The Stormtrekker is here! Unveiling Giant’s new Stormguard E+ 2023 trekking ebike

“Off-road, transportation and connectivity” were clearly amongst the key points during the development of the new Stormguard E+ trekking ebike. Giant’s brand new e-Trekker drifts into the new season with a full suspension frame platform, a pannier rack and a comprehensive on-board computer. Read the full news to find out whether the Stormguard E+ will be taking the e-trekking world by storm.

With the Stormguard E+1, Giant are presenting a e-trekking bike with a hint of mountain bike genes. With its comprehensive off-road package, modern connectivity features and full-suspension frame platform generating 100 mm travel front and rear, it could have easily entered our big E-trekking group test, but unfortunately it was too late for that. Better late than never though!
With its 800 Wh battery and optional 250 Wh range extender, the Stormguard E+ has a whopping 1,050 Wh total capacity, which makes it suitable for epic backcountry adventures – welcome to the 1000 Wh club! The batteries power a powerful Giant SyncDrive Pro 2 motor, which is based on Yamaha’s PW-X3 drive and paired with a low-maintenance carbon belt drive. Needless to say, this setup ensures added peace of mind on long tours. The Stormguard E+ is available in two spec variants and retails between €6,499 and €7,999, thus placing itself in the premium trekking ebikes segment.

The Giant Stormguard E+ 2023 in detail

A trekking ebike without connectivity features would be considered outdated by most riders these days. Giant knew this well, so they integrated an in-house Ride Dash Evo display right at the top of the stem at the center of the cockpit, allowing all connectivity enthusiasts to call up basic riding data like battery capacity and current speed. Moreover, the display features a simple navigation function with turn-by-turn instructions. However, this only works in combination with Giant’s RideControl smartphone app, which also allows you to track your ride and fitness data while at the same time displaying the motor’s system data. The brake lines and cables of the drivetrain, dropper post, headlight and remote are all routed internally and disappear into the frame through the stem and headset. The remote features a practical USB-C charge port, allowing you to use a smartphone as navigation device instead of the Ride Dash Evo display.

The Stormguard E+ 1 tips the scales at 32,8 kg (incl. range extender – manufacturer’s specifications) and has a maximum payload of 123.2 kg. For the motor, the Taiwanese bike giant (no pun intended) relies on a SyncDrive Pro 2, which we have already tested on the Giant Trance XE +. Just like its trail counterpart, the Stormguard E+ churns out 85 Nm torque, offering up to 400% pedalling assistance. The motor draws its power from a new-generation EnergyPak 800 battery, which consists of 22700 round cells instead of the conventional 21700 and generates 50 Wh more than its 750 Wh predecessor. In typical Giant fashion, the charging port of the Stormguard E+ sits right above the motor, while the battery is secured to the frame with an ABUS Xplus lock. The rear end consists of a single-stay swingarm positioned right above the drive belt. The advantage of this design is that it prevents engineers from having to split the seat stay, which is usually the case with belt drive bikes. In addition, it makes it easier to remove the rear wheel, for example when you have to change a tire or fix a puncture.

The Stormguard E+ comes standard with what looks like a floating pannier rack. This isn’t attached to the swingarm or mudguard, but to the seat tube on the main frame triangle, which makes it part of the sprung mass and should therefore prevent your luggage from bouncing around when the rear wheel hits an obstacle – a massive perk, unless you’re carrying a vodka martini for a cheeky post-ride drink! The concept is well thought out and has already convinced us with other bikes like the Riese & Müller Homage, which impressed us with excellent riding characteristics. Only a thorough first ride test will tell us whether the Giant Stormguard E+ delivers just as good a performance. The Stormguard E+ wants to deliver an easy ride even with heavy luggage, allowing you to carry up to 15 kg of luggage. Moreover, the pannier rack is compatible with the MIK-standard, allowing for countless luggage configurations. In addition, a small alloy bracket on the top tube allows you to attach a smaller bag or bottle cage to each side of the frame. With the Stormguard E+, Giant are also introducing a new rear axle trailer-mount, allowing you to pull a trailer, both on and off road, albeit not on trails.

The spec variants of the Giant Stormguard E+ 2023 at a glance

The Stormguard E+ is available in two spec variants. The flagship model E+ 1 retails at € 7,999 while the more affordable version E+ 2 will set you back € 6,499. Both spec variants generate 100 mm travel, both front and rear, and employ a FOX Float DPS rear shock. However, the cheaper version comes equipped with a SR Suntour XCR 34 fork while the top-spec model features a FOX AWL trekking fork with mounting points for mudguards and headlight. Fortunately, Giant only used the mounting point for the mudguard, integrating the Supernova M99 headlight directly on the handlebars, where it ensures better visibility – and the same goes for the cheaper version with the Suntour fork.
The high-quality Supernova M99 Mini Pro headlight with high beam function is complemented by a Supernova E3 tail light, which is discreetly integrated into the mudguard.

The 150 mm dropper post (size L) shows its perks off the beaten track, as does the bottle cage on the down tube, which can be used to store either a water bottle or the optional 250 Wh range extender. Panic-shifting before a steep climb is a thing of the past with the Stormguard E+1, because it features an automatic Enviolo transmission, which provides the optimal gear ratio without shift gaps. The Stormguard E+2, on the other hand, relies on a manual Shimano five-speed gearbox.
The off-road package includes a set of voluminous and knobbly 27.5″ x 2.6″ Maxxis Rekon tires, which have already delivered an excellent off-road performance during our test of the Moustache Samedi Weekend 27 FS Dual EQ – provided we rode on dry hardpack terrain. Braking is taken care of by Shimano Deore four-piston brakes with big 203 mm rotors front and rear.

The geometry of the Giant Stormguard E+ 2023

The Stormguard E+ is available in four sizes, S to XL, and should therefore offer a suitable option for riders of all heights. Giant combine a short reach and tall stack height, which suggests an upright pedaling position – at least on the paper! However, whether the riding position is suitable for touring depends on many factors including stem length, handlebar width and the effective seat angle when the saddle isd fully extended. We’ll only be able to tell you how relaxed or sporty the Stormguard E+ feels after putting it through the wringer in a first ride test.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Seat tube	445 mm	445 mm	460 mm	490 mm
Top tube	580 mm	595 mm	610 mm	630 mm
Head tube	125 mm	140 mm	155 mm	170 mm
Head angle	69.0°	69.5°	69.5°	69.5°
Seat angle	73.5°	73.5°	73.5°	73.5°
Chainstays	480 mm	480 mm	480 mm	480 mm
BB Drop	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm	40 mm
Wheelbase	1,152 mm	1,169 mm	1,185 mm	1,206 mm
Reach	395 mm	406 mm	417 mm	433 mm
Stack	623 mm	637 mm	651 mm	665 mm

Our conclusions about the Giant Stormguard E+ 2022

While Giant aren’t reinventing the wheel with the Stormguard E+, they’re definitely taking an exciting new approach with the belt drive, the suspended pannier rack and the connectivity package, thus laying a decent foundation for a solid trekking ebike. With its full suspension platform, consistent spec and consequent off-road package, the Stormguard E+ should offer an excellent overall package for long tours. However, only a thorough test session will reveal whether the Stormguard E+ is capable of embarking on exciting backcountry adventures with its 1000 Wh capacity or if Giant are promising too much!

For more information, visit giant-bicycles.com.

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Words: Gabriel Knapp Photos: Manufacturer