E-MTB / Test: The Haibike Lyke CF SE is an expensive but elegantly equipped light E-MTB with a Fazua Ride 60 drive. In practice, the bike, which weighs around 18 kg, is very lively and playful and can therefore clearly stand out from the mass of e-MTBs.
Last year, E-MTB pioneer Haibike was one of the first manufacturers to present the Lyke, a light EMTB with the Fazua Ride 60 drive system. The trail bike with 140 mm travel relies on a slim full carbon frame and 29 inch wheel size. In order to achieve its impressively low weight of under 18 kg and still offer a removable battery, the designers were very creative: the Fazua motor is integrated upright into the frame, thereby creating space in front of the bottom bracket. The 430 Wh battery can be removed from the down tube for charging via a screwed cap. This takes a few seconds longer than with a classic flap, but is a good compromise to still use a closed down tube.
Noble features with small weight compromises
The top model we tested tears a big hole in your wallet with a purchase price of 12.500 euros. The good news: At least you get very classy features from A to Z at this price. Neither the Fox 36 Factory with Grip2 cartridge nor the Sram XX Eagle transmission with twelve gears or the lightweight Mavic carbon wheels offer any cause for criticism. However, Haibike does make compromises in some details in order to reduce the weight. The seat post, a Fox Transfer SL, can only be fully retracted or extended, the Maxxis dissector on the front wheel has a fairly thin profile and the 760 mm narrow carbon handlebar from Race Face looks a bit out of place.
| Frame | Haibike Lyke CF |
| Fork | Fox 36 Factory Grip2 |
| Drive | Fazua Ride 60 |
| Battery | 430 Wh |
| Suspension shocks | Fox Float |
| Wheels | Mavic E-Crossmax XL R Carbon |
| Tire VR | Maxxis Dissector MaxxTerra EXO |
| Tire HR | Maxxis Dissector MaxxTerra EXO+ |
| Derailleur | Sram XX Eagle transmission |
| Shifter | Sram AXS Pod |
| Crank | Rotor E-Kapic |
| Front derailleur | Without |
| Brake | Shimano XTR M9120 |
| Brake discs | 203 / 180 mm |
| Seatpost | Fox Transfer SL Factory 170mm |
| Saddle | fi'zi:k Terra Aidon X1-145 Carbon |
| Stem | Raceface Turbine SL |
| Handlebar | Raceface Next Carbon 760mm |
The geometry of the Haibike Lyke is modern, but remains true to its trail bike roots. The steering angle is not too flat and the front is not too high. They clearly tried not to build a mini enduro, but rather a maneuverable E-MTB for moderate terrain.
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| seat tube (in mm) | 410 | 440 | 470 | 500 |
| Reach (mm) | 424 | 452 | 479 | 506 |
| Stacks (in mm) | 611 | 620 | 629 | 638 |
| Steering angle (in °) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Seat angle (in °) | 77.3 | 77.3 | 77.3 | 77.3 |
| Bottom bracket drop (in mm) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 25 |
| chainstays (in mm) | 450 | 450 | 450 | 450 |
| Wheelbase (in mm) | 1195 | 1227 | 1259 | 1290 |
The Haibike Lyke CF SE on the trail
The difference with the Haibike Lyke from many other E-MTBs becomes clear after just a few turns of the crank. Agile, lively and blessed with enormous forward momentum, it is noticeably less cumbersome to ride than many other bikes in this class, even with a comparable weight. This is also due to the rear triangle, which despite being 140 mm is quite tight and provides a lot of feedback. For this reason too, it is advisable to tune the fork to be a little less plush in order to achieve a harmonious driving experience. Slightly flatter trails in particular become a playground with the Lyke. It tempts you to lean a few more degrees into the curve or pull off the edge again - in short, it's a lot of fun.
Even on demanding terrain you won't be completely out of place with the Lyke, although the main limitations here are the front tires and the narrow handlebars. We also didn't get warm with the seat post, which only offers two positions. We would often have liked at least a middle position here. Thanks to the Fazua Ride 60, things also move quickly uphill, although overall the drive is a little less sensitive than the competition from Bosch or TQ.
