As the electric mountain bike space continues to expand at a rapid pace, savvy manufacturers are increasingly looking to refine and tweak their product offerings to keep pace with the evolving market. Despite only being released in late 2018, Norco is one such brand in the savvy camp, releasing the latest iteration of its critically acclaimed all-mountain E-MTB, the Sight VLT.
At a Glance
Price: From AU$6,199
Category: All-Mountain
Drive Unit: Shimano E7000, E8000
Battery Capacity: 500Wh (E7000), 630wH (E8000)
Availability: Carbon (C1 and C2) - Right Now! Aluminium (A1 and A2) - April 2020
In a case of evolution rather than revolution, Norco has opted for refinement across a range of area’s to create a ride that’s said to be more planted, stable and adept on gnarlier trails.
The biggest change for 2020 is the move to 29” wheels, catapulting Sight from a capable trail mountain bike into a true all-mountain machine. As a result of the bigger hoops, the design has also been tweaked with Norco carrying over its Ride Aligned concept to it’s latest E-MTB.
With the design tweaks, the geometry of the Sight VLT 29 is now longer, lower and slacker than it’s smaller wheeled predecessor. The wheelbase has been lengthened by 60mm (longer than Norco’s Aurum DH bike!), the headtube is 2º slacker, while the seat tube angle has been decreased to allow for a little more climbing prowess. The end result is a bike that’s said to be more capable than ever at holding the line and tackling DH trails and going full-send on technical trail features.
Shimano continues to provide it’s proven E-MTB specific E7000 and E8000 drive units across the range. The units are pegged at 250watts of power locally, however, have an output of 60Nm (E7000) and 70Nm (E8000) respectively. Shimano also provides it’s 500Wh and 630Wh integrated battery units. Norco has also confirmed that a 360Wh range extender, will also be available, significantly extending the range and capabilities of the Sight.
The carbon-framed 2020 Norco Sight VLT 29 is available in select retailers around the country right now, with aluminium models set to hit local shores in April 2020. Pricing for the Sight VLT 29 range is as follows;
Sight VLT C1 29 (Blue/Orange) RRP $9,799
Sight VLT C2 29 (Grey/Blue) RRP $8,799
Sight VLT A1 29 (Red/Black) RRP $6,999
Sight VLT A2 29 (Black/Black) RRP $6,199
Browse the full range of Electric Mountain Bikes right here at Australia number one online bike marketplace, BikeExchange.
