WHYTE E-LYTE 150 RSX EMTB REVIEW

BOSCH SX-POWERED TRAIL THRILLER

Words by Robert Johnston  |  Photos by Adam Lievesley

When we first saw the prototypes of the new carbon fiber SL eMTB from Whyte Bikes, we were immediately excited for its release. Some bikes suggest they’re going to be excellent just by looking at them, and in the case of the Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX, the looks weren’t lying. This was the first opportunity we’d had to log some proper time on the new Bosch SX mid-power drive unit, and the newest machine in the Whyte lineup proved to offer the perfect platform on which to put it to the test across the best trails in Scotland.

ABOUT THE WHYTE E-LYTE 150 RSX

Dropping at the same time as a rebranding campaign for Whyte Bikes, the E-Lyte marks a significant change in Whyte’s design language, with radically different looks to accompany their first carbon fiber frame for some time. Adding to the excitement is the use of Bosch’s SX drive unit which enters the SL, lightweight or mid-power eMTB segment – whatever you want to call it – with some interesting performance in the way of its 600W peak power.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | The Whyte E-Lyte platform is equipped with the new Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit – Bosch’s lightest motor yet at 2kg – which enters the mid-power category boasting a fairly typical 55Nm torque rating, but impressive 600W peak power. This Bosch SX is powered by an integrated 400Wh Bosch CompactTube battery, which is designed to be non-removable. Battery capacity can be boosted by 250Wh with the optional Bosch PowerMore range extender, taking total potential capacity to an impressive 650Wh.

The Bosch Smart System features on the Whyte E-Lyte range, with their wireless Mini Remote on the handlebar offering a sleek controller to select the power mode (between ECO, TOUR+, EMTB or RACE); and the LED System Controller sitting inside the top tube to display battery life and the power mode selected.

FRAME AND FEATURES | The Whyte E-Lyte frame is their first carbon fiber bike for a while, and comes with some very clean lines and neatly thought out details as a result. As standard, the Whyte E-Lyte 150 ships with a pair of 29” wheels, however Whyte offers replacement shock extenders (their Shape.it V2 link) to swap out to a smaller 27.5” rear wheel if the rider desires. The bike uses an offset bushing in the lower shock mount, which can be adjusted between two positions to tailor the geometry to a lower and slacker or higher and steeper setting.

The lower bottle cage mount comes with a quick-release mount for the Bosch PowerMore range extender as well as a clip-in bottle cage, giving the rider the option between more range or a full-size water bottle. Further up the downtube there’s a second bottle cage mount designed to house a second smaller bottle, meaning riders don’t need to choose between more range or hydration. The E-Lyte bikes come with cables routed through the headset as standard, but Whyte made provisions to route internally but avoid the headset with the ports in the side of the headtube.

As a brand from the UK, Whyte considered it essential to make the frame as weatherproof as possible, and so added some small details to help it stand up to the test of time in the wet and wild UK weather. Sealing is added around the frame with a seat clamp gaiter and rubber seals on all ports on the frame; and there’s a mud flap on the chainstay yoke to keep crud out. The rear end is suitably UK-friendly with huge clearance for 2.5-inch tires; and there’s generous frame protection on the downtube and chainstay to fend off damage. The pivot bearings are phosphate-coated and packed with marine grease to maximize service intervals, and backed with a lifetime bearing warranty to give further peace of mind. The frame is backed with an extended four-year warranty.

GEOMETRY | Whyte opted to equip the E-Lyte 150 with a fairly well-rounded trail to enduro geometry, offering a good blend of agility and stability. In the Small to XL size range, Reach numbers go from 431mm to 506mm with fairly high Stack heights of 629mm to 663mm. Consistent across the size range are a 64.6° Head Tube angle and 77.1° Seat Tube angle; 450mm chainstay length (measured 455mm point-point), and 342mm Bottom Bracket height. The Head Tube and Seat Tube can be slackened by 0.6 degrees, and the BB dropped by 8mm with the offset bushing in the Shape.it V2 link.

The size Large tested has a 481mm Reach and tall 652mm Stack, with a total Wheelbase measuring 1273mm. Certainly purposeful and contemporary numbers for a do-it-all SL eMTB.

BUILD SPECS | Whyte is currently offering the E-Lyte platform in a choice of three builds to the UK and Europe. North Americans, we’re sorry but for now it’s complicated to get hold of one this side of the pond. Prices range from £7,999 for the E-Lyte 150 RSX model tested, with the E-Lyte 150 Works coming in at £9,999 and the E-Lyte 140 Works at £10,999.

The 150 RSX build tested may be the entry level build Whyte is offering in the E-Lyte for now, but the majority of components are far from entry level. The suspension is middle of the RockShox range, with the highly adjustable Lyrik Select+ in 150mm paired with the Deluxe air Select + rear shock – no piggyback here, but there’s a three-position compression adjustment; rebound and climb platform adjustments. The drivetrain is the SRAM GX T-Type AXS, with a contentious 36T chainring spec and Whyte’s own 155mm length alloy cranks. Braking is handled by a pair of CODE Bronze Stealth brakes with 200mm rotors on both ends.
Finishing kit is provided by Whyte, with their Trail full CNC stem in 32mm length; alloy 20mm rise bar; Drop.it II dropper post in long drop lengths; and TeXtreme Innegra infused carbon Trail rims with sealed bearing hubs. These wheels are wrapped in a pair of Maxxis tires, with a Minion DHF EXO MaxxGripp 2.5” up front and Dissector EXO+ MaxxTerra 2.4” in the rear. The saddle is a Fizik Terra Aidon. Overall bike weight hovered just over the 19kg mark for the size Large tested.

THE DIRT

SETUP | Setup on the Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX was quite simple. The RockShox Deluxe Select+ rear shock isn’t the most adjustable, but with a simple 30% sag setting; setting the compression to the middle of the three settings, and tweaking rebound to my preferences, I was in a comfortable place with a good blend of characteristics. The fork proved to be similar, with the recommended air pressure falling only slightly short of what I ended up opting to run, and compression ending up around the middle of the range. As a 220lbs (98kg) rider, this does leave a question mark for those on the opposite end of the weight range, where damping may be on the high side, but the tuning range on the RockShox is quite wide.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | The Bosch SX system is neatly integrated into the Whyte E-Lyte 150, making for a very slick machine all around that exudes high quality notions. On the trail, this polished feeling continued, with no rattles present. And a quiet bike always boosts the ride experience on the way down the hill.

The Bosch SX drive unit has a unique, fairly high pitched “whirr” noise when it’s working hard, and a unique feeling to it also. At low cadence, the performance is nothing special, and it can bog down in the same way as many of the mid-power motor systems. If you were to ride it consistently in too hard of a gear, you may be disappointed by its performance. However, if you gear down appropriately and can maintain a high cadence in the 100-120 RPM range, it produces speed that’s seriously impressive.

In fact, there were times I was convinced that it may even be more powerful in short bursts than the Performance Line CX, so long as you’re prepared to put in the high RPM. This led to a complaint in the form of the front chainring spec on this E-Lyte 150, which at 36 tooth leads to some difficulties in being able to hit the cadence required to climb the steepest of terrain successfully. Going down to a 32t or even 30t would yield significantly better drive unit performance, as well as boosting the pedaling support a touch, and would certainly be something I’d look to do on this system immediately. After all, who’s pedaling fast enough to spin out a 32-10t ratio with a 29” wheel?

Control of the power was intuitive and responsive, avoiding any “whiskey throttle” notions and maintaining good traction at the rear tire. It certainly feels like a well controlled SL motor opposed to a more “raw” full power motor, which is nice. I found myself clearing a couple of technical climbs on the Whyte E-Lyte that I had failed to manage on any other eBike in the past, thanks to the possibility to obtain that power combined with the more agile handling and great ground clearance that it provided.

Battery life seemed to be impressive on the Bosch SX system, especially once the range extender was fitted. Without going back-to-back with other systems it’s impossible for me to say for sure how it stacks up, but it felt to hold up a little better than most of the lightweight eMTB’s I’ve ridden so far.

CLIMBING | Whyte has given the E-Lyte 150 some solid climbing geometry, with a nicely centered seated position and the relatively long rear end doing enough to maintain weight on the front in the easiest gears. The pedaling platform from the frame kinematics is adequate to avoid any need for use of the lockout lever, regardless of the motor assistance level. I spent some time riding the E-Lyte 150 turned off, during which it felt very much like a portly but efficient pedaling enduro bike to pedal. The fairly long rear end and low BB don’t lead to the Whyte to being excessively sluggish to turn or wheelie for a technical section of climb, and the short 155mm crank spec ensures there’s still adequate clearance to keep pedaling through the rough.

DESCENDING | Without the range extender, the low center of gravity and relatively low overall weight of the Whyte E-Lyte 150 lets you ride in a very similar manner to a regular mountain bike, especially thanks to the stiff and precise frame and fairly supportive suspension. This meant that I was able to enjoy not only the slightly tamer trails, but also enjoy some of the nasty steep tech that full fat eBikes aren’t so great on. The geometry strikes a nice balance of agility and stability, though I’d have personally loved to see a 10mm shorter rear end to add a little more of a playful nature to the E-Lyte’s character. Make no mistake, it’s far from a ground-hugging and sluggish feeling machine, but that rear end length and low BB does require a little more input to get the front wheel up. Adding the range extender did lead to a notable increase to the weight, especially with a water bottle higher up the downtube too, and took it closer to a full-fat eBike in feeling when pushing hard. But still, there was always a little more agility and playfulness in its character than your typical eeb.

The suspension is well sorted, though I did find that the Deluxe rear shock could become overwhelmed at times, losing a little control and also feeling to heat up enough to change the feeling of the rear end come the end of a long and rough descent. If you’re not regularly attacking long enduro trails then it’s unlikely to become an issue – especially if you’re in a lower weight bracket than my 220lbs mass – but I’d have loved to have seen a piggyback shock on there for my usage. You’re unlikely to feel the small weight increase a reservoir would add as much as you feel the damping inconsistency when pushing the E-Lyte 150 to its limits. That said, the rear end was supportive and had just enough ramp at the end of the stroke to minimize any overly harsh landings.

FINISH AND VALUE | The finish on the frame was very high quality all round, with well covered details and quiet operation. Throughout testing the frame hardware stayed tight, and there were no creaks or rattles that developed through some riding on the upper limit of its intentions in some seriously nasty Scottish weather. And it looks great too, getting a number of compliments over the testing period.

In terms of value, it’ll very much be down to the customer to decide their perception. The E-Lyte 150 RSX build spec’s £8k price tag doesn’t scream “bargain” by any means, but with its high quality frame; the neatly integrated Bosch SX system and a sensibly selected spec, it could be worse. The performance is high enough to convince me that it’s a bike that is fit of such a price tag. If it were me, I’d likely try to go up to the 150 Works spec of the E-Lyte to get the upgraded brakes and rear shock, which would address my qualms with the spec and likely boost the performance even further.

COMPONENT REPORT |

Whyte TeXtreme Innegra Carbon rims | I broke the rear rim in what I’d consider a freak accident. Certainly I was not doing anything severe enough to expect a cracked rim – rolling over a 1ft/30cm log with some rock steps on the landing – but I believe the cause to have been an unfortunately positioned loose rock which managed to hit the rim directly. Up until this point the wheels had given me no cause for concern, and I’d happily replace the rear rim and resume riding hard.

SRAM CODE Stealth Bronze Brakes | Aside from the non-piggyback shock, these brakes were the only feature on the E-Lyte 150’s spec list that I was slightly disappointed by. With no bite point adjustment, the free throw of the brakes was dependent mostly on the bleed, and try as I might, I never found a consistent brake setup that had a short enough throw to avoid me having to hold the brake levers slightly into their travel. CODE Silver brakes would be nice to see at this price point, at a minimum.

HOW DOES IT COMPARE? | Specialized Turbo Levo SL

The Levo SL is the bike closest to the E-Lyte 150 that I’ve spent reasonable time on. Both sit in the all mountain segment, and use “mid-power” motors. Although there’s only a 5Nm advantage to the Bosch SX drive unit on paper, the 600W peak power it offers makes for a significantly improved power output over the 320W of the Specialized drive unit. The Whyte would absolutely fly away from the Levo SL on a climb, and also features geometry that would let it climb significantly steeper terrain more comfortably.

On the descents, the Levo SL does offer a more agile ride and will reward a playful and active riding style with lots of fun, but there’s little to separate the two on more technical terrain, with the Whyte likely being the better choice for riders looking to feel more confident at speed.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Whyte E-Lyte 150 RSX has proved to be a truly stellar mid-power, SL eBike offering. With great climbing prowess aided by the excellent Bosch SX drive unit and a well-rounded nature on the descents with surprising capability but sufficient agility retained, it’s a very good machine. Some may question the value, but the frame and drive unit are absolutely worthy of a high price tag in my eyes.

Price: £7,999
Website: Whytebikes.com