.8 Sport is a mixed wheel size (or mullet) E-Enduro bike, running 180mm of travel front and rear. Like all the models,the XEF 1.8 Sport has the 90Nm Brose S Mag motor and a 720Wh battery. This model sells for $10999, which puts it in a similar realm to the Norco Range VLT A1 with a 720Wh battery, or the Specialized Kenevo Comp.

Geometry on the Fantic XEF 1.8 Sport is based around be centred and agile. Fantic make the bike in 3 sizes: small, medium and large. This equates to a 425mm, 454mm or 480mm reach. The chain stay length is 459mm across all sizes, and that's a good fit for long travel eMTBs for stability, and to keep the front planted when pedalling up for another run.

The seat angle is a mild 73 degrees with a 65 degree head angle. All geometry is shown on the chart below.

Fantic have a few cool design features, like the fork stop bumper on the down tube, and the fact the battery lifts out of the top of the downtube, for easy fitting and removal.

Parts wise, the Fantic XEF 1.8 Sport has a RockShox suspension setup, with a Domain R eMTB specific fork at 180mm, and the Super Deluxe Coil Select+ rear shock. It has a climb switch to assist on the smoother pedal ups.

The group set on the 1.8 Sport is SRAM Eagle 12-speed, with a mix of SX and NX equipment. Fantic do spec a single click shifter, which is common on eMTBs to help you preserve the life of your chain and cassette, so you're not doing multiple gear shifts with 410% of your own power all the time!

Braking matters on a big and capable eMTB, and Fantic deliver the goods on the XEF 1.8 Sport, thanks to SRAM Code R 4-piston brakes, matched to 220mm front and 203mm rear rotor.

Wheels are Mavic Deemax, with Vittoria E-Mazza and E-Martello tyres front and rear in a mullet configutation. Kudos to Fantic for speccing 155mm cranks as well – to keep the Brose motor pumping out the torque!

Fantic claim 25.5kg for the bike, which is a good weight for a long travel, alloy eMTB.

Get more details from Fantic Bikes Australia. 

The Fantic XEF 1.9 Factory

The Fantic XEF 1.9 Factory looks fast standing still. Fantic do this model in both the Factory model shown here for $15999, and the Race model at $14099. The mainframe and Brose S Mag motor remain the same, but it's the suspension and components that change – along with a carbon seat stay.

At about $16000 with 190mm of travel, this model is starting to play in its own game. It's more travel than a Specialized Kenevo or Norco Range VLT that both have 180mm, or a Pivot Shuttle LT which sports 160mm.

Like the XEF 1.8 Sport, the Fantic XEF 1.9 Factory has a mixed wheel setup, with a 29" front and 27.5" rear. The geometry near identical, with a 73 degree seat angle, 65 degree head angle (a little steeper on the large) and the same reach numbers for the small, medium and large sizes that are available.

Fantic have gone all in on the suspension on th Fantic XEF 1.9 Factory, with a RockShox ZEB Ultimate eMTB fork running 190mm of travel leading the charge. In the back end, an Ohlins TTX 22M provides near limitless adjustability for the most discerning rider.

Parts wise, Fantic spec SRAM GX Eagle AXS on the Factory model – although that isn't what is shown on the demo model in the photos, it is what would be on the bike you would own. This is a solid choice for the performance you would want on a bike like the XEF 1.9 Factory.

You can see there is an accessory mount under the top tube, useful for spares or a bottle cage, depending what your riding demands.

Braking is an Italian affair from INCAS. We haven't really seen these in action, but they look to be an artisan brake designed for pure performance. When you have such a big beast to keep under control – it looks like Fantic have made the right call! A 220mm/203mm rotor combination will keep brake fade in check.

Wheels are the Mavic Deemax and Vittoria tyres again, with a sweet Renthal cockpit and RockShox Reverb dropper to finish off the bike. 

We have this bike heading to our tester Ryan Walsch for review. Ryan loves big travel eMTBs and we reckon this bike is right up his alley. His review will be in Issue #201 in late January.

More details are on the Fantic Australia website.

The Fantic XXF 2.0 Factory

Oh boy. The Fantic XXF 2.0 Factory is one big bike. It carries the same Brose S Mag motor with 90Nm of torque, and the compact 720Wh battery as the other bikes, but throws it into a 200mm travel frame, equiped with an Ohlins 38 downhill fork with 200mm of travel. If you looked up self-shuttling – you would find a picture of this bike. This model sells for $16999, although the Fantic XXF 2.0 Race model sells for $13999, with a different parts kit and without the carbon seat stay.

There's really not much to compare this bike to, as it pumps out 200mm of travel front and rear via the Ohlins 38 DH fork and Ohlins TTX 22M rear shock. Geometry is on par with the enduro bikes, and Fantic fit a dropper post which is out of place on a downhill bike – but not one you can pedal uphill for runs.

With a wide-range SRAM Eagle group set and a 34t chain ring and the same layout for geo as the enduro bikes, the best way to view the XXF 2.0 Factory is as a 200mm eMTB with the strength of a triple clamp fork, as opposed to an e-DH bike. 

Mavic provide the E-XM rims for SRAM hubs and Vittoria tyres, and Fantic stick with the mixed wheel setup.

Renthal take care of the cockpit, and Braking INCAS 5 brakes are fitted up again – and they look sweet!

This is a really unique eMTB for the Australian market. It will be at home somewhere that has same really raw janky trails and steep, commmitting lines, where shuttle access isn't possible. This might be pirate trails, or it could be ideal for exploring new backcountry routes on old moto trails. Perhaps, the best way to look at it is as an e-freeride bike. It really opens up a lot of opportunities.

You can get more details on the Fantic Australia website.