TESTED: Fantic XEF 1.9 Race
Australia let me loose on the Fantic XEF 1.9 Race, a 190mm Enduro specific E-Bike sporting the latest iteration Brose motor.
Photos: Jordan Riddle
Words: Ryan Walsch
Fantic are an Italian motorcycle company who have been producing two wheeled machines since the late 1960s, predominantly in the Enduro motorcyle, mini bike and trial motorcycle space. But they also make mopeds, go-karts and choppers, who knew! I do recall some very swanky vintage Fantic trials motorcycles cruising about some local club trials meets but other than that, there are not many early models floating about here in the Australian market. Wind the clock forward to 2015 and Fantic launched a lineup of E-bikes made up of trail, enduro, downhill, commuter and fat bikes; a pretty comprehensive offering. Fantic Australia let me loose on the Fantic XEF 1.9 Race, a 190mm Enduro specific E-Bike sporting the latest iteration Brose motor, yes the same German company whom makes a motor used by the big S powerhouse.
This model sells for $14099, and hitting the shop floor with 190mm of travel really has it in a unique market segment, with very few other models matching that amount of travel. The Specialized Kenevo packs 180mm of travel, with an alloy frame at $13000. I really liked the Kenevo I tested a few years back, so would the Fantic master more travel with a single crown mullet setup? Only the dirt would tell.
Initial Impressions
The Fantic XEF 1.9 Race in its Matte Sage Green colourway along with its angular lines makes it look like a military vehicle, maybe even a tank! This isn;t a bad idea considering it is sporting 190mm of travel at both ends. It is however quite a bit lighter than the last eMTB I had on review and tips the scales at 25.2kgs with an alloy frame, 720Wh battery and more travel which is surprising. What is more surprising is the eclectic choice of parts that adorn this model, or more to the point all of the models. They are all quality European parts selected by the Italian motorcycle manufacturer no doubt for a particular reason in mind. They may seem odd to those used to seeing a full Shimano or SRAM parts kit, but trust me it’s all good gear.
Tester: Ryan Walsch
Riding Experience: Enough to know boats.
Generally Rides: Forbidden Druid
Height: 178cm
Weight: 73kg
Bike Test Track: Canberra’s finest jank and rockiest loam
The XEF 1.9 Race is a Mullet configuration across all sizes and is suspended on RockShox units front and rear with the mighty ZEB Select+ Ebike 190mm fork up front and a SuperDeluxe Select+ Coil out back. The rear shock does have a climb switch to keep it sitting higher into its travel on the climbs. Magura’s extremely powerful MT7 4 piston brakes have been equipped on this particular model with a 220mm rotor up front on the 29inch wheel and 200mm on the rear 27.5 inch wheel. The wheels comprise of Mavic E-Deemax alloy rims with a welded 35mm internal width rim laced onto a SRAM 6 bolt hub and shod in Vittoria Ebike specific tyres.
The frame looks to have recently been updated with a UDH (SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger) and its own neat fully enclosed chain retention system and all stainless steel hardware. In a way it’s a little agricultural, but it’s also good to see things overbuilt and nicely machined. The XEF is a beast and looks like it is ready for seasons of abuse.
The seat tube itself is quiet short and as the shock passes through it, this does not allow for much seat post insertion, being sure of your seat height and max insertion will be essential as you may need to swap out your dropper. For example our medium test bike is specced with a 100mm drop RockShox C1 Reverb, a great post but it was unable to raise high enough to get within 50mm of my normal seat height. This will be something to work out with your Fantic dealer when getting the right frame size and fit.
The battery is very easily accessible and easy to remove upward and outward of the downtube with the removal of one singular bolt and plug. The charger lead is generously long and magnetically locates and secures itself pretty well so I found it easier to leave it on the bike for charging. The motor is Brose’s latest S-MAG with 90Nm of torque, weighing in at only 2.9kgs and paired with Brose’s minimalist and very simple to use display remote and a huge 720Wh battery the bike screams self shuttle laps.
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All Fantic XEFs are offered in 3 sizes, the medium was slightly on the longer side at 455mm reach but still within a conservative range that would suite many riders. Pair that with a 65 degree head angle, 1245mm wheelbase length and a longish 459mm chain stay (it’s a mullet remember) the bike has tried and tested numbers and nothing too outlandish.
It is great to see little details in this model that are hard hitting eMTB products, the E-Deemax rims, proper eMTB specific tyres with thick sidewalls, huge rotors and powerful brakes and 155mm cranks. While all of these items don’t seem that ground braking (pun intended) if any one of these items is skimped out on, your experience is going to be either tainted or prematurely short and sour.
Setup
I was fortunate that our Fantic XEF 1.9 Race demo bike was part of Fantic Australia’s fleet and was built and setup up ready to go for a similar weight rider, already setup tubeless and in pretty good condition overall making our setup very simple. The rear RockShox SuperDeluxe Coil rear shock sag was just over 30% sag for my Christmas weigh in so the fork pressure and rebound were the only things that needed attention. I added some fresh sealant to be safe and inflated the the tyres to 32psi in the rear and 30psi up front.
On The Trail
The vast majority of eMTBs I have tested over that last few years top out at the 85Nm of torque with varying amounts of peak power but rated as 250 watts of continuous power bar the recently reviewed Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay and its whopping 108Nm. The Brose S-MAG motor has a full 90Nm of torque and while we can’t seem to extract how many peak watts it produces it is punchy and easy to manage on the trail. We spoke with Fantic Australia’s Steve Leeder and he mentioned that this is Brose’s latest iteration of the S-MAG, so we are assuming both software and belt updates that have resolved after some early issues the industry saw. The new motor feels solid, smooth and punchy when pushed with an assistance envelope that fades away gradually rather than leaving you feeling like you hit a wall at the 25kph assistance limit.
The slightly longer chain stay length of 459mm when paired with the Mullet 27.5 inch rear wheel is excellent, making the Fantic stable yet still manoeuvrable, and far more balanced than say a 439mm chain stay. For an overbuilt and hefty bike, it has got great pop and feel about it on the trail, the smaller rear wheel still lets you get over the back and manual or link up features with relative ease for a big 190mm travel eMTB. The RockShox Select+ level suspension just flattens terrain and is super plush and adjustable enough for even the experienced rider to get it dialled in, the SuperDeluxe Coil is the right mix of adjustability, reliability and ease of use.
The Fantic XEF 1.9 sticks to the ground in a good way, planted and ready for anything ahead. Although the Vittoria tyres were a bit cooked as the bike is from the demo fleet, they grip well and sustained some abuse through the length of our test as did the Mavic E-Deemax rims which have performed well.
With travel and geometry similar to a downhill bike with a motor, I wouldn’t normally suggest the Fantic would be a good climber. But with the FSA 155mm cranks and a climb switch, its attacks tech climbs pretty well. The huge torque, suspension and short cranks enable you to keep the motor on the boil and keep turning over regardless of what you’re riding over. The SRAM GX, NX and Sunrace blended group set shifted well, and I was surprised how crisp the Sunrace rear cassette shifted and held the chain under load. The all steel chainring and cassette are inexpensive to replace, and that’s exactly what an eMTB requires. The decision to fit quality suspension, brakes, wheels and tyres over a full GX or X01 group set is welcome. Personally I think a bike like this can be perfect to lap your favourite trails for hours, or explore new areas that are hard to reach.
The XEF descends and corners well, there isn’t much that unsettles a balanced 190mm travel bike and I was very surprised how well it maintained momentum through rough terrain and rutted out sections of trail. In this sense, if you’re attracted by what a 190mm travel eMTB can offer – the Fantic XEF 1.9 will not disappoint!
The short seat tube and range of seat post adjustability is a bit of a pain to be honest, as its internally routed, and the shock passes through the seat tube. A 100mm post is equipped on the small and medium, with a 125mm on the large. This will likely be perfect if you are right on the shorter end of the recommended height however even just past the minimum insertion I was nearly 50mm shy of my seat height and the post was hanging out. I would have to run a 150mm post to achieve my saddle height but would be just on the max insertion. This is something to consider when purchasing, be sure to have your local dealer fit the correct dropper combo the achieve maximum drop and your correct saddle height!
Over the course of our review I did get a few cuts in the rear tyre, some loose spokes, a loose lower shock bolt and some creaking from the headset. Given this particular bike was pulled from a demo fleet and an unknown number of rides completed I would say this is just your usual wear and tear items to look out for on a regular basis rather than a concern.
Our Take
When I first saw the Fantic eMTBs I was intrigued to see what a motorbike company would bring to the booming eMTB market. It turns out that a company that makes some incredible enduro and trials motorbikes also make long-travel eMTBs that rip and handle technical climbs with aplomb.
Compared to many eMTBs you’ll see on the shop floor, the Fantic XEF 1.9 may look to be a quirky bike given it utilises an odd selection of parts. But the reality is, Fantic have carefully chosen the parts to bring a highly capable shuttle rig at a more affordable price point. While any 190mm travel bike looks big and burly, I was surprised how well the Fantic balanced stabilty when charging janky lines while still delivering the self-shuttle duties you want on technical singletrack climbs – it’s by now way restricted to fire trail pedal ups. If you’re looking for a long travel eMTB, then I’d highly recommend seeing where the Fantic demo fleet is heading to next, to see if something like the XEF 1.9 suits you. Fantic also have 180mm and 200mm models, starting at $10999 with the same Brose motor.
Get more eMTB reviews here!
TESTED: Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay
TESTED: Cube Stereo Hybrid 140
Brand: Fantic
Model: XEF 1.9 Race
RRP: $14099
Weight: 25.2kgs
SPECIFICATIONS
Sizes: Small, Medium (tested) and Large
Frame materials: Aluminium mainframe, linkage and swingarm.
Fork: RockShox ZEB Select + Ebike 190mm
Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select + Coil with climb lever
Shifter: SRAM GX Eagle 12sp, single click
Derailleur:, SRAM GX Eagle 12sp
Crank: FSA 155mm
Motor: Brose S-MAG with 565watts peak and 90Nm torque
Battery: Fantic Integra Lithium Ion 720Wh
Display: Brose All Round 4 Display
Chain: SRAM NX Eagle
Cassette: Sunrace 11-51 12sp
Rims: Mavic E-Deemax rims 29”/27.5”
Hubs:SRAM sealed hubs
Tyres: Vittoria E-Mazza 29 x 2.6” (F), Vittoria E-Martello 27.5 x 2.8” (R)
Brakes: Magura MT7 220mm/200mm
Stem: FSA GRID 50mm
Handlebars: FSA COMET 25mm rise, 800mm
Seatpost: RockShox Reverb C1 100mm
Saddle: Selle Italia Model X
