‘Tis the season for brand new bikes! The first round of 2018 Haibikes will roll out in less than a month, and at Fly Rides we had the good luck of trying out some of the models early. The 2018 Haibike SDURO FullSeven 10.0 was one of those bikes. I was particularly fond of this bike. Read on for our 2018 Haibike SDURO FullSeven 10.0 review.
New year, new motor.
The Yamaha PW-X system is one of the things that sets this bike apart. Using this motor makes me glad that Haibike has stuck by Yamaha these past years. The PW-X is a serious upgrade from the PW system. Coming in at a true 80 nm of torque and 500 watt hours, this is a Yamaha motor to finally match the Bosch system.
The ride on a Yamaha PW-X system is incredibly smooth and powerful. In terms of raw power, I think it might be the most impressive on the market right now. There is no jerkiness, and it powered me up a 15% grade easily in the second level of assist. Of course, you’re still getting the zero-cadence features that Yamaha perfected years ago. I also love the display on the PW-X bikes. It’s concise but informative. I feel like it gives you the perfect amount of information. Yamaha also continues to offer a dual chainring up front, which I think is a great selling point for riders new to electric bikes who want the ride to feel as similar to a traditional bike as possible.
120mm or 150mm of travel
Thanks to Haibike’s LT series of electric mountain bikes this year, customers can choose between the 120mm of travel standard on FullSeven bikes or an upgraded LT (long travel) option. This benefits riders who want the comfort of extra suspension, but maybe don’t need the hefty tires that come on an AllMtn series. The crazy part is, it’s the same price across the board to upgrade to LT.
The 2018 Haibike SDURO FullSeven 10.0 comes with a RockShox Revelation RC with lockout. I’d never ridden on a Revelation prior to trying this bike out, and I think it holds up to the Lyrik pretty well. The rear shock is the always reliable RockShox Deluxe RT.
On the FullSeven Series as a whole…
In my opinion, Haibike’s FullSeven series of electric bicycles is one of the best lines out there. I think they’re a great compromise between the more intense lines–like the AllMtn or DwnHll–and the lighter usage models like the Hardtail lines. Haibike has offered an incredible array of options, so that you can get a bike in the FullSeven series for as low as about $3K. That’s really remarkable for a full suspension electric mountain bike.
I like that Haibike has moved away from the FullNine series. In the end, a 29er just isn’t quite as versatile as the 27.5″ wheel. I think 29″ wheels definitely have their place in e-MTB, but I didn’t know if full suspension bikes were that place. Expanding the options available in the FullSeven series will open up electric mountain biking to completely new people. This is good for the sport, which in turn benefits everybody.
The Geometry of 2018 Haibike SDURO FullSeven 10.0
The Ride
As I mentioned above, we were able to demo a lot of the 2018 Haibikes when our local rep brought some by the shop. This bike is a definite looker, so I was immediately drawn to it. The DT Swiss wheels are a great touch for this top-of-the-line electric mountain bike. The geometry was just slack enough, and I didn’t feel like I was having to stretch to effectively operate anything in the cockpit or steer the bike.
I rode on mostly rolling fire roads mixed in with a bit of single track. It wasn’t anything super technical, but enough to work the suspension and grab a little bit of air. I felt completely safe on the bike. It was well balanced and handled well. I actually think that I could have gone on some more intense trails. As always, the Shimano Deore XT drivetrain performed well. I always knew this derailleur paired well with the Bosch, and the FullSeven 10.0 is definitely no different. I really enjoyed having the dual chainring in the front. It allowed me to keep the assist pretty low and work up the hills when I wanted to.
The RockShox 120mm of travel was fine for the types of trail I was riding. It’s great to have the option to increase that to 150mm based on the type of riding you will be doing. The Nobby Nic tires are excellent as always. They gripped loose dirt and rocks with no trouble, and the Magura disc brakes were appreciated as always.
Final Thoughts
The 2018 Haibike SDURO FullSeven 10.0 is a great option for riders looking to get into the electric mountain biking game on a more serious level. The LT option will get you going on some drops, and both are great for single track and fire roads alike.
You can check out this bike by following this link. It retails at $5499, and The FullSeven series has bikes as low as $3200. Check out the rest of our reviews on our blog and YouTube channel!
Cheers!