The Haibike LYKE CF SE – In our huge “Best e-mountainbike of 2023” group test

With the new LYKE CF SE, Haibike are finally joining the Light-eMTB game – and what a bike it is! The slim frame silhouette and neat integration of the FAZUA Ride 60 motor ensure a very sporty look. How does the Haibike deliver on the trail, and can it hold its own against 29 of the hottest bikes of the season in our huge 2023 eMTB group test?

**Haibike** LYKE CF SE | FAZUA Ride 60/430 Wh | 140/140 mm (f/r)
18.6 kg in size L | € 10,999 | Manufacturer’s website

Haibike have been in the eMTB business for a long time, or better yet, for the longest time. With the eQ XDURO, the German manufacturer literally created the eMTB segment in 2010 and is now committed exclusively to the electric cause. That said, Haibike have only just released their first Light-eMTB. The LYKE CF SE skilfully bridges an important gap in Haibike’s portfolio, opening a whole new chapter in the brand’s history with a captivating new design language and sportier look. At the same time, it marks Haibike’s commitment to creating progressive eMTBs that are designed uncompromisingly for riding performance. Tipping the scales at 18.6 kg, the LYKE CF SE flagship model is probably Haibike’s lightest E-MTB ever, but at € 10,999, it’s definitely one of the most expensive ones too. It features a compact FAZUA Ride 60 motor, fancy components, a full carbon frame and 140 mm travel front and rear. Does it have what it takes to usher in a new era for Haibike?

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2023 – 30 models in review

#thefreedomoflight – What sets the Haibike LYKE CF SE apart from the competition?

If you look close enough, you’ll notice the odd Haibike feature, like the distinctive kink in the downtube and the slightly hunched top tube. However, the frame silhouette of the Lyke is significantly more discreet than previous Haibike models, making for a completely new, fresher look. Haibike now use a new four-bar suspension link with horizontally mounted shock, which ensures a sporty look and makes room for a wide seat tube. The motor is integrated vertically into the seat tube instead of laying right in front of the bottom bracket. Haibike have already implemented the rotated motor concept on many of their Bosch bikes. With the LYKE CF SE, this gives the engineers more freedom with frame designs, allowing them to integrate the battery as centrally and deeply into the frame as possible, like with their full-power eMTB all-rounders. At the same time, it allows you to remove the battery from the frame despite the closed down tube design. However, the battery of the LYKE can also be charged on the bike using the charging port above the bottom bracket. Moreover, the vertical motor integration gets rid of the “golf driver” shaped bottom end of the down tube, like on the FOCUS JAM² SL and Pivot Shuttle SL – awesome! Haibike’s proprietary Modular Rail System has been replaced with a simple bottle cage mount and two additional tool mount bosses. That said, the Lyke doesn’t have any of the everyday features typical of many Haibike models, like the optional lighting system, integrated tail lights in the dropouts, kickstand mount or trailer approval, which have all been scrapped in favour of a sportier look.

The 430 Wh battery can be either charged on the bike or removed for external charging. For the latter, you’ll have to remove a quick-release axle on the skid plate and a second one on the battery holder.

Thunderdome! The Haibike LYKE CF SE hides its motor power in the seat tube. The FAZUA Ride 60 drive is integrated vertically instead of horizontally, giving engineers more freedom with frame designs and battery integration.

On the dusty, dry hardpack trails around Santa Coloma de Farners, the low-profile DISSECTOR tire in hard MaxxTerra compound performed rather well. On our damp forest home trails, however, it generates less traction than a bowling ball on a freshly waxed bowling alley.

Haibike also changed their approach with regard to the spec, relying on top-tier components not only for the FOX Factory suspension and Shimano XTR brakes, but also for other parts, like the handlebars, grips, stems, dropper and wheelset, which have traditionally been supplied by Haibike’s in-house component brand. Nevertheless, the spec is still not 100% consistent: for starters, the FOX Transfer dropper post only offers 150 mm of travel in size L, restricting freedom of movement together with the super-long 470 mm seat tube. Moreover, the Race Face carbon cockpit with awkwardly shaped, narrow 760 mm handlebars, forces you into an aggressive, front-heavy riding position. The Mavic E-Crossmax XL R carbon rims are paired with puncture-prone MAXXIS DISSECTOR tires in the flimsy EXO and EXO+ rubber casings and hard MaxxTerra rubber compound. While this combo ensures low rolling resistance, it offers poor traction on loose terrain while at the same time offering little protection on rough trails, exposing the carbon rims to constant danger.

As cold as ice! The Haibike LYKE CF SE comes standard with 200 mm ICE-TECH brake rotors front and rear, which, together with the Shimano XTR four-piston brakes, ensure powerful and consistent braking power without overheating on long descent.

Not great! At 150 mm, the fancy FOX Transfer dropper offers too little travel which, in combination with the long seat tube, restricts freedom of movement on descents.

Multitasking. Unlike the Pivot Shuttle SL and FOCUS JAM² SL, the Haibike LYKE CF allows for both external and internal charging.

The 760 mm Race Face Next handlebars are rather narrow and oddly shaped, pushing your elbows out and causing a front heavy riding position.

Haibike LYKE CF SE

€ 10,999

Specifications

Motor FAZUA Ride 60 60 Nm
Battery Fazua Energy 430 Wh
Display FAZUA LED HUB
Fork FOX 36 Factory GRIP2 Kashima 140 mm
Rear Shock FOX FLOAT X Factory 140 mm
Seatpost FOX Transfer Factory 150 mm
Brakes Shimano XTR 200/200 mm
Drivetrain Shimano XTR/XT 1x12
Stem Race Face Turbine SL 40 mm
Handlebar Race Face Next Carbon 760 mm
Wheelset Mavic E-Crossmax XL R Carbon 29"
Tires MAXXIS DISSECTOR 3C MaxxTerra EXO/MAXXIS DISSECTOR 3C MaxxTerra EXO+ 2.4/2.4

Technical Data

Size S M L XL
Weight 18.6 kg
Perm. total weight 120 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 101 kg
Trailer approval no
Kickstand mount no

Specific Features

Toolmount

Tuning tip: More robust tires with aggressive pattern, tougher Doubledown casing and softer MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front.

Discovering sportiness at Haibike? – How does the new LYKE CF SE fare on the trail?

Bikes like the Orbea Rise clearly prove that sportiness and touring capabilities aren’t mutually exclusive, and are therefore successfully uniting supposed opposites. Unfortunately, the Haibike LYKE doesn’t belong to this category. The pedalling position is rather compact, and the steep seat tube angle and low cockpit push you far over the handlebars, placing you in an overly front heavy pedalling position that’s unsuitable for long tours. Instead of wasting time on long sightseeing tours, the LYKE prefers to make its way to the trailhead. Riding uphill, the firm rear suspension works efficiently without bobbing. The FAZUA motor pushes surprisingly hard for a Light-eMTB motor, with the short Boost mode allowing you to gain momentum before steep climbs. That said, controlling the 12-second turbo blast isn’t easy and requires sensitive fingers to operate the FAZUA ring remote. However, the LYKE struggles to keep up with other Light-eMTBs like the Orbea Rise and Forestal Siryon in technical climbing sections, and falls far behind the full-fat eMTB all-rounders in this group test.

While Felix never really complained about the lack of grip on the front wheel, it’s also true that he rarely touched the trail with the tires.

On steep, technical sections, the Haibike LYKE CF SE requires a vigilant riding style to pre-empt the nervous handling.

The sporty side of the LYKE only becomes evident downhill. With its agile character, the Haibike feels at home on narrow, feature-packed flow trails, allowing you to play with the terrain and pop off ledges. The compact riding position places you on top of the bike rather than integrating you with it. It’s not as precise as the Pivot Shuttle SL, making it harder to ride around obstacles and pull manuals, but is still noticeably nimbler than other bikes with the same motor, like the FOCUS JAM² SL. If you drop into a rough trail that calls for plenty of traction and reserves, the LYKE requires a precise, vigilant riding style. If you plough shamelessly through rock gardens and root carpets, the suspension quickly reaches its limits, resulting in vague handling. When riding at the limit, the front-heavy position robs you of confidence and, in the worst case, makes you weight the front wheel more than you want. When this happens, the shallow profiled DISSECTOR tire gets easily overwhelmed and struggles to generate traction.

Just a small twist for a result! By changing the orientation of the FAZUA Ride 60 motor and shock, Haibike’s engineers opened up countless new possibilities for themselves.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	562 mm	592 mm	622 mm	652 mm
Seat tube	410 mm	440 mm	470 mm	500 mm
Head tube	110 mm	120 mm	130 mm	140 mm
Head angle	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°	65.0°
Seat angle	77.3°	77.3°	77.3°	77.3°
Chainstays	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm	450 mm
BB Drop	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm
Wheelbase	1,195 mm	1,227 mm	1,259 mm	1,290 mm
Reach	424 mm	452 mm	479 mm	506 mm
Stack	611 mm	620 mm	629 mm	638 mm

**Helmet** Sweet Protection Trailblazer MIPS | **Glasses** uvex Sportstyle 235 | **Hip Pack** Canyon Hip Bag
**Jersey** Rocday Stage | **Pants** Rocday Roc pants | **Shoes** Unparallel Up Link
**Gloves** Rocday Flow

Who should take a closer look at the Haibike LYKE CF SE and who should look elsewhere?

The new LYKE CF SE is the right choice for all skilled Haibike riders who want a light footed eMTB but haven’t yet found one in Haibike’s portfolio. The LYKE gives the German brand a cool new, sporty image and delivers tons of fun on flowing trails, provided you know what you’re doing. That said, the handling can be challenging, making the Lyke unsuitable for beginners.

Riding Characteristics

DESIGN

unbalanced
coherent

USER FRIENDLINESS

cumbersome
clever

VALUE FOR MONEY

flop
top

TREKKING & COMMUTING SUITABILITY

low
high

HANDLING

demanding
intuitive

FUN FACTOR

boring
lively

Intended Use

Gravel roads

Technical climbs

Flowtrail descents

Technical descents

Conclusions about the new Haibike LYKE CF SE

With the LYKE CF SE, Haibike have taken a new sporty approach, but haven’t yet managed to implement it consistently. Their first Light-eMTB is lively and nimble, delivering a decent performance on narrow flow trails – and the design and motor integration are successful too! However, the LYKE still shows some weakness on technical trails, where bikes from performance-oriented manufacturers perform significantly better. As a result, the LYKE only manages to rank in the middle of the test field in our huge 2023 group test.

Tops

Sets the benchmark for motor system integration of the FAZUA Ride 60 system.
Ushers in a new design era at Haibike

Flops

Long seat tube paired with short-travel dropper post
Flimsy tires
Demanding handling

You can find out more about at haibike.com

The test field