E-504 2023

The E-504 was the compact entry in Whyte's electric hardtail line, built specifically for smaller riders. It paired a 6061 T6 aluminium frame with 27.5in wheels and XS, S and M sizes only, while the otherwise identical E-505 covered the bigger 29in sizes. Power came from a Bosch Performance Line CX motor with an 85Nm rating and a removable 500Wh PowerTube battery, controlled through a Purion display.

At £3,499 the single build was sensibly specced rather than flashy: a 120mm RockShox 35 Silver TK fork, SRAM GX 11-speed shifting with an 11-42 cassette, Tektro Orion four-piston brakes on 200mm rotors, tubeless-ready WTB i30 rims with 2.6in Maxxis Forekaster tyres, and a Whyte drop.it dropper post fitted as standard on every size.

The geometry was unusually progressive for a hardtail of its day, with a 64 to 64.5 degree head angle, 440mm chainstays and a 305mm bottom bracket height, giving reach figures of 403 to 450mm across the three sizes. That slack front end and the high-volume tyres were aimed at giving genuine off-road confidence rather than just bridleway pottering.

The E-504 is discontinued and has no direct successor; Whyte's current e-bike range has moved entirely to full-suspension models such as the ELyte, E-160 and Karve, leaving the E-50x hardtail series as a closed chapter in the brand's catalogue.