Less than a year ago Lapierre revealed their first Shimano eMTB, now they’ve added an additional model with 27.5+ wheels and more travel. We travelled to Corsica to find out what the new Lapierre Overvolt AMi 727 is capable of.
The new Lapierre Overvolt Shimano AMi 29er was launched in August 2017. Featuring an all-new frame design with an integrated battery and Shimano motor, we were impressed! Rather than rest on their laurels, Lapierre announced the arrival of an additional version for 2018: featuring 27.5+ wheels, longer travel, and tweaks to the geometry, the Overvolt AMi 727 is aimed at riders wanting a fun, hard-hitting allrounder.
The Lapierre Overvolt AM 727i Shimano in detail
The first thing you notice about the AMi is it’s super clean aesthetics, with the battery totally encased inside the downtube. This design has allowed Lapierre to make a lighter and stiffer frame which also protects the battery from the elements. The stock Shimano battery wasn’t compatible with their design, so Lapierre’s solution is the, ’Snake Power Technology’ 504 Wh integral battery, which has flexible, ‘vertebrae’, enabling it to bend at an angle and slot easily into the small entry port.
The AMi range is now available in two platforms, a 27.5 + with 160 mm travel front and rear and a 29er with 140 mm both ends. With so many changes to the bike, the critical shift from Bosch to Shimano systems almost goes unnoticed. Lapierre claim the move to Shimano was made so that the AMi could have shorter chainstays and a lower Q-factor than its Bosch equipped siblings but whether this is crucial to eMTB design is still up for debate. Bosch equipped bikes are still part of the their Overvolt range, so riders can vote with their wallets and get the drive system that suits them best.
The Specifications of the Lapierre Overvolt AM 727i Shimano
Fork FOX 36 FLOAT Performance ebike 160 mm
Rear shock FOX FLOAT DPX2 Performance 160 mm
Motor/battery Shimano Steps E8000, 500 Wh
Brakes SRAM Guide RE
Drivetrain Shimano SLX
Seatpost Lapierre dropper
Stem Lapierre 6061DB 45 mm
Bars Lapierre 6061DB 760 mm
Wheels LAPIERRE eAM+
Tires MAXXIS High Roller II/Rekon 2.8″
Price € 5,999
A Shimano SLX drivetrain provides the go and, as you would expect, it performed brilliantly. Another € 499 will get you the AMi 827 model which has XT Di2 for a more integrated system but out of the box but the SLX works almost as well. Strangely deviating from the Shimano spec elsewhere, Lapierre have opted for SRAM’s Guide RE brakes on 203 mm rotors front and rear. Stopping was consistently surgical, even on Corsica’s long mountain descents.
The contact points are all Lapierre’s in-house kit, nothing flash but it all did its job without fuss.
With the new AMi’s lower standover height, it would have been good to see a 170+ mm dropper post on the XL rather than the 150 mm. The M and L are specced with even shorter, 125 mm posts, so riders may want to swap these out. The own brand wheels feature 35 mm internal width rims which give the 2.8” MAXXIS Reckon on the rear and High Roller II up front a huge contact patch. This combo was okay for hardpack trails but the low profile tread pattern of the Reckon was out of its depth on anything more challenging and the lightweight casing meant that it wasn’t happy being run at lower pressures that would improve climbing and braking traction.
Geometry of the Lapierre Overvolt AM 727i Shimano
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 390 mm | 430 mm | 460 mm | 500 mm |
| Top tube | 585 mm | 600 mm | 620 mm | 645 mm |
| Head tube | 120 mm | 130 mm | 140 mm | 150 mm |
| Head angle | 65° | 65.5° | 65.5° | 65.5° |
| Seat angle | 75.5° | 75.5° | 75.5° | 75.5° |
| Chainstay | 445 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm |
| BB Drop | 15 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm | 10 mm |
| Reach | 429 mm | 442 mm | 459 mm | 482 mm |
| Stack | 605 mm | 612 mm | 621 mm | 630 mm |
Riding the Lapierre Overvolt AM 727i Shimano
We went to the rocky and unforgiving mountains of Corsica to test the Lapierre AM 727i Shimano, which sits just above the middle of the range at € 5,999. The changes in the AMi’s geometry bring it bang up to date. With a slack 64.5° head angle, 482 mm of reach (on the XL that we tested) and 445 mm chainstays the bike felt like a modern enduro bike. Jump on the AMi and you will be immediately at home. This geometry plus a re-designed shock mount that has moved the weight lower and allowed a drop the top tube to increases standover height means that the AMi is well balanced and gives the rider the confidence to push their downhill limits.
With the eMTB specific FOX 36 Performance fork up front, it went where you put it and stays there no matter how steep or rough the trails. With the stock FOX DPX2 shock, the AMi pedals really well even when fully open, whether accelerating hard or spinning along up the climbs. The rear end has been designed to balance the comfort of linear kinematics, with the ability of the rider to add volume spacers to tune the ride to suit their riding style. Harder riders will want to set the shock up with more progression as we blew through the travel quickly on the harsh Corsican rocks.
On paper, the 75.5° seat angle, sounds steep enough, but as evident on the extreme gradient Corsican ascents and with the shorter chainstays, taller riders will find their weight noticeably over the rear wheel, limiting the front wheel’s ability to track. This forced a drop in saddle height to bring the weight further forward but at the expense of pedalling efficiency. Only very tall riders in super steep terrain may notice this and it’s more a reflection of current eMTB thinking, than Lapierre’s design.
Lapierre have mirrored the geometry of their successful enduro rigs and produced a bike that descends brilliantly and climbs well. However, as eMTBs have the capacity to ride up the previously impossible, eMTB specific geometry, like longer stays and steeper seat angles, will help riders realise the potential of the technology.
Conclusion
The Lapierre Overvolt AM 727i Shimano certainly has downhill credentials; it’s fun to ride and inspires the confidence to throw it down anything. Lapierre have targeted the Overvolt AMi range at enthusiastic riders, and this sums up who will love this do-it-all-bike. It will smash about on trail centres, take on big mountain days or shred bike parks.
More information on the Lapierre website
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Words: Thomas Corfield Photos: Stef Candé
