The Giant Full-E+ is now unrecognizable! Ready for the 2017 season, the industry kingpin Giant have given their very first full suspension E-MTB so much more than just a revised spec, seeing the latest model take on a whole new design as well. Not doing anything by halves, Giant paid special attention to the concept of motor and battery integration, the Maestro rear suspension design and their SyncDrive system.
Taking on a redesign from tip to toe, Giant have completely revised the Full-E+ ready for the 2017 season. While they continue to rely on their SyncDrive system, the new design also features highlights like the Maestro rear suspension design with 140 mm travel, a new manner of motor integration and 2.6″ plus-size tires. The proven SyncDrive system is fed by a 250W Yamaha motor with 80 Nm torque.
The frame on the Giant Full-E+
At the foundation of Giant Full-E+ is its all-new aluminium frame with 140 mm travel donated by Giant’s familiar and patented Maestro suspension system. Highly regarded, this well-known system isn’t just responsive and forgiving to hits in quick succession but it’s also reputed to be ultra efficient and undeterred by braking influences. The new carbon rocker arm is one way to reduce weight and also stiffen up the rear end. Giant put a lot of thought into improving their suspension performance and duly settled on the latest generation of metric-sized rear shocks, reputed to offer a much more consistent feel to the damping. The Trunnion mounting system is another new addition to the bike, which meant that the bike’s frame design could be optimized to fit the shock.
The motor on the Giant Full-E+
The motor sees Giant continue to employ their SyncDrive system with a 250 watt Yamaha motor with 80 Nm torque fed by a 500 Wh battery, developed closely alongside Panasonic. According to Giant, the battery cells are extremely durable and optimally aligned within the battery. Thanks to its curved edges, the battery slots stylishly into the bike’s image and can be charged on or off the bike.
Integration on the Giant Full-E+
When it came to the redesign of the Full-E+, Giant have revealed the extent of the work they put into improving the integration. While the former model housed the battery on the toptube almost as an afterthought, it now slots virtually seamlessly into the silhouette of the bike. And much like the battery’s new integration, the computer and control unit have received similar revision, rendering them even more ergonomic and stylish in both form and positioning.
The build specs of the Giant Full-E+
While the two lower price point Full-E+ models both feature 140 mm front and rear travel, the downhill-orientated top model comes kitted out with 160 mm RockShox Lyrik forks. Both the frame and the forks are Boost standard compliant, as well as plus-size tire compatible; the front can take tires with a width of up to 3.0″ while the rear will say no to anything over 2.8″. Depending on the build spec, the bike will come as stock with either 2.6″ Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires or the 2.6″ Schwalbe Nobby Nic.
Prices and availability Giant Full-E+
Giant will launch the Full-E+ in three build specs with prices ranging from 3,499 € to 6,799 €. The final prices will be announced in the coming weeks, with the bikes hitting the shops by the end of October 2016.
The geometry of the Giant Full-E+
Admittedly very reminiscent of the massively successful Trance mountain bike model, Giant have carried out a serious revision of the geometry to render it fit for an E-MTB. The Full-E+ now consequently boasts a 0.5° slacker head angle and a shorter toptube that will guarantee more agile handling. Depending on the Full-E+ model, the geometry varies given the height of the forks. Here’s an overview to get your head around the diversity:
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top tube length | 565 mm | 590 mm | 610 mm | 635 mm |
| Head tube length | 125 mm | 125 mm | 140 mm | 160 mm |
| Head tube angle | 67° | 67° | 67° | 67° |
| Seat tube angle | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° | 73.5° |
| Chainstay length | 463 mm | 463 mm | 463 mm | 463 mm |
| Wheel base | 1146 mm | 1168 mm | 1189 mm | 1217 mm |
| Reach | 378 mm | 403 mm | 418 mm | 438 mm |
| Stack | 610 mm | 610 mm | 623 mm | 642 mm |
Our first impression of the Giant Full-E+
Right now we’re still at the official Giant launch for their all-new Full-E+ and we’ve just had the opportunity for a proper one-on-one with the new top-of-the-range Full-E+0 SX, taking it out for a route with 1,200 metres of climbing and descending. Our test rider, 180 cm tall, gave his seal of approval for the comfortable riding position on the size L frame, declaring it more than suited for long days in the saddle. On climbs the SyncDrive system is a force of power, although you’ve got to have a decent cadence of around 75 pedal strokes per minute to ensure it dishes out full power. The front wheel kept glued to the ground no matter how steep the gradient got, and the rear proved it was capable of soaking up everything from small trail chatter to bigger hits.
The suspension was smooth and consistent with ample traction and stability thanks to the 2.6″ tires as well. The bike handled really well, without showing any twitchiness at high speeds. And despite our high expectations from the well chosen spec, it didn’t let us down. Our sole complaint would go to the brakes, which lacked a bit of strength. Plus, while the new control unit is a substantial improvement on its former model, we still think there’s room for improvement with its ergonomics – it’s just too far from the bars.
Our take on the new Giant Full-E+
A bike that screams up-to-date, the new Giant Full-E+ has nailed the balance of agility and smoothness to ensure it rides superbly. The rear suspension design and well considered spec list can’t be faulted either. However, when it comes to the computer and control unit, we’d love to see Giant invest as much thought here as they have done to the rest of the bike and there’s definitely scope for them to innovate. We’d also love to see the Yamaha motor with a broader cadence frequency. If you’re on the hunt for a high quality E-MTB for essentially any riding situation then the Full-E+ will definitely satisfy.
For more information check the official Giant website
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