Spherik E-SMT XX AXS – In our huge 2024 e-mountainbike test

With the E-SMT XX AXS, Spherik enter the race with a rather exotic specimen. The Canadian manufacturer’s light eMTB features a rare maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR motor system, which delivers 40 Nm of torque and draws its power from a 360 Wh battery. But can the Spherik shake up the light competition with its 150/140 mm of travel?

Ever heard of Spherik? Don’t worry, the Canadian bike manufacturer is still relatively unknown over here in Europe, though this doesn’t stop them from making some big plans for the upcoming years. Spherik’s wide portfolio ranges from city ebikes and road bikes to analogue MTBs and eMTBs. Their light eMTB series is aimed specifically at the trail/enduro crowd and includes a total of 3 models. The trail version we tested, the Spherik E-SMT XX AXS variant, relies on a full carbon frame and combines big 29” wheels with 150/140 mm of travel front and rear. At the heart of the bike lies a 40 Nm maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR motor and 360 Wh battery, which is meant to ensure a natural ride feeling. At 17.4 kg, our test bike in size M is the lightest competitor in this group test, but also the second most expensive one after the Pivot Shuttle AM, retailing at € 13,400.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2024 – 27 of the most exciting models in our comparison test

What sets the 2024 Spherik E-SMT XX AXS apart from the competition?

At the heart of the Spherik E-SMT XX AXS lies a maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR motor, which takes on the competition with a pinch of rocket science – the Swiss motor manufacturer has already developed motors for the Mars rover in the past. Delivering just 40 Nm of torque, it’s by far the weakest motor amongst our light eMTB competitors, not only on paper but also on the trail – but more on this later. Like the TQ-HPR50 drive of the SCOTT Voltage and Mondraker Neat, it’s integrated seamlessly into the carbon frame, and is almost imperceptible at first glance. When ordering your bike, you can choose between a 250 or 360 Wh battery, which are both integrated permanently into the down tube, meaning that you’ll have to schlepp your bike into your flat if you don’t have a garage or basement with a plug. Our test bike came with a 360 Wh battery. The charging port on the top of the down tube is easily accessible and protected against the elements by a slightly finicky rubber cover. For longer tours, you can expand the internal battery with an optional 160 Wh range extender, which can be attached to the frame with maxon’s special BIKEDRIVE AIR bottle cage. However, if you use the extender, you won’t be able to carry a water bottle in the frame. Overall, Spherik rely on a minimalist motor integration concept. The small metal ring remote on the handlebars is of better quality than the fiddly plastic one found on FAZUA systems, and feels much nicer to use. The control unit is integrated in the top tube and shows the battery charge status in eight increments as well as the current support mode via coloured LED bars. The maxon Connect app allows you to customise the support levels and shows you the battery status. If you want, you can also connect the motor system to a bike computer via ANT+.

The motor system is integrated into a full carbon frame, all topped off by a modern design language and flashy paint finish. The frame silhouette is an ensemble of straight lines and clear edges, with the top tube merging seamlessly into the seat stays. The few cables in the cockpit disappear into the frame through Spherik’s in-house, one-piece carbon cockpit, which ensures a tidy look but doesn’t allow for fine tuning – and makes servicing a lot harder. The bottom bracket area is protected by a plastic skid plate, but our test bike didn’t have any sort of protection on the chainstays. However, according to Spherik, the production bike comes standard with a chainstay protector.

For the spec of the E-SMT XX AXS, the Canadian manufacturer relies almost entirely on well-known manufacturers. FOX supply their top-tier Factory suspension, which offers countless adjustment options and delivers a tremendous performance on the trail. The American suspension guru also provides the FOX Transfer Factory dropper post which, at 150 mm travel, is on the short side. SRAM’s XX Eagle Transmission flagship wireless drivetrain ensures a clean look and butter-smooth gear shifts. The SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth four-piston brakes, which were originally developed for XC, require strong fingers on long descents, especially in combination with the small 180 mm rotor at the rear, though the bigger 200 mm front disc doesn’t help much. While most manufacturers in this test rely on big brands like MAXXIS and Schwalbe for their tires, Spherik opted for a set of less common, shallow-profiled ONZA Porcupine tires, and paired them with a Hoops carbon wheelset. However, the tires quickly reach their limits and struggle to generate enough traction, especially in wet conditions. Mean shredders should upgrade to a more aggressive-profiled tire, and while they’re at it, swap the thin TRC Trail Casing and the hard Medium Compound 60 rubber for the more robust GRC casing and softer Soft Compound 50. According to the manufacturer, the Vittoria Mazza and Martello tire combination will soon be available on the website.

Tuning tips: More aggressive-profiled tires and longer dropper post

What is the 2024 Spherik E-SMT XX AXS capable of on the trail?

When on level ground and uphill, the Spherik E-SMT’s character is determined by the natural feeling of the maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR motor, which kicks in very discreetly and provides a fresh breeze of artificial tailwind, taking the edge off steeper climbs. However, in terms of sheer power, the Spherik’s motor can’t keep up with the TQ-HPR50 drive of the SCOTT Voltage eRide and the Mondraker Neat or SL1.2 motor of the Specialized Levo SL Expert. In line with the motor’s sporty ambitions, the pedalling position is stretched and slightly front-heavy, which is more suitable for fast-paced trail expeditions than for leisurely day tours. On steep climbs, there’s enough pressure on the front wheel that you don’t have to actively weight the bars. The rear suspension hardly bobs, even with the shock in open mode, but generates little traction in combination with the shallow-profiled tires, thus requiring a vigilant riding style and smooth pedal stroke to prevent the rear wheel from spinning out of control. That said, you won’t be securing uphill KOMs on tarmac anyway with the weak motor.

When gravity takes over, the ONZA tires still struggle to generate traction, making it hard to carve through corners and control your speed in fast, steep trail sections. The firm suspension doesn’t help either, clearly lacking sensitivity and passing on impacts to the rider almost unfiltered in rough berms and nasty braking bumps. And that’s a real shame, because the firm suspension delivers plenty of pop and support on flow trails. We found the Spherik demanding to ride, and felt that it places you on top of the bike, rather than integrating you between the wheels. The agile riding character on moderate trails but becomes nervous on technical terrain. On steep trails, the low front end results in chilling OTB moments, while the short dropper post restricts your freedom of movement on the bike, robbing you of even more confidence.

Uphill, the maxon BIKEDRIVE AIR motor of the Spherik E-SMT XX AXS provides a gentle breeze of tailwind and takes the edge off steeper climbs.

Who should take a closer look at the 2024 Spherik E-SMT XX AXS and who should look elsewhere?

The Spherik E-SMT could be a good choice if you’re looking for an exotic bike. With its rare motor system and eye-catching paintwork, you’re guaranteed to stand out from the crowd. While at first glance, it might look like a fun bike for all kinds of riders, in reality it’s only suited to a very narrow range of applications. The lightweight concept is aimed more at seasoned endurance athletes who need a little support for their fitness training and are happy to swap technical trails for full-gas laps on mellow terrain. The high price also affects the bike’s price-performance ratio.

Our conclusions about the 2024 Spherik E-SMT XX AXS

With its modern look and unconventional motor system, the Spherik E-SMT XX AXS is a real head-turner. Unfortunately, it lacks the performance to match, which is mainly due to the harsh handling and a few flaws in the spec. Uphill, it impresses with a very natural ride feel, but is only suitable for sporty riders. The price is high, which becomes a major issue in view of the bike’s narrow range of applications.

Tops

• Natural ride feeling
• agile driving performance on moderate trails

Flops

• Expensive
• Nervous downhill
• Narrow range of applications
• Inconsistent spec

For more information, visit spherikbike.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2024 – 27 of the most exciting models in our comparison test

All bikes in test: BULLS VUCA EVO AM 2 (Click for review) | BULLS SONIC EVO AM SX-I (Click for review) | Canyon Strive:ON CFR LTD (Click for review) | Canyon Torque:ON CF Roczen (Click for review) | CENTURION No Pogo SL R8000i (Click for review) | CUBE AMS Hybrid ONE44 (Click for review) | FLYER Uproc X 8.70 (Click for review) | FOCUS SAM² 6.9 (Click for review) | GASGAS ECC 6 (Click for review) | GIANT Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 (Click for review) | KTM Macina Scarp SX Prime (Click for review) | Lapierre Overvolt GLP3 (Click for review) | Merida eOne-Sixty 10K (Click for review) | Mondraker Neat RR SL (Click for review) | Moustache Samedi 29 Game 11 FOX (Click for review) | Orbea WILD M-LTD (Click for review) | Pivot Shuttle AM Team (Click for review) | Propain Ekano 2 CF (Click for review) | RADON RENDER 10.0 HD (Click for review) | ROTWILD R.X 1000 Ultra (Click for review) | Santa Cruz Heckler SL XX AXS RSV (Click for review) | SCOR 4060 ST (Click for review) | SCOTT Voltage eRide 900 Tuned (Click for review) | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax Pinion (Click for review) | Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert (Click for review) | Specialized Turbo Levo Pro (Click for review) | Spherik E-SMT XX AXS

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Words & Photos: Mike Hunger