Descending
53
A solid all-round descender (66° head angle, 150mm) — capable in the rough and steep without being an all-out bruiser.
MAXX
FAB.4 ELS 2022
Discontinued✎Full Power · TrailLegacy · 0.4/10iFreshness 0.4/10
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
Hand-built German alloy enduro with a stout, oversized frame
Motor
Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) · 85Nm · 500W↗
Battery
Shimano down-tube 726Wh
Travel F/R
150/150mm
Wheels
29F / 29R✎
Frame
Aluminium✎
Weight
—✎
Price
€5,516✎
EMTB Forums verdict
The MAXX FAB.4 ELS is the full-power, full-suspension enduro and all-mountain eMTB from the boutique Bavarian frame builder MAXX. In this 2022 archive capture it pairs a Shimano EP8 mid-motor (85Nm) with a fully integrated, removable 726Wh down-tube battery, and runs 150mm of travel front and rear on a sporty chassis with a 66 degree head angle and a 74.5 degree effective seat angle. The fork is fitted at 150 to 160mm as standard and can optionally be run at 160 or 170mm.
The frame is welded from MAXX's own 6061-T6 aluminium custom tubing with the distinctive eight-sided Octatube down tube and an extra-wide motor mount, twin-layer powder coated in your choice of colour. It uses a stiff Boost 12x148mm rear axle and offers 29in or B+ wheel options. The 2022 range spans five sizes from S to XXL, covering riders from 1.60m to 2.08m, with the smallest S size running 27.5in / B+ wheels and M to XXL running 29in / B+.
As with every MAXX bike this is built to order through the configurator, so equipment, ergonomics and finish are specified per customer rather than sold as fixed off-the-peg models. MAXX itself publishes only the frame data and fitting dimensions (fork travel, shock fitment, crank length, handlebar, stem, seatpost and tyre clearance) plus general bullets for the drive system, battery and Shimano controls. The dealer standard build seen with this frame runs a Fox 36 fork, Fox Float DPX2 shock, Shimano XT four-piston brakes and Schwalbe Nobby Nic tyres, with a sample build priced around 5,516 euros.
As a low-volume German hand-built bike there is no meaningful pool of owner feedback, and the FAB.4 ELS has since been superseded, so it is now a discontinued model.
Geometry read
What the numbers mean on the trail
Computed from this bike's geometry, spec and build kit — reach, wheelbase, chainstay, head and seat angles, travel, motor, weight and the fork/tyre/brake spec — and worked out per size, because a fixed chainstay can make an S and an XL feel very different.
Size
Wheels
Playfulness
26
More planted than poppy — better on steep terrain than tight, fiddly singletrack.
Size balance
91
Rear-long with a planted front in L (FC:RC 1.74) — easy to weight the front and quick to turn, though it can feel light at the back at real speed.
Technical climbing
73
Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) and a steep 74.5° seat angle keep the weight planted over the front — a proper winch. 500W of peak power and 85Nm of torque — a strong full-power motor.
No single standout trait — a balanced, versatile bike.
Brilliant on fast, rough, steep terrain; less fun on tight, mellow trails.
How it stacks up vs other Full Power · Trail bikes (from 271 bikes in the database)
Battery726 Whabout average capacity
Motor torque85 Nm13 Nm below average
Computed from geometry + spec, not a paid review. Scores are guidance, not gospel.
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | XXL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 434 mm | 445 mm | 464 mm | 483 mm | 500 mm |
| Stack | 613 mm | 651 mm | 655 mm | 664 mm | 683 mm |
| Seattube | 400 mm | 440 mm | 480 mm | 520 mm | 560 mm |
| Chainstay | 438 mm | 460 mm | 460 mm | 460 mm | 460 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° | 66° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° | 74.5° |
| Wheelbase | 1195 mm | 1240 mm | 1261 mm | 1284 mm | 1309 mm |
| Headtube | 125 mm | 140 mm | 145 mm | 155 mm | 175 mm |
| BB Height | 347 mm | 355 mm | 355 mm | 355 mm | 355 mm |
| Front Centre | 757 mm* | 780 mm* | 801 mm* | 824 mm* | 849 mm* |
| FC:RC | 1.73 | 1.70 | 1.74 | 1.79 | 1.85 |
Trims · 1
Base €5,516 | |
|---|---|
| Motor | Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) · 85 Nm |
| Battery | Shimano down-tube 726Wh · 726 Wh |
| Travel F/R | 150/150 mm |
| Frame | 6061-T6 aluminium MAXX Custom tubing, Octatube (8-sided down tube) |
| Fork | Gabel mit 150mm Federweg, optional 160 oder 170mm (Serie 150-160mm); no fork brand/model published by MAXX (configurator selection). Dealer standard 'Fab4 Pro' build runs a Fox 36 Float Performance 29in/B+ fork. |
| Shock | Daempfer-Einbaumasse 185x55mm Trunnion (frame data 54/30mm); no shock brand/model published by MAXX (configurator selection). Dealer standard build runs a Fox Float DPX2 TR 185x55 (XXL-Setup). |
| Stem | Vorbau 40mm / 0 degrees (S, M, L); 50mm / 0 degrees (XL, XXL); no stem brand published |
| Handlebar | Lenker b=800mm, h=20mm, Pfeilung/sweep > -45 (all sizes); no bar brand published |
| Seatpost | Sattelstuetze (Teleskop/dropper) 350 x 31,6mm (S); 400 x 31,6mm (M, L, XL, XXL); no seatpost brand published |
| Brakes | Frame brake mount Scheibenbremse PM 180mm; no brake brand/model published by MAXX. Dealer standard build runs Shimano XT BR-M8120 4-piston, 203/180mm rotors. |
| Crank | Kurbellaenge 165mm (S) / 170mm (M) / 175mm (L, XL, XXL); no crank brand published (Shimano EP8 / STEPS BB) |
| Drivetrain | Kurbellaenge 165mm (S) / 170mm (M) / 175mm (L, XL, XXL); no crank brand published (Shimano EP8 / STEPS BB) |
| Tyres | Reifenfreiheit lichte Weite 84mm max. 65x584 (S) / 89mm max. 75x584; 65x622 (M-XXL); wheels 29in or B+, tyres up to 65x622 (29in); no tyre brand/model published by MAXX (configurator selection). Dealer standard build runs Schwalbe Nobby Nic SnakeSkin TLE 65-622 (29in), tubeless. |
| Price | €5,516 |
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