ABOUT THE FANTIC XTF 1.5 CARBON
The Fantic XTF 1.5 Carbon is powered by the Brose S-Mag 36 drive unit, delivering 90Nm of torque and up to 410% of pedal assistance. The motor weighs 6.17 pounds (2.8 kg), giving it a solid power-to-weight ratio. This belt-driven motor has been in production since 2018 but has seen continuous upgrades to boost both durability and efficiency. The bar-mounted remote displays battery level and power modes, with a rocker switch for easy adjustments on the fly. Fantic offers this model with a 720Wh battey that is easily removable. The battery can also be charged on or off the bike via the Rosenberg charge port. Its placement helps keep the center of gravity low, contributing to better handling and ride feel.
The XTF 1.5 features 150mm of travel at both ends, paired with a mixed-wheel setup. At the rear, Fantic employs their full float suspension system, where the shock is mounted at the rocker link and the chainstay, with no direct connection to the main frame. This floating configuration- essentially a linkage-driven single pivot – gives Fantic the flexibility to refine suspension behaviour by adjusting the rocker link’s dimensions to tune the kinematics of the frame. It’s a design philosophy used across their longer-travel eMTBs, and it delivered composed, confident performance on the descents during our testing.
FRAME FEATURES & DETAILS
Fantic offers the 1.5 in both Carbon and Aluminium frame options. The Carbon frame features an aluminium seatstay. This was chosen by Fantic to fine tune the ride feel the engineering team was after. The carbon chainstay only has a layer of clear coat on it revealing the carbon weave pattern. The rest of the bike is painted with a matte finish. There are no flip chip or geometry adjustments found on this frame.
The removable battery is housed in the downtube, making it easy to swap out on your lunch break or bring indoors for charging and storage during the off-season. This setup places the the water bottle mounting position beneath the top tube. The frame itself was designed and tested entirely in-house at Fantic’s dedicated e-bike facility, where it underwent extensive F.E.M. (Finite Element Method) analysis to optimize strength and durability. Built for tackling all types of terrain, the XTF 1.5 reflects Fantic’s commitment to controlling every aspect of the design and prototyping process.
GEOMETRY
The XTF 1.5 comes in four sizes: small, medium, large and XL . Our size large features a conservative 466mm reach, with a 629mm stack height and 1238mm wheelbase. Across all sizes there are 456mm chainstays and a 73 degree seattube angle . The headtube angle does change slightly with the small, landing at 66, the large at 66.5 and the XL at 67. There are no flip chip or geometry adjustments found on this frame.
BUILD OPTIONS
For 2025 there are three different models available: two with an aluminium frame, and one carbon frame variant. The aluminium 1.5 lands in at $3,490, while the carbon frame build is $4,890. There is also the XTF 1.5 All Track, this model lands at $3,490 with a Yamaha PW-X3 drive unit.
Our XTF 1.5 Carbon came in at $4,890 and weighed 55lbs (CONFIRM). It was equipped with a RockShox 35 Gold RL150mm fork up front, which was paired with a RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock. The Mavic Crossmax Carbon wheels were not a standard spec for our test bike, but an item Fantic wanted us to test. Stock, the 1.5 Carbon comes with Rodi READY wheels in a MX configuration, which wheels are wrapped in 2.4” wide Pirelli Scorpion ProWall Trail tires.
Stopping power comes from SRAM Guide T 4-piston brakes, with a 200mm rotor up front and 180mm out back. SRAM covers the shifting duties with a NX derailleur paired to a SX cassette. Our size large frame has a 125mm Switch SW dropper, while sizes medium and small receive a 100mm variant. These dropper post lengths were our biggest complaint with the spec on this eMTB. This build has been laid out to produce a bike that is capable, with proven parts that can be upgraded over time as your riding preferences change and evolve with your skill level.
THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION
While these features are more focused on the details behind the bike rather than our personal opinions, we still wanted to give you the low-down on how the bike performed out on the trail. The Fantic XTF 1.5’s 720Wh battery provided solid range for 4,000 feet of climbing, with life to spare at my 170lb rider weight. The drive unit hummed unobtrusively, only drawing attention under heavy load at high cadences. Power came on smoothly and consistently, though a touch more initial pep wouldn’t have hurt when tackling the steepest climbs. The modulation of power from the drive unit was very intuitive and allowed for plenty of adjustments to power output on technical climbs.
On descents, the 150mm of full-float suspension provided solid big hit stability while remaining lively and active. The MX wheel setup brought back some liveliness, despite the long 456mm chainstays. The full float suspension system balanced rough terrain and jumping well, with the shock only getting overwhelmed in the rowdiest terrain. When leaning the bike into corners, it never felt timid or lacked front-end grip.
The riding position produced an over-the-bars feeling, making it a bit harder to manual rollers initially. With more trail time on the Fantic XTF 1.5 Carbon, that feeling started to fade, and I enjoyed the effortless balance on flatter turns. The frame was rattle-free, and even received a comment from others on how quiet it was as I ripped by on group rides.
Fantic’s trail eBike was designed for riders who are in need of a do everything machine, from tech to flow trails and everything in between. The XTF 1.5 Carbon delivered fairly well, with solid rear suspension performance and comfortable geometry. Add its efficient, swappable battery for all-day adventures, and the performance overall has been impressive.
For more information about the models available or to pick one up of your own check out the Fantic website to find an authorized dealer near you.
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