2023 Flyer UprocX 8.70 review

Flyer always had an unusual emtb lineup. They offered two different model lines with 140 mm suspension travel, one with a Panasonic motor, and one with Bosch. Also, they had two versions with 160 mm travel and the same two motors. Flyer changed this with the introduction of the UprocX. See our video review or keep reading below.



I think it’s a bit sad that Flyer decided to discontinue the Panasonic powered Uproc 4 and Uproc 7 while keeping the Uproc 3 and 6 with the Bosch motor. I don’t think the Bosch is a bad motor, but Flyer is one of very few brands using the Panasoinc. But okay, the Flyer emtb line-up looks more sensible now with the 150 mm travel UprocX.

Flyer UprocX specs​

The test bike is the second most expensive Uproc X, the 8.70 at €7.999. It’s a well specced bike that comes with Mavic wheels and Onza Porcupine tyres. This is the first time I’ve ridden Onza tyres. They worked well, but the testing was done in bone dry conditions that didn’t put the tyres up to any proper challenges. The UprocX comes with a “mullet” wheel setup running a 27.5x2.6” tyre at the back and 29x2,4” at the front.


We like Shimano brakes with the short lever, and the 8.70 comes with the nice XT M810 dual caliper brakes. The 12-speed drivetrain is also Shimano XT. Our test bike in size Large comes with a nice and long 175 mm dropper seatpost.


Full suspension emtbs with a big detachable battery usually are quite heavy. The Flyer UprocX is on the lighter side. The clever battery integration and the carbon frame contributes to the relatively low weight of 24.8 kg. That’s without pedals for a size L.

Motor and battery​

The UprocX is available with either a 630 or a 750 Wh battery. The battery opening in the downtube is a bit different. Flyer created a narrow downtube with “wings” to cover the battery.



We’ve already published a review of the Panasonic motor. Here you’ll find all the details about the motor and a comparison against a few other brands. I’ll mention that the 95Nm Panasonic GX Ultimate motor makes the UprocX a fast climber! This isn’t the most refined motor when riding with maximum assistance. It can be a bit twitchy if you do a lot of starting and stopping in wet and challenging conditions. But it’s not bad, we could ride maximum assistance everywhere on our dry trails.

Geometry​

We’ve previously ridden the Uproc 4 and 7, both were quite nimble bikes with 450 mm chainstays. I was a bit surprised to see Flyer had increased the chainstays to 460 mm on the UprocX. Wasn’t this supposed to a more playful bike than the old 160 mm travel Uproc 7? The headtube angle at 65* seems a good choice, not extremely slack. It provides a quick steering response. The seat tube angle is steep at 77*, moving the rider position forwards over the frame. The combination of a steep seat tube angle and slightly longer chainstays has its advantages.

Flyer UprocX on the trails​

The UprocX is a great climber. The frame geometry provides a balanced climbing position. We have full control of the front wheel in the steepest ascents. Combined with the powerful Panasonic motor, this bike covers most climbs with impressive speed. We’re thinking this might just be the ultimate climber, but it’s difficult to say for sure without comparing it side-by-side with other candidates.



The relatively low weight makes the UprocX an inspiring ride on flatter terrain. The generous motor makes it easy picking up and maintaining speed. And the fast steering helps us keep the pace up on trails with lots of bends and turns. If we put some force to the pedals to keep the speed high, even somewhat rough trails suddenly feel like flow trails. This is a fun and versatile trail bike.



The UprocX is quite stable and confidence inspiring on the descents. But is does lag a bit behind the longer travel enduro bikes. Yeah, it can be ridden fast, but the burlier bikes feels safer at higher speeds.

Conclusion​

The Flyer UprocX is designed to be less burly; we’re holding back a bit in the gnar. But there is nothing holding the bike back when we turn it around and go up again. The UprocX is a master of climbs. This is a versatile all mountain trail bike. It will do most kinds of terrain well. We believe it sits below the longer travel Uproc 6 when it comes to hard hitting descending. The Panasonic motor is an important reason why we like the UprocX. This is a motor that is barely found on other full suspension emtbs.