Test: At the Eurobike Media Days 2017 we were able to test ride the new KTM Macina Kapoho 2018 that will be released in the 2018 season, which not only scores with a successful battery integration, but also causes a stir with a mix of wheels.
The KTM Macina Kapoho is well known to us and certainly to one or two readers. In the Austrian manufacturer's range, it's the e-bike for rough things: With 160 mm of spring travel and Plus tires, you can plow through almost any imaginable terrain. Introduced two years ago, the Macina Kapoho now gets a fairly extensive facelift for the 2018 season, which is far more than just a visual one. But of course: At first glance, the main thing that catches the eye is the battery, which is no longer on the down tube as before, but now disappears into it. This is made possible by the new PowerTube 500 battery from Bosch, which can be easily stowed away in the frame thanks to its compact design.
If you then take a closer look, one or the other will certainly notice the second big difference compared to the previous model: While there is still room for a wide plus tire in the rear triangle, there is now a 2,35″ wide 29 inch tire in the fork. Why did you decide to make this change? Here the main response was to the feedback from buyers and dealers, who appreciate the grip of the wide tires, but the somewhat spongy steering behavior at the front is not for everyone. With a normal-width 29″ front wheel, you get more direct handling and good rollover behavior, but you don’t sacrifice the grip that is so important on the rear wheel of an e-bike. Incidentally, KTM calls this wheel mix DiMMix (Dimensions Mix).
Apart from that, a lot remains the same: With 160mm of spring travel at the front and rear, you still have plenty of reserves for nasty terrain and with the KTM Macina Kapoho 2018 you can undoubtedly take on one or the other enduro tour under the tires again. For our test ride at the Eurobike Media Days 2017, we took a seat on the Macina Kapoho 272, which is equipped with a Fox chassis consisting of the 34 Float in the E version, the Float X damper, XT gears and poisonous Zee brakes according to the spring travel is.
KTM Macina Kapoho 2018: First impressions of the trail
The first small - for some maybe bigger - point of criticism of the new KTM E-MTB we noticed before the first real ride: When setting up the suspension for our approx -75% came. Given the maximum pressure of 300psi, this could pose problems for heavy and taller riders.
The seating position on the KTM is a bit unusual at first - especially given the fact that we have a powerful 160mm fully here. The main frame is pretty short, but the stem and chainstays are pretty long. It already feels significantly different than a modern enduro in this travel class. However, why they decided to do so becomes clear on the first steep ramps: thanks to the long struts and the stem, the front wheel stays firmly on the ground, while the motor in cooperation with the wide plus tire pushes the baggage train upwards.
As well as the rather conservative geometry works uphill, you have to make compromises on the descent. While the wheel mix works well and the handling is safe and smooth, the KTM is quite sluggish in tight corners and when changing direction quickly and needs a lot of emphasis. The chassis, on the other hand, can convince us and the other equipment leaves nothing to be desired - instead of the Intuiva display, we would have preferred the compact Purion version, which in our opinion simply makes more sense on an E-MTB.
