Other Gen 2 Trek Fuel + (EXE) Official thread.
- Thread starter Rockhopper70
- Start date
CarolinaCrawler
Active member
I'm really surprised there's not been more out there on this bike. Trek has been quietly releasing bikes lately with this, the Gen 5 rail and the new slash+.
sportritter80
New Member
Riding the customized Fuel+ 9.7 now for 400km and 12k meter down.
The EX with 150mm front from a Fox38 Perf. Elite is highly capable while still being playful and agile. Morge than happy with it
Stock weight was 20,2kilo in size large but wheels came without tubes or milk.
The EX with 150mm front from a Fox38 Perf. Elite is highly capable while still being playful and agile. Morge than happy with it
Stock weight was 20,2kilo in size large but wheels came without tubes or milk.
Yobbo
Member
I have an Fuel+ EX 9.8 XT on order. Am hoping for delivery in the next three weeks. I am slowly accumulating parts for my preferred modifications for when it is delivered e.g. tyres, saddle, computer, multiple different stems, frame wrap, crud catcher, pedals etc. I have ridden my brothers Fuel EXE a lot and have been very impressed by how natural it feels and the quietness and reliability of the TQ motor. The one thing I couldn't get on with, when riding his bike though, was the short crank arms. As I am 6'2" (189cm) with long legs I just felt so cramped on the bike with only 165mm arms. The Fuel+ spec shows the arms to be even shorter at just 160mm which for me would be agony despite short crank arms currently being fashionable. Therefore, the most important component purchase so far has been 170mm E*Thirteen arms for the TQ which will be fitted on day one.
I don't know if it is the same in most countries, but in the UK, the spec of the 9.8 and above bikes is massively customizable via the online order process. For example with the EX 9.8 I could have chosen Shimano or SRAM, Fox or Rockshox suspension (including seven different shocks ! ) and there are three different dropper posts, two choices of wheels, three different stems and three handlebars to choose from, plus the choice of other stuff including tyres, grips etc. so it is a real pleasure to be able to select what you prefer. I just wish they had given us a slightly wider frame colour choice for a factory order as I like bright colours and sadly that wasn't available.
When the bike arrives I will do an update and first impressions. I am fussy about bike set-up, so I may well end up changing 30% of its components, just like I normally do. Hopefully the factory order customization options may have reduced that this time.
I don't know if it is the same in most countries, but in the UK, the spec of the 9.8 and above bikes is massively customizable via the online order process. For example with the EX 9.8 I could have chosen Shimano or SRAM, Fox or Rockshox suspension (including seven different shocks ! ) and there are three different dropper posts, two choices of wheels, three different stems and three handlebars to choose from, plus the choice of other stuff including tyres, grips etc. so it is a real pleasure to be able to select what you prefer. I just wish they had given us a slightly wider frame colour choice for a factory order as I like bright colours and sadly that wasn't available.
When the bike arrives I will do an update and first impressions. I am fussy about bike set-up, so I may well end up changing 30% of its components, just like I normally do. Hopefully the factory order customization options may have reduced that this time.
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It appears the stock Di2 equipped models have the derailleur wired for power from the TQ system battery.
Appreciate it! Couldn't find the info on the site but didn't think about looking for the service manuals.
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It looks like the frame is available to buy but the motor/battery have to be purchased separately which makes no sense to me.
did anyone try the fuel+ ex with a 205/65 shock and 160mm fork?
i ordered a 9.7 ex and got a 160mm zeb for cheap. will try an 205/65 vivid to match the fork.
for me it looks like the ideal setup for my riding (rooty singletrails at home, some bikepark visits each season)
i ordered a 9.7 ex and got a 160mm zeb for cheap. will try an 205/65 vivid to match the fork.
for me it looks like the ideal setup for my riding (rooty singletrails at home, some bikepark visits each season)
Being able to easily change shock stroke is one of the appealing features of the Float X and the reason I purchased the 9.7 model.
It’s also easy to upgrade that stock shock from Performance Series to Performance Elite spec by just adding the adjustable LSC assembly kit.
I had a 36 Factory eMTB 160mm fork on hand so I was happy to stay with FOX for my build.
I just took the first ride on my new Fuel+ 9.9 MX and I was having trouble pulling some wheelies on it. I have an old 2022 Turbo Levo that I have no problem with wheelies. Once you get the back tire balanced for the wheelie the Turbo Levo maintains constant power to hold the front wheel easily up in the air. The power on the Trek seems to pulsate and is not steady in order to keep the front wheel up. If the bike tries to loop out and you reduce the torque on the pedals(and front tire begins to fall) then try to give the pedals more torque, the power is not immediately there. And if the power eventually comes on it is too strong and wants to loop you out. I tried different setting in the TQ motor app but nothing seemed to smooth out the power while on the back wheel. Anyone else experiencing this?
Yobbo
Member
I replaced the standard eThirteen e-spec plus 160mm crank arms on mine today with some slightly different eThirteen 170mm ones. Removing the old arms was very tricky. I was told that a traditional square taper pedal arm remover would work, which in theory it does as the diameter and threads are correct. However, the HPR60 has a hollow central crank axle (like Shimano hollowtech but smaller) and so there was nothing for central threaded mandrel of the pedal arm remover to push against. To get over this, I cut a piece of round bar to length (130mm) to loosely fill the axle void so that the bar butted against the threaded crank axle end plug on the other side of the bike. The crank arm remover could then push solidly against the piece of bar and it extracted the arm, which was very tight. I then did the same on the other side (having screwed in the other sides crank axle end plug). There must be a proper tool to do this for the e-spec plus arms on the TQ, but I couldn't find one on the web.
I also intended to replace the steel 32 tooth chainring with an alloy 30 tooth TQ compatible one from Wolftooth. Trek say the Fuel+ will take a 30 tooth, however, for me it didn't work on my Carbon 9.8. The chain rubbed quite badly on the frames rubber chainstay protector when in the highest gear with the 30 tooth. I abandoned this idea and put the standard 32 tooth chainring back on. It would have worked fine if I had abraded the rubber chain stay protector by a few mm's, but I didn't fancy doing that on a new bike. Also a 'heads-up' for you. regarding the large diameter lock ring that holds the chain ring in place. Just a caution that it is Left hand thread if anyone is thinking of removing the chain ring as it is very easy to damage.
I also intended to replace the steel 32 tooth chainring with an alloy 30 tooth TQ compatible one from Wolftooth. Trek say the Fuel+ will take a 30 tooth, however, for me it didn't work on my Carbon 9.8. The chain rubbed quite badly on the frames rubber chainstay protector when in the highest gear with the 30 tooth. I abandoned this idea and put the standard 32 tooth chainring back on. It would have worked fine if I had abraded the rubber chain stay protector by a few mm's, but I didn't fancy doing that on a new bike. Also a 'heads-up' for you. regarding the large diameter lock ring that holds the chain ring in place. Just a caution that it is Left hand thread if anyone is thinking of removing the chain ring as it is very easy to damage.
I recommend the Park Tool CWP-7.
Yobbo
Member
Coregrind, thx, that is brilliant. I can see why the CWP-7 works okay and my near identical remover from another maker does not. The CWP-7 has a larger swiveling head at the end of the central mandrel to engage with the very narrow shoulders of the hollow crank axle, whereas the swiveling end on my remover is much smaller and so won't engage with it. That is worth knowing. Although my method worked, I have ordered a CWP-7 as I prefer the right tool for the job. 
Ohiomoto's recommended CCP-44 also has the same larger swivel end, so also thx for that.
Great advice guys.
Ohiomoto's recommended CCP-44 also has the same larger swivel end, so also thx for that.
Great advice guys.
Anyone seen any recent reviews on the Fuel+? Seeing very little info or reviews about the bike on the usual media sites, seems like it's very slow getting to market. It's high on my list but would like to see more reviews/info on it. None of my local shops have one to even look at.
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Yobbo
Member
I have had my Fuel+ 9.8 XT for just over a week. Generally all seems fine and I have done about 50 miles with very little off-road as I have done several short trips to set-up and adjust the bike to how I like it. I have ridden a Fuel EXE quite a bit and its not a massively different ride which is no bad thing. The motor seems to be totally silent, I have not heard it at all even in high power mode. High power mode seems to have a little more pull than the older HPR50 but it is subtle. I have added a clear wrap on the bike which took longer than normal as quite a bit of trimming was needed but it now looks fine. I have also swapped the tyres to Schwalbe Albert Trail radials.
The gearshift under power in the lower gears is proving to be sub-optimal, regardless of which power mode is selected. What it is doing in all modes is loudly crashing through the gears as I go up through gears 1-7 rather than gliding smoothly and I can feel every upward gear shift through the rear triangle. Gears 8-12 are fine though. The gears are selecting cleanly, but are just very noisy doing so and I have been worried about the chain snapping through shock loads. It is not the XT set up causing it because if I switch the motor off completely, and then pedal it as an analogue bike, the gear change is transformed and becomes absolutely perfect just like any other well set-up XT. To mitigate I have dropped the power from default in each mode by 10% and also turned down the pedal response to its lowest possible setting. This has significantly reduced the crashing through some of the lower gears, but not all. I will leave it like that for the next couple of weeks until the cassette and chain have more miles under them as it probably really is just teething trouble with a new cassette and chain. If anyone has any other suggestions that would be good?
The gearshift under power in the lower gears is proving to be sub-optimal, regardless of which power mode is selected. What it is doing in all modes is loudly crashing through the gears as I go up through gears 1-7 rather than gliding smoothly and I can feel every upward gear shift through the rear triangle. Gears 8-12 are fine though. The gears are selecting cleanly, but are just very noisy doing so and I have been worried about the chain snapping through shock loads. It is not the XT set up causing it because if I switch the motor off completely, and then pedal it as an analogue bike, the gear change is transformed and becomes absolutely perfect just like any other well set-up XT. To mitigate I have dropped the power from default in each mode by 10% and also turned down the pedal response to its lowest possible setting. This has significantly reduced the crashing through some of the lower gears, but not all. I will leave it like that for the next couple of weeks until the cassette and chain have more miles under them as it probably really is just teething trouble with a new cassette and chain. If anyone has any other suggestions that would be good?
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Yeah, he literally the only person I have seen post any content about the bike. Just seems like they are not getting to the market in any numbers yet. No one else has posted much of anything about it.
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If you haven't ridden a HRP50 and you're interested in the TQ ride experience Jeff Kendall-Weed has a video on the HPR60.
I'm sure the HRP60 is improved but it sounds like the ride experience is nearly the same. I think the larger battery would be the biggest difference.
The Fuel + looks like a nice bike to me and I like how the TQ system rides, but that's not a proper review. haha
Yeah I did see that video on the HP60 in the Yeti he did and I already ride a 2023 Fuel EX 9.8 so have a feel for what the bike probably rides like. Just hoping for more content so I can build a complete picture, I tend not to believe just one or 2 influencers although Jeff is pretty reliable I think. Just weird there is not much out there and none in the bike shops
Is it the Di2 XT, or the manual shift? If Di2, any feedback on how it shifts with that?
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CarolinaCrawler
Active member
I know Loam Wolf has just finished their SL shootout. They have one for it and should be dropping videos soon.
It's the cable shifted derailleur. I have the exact same setup on another bike and they both shift fantastic. I don't see the need for Di2 as it weighs and costs more.
The new CS-M8200 cassette shifts noticeably better than the outgoing model (I have this on my other bike as well).
JP-NZ
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Hah, the new Fuel+ hasn't even launched in New Zealand yet so all I can see is overseas pics sadly.
I believe Trek NZ has a LOT of Fuel Ex-e stock on hand so won't be in a rush to offer the new model. Most Ex-e's have been on 40% off clearence deals for months.
Yobbo
Member
So after a bit of experimentation I fixed the XT shift problem on my Fuel+. I swapped in a part-worn Shimano XTR cassette off of another bike and straight away it fixed the problem of crashy shifts in gears 1-7. I have reverted the motor settings to default and all is now good with silky gear shifts. I have put the XT cassette on another analogue bike and will break it in there where it is much less likely to snap the chain under load in a low gear. The XTR is quite a lightweight cassette so I am not sure if it is entirely suitable for an ebike, so I will see how it goes while I experiment.
Another issue I have found with my 9.8 is that although the UK spec says that it should have an adjustable headset, it was in fact supplied without one. I measured the cups with a micrometer, to be doubly sure, and they are perfectly round with no offset. Its not a biggy for me as I was unlikely to change the settings anyway, but if one of you guys is getting a new bike and want the adjustable headset it might be worth checking early.
Now the display. I was hoping that the bike was going to come with the full colour display with the blue power bars up either side of the screen which featured in Treks YouTube promo as being fitted on the 9.8 and 9.9. I believe the 9.7 and below get a black & white display. However, the display supplied with my bike, while full colour, and very attractive, has a completely different screen layout. Again, it is not a problem as it is very bright, looks good, and shows everything that I need. The appearance might be configurable by the dealer so I will enquire when the bike has its first service.
One other thing, as others have predicted, the cooling fins do get some mud in them in sticky conditions. The battery cover shields it to some extent but not entirely.
I live where there is not much elevation and the bike, after only one charge, has delivered a 60 mile (96km) range using 95% eco with about 1000 feet (320m) of elevation, which is more than enough range for me. Experience with the EXE tells me that range will improve slightly after a few charges.
Another issue I have found with my 9.8 is that although the UK spec says that it should have an adjustable headset, it was in fact supplied without one. I measured the cups with a micrometer, to be doubly sure, and they are perfectly round with no offset. Its not a biggy for me as I was unlikely to change the settings anyway, but if one of you guys is getting a new bike and want the adjustable headset it might be worth checking early.
Now the display. I was hoping that the bike was going to come with the full colour display with the blue power bars up either side of the screen which featured in Treks YouTube promo as being fitted on the 9.8 and 9.9. I believe the 9.7 and below get a black & white display. However, the display supplied with my bike, while full colour, and very attractive, has a completely different screen layout. Again, it is not a problem as it is very bright, looks good, and shows everything that I need. The appearance might be configurable by the dealer so I will enquire when the bike has its first service.
One other thing, as others have predicted, the cooling fins do get some mud in them in sticky conditions. The battery cover shields it to some extent but not entirely.
I live where there is not much elevation and the bike, after only one charge, has delivered a 60 mile (96km) range using 95% eco with about 1000 feet (320m) of elevation, which is more than enough range for me.
Experience with the EXE tells me that range will improve slightly after a few charges.
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On my Fuel EX 9.8 peddle bike the headset is adjustable but it's by swapping the cups (which are purchased separately), I would assume the Fuel+ is going to be the same arrangement? Though going back to the lack of reviews I haven't seen much detailed information on the bike
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