British bike brand Whyte’s latest E-160 electric mountain bike has been tweaked and refined as Whyte looks to refine its focus on lowering its center of gravity (COG).
The brand claims the changes improve the bike’s ride, making it closer to an unassisted bike, while also making it easier to remove and install the battery.
The rear 150mm emtb range now includes a full bike with 29″ wheels and a dedicated mullet setup where the front is 29″ and the rear 27.5″, both available in medium to extra large sizes. The extra small and petite sizes get 27.5-inch hoops front and rear, making them more suitable for smaller riders.
Could the E-160 RSX soon be the electric bike to beat? Alex Evans / Our Media
The move from Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor with a Purion main display to the Smart System and redesigned downtube sees an increase in battery capacity, with room for up to a 750Wh module, plus increased smartphone connectivity.
Prices start at £6,399 for the E-160 S 29er and MX, rising to £7,699 for the mullet-only E-160 RS, and go up to £7,999 for the E-160 RSX, which is only sold with 29-inch wheels.
2022 Whyte E-160 frame and suspension
The down tube does not have a large cutout for the battery. This, White claims, improves stiffness. Alex Evans / Our Media
Whyte’s focus on reducing the E-160’s COG was based on the belief that it would “dramatically improve[e] ride performance by minimizing… the negative effects of poor weight distribution in three main areas… pitch, roll and yaw.”
To explore the importance of lowering a bike’s center of gravity to improve the way it rides, White used computer modeling software to cut the bike into sections, giving each section its own COG.
The center of gravity of each section is then averaged to obtain the centroid of the entire bicycle (arithmetic mean position of all points). The aim was to make this as low as possible.
The Bosch motor is rotated (clockwise in this image) so that the battery can fit under it, lowering the bike’s center of gravity. Alex Evans / Our Media
Along with rotating the motor counter-clockwise (when viewed from the drive side) – used on all current Whyte full-suspension e-bikes so the battery can be mounted below the motor – the brand has managed to shrink the battery even further for the most the new E-160s by moving the connector from the bottom of the battery to the top.
This, White claims, culminates in a ride “that feels a lot more like a … ‘acoustic’ bike,” with a seated feel while retaining the ability to quickly change direction.
Right-tight, left-relaxed. Alex Evans / Our Media
Whyte also strives to highlight its down tube design, which remains intact without the cutout used in many other brands’ designs to install or remove the battery.
The ‘no-compromise’ down tube means it retains its torsional resistance and structural importance.
For the 2022 bike, the downtube has been reprofiled and hydroformed to fit snugly around the 750Wh Bosch battery, which slides into the downtube using Bosch’s sliding system.
The new E-160 uses the standard 1.5 inch and 1.8 inch headphones. Alex Evans / Our Media
Because the system is modular, owners can swap between 750Wh, 625Wh and 500Wh Power Tube battery sizes without having to buy a whole new bike.
The brand switched to the 1.5-inch upper cup and 1.8-inch lower cup headphone standard, while making changes to the internal cable routing and electrical wire. The E-160 now also uses SRAM’s UDH.
Suspension
The four-bar Horst-link suspension design has about 25 percent progression. Alex Evans / Our Media
Although the new E-160 still uses Whyte’s four-bar Horst-link suspension – dubbed Quad-Link 4 Suspension by the brand – found on other full-suspension bikes, it’s worked hard to tune the bike’s shocks.
White said his in-house enduro racer and engineer, Sam Shooksmith, helped develop the tune for both the Fox and RockShox shocks fitted to the bike, going through many iterations to find the perfect performer.
The E-160 has 150mm of rear wheel travel and, like its sturdy full-suspension counterparts, its overall rate of travel progression is around 25 percent.
2022 Whyte E-160 Motor and Battery
The charging port is located on top of the engine. Alex Evans / Our Media
Bosch’s Smart System Performance Line CX motor and 750 Wh battery are fitted to the 2022 E-160, although as mentioned the frame is also compatible with the smaller 625 Wh and 500 Wh batteries.
The motor boasts 85Nm of torque and 250W of assistance, and via Bluetooth connectivity, thanks to the Smart System, motor modes can be adjusted in Bosch’s Flow smartphone app.
This latest generation also features a Tour+ mode. This functions similarly to eMTB mode, where increased rider inputs cause the motor to provide more assistance.
SRAM Code RSC brakes take care of slowing down the E-160. Alex Evans / Our Media
However, none of the E-160 bikes are equipped with a Bosch display. Instead, an LED controller – with battery and mode indicator – is mounted on the left side of the handlebars. However, the Bosch Smart System display can be added as an aftermarket upgrade.
2022 Whyte E-160 geometry
The E-160 is ready for enduro racing. Alex Evans / Our Media
Bike geometry across manufacturers seems to be converging towards what is becoming a universally approved sweet spot where bikes with these perfect shapes tend to ride well.
The 2022 E-160 doesn’t buck the trend, its numbers look spot on for a trail/enduro e-bike.
Key numbers include a 64.2-degree head tube angle (low setting), 75.3-degree actual seat tube angle, 446mm chainstays and 483mm reach for the large size.
Whyte E-160 29in wheel geometry
Whyte E-160 MX/mullet wheel geometry
Wheel geometry Whyte E-160 27.5 inches
The range includes a wide range of sizes, from extra small to extra large. The XS and S bikes have 27.5-inch wheels front and rear, while the medium to extra-large bikes can be equipped with either 29-inch wheels front and rear, or a mullet or MX setup.
The Shape.it link has highs and lows. This adjusts the geometry and can be used so the rider can swap between 29-inch and 27.5-inch rear wheels. Alex Evans / Our Media
Like other full-suspension bikes, it is equipped with Shape.it Link – a small flip chip in the shock that switches between high and low positions. White says the linkage relaxes the bike by 0.6 degrees and lowers the bottom bracket by 8mm.
The link’s secondary function is to allow the frame to accommodate a 27.5-inch rear wheel, turning it into a mullet bike. All E-160s, whether sold as a mullet or a bike with 29-inch wheels, can be changed to another wheel configuration without any additional purchases.
2022 Whyte E-160 models, specs and prices
Fox’s 38 Performance Elite fork has both high and low rate external compression and rebound adjustment.
Alex Evans / Our Media
The new Assegai EXO+ case is up front.
Alex Evans / Our Media
Maxxis Minion DHR II rear with DoubleDown casing. It’s great to see brands choosing decent tires instead of chasing a lower total weight figure.
Alex Evans / Our Media
Fizik’s special e-bike Terra Aidon saddle is specced.
Alex Evans / Our Media
It has a Crankbrothers Highline 3 dropper.
Alex Evans / Our Media
Code RSC brakes use a 200mm rotor at the rear.
Alex Evans / Our Media
DT’s rugged e-bike-specific HX 1700 wheels are fitted to the E-160 RSX.
Alex Evans / Our Media
This model is equipped with SRAM’s GX Eagle AXS drivetrain.
Alex Evans / Our Media
There are three models in the 2022 E-160 range, with the base E-160 S retailing for £6,399 in both 29-inch and MX wheel configurations, along with a complete bike with 27.5- inch wheels for the smaller sizes.
It’s equipped with a RockShox ZEB fork and a Super Deluxe Select R rear shock. Braking is handled by TRP’s Trail Evo, while Shimano’s XT M8130 Linkglide drivetrain is ebike-specific.
The bike’s finishing kit – including dropper, saddle, bar, stem and grips – is Whyte branded.
Sitting in the middle of the range is the E-160 RS, available with a wheel setup or a full 27.5 inches for ultra-small and compact sizes.
This model retails for £7,699 and is fitted with a Fox 38 Performance fork and a Float Performance DPS rear shock.
Drivetrain duties are handled by SRAM GX Eagle AXS (like the RSX model) and it’s equipped with WTB HRZ i30 rims bolted to unmarked hubs. Elsewhere there’s a Crankbrothers Highline 3 dropper and a combination of White and branded kit. SRAM Code R brakes provide the stopping power.
Headlining the range is the E-160 RSX, costing £7,999 but only available with 29in wheels.
Available in orange or black, where the colors of the logo and main frame are reversed. Alex Evans / Our Media
This comes with Fox Float 38 Performance Elite forks with 160mm of travel and a Float X Performance Elite rear shock. Elsewhere, it has a SRAM GX Eagle AXS drivetrain and a Crankbrothers Highline 3 dropper.
In the UK market, it’s fitted with Hope’s Fortus 30 wheels, while other territories get DT Swiss’s HX 1700s. The wheels are wrapped in Maxxis rubber, with Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO+…
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