What we’re witnessing here is the evolution of an already proven bike, as the Haibike XDURO AllMtn reenters the scene with revised geometry and grippier plus-size tires. Is this its cue to take centre stage?
An evergreen on the E-MTB market, it looks like this steed is staking its claim all over 2017 too. The Schweinfurt-based brand have continued to invest in R&D to keep up with their competitors, granting the XDURO AllMtn updated longer and slacker geometry, as well as wide 3.0″ plus-size Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires. While it is still visually very similar with the same top tube kink, familiar linkages, and striking Gravity casting, the spec has been brought bang up to date. Our test model came with a MAGURA Boltron inverted fork with 150 mm travel, MAGURA MT7 brakes, and the tried-and-tested Bosch Performance CX Motor.
Once on the XDURO AllMtn, you realize that it’s still a Haibike through-and-through – and it channels all those familiar ride characteristics, beginning with its upright and comfy riding position. Retailing at € 6,499, the AllMtn has a great motor that delivers sufficient power and rides uphill at its leisure. When the trail gets really steep, you’ll have to work out your weight distribution to keep the front wheel planted. The high bottom bracket is a great design to keep the cranks out of trouble, although it impacts your confidence while cornering, as you feel more on top of the bike than nicely integrated. The MAGURA Boltron fork smoothes out small bumps, but gets unruly as the hits get bigger – and it had a little too much flex despite its 20 mm axle. At high speeds the AllMtn’s heavy weight means that it follows your line well and steers accurately, but it’s not as stable as the top contenders in the test.
The Haibike XDURO AllMtn 8.0 in Detail
Fork Magura Boltron 150 mm
Rear shock FOX FLOAT DPS Factory 150 mm
Motor / Battery Bosch Performance CX / 500 Wh
Brakes Magura MT7
Drivetrain SRAM EX1
Seatpost Kind Shock LEV-DX
Stem Haibike Gravity A-Head 50 mm
Bars Haibike TheBar 780 mm
Tires Schwalbe Nobby Nic 3,0″
Wheels DT Swiss XM 1501 Spline One
The MAGURA MT7 are some of the best brakes for E-MTBs. Powerful and easy to modulate, these brakes have some of the best heat management out there.
Haibike have added an extra pulley to improve the rear suspension’s performance; it decouples the damping from the motor, and therefore enables you to accelerate more efficiently.
Haibike are the only brand to have gone for wide 3.0″ plus-size tires. They’re mega-comfortable and grippy, but any errors with your air pressure and they’re prone to wallowing and imprecision.
Despite being designed specifically for E-MTBs, the MAGURA Boltron fork hasn’t blown us away. When it comes to stiffness and damping performance, the Boltron is leagues behind the FOX 36 and RockShox Lyrik. Also, the thru-axle is anything but simple and intuitive.
Conclusion
Haibike have made great headway with their latest XDURO AllMtn, although its still conventional and compact geometry and build spec make it more suited to mellow kilometer-munchers than for much burly off-road riding.
Strenghts
– Comfortable riding position
– Sensitive suspension
Weaknesses
– Nervous handling, particularly on corners
– Fork isn’t as capable as the rear suspension
For more information head to haibike.com!
For an overview of the test fleet head to the main article: What is the Best E-MTB of 2017? – 14 Models in Test
All bikes in test: BULLS E-Core Di2 FS 27,5+ | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 Action Team | FLYER Uproc7 8.70 | FOCUS JAM2 FACTORY | Giant Full-E+ 0 SX | Lapierre Overvolt AM 900+ Carbon | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 900E | NOX EDF 6.7 Hybrid | ROTWILD R.E+ FS PRO | SCOTT E-Genius Tuned 700 Plus | Specialized Turbo Levo FSR Expert 6Fattie | STEVENS E-Sledge+ ES | Thömus Lightrider E1
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