Husqvarna has jumped into the E-bicycle arena full steam, and we got the chance to check them out. Here’s a quick guide on the line plus a quick spin on two of our favorites on offer.
By Jesse Ziegler | Photography by Casey Davis
Husqvarna Bicycles recently released its entire North American lineup of electric-assist mountain bikes, and when our friends at Husqvarna, the same ones who we get our Husqvarna motorcycle test bikes from, invited us to take a close-up look and ride them, we didn’t hesitate. After all, when we’re not riding motorcycles, we’re usually on bicycles, and we figure most of you are, too. So, what the heck?
Six full-size off-road weapons are now populating 65 authorized Husqvarna E-Bicycle dealers across the U.S. and Canada. Included in the mix is a 24-inch-wheel youth model.
For full-size bike riders, there are three suspension travel/riding discipline Husqvarna E-Bike options from which to choose. Husqvarna Bicycles start with the Mountain Cross. 150mm (5.9 inches) travel Trail bike, then the Hard Cross 180mm (7.1 inches of travel Enduro/All-Mountain bike, and finally the Extreme Cross with 200mm (7.9 inches) of big dog downhill rowdiness. Each of these three bike models comes in two builds, offering options on how premium you’d like to ride when it comes to componentry, suspension, etc.
All Husqvarna E-Bicycles coming into North America are mountain bikes, even though Husqvarna has Gravel, Commuting and other e-bikes internationally.
But before we start pedaling, here is an overview of the new Husqvarna E-Bikes.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | Motors & Batteries
Across the board, Husqvarna is using Shimano’s newest EP8 pedal-assist drive unit—the gold standard in Shimano-powered bikes. The EP8 drops power smoothly while reducing weight and noise from previous motors. It also increased torque to 85Nm—plenty, for sure—for excellent sporty and casual riding performance across the board. This motor simply delivers a premium experience in the market and is used extensively by the competition. While there are a few more powerful motors out there, this is the current high standard of quality and performance in non-proprietary OEM pedal-power.
Powering that propulsion is a Simplo branded 630 watt-hour battery pack. Shimano has authorized certain third-party battery suppliers to power their EP8; Simplo is one of those. For those of you new to E-bikes, a 630Wh battery is like a legitimate desert racing, XC or dual-sport fuel tank on your dirt bike. It’s big. It’s not the biggest in production or on E-bikes at the moment, but it’s bigger than most and is proving to have the capacity to put down considerable recreational and competitive miles.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | Frames & Componentry
Bicycles are certainly priced by the sum of their parts; defined by frame material first and then all the bits bolted to it. Husqvarna’s E-Bicycles are generally very well-equipped, and their pricing is massively competitive.
Husqvarna saves some costs by steering away from carbon or composite frame construction and goes all-aluminum across the range with 6061 alloy. A Full Active 4-link frame system handles suspension linkage/ratios, and motor mounting is tucked underneath it all via Husqvarna’s proprietary Skeleton Interface design that fits the EP8 (or other motors, in theory) securely without altering frame tubes above.
Also, possibly leaning on the motorcycle manufacturing efficiency of the associated brand, Husqvarna E-Bicycles incorporate a stack of house-branded components that fill bikes across the lineup. Handlebars, stems, saddles, dropper seatposts, crank arms and front chainrings are all Husqvarna brand.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | I’m Sold. How Do I Buy a Husqvarna E-Bicycle?
But we’ve barely begun talking about—okay, fine. If you’re ready, buying a Husqvarna E-Bicycle is pretty easy, but first, you must find them. You can simply go to www.husqvarna-bicycles.com and use their dealer locator to get started. Hot tip: You can also simply call your local Husqvarna Motorcycle shop and see if they’re an authorized Husqvarna E-Bicycles dealer, as all E-Bicycle dealers are inside Husqvarna motorcycle shops at this time.
For the first run of available models here in North America, production of the Husqvarna E-Bicycle Line is, like a lot of things, extremely limited. We’re talking less than 1000 of these are in the dealer network pipeline as of writing. And there’s a good chance those are going to be sold very quickly. So, hurry up if you want one. The good news is there are more on the way, and by early 2022, inventories should be more accessible.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | Riding Impressions
While we’ve already learned a little bit about Husqvarna’s new lineup of E-Bicycles, it’s how they work on the trail that really turns our cranks around here. At the 2021 introduction held near Temecula, California, we had the chance to test both the Hard Cross 9 and Mountain Cross 7 models.
Held at the Vail Lake campground and trail system, Husqvarna set us free on 10-mile trail loops to give the bikes a proper shakedown and feel for the goods.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | 2021 Husqvarna Hard Cross 9 Test
First up for me was the Hard Cross 9. The 180mm Enduro monster was definitely my favorite of the day because, well, when you have the power of an e-bike, why not go with 180mm of travel and Fox 38 fork suppleness? Yes, the bike handles descents and technical terrain superbly, with the 27.5-inch wheels dodging into and over obstacles with ease, helping to make the 50-plus pound bicycle feel as light as possible on the roll.
Control and maneuverability were nice on our ride together. The Fox suspension absolutely saved me in a near-miss corner incident at speed, and the brakes came on strong—and worked exceptionally well. I can’t wait to get it on more local trails to see how it compares to my regular rides.
I was most happy and impressed with the EP8 motor delivery right off the bat. This is my first test on an EP8-equipped bike, and the smooth transition of power input combined with the Eco, Trail and Boost variability options in delivery made sure I could enjoy any style of ride imaginable. It’s hard not to just Boost around everywhere when you have a stout 630Wh battery onboard. But the Trail setting is probably my favorite for the combination of ample assist and MTB reality/suffering. Even when charging enduro sections I’ve raced before, I didn’t really need the Boost power output to have a good time. It’s fun that it’s there (for extreme angle climbs and ultra-fast sprints), but I think Trail is where it’s at. The EP8 is quiet, too. The only sound you’ll think is out of place on a bike ride is a bit of chainring chatter when the motor isn’t engaged through choppy stuff.
I didn’t play with the phone connectivity of the Shimano control unit, but I did love the Di2 integration into the E-bike world. If there’s a world of MTB where shifting is often done poorly, it’s with E-bikes, and the Di2 speed and solidity is a welcome cloak to my constant not-shifting-in-time tricks. Big tires front and rear, deep suspension travel, better brakes, and Di2 shifting. What’s not to like on the Hard Cross 9?
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | 2021 Husqvarna Mountain Cross 7 Test
My second loop of the day was on the Mountain Cross 7. I actually prefer shorter travel bikes in my non-E-bike riding over the lethargic deep-stroke and slack-angled options. I’m perfectly happy on 120-140mm (4.7-5.5-inch) trail bikes at enduro speeds and over enduro terrain. I’d rather ride to that limit as fast as I can than pretend I’m going to bomb bigger stuff because I have a little better geometry and travel to do so. So, I expected to like the Mountain Cross better than the Hard Cross. But I didn’t. The Mountain Cross is a great trail bike with the same premium-level specs as the upper-level Hard Cross we tested. It blurs the enduro line so much I can’t really say it’s a better trail or enduro bike. So, it’s not a build preference. It seems to me the Trail segment is probably overshadowed on E-bikes by enduro-spec’d bikes because, well, you have a motor to make up the difference. Plus, the Mountain Cross enduros pretty damn hard, so is it a mellower trail bike in reality? I don’t think so. I would prefer to see a bigger gap to the shorter travel side of the “Trail” bike class on offer.
I did like the mullet format of the wheel sizes and appreciated a fast-rolling front 29-inch. But having a lively 27.5-inch square-stance bike underneath in technical terrain is also pretty awesome if you’re just there to party. So, the mullet alone doesn’t necessarily sell the Trail class model here to E-bike Jesse. The less aggressive Mountain Cross still has 150mm of travel all around, which is a lot and probably where I’ll be in my next enduro race bike (maybe 160mm? Or, who knows, 140mm again?). But once you ride the 160mm stuff on the Husqvarna E-bicycle, you probably won’t go back to 150mm too soon in the battery world.
Yes, the Mountain Cross handled switchbacks cleaner and kept on its toes a little lighter over up and cross-country terrain-crawling. So, if you’re truly doing more traversing than down-hilling, the Mountain Cross will be great for you. I still think the “Trail” bike should have even less suspension travel and built closer to XC-style speed. For me, give me the fat suspension and relaxed geometry to go with the extra weight and power of the E-bike every time, and I will not complain.
2021 Husqvarna E-Bicycles Review | Get Charged
It’s clear that the e-MTB surge is infiltrating more garages every year. And while Husqvarna Bicycles and Husqvarna Motorcycles are technically different business entities, the business of getting into your garage makes sense across the board.
Every one of us here at Cycle News rides bicycles recreationally, competitively, or for fitness—or all of the above. And we couldn’t be happier to see some familiar brands on the frames of our other two-wheeled addiction. Stay tuned for more from the pedal-powered world as we explore the options to get you out and riding on more trails than ever.CN
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