Descending
60
A solid all-round descender (65° head angle, 130mm) — capable in the rough and steep without being an all-out bruiser.
Norco
Fluid VLT 2023
Discontinued✎Full Power · Cross-CountryLegacy · 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.
Motor
Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) · 85Nm · 500W↗
Battery
Norco 720Wh
Travel F/R
140/130mm
Wheels
29F / 29R✎
Frame
Aluminium✎
Weight
—
Price
From $6,948
EMTB Forums verdict
The 2023 Norco Fluid VLT was the brand's full-power alloy trail eMTB, built around a hydroformed aluminium frame with 140mm of fork travel and 130mm at the rear. It ran Shimano's STEPS EP8 (DU-EP800) drive unit paired to a removable in-tube battery that buyers could custom select in 540Wh, 720Wh or 900Wh capacities, trading weight against range. Norco's Ride Aligned setup system guided suspension and fit.
Two builds covered the range. The A1 was the better specced of the pair, with a 12-speed Shimano Deore drivetrain, four-piston Shimano MT420 brakes on 203mm rotors and Maxxis Dissector tyres. The A2 dropped to a 10-speed Shimano Deore setup, Tektro HD-M285 brakes and Goodyear Newton/Escape tyres, with both builds sharing the RockShox 35 Silver coil fork and a sensible 800mm bar and 50mm stem.
Geometry was steady and trail oriented rather than aggressive, with a 65 degree head angle, 462mm chainstays across all four sizes (S to XL) and reach from 410mm to 500mm on consistent 29in wheels. It positioned itself as a dependable, value led full-power option rather than a lightweight flyer.
This alloy generation has been discontinued and was superseded by the lighter, redesigned 2024 Fluid VLT, which moved to a Bosch Performance Line SX motor, a smaller internal battery and an MX wheel layout. The two bikes share a name but little else.
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
Playfulness
39
More planted than poppy — better on steep terrain than tight, fiddly singletrack.
Size balance
86
Rear-long with a planted front in L (FC:RC 1.72) — easy to weight the front and quick to turn, though it can feel light at the back at real speed.
Technical climbing
78
Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) and a steep 76.2° 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.
Strong up and composed down — a do-it-all, not a specialist.
Brilliant on fast, rough, steep terrain; less fun on tight, mellow trails.
How it stacks up vs other Full Power · Cross-Country bikes (from 111 bikes in the database)
Battery720 Whabout average capacity
Motor torque85 Nmabout average torque
Computed from geometry + spec, not a paid review. Scores are guidance, not gospel.
💬 Forum discussion
Torn between Norco Fluid VLT and Transition Relay
21 replies · 2.5k views · last reply 5 months ago
Join the discussion →
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 410 mm | 440 mm | 470 mm | 500 mm |
| Stack | 600 mm | 609 mm | 618 mm | 627 mm |
| Seattube | 395 mm | 415 mm | 440 mm | 485 mm |
| Chainstay | 462 mm | 462 mm | 462 mm | 462 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 65° | 65° | 65° | 65° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 75.5° | 75.8° | 76.2° | 76.5° |
| Wheelbase | 1188 mm | 1222 mm | 1256 mm | 1290 mm |
| Headtube | 100 mm | 110 mm | 120 mm | 130 mm |
| BB Height | 350 mm | 350 mm | 350 mm | 350 mm |
| Standover | 690 mm | 704 mm | 711 mm | 723 mm |
| Front Centre | 726 mm* | 760 mm* | 794 mm* | 828 mm* |
| FC:RC | 1.57 | 1.65 | 1.72 | 1.79 |
Trims · 2
A1 $7,848 | A2 $6,948 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Shimano EP8 (DU-EP800) · 85 Nm · all trims | |
| Battery | Norco 720Wh · 720 Wh · all trims | |
| Travel F/R | 140/130 mm · all trims | |
| Frame | Aluminum · all trims | |
| Fork | RockShox 35 Silver R Coil, 140mm Travel, 44mm Offset, 1.8" Tapered, E-MTB · all trims | |
| Shock | RockShox Select R, Custom Tune, 210x47.5mm | X-Fusion 02 Pro R Air, Rebound Adjust, Custom Tune, 210x47.5mm |
| Headset | FSA No. 55R, Sealed Bearing · all trims | |
| Stem | Alloy, 50mm Length, 35mm Clamp · all trims | |
| Handlebar | Butted 6061 Alloy, 800mm, 25mm Rise · all trims | |
| Grips | SDG Thrice Lock-On, Thin (S, M), Thick (L, XL) · all trims | |
| Saddle | WTB Volt 250 Sport · all trims | |
| Seatpost | TranzX YS105 Adjustable Dropper, 34.9mm, 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 170mm (L, XL) | TranzX YSP39 Dropper, 34.9mm, 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 170mm (L, XL) |
| Brakes | Front: Shimano BR-MT420, 4 piston, Metallic Pads, Rear: Shimano BR-MT420, 4 piston, Metallic Pads | Front: Tektro HD-M285, Resin Pads, Rear: Tektro HD-M285, Resin Pads |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano Deore RD-M6100 | Shimano Deore RD-M5120 |
| Crank | Shimano, 34T, Narrow Wide, 165mm · all trims | |
| Shifters | Shimano Deore SL-M6100-R | Shimano Deore SL-M4100 |
| Cassette | Shimano Deore CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12 Speed | Shimano Deore CS-M4100, 11-46T, 10 Speed |
| Chain | Shimano Deore CN-M6100 | KMC Anti-Rust E-MTB |
| Drivetrain | Shimano Deore RD-M6100; Shimano, 34T, Narrow Wide, 165mm; Shimano Deore SL-M6100-R; Shimano Deore CS-M6100-12, 10-51T, 12 Speed; Shimano Deore CN-M6100 | Shimano Deore RD-M5120; Shimano, 34T, Narrow Wide, 165mm; Shimano Deore SL-M4100; Shimano Deore CS-M4100, 11-46T, 10 Speed; KMC Anti-Rust E-MTB |
| Wheels | WTB ST i30 TCS 2.0, 32H, 29" · all trims | |
| Tyres | Front: Maxxis Dissector 2.4" 3C/MaxxTerra/EXO+/TR, Rear: Maxxis Dissector 2.4" 3C/MaxxTerra/EXO+/TR | Front: Goodyear Newton 2.4", Folding, Rear: Goodyear Escape 2.4", Folding |
| Price | $7,848 | $6,948 |
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