Bicycles

Commencal Meta Power ebike showcases new Shimano EP8 motor

Commencal Meta Power ebike showcases new Shimano EP8 motor
The 2021 Commencal Meta Power ebike features the new Shimano EP8 motor
The 2021 Commencal Meta Power ebike features the new Shimano EP8 motor
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The 2021 Commencal Meta Power ebike features the new Shimano EP8 motor
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The 2021 Commencal Meta Power ebike features the new Shimano EP8 motor
It's a pretty picture, but it doesn't look like much fun riding down those straight lines
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It's a pretty picture, but it doesn't look like much fun riding down those straight lines
Forget the bike – what a nice place to ride
3/4
Forget the bike – what a nice place to ride
OK we get it, you have more fun that us – stop rubbing it in
4/4
OK we get it, you have more fun that us – stop rubbing it in
View gallery - 4 images

The Shimano Steps series of electric bike motors have long felt quite decent and smooth to ride, but they've fallen behind on torque since Bosch started extracting 85 Nm from its Performance Line CX motors, and an update has perhaps been overdue.

That update has now arrived in the shape of the new EP8 motor, which manages to output the same 85 Nm (63 lb-ft) peak torque from a 250-W mid-drive setup that's smaller and lighter than its E8000 predecessor, allowing extra ground clearance on trails, as well as more space for the battery in the downtubes. The new motor weighs in at 2.6 kg (5.7 lb), and is said to be quieter than its predecessors too.

The EP8 motor has debuted in a range of new bikes, including ones from Merida, Husqvarna and Commencal. We'll surely be seeing it in plenty of others, but this Commencal Meta Power is a fine-looking thing, so let's take a quick look at this.

The Meta itself is an enduro-style dual-suspension offroad racer; Commencal punts it in the Enduro World Series. So the Meta Power's mission is fairly clear: maintain as much of the regular bike's rugged downhill and trail-stomping capability as possible while adding an electrified boost to help get you up hills.

It's a pretty picture, but it doesn't look like much fun riding down those straight lines
It's a pretty picture, but it doesn't look like much fun riding down those straight lines

Thus, it houses the diminutive EP8 at the bottom of its sharply angled frame, going with a decent-sized 630-Wh lithium-ion battery to trade off between size, weight and range. The bike comes in 27.5- and 29-inch wheel versions, the former to prioritize agility and the latter emphasizing go-anywhere capability.

The forks and underslung shock come from either RockShox or Fox, depending on which level of specification you go for, And there's a hydraulic dropper seat post that can be pushed down out of the way for the gnarly stuff and pop back up again when it's time to sit down and cruise.

The price of entry is pretty steep, though. The basic SX Ride model starts at US$5,499, and the higher-spec 29 Team model starts at $6,499. A little rich for our tastes but they certainly look like quality machines for serious off-road action.

Source: Commencal USA

View gallery - 4 images
2 comments
2 comments
NewThings
Too steep a price for a battery bicycle. You can build your own with parts for only a few hundred dollars. Will it have the Yamahammer motor, no, but who gives a darn when you've built it yourself and it accomplishes the same thing.
DippoDave
Regarding other comment on too steep a price, this bike is intended to be a very different beast to simply a "battery bicycle", not really comparing apples and apples. If all you want is a simple bike with battery this bike is definitely over-specified for your needs. This is an electric mountain bike, the suspension fork and shock on their own cost more than basic bikes, and it'll hold up to abuse. As opposed to strapping a cheap motor to a Walmart bike for a few hundred, many videos of these walmart bikes falling apart within minutes when people take them on proper mountain bike trails.