Rate your E-bike !

[Zimmerframe]

I've had three this year.. so I can start padding the thread out

Try and be honest about your bike. Your perceptions of it, how you enjoy riding it. What it's actually like to own with how it makes you feel or anxiety it might give you.

Give any tips or advice for other buyers.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Decathlon E-ST500

Check out that Hub motor !! Very back heavy.

RRP €1200

Relatively simple/cheap (for an e-bike) emtb.

Reason for buying : Was getting tired running with the horse. Tried an MTB but got left for dead on the hills .. So tried this ..

Enjoyment whilst riding : 7/10 (Made riding hills fun)
Enjoyment of ownership : 3/10 (Average 2 ride limit between breakdowns)
Quality of bike build : 5/10 (Nothing spectacular, a cheap bike with a battery and motor)
Quality of parts : 3/10 (Comfy Seat, awful forks, brakes, tyres)
Quality of Support from seller : 6/10 (shop was always positive and helpful)
Quality of Support from manufacturer : 2/10 (repair times were ridiculous)

Would you buy again : At the time, NO ! Now, I think they've fixed the problems and if uk based, you can now buy all the parts on decathlon.co.uk , batteries, cranks, motors, wheels - so you can fix it yourself. Sadly, you can't buy them on Decathlon.fr

Lessons learnt : Don't buy untested technology from companies with limited experience.

Advice for others : Now it's in it's V2 incarnation, for a "cheap" simple fireroad plodder, it's not too bad, shame they didn't upgrade the brakes to hydraulic would only have cost them another €10.

Range : approx 65km's per charge cycle - 420wh battery.

 

[Zimmerframe]

02Feel - Karma

RRP €2800

Hardtail E8000 mountain bike.

Reason for Buying : Wanted something more reliable and more capable - I'd discovered more than just fire roads !

Enjoyment whilst riding : 8/10 (A revelation after a hub motored bike)
Enjoyment of ownership : 4/10 (None existent support from shop/manufacturer)
Quality of bike build : 7/10 (Quite nicely put together)
Quality of parts : 5/10 (crap seat, clutchless derailleur so constant chain drops, no chain guide)
Quality of Support from seller : 0/10 ("Bodger bikes" only interested in selling)
Quality of Support from manufacturer : 1/10 (eventually managed to get a replacement hanger after bike shop broke it)

Would you buy again : Absolutely not, I'd rather commit suicide with cocktail sticks. There's plenty of far better options out there. Ownership was a constant state of stress and worry of what I would do if the motor or battery broke with no support from the bike shop or manufacturer.

Lessons learnt : Buy what you want, not what you think helps support your local bike shop.

Advice for others : Take your time to find the right bike for yourself. Make sure you're confident that it has a good support network.

Distance covered : 1600km's
Distance per charge cycle : 58km's

 

[Zimmerframe]

Specialized : Kenevo Expert

RRP €6000 ish

Enduro emtb

Reason for Buying : Wanted something FS after the hardtail. Was buying a Thok as they have a good rep for support then bought the Kenevo due to value and to be cossetted by the happy world of Spesh Global Support for 2 years after all the worry with the last bike ..

Enjoyment whilst riding : 10/10 (It's just amazing)
Enjoyment of ownership : 8/10 (Range sucked, Resolved by @Specialized Rider Care )
Quality of bike build : 10/10 (Amazing build quality/attention to detail)
Quality of parts : 8/10 (Very good)
Quality of Support from seller : 0/10 (Good delivery, no support at all - Lord Gun Bikes)
Quality of Support from manufacturer : 6/10 (Sadly my local Spesh shop won't support because it was an internet purchase, apparently this is not normal. Support through the forum and Specialized Rider Care has been excellent.)

Would you buy again : Yes, but I'd make sure my Spesh supplier was professional and on the ball.

Lessons learnt : Once you've made a decision.. stick with it. Learn from your other lessons !

Advice for others : The problem with an E-bike is in the back of your head, you know there's a possibility that your motor or battery might fail, so for me, in the back of my head I'm always potentially one ride away from owning an expensive paperweight. Make sure you have access to a professional shop or supplier where you know you can take the bike to get motor or battery problems fixed, ideally under warranty and ideally quickly. If buying from a shop, ask them, how long does it take them to replace a motor in the case of a failure.

Other Info :
Distance travelled for the bike : 345km's.
Actual distance travelled (Blevo) 334km's (changed wheel size to larger to reduce assistance speed (20kph) and extend range, so bike distance is higher than actual distance)
Strava Distance : 396km's (so 60km's with bike off- to get more range. or flat battery)
Distance per charge cycle : 24km's ........ (Range problem now seems to be resolved)

Final comment ... I have enormous gratitude for the positivity of the members of the forum, If it wasn't for you guys and I was out there on my own, the Kenevo would have gone already because the longer I am between rides, the 10/10 ride effect drops away and is replaced with the depression and frustration of owning another support-less bike - after being shunned by my local store for support (even when I've offered to pay). I'd reached another low with it yesterday and was about to put it up for sale, but @Dave91 's positive motor comments brought me back from the brink of paperweight fear and I spent 30 minutes finally converting it to tubeless instead..

Update : A huge thanks to Specialized Rider Care for helping resolve my battery and range problems. Having easy access to them via for the forum when you feel you're out of options is a huge asset.

 

[ccrdave]

ok not as detailed as you but between my wife and I we have owned 5 levos and one kenevo and a 2019 hardtail
the 2017 levos
one was no trouble at all the other (mine) needed a new motor but that was all
the 2017's had the 1.2 motor and when used with the Zworks madness setting were fantastic but for us the bikes were too short and for my wife she couldnt size up as the seatube got too long but with some tweaks they rode ok.

2018 one levo one kenevo
had no trouble with the kenevo, my levo now with the 1.3 motor had a new motor fitted as the original was well under powered but it never broke down. with the new motor it was VERY powerful and completely silent but still too short for me.
The kenevo was my wifes and its was to be honest a bit gutless but downhill it just plowed over everything and was unstoppable but for my wife too heavy and too dull.
2019 levos
the hardtail was bought as a temporary commuter and for that it was good but equipment levels were appalling, i have seen better in toys are us!!!
I have had zero problems with my 2019 levo, my wife had to have a TCU replaced. bikes are now longer and ride miles better than the 2018 but they are not as quiet and the new motor in my opinion is a little less powerful than the 2018 1.3.
My wife is still suffering from the bike (size small) being too short and she cant size up because the seatube will be too long. I am ok with mine (large size) but I wouldnt mind the reach being a bit longer (its 455 at the mo)
would we buy another brand? mmm maybe, but to be honest the spesh bikes have been really good, the 2019 makes me look like a much better rider than I really am and a carefully chosen dealer has made any problems go away simply, quickly and cost free.
My main criticism of the spesh brand is equipment levels v cost

 

[Dave91]

Specialized : Kenevo Expert

View attachment 19475

RRP €6000 ish

Enduro emtb

Reason for Buying : Wanted something FS after the hardtail. Was buying a Thok as they have a good rep for support then bought the Kenevo due to value and to be cossetted by the happy world of Spesh Global Support for 2 years after all the worry with the last bike ..

Enjoyment whilst riding : 10/10 (It's just amazing)
Enjoyment of ownership : 3/10 (Range sucks, no support from supplier or Spesh)
Quality of bike build : 10/10 (Amazing build quality/attention to detail)
Quality of parts : 8/10 (Very good)
Quality of Support from seller : 0/10 (Good delivery, no support at all - Lord Gun Bikes)
Quality of Support from manufacturer : 0/10 (Spesh shops won't touch it. Can't even get a firmware upgrade. Basically have a new bike with no warranty or support)

Would you buy again : Probably not for me. If I'd not had the forum to read to form a more unbiased opinion, I'd say don't ever ever buy a spesh bike. I think for most people though they have access to professional Spesh shops who give good support and are part of the happy world of the Specialized eco system.

Lessons learnt : Once you've made a decision.. stick with it. Learn from your other lessons !

Advice for others : The problem with an E-bike is in the back of your head, you know there's a possibility that your motor or battery might fail, so for me, in the back of my head I'm always potentially one ride away from owning an expensive paperweight. Make sure you have access to a professional shop or supplier where you know you can take the bike to get motor or battery problems fixed, ideally under warranty and ideally quickly. If buying from a shop, ask them, how long does it take them to replace a motor in the case of a failure.

Other Info :
Distance travelled for the bike : 345km's.
Actual distance travelled (Blevo) 334km's (changed wheel size to larger to reduce assistance speed (20kph) and extend range, so bike distance is higher than actual distance)
Strava Distance : 396km's (so 60km's with bike off- to get more range. or flat battery)
Distance per charge cycle : 24km's ........

Final comment ... I have enormous gratitude for the positivity of the members of the forum, If it wasn't for you guys and I was out there on my own, the Kenevo would have gone already because the longer I am between rides, the 10/10 ride effect drops away and is replaced with the depression and frustration of owning another support-less bike. I'd reached another low with it yesterday and was about to put it up for sale, but @Dave91 's positive motor comments brought me back from the brink of paperweight fear and I spent 30 minutes finally converting it to tubeless instead..

@Zimmerframe

No worries at all dude. A little annoyed at other Spesh dealers for not willing to help. If you're ever near Birmingham, let me know and pop into the concept store... I'm more than happy to have a look at the bike, run the latest updates and solve any issues ?

 

[Zimmerframe]

@ccrdave - Cool feed back, lots of pertinent information. Interesting you find the 1.3 bike to have more poke than the 2.1 ..

@Dave91 Thanks for the positivity again ! Not been to Birmingham for a long time. Pretty much lived out of the Marriot forest of arden @ Solihull for 2 years 13-15 years ago.. They had a good gym and great staff ! Just had a quick look and to ride over to you would take me about 32 re-charges, so I'll put that upto number 2 on my list of options Thanks for the offer though, it's good to know there's another pro-active Spesh store out there !

I have been informed of another option, so I'll pursue that next .. no it's not @Christian's idea. That would be something like: Visit shop when it's closed. It's a Kenevo so just launch off a parked car, throw in a 360, smash in through a sky light .. change battery, update firmware, jet back through sky light using shops supply of co2 cartridges strapped to legs and arms. Have a BBQ on the roof. Go home happy.

Taking a work break and going for a ride .. that always puts me back into the 10/10 Kenevo good place.

 

[Kiwi in Wales]

@ccrdave - Cool feed back, lots of pertinent information. Interesting you find the 1.3 to have a bike more poke than the 2.1 ..

@Dave91 Thanks for the positivity again ! Not been to Birmingham for a long time. Pretty much lived out of the Marriot forest of arden @ Solihull for 2 years 13-15 years ago.. They had a good gym and great staff ! Just had a quick look and to ride over to you would take me about 32 re-charges, so I'll put that upto number 2 on my list of options Thanks for the offer though, it's good to know there's another pro-active Spesh store out there !

I have been informed of another option, so I'll pursue that next .. no it's not @Christian's idea. That would be something like: Visit shop when it's closed. It's a Kenevo so just launch off a parked car, throw in a 360, smash in through a sky light .. change battery, update firmware, jet back through sky light using shops supply of co2 cartridges strapped to legs and arms. Have a BBQ on the roof. Go home happy.

Taking a work break and going for a ride .. that always puts me back into the 10/10 Kenevo good place.

Hey mate, Has @Specialized Rider Care been in touch with you about your issue? The warranty is global so they, in theory, should be able to help or direct you to someone in France that can help you.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Hey mate, Has @Specialized Rider Care been in touch with you about your issue? The warranty is global so they, in theory, should be able to help or direct you to someone in France that can help you.

Hey Kiwi, They did contact me, but it dried up and was a dead end. So I've continued my bizarre and mentally twisted effort to prove there's a random problem, but mainly end up pedalling around on super low eco, motor off or above assistance to prove I can get more range - so my proving and testing is kind of counter productive to proving there's a problem and ultimately ... NOT FUN ! So back to some normal setting now and just don't go far - don't have time anyway to go far normally

 

[Mcharza]

If you have bought it on the EU internal market, then this should be true
UK is still in EU
Consumer guarantees

 

[Trail-Niels]

Interesting thread, but I’d like to know how they all climb, I suppose very few of you just cruise along flat fire roads. What is your perceived climb and distance on a single charge?
Yeah I know Denmark - where I come from - is a relatively flat country, but where I live 1000 meters of climbing is possible within 3 hours and 30 km on an analog MTB.

 

[tedturbine]

Specialized : Kenevo Expert

View attachment 19475

Even the horse can't bear to look at the battery range

All joking apart I'm sure we all wish you a timely resolution to that issue

 

[Maxb]

Lapierre overvolt 600i fs 150mm mtb
Enjoyment whilst riding : 8/10 Love the way it rides very composed only loosing a few marks as I’m not keen on emtb mode to much turbo for me and it’s not the easiest bike to get the front up , I get great battery range but I only weight 68kg so this probably helps.
Enjoyment of ownership : 07/10 Had the motor bearings fail at 90miles a s my lbs are not very experienced with emtb even though they are a Bosch service centre I found it frustrating that I knew more about the motor than they did even lent them my tools
Quality of bike build : 8/10 seems quite good only thing is there is some small areas of paint work which could be better
Quality of parts : Well speced for the price
Quality of Support from seller : Not too bad from had a few issues which they have help me sort
Quality of Support from manufacturer : not needed any manufacturer support form Lapierre but Bosch seemed quite quick.

Overall I am very happy with my Lapierre I think my next bike I will get form an experienced emtb bike shop rather than an online purchase which my bike was.

 

[HikerDave]

Haibike SDURO FullSeven LT 4.0

Purchase Price: $2800 USD

Full suspension forest road bike

Reason for Buying: Commuting; needed full suspension to isolate arthritic joints from road shock without increasing travel time over normal bike or car.

Enjoyment whilst riding : 9/10

Enjoyment of ownership : 8/10

Quality of bike build : 7/10 diwngraded because of the fugly bottom bracket area and industrial quality welding

Quality of parts : 6/10 headset is unusual cartridge type so not upgradable with angleset; rear wheel bearings and rear axle like to loosen up. Square-taper cranks from the last century. Ugh. Yamaha PE-SE motor has been very reliable; its downside is full motor torque is available only to 72 rpm cadence; inconvenient in traffic and charging up steep hills.

Quality of Support from seller : 10/10 only one problem and they fixed it fast.

Quality of Support from manufacturer : Unknown

Would you buy again : No, but only because I’m now riding on advanced trails and have upgraded suspension to keep up. For its intended use; definitely.

Lessons learnt : Nothing; the bike suits my original purpose and with fork swap; larger front tire and new shock is great for my current riding. Besides, it fits me perfectly.

Advice for others : To get a really good eBike you’ll have to spend a ton of money; make sure that it fits you well and has good suspension components. Also, any eBike sold by a major manufacturer has a powerful enough motor; I thought I was buying a 250 watt bike but it actually puts out 500. Pay more attention to the rest of the bike and don’t worry about the motor.

Distance covered : 2600 miles
Distance per charge cycle : Unknown: less than 100 charge cycles but estimating around 40 miles per full charge cycle.

 

[Gary]

Vitus E-sommet
Geometry 9.5/10
Handling 9.5/10
Suspension design/kinematics 9.5/10
Weight/weight distribution 9.5/10
componentry 9/10
VFM 10/10

Motor
function 9/10
reliability 2/10

Build quality 7.5/10
Assembly quality 7/10

Warranty 8/10
Customer service 2/10

20 months(ish) and around 5000 miles split between a 2018 and 2019

 

[Zimmerframe]

What is your perceived climb and distance on a single charge?

Toooooo many variables on what mode people use, how they have those modes set, rider weights to make any sense out of individual experiences I think .

Yeah I know Denmark - where I come from - is a relatively flat country, but where I live 1000 meters of climbing is possible within 3 hours and 30 km on an analog MTB.

I think what you're trying to say is that Breasts don't necessarily have to be large to be fun ?

 

[Rusty]

2019 Scott Genius eRide
Purchase Price $6800 NZD - retail $7600

Frame
Geometry 9/10 - Fitted well with minimum adjustment.
Handling 9/10 - Very stable and sure-footed. Does feel long on tight uphill switchbacks.
Suspension (Front) 9.5/10
Suspension (Rear) 9/10 - The overall design is good but shock does need tuning for my weight. Once I have it tuned will go 9.5 and swap shock for Float X2 probably 10.
Weight/weight distribution 8.5/10 - slightly heavier than I would like and a little too much front bias.
Componentry 9/10 - SRAM gearing works well enough for this type of bike & Shimano 4 pot brakes are excellent.
Design 7/10 - Big boxy front tube to fit off-the-shelf Shimano battery is naff. Scott should have designed around a custom battery.

Motor
Power/ 9/10
Reliability 10/10 - no motor issues with 1500km done.
Range 7/10 - To be fair my weight and agressive riding style is not conducive to long distances.

Other
Display 9/10 - Love the colors to show what mode you are in and location of display is well protected (at least from the half dozen or so times I have thrown it down.
Build quality 8/10 - would be higher but the saddle design is shit. Comfortable enough but of piss poor design leading to the cover lifting after only a few weeks use.
Assembly quality 7/10 - Suspension pivot bolt came loose 2nd or 3rd ride. Idler wheel fell off derailleur.
Customer Service - Have had awesome response around range issues from both my LBS (Cycology, Avanti Plus) and Shimano with both battery and motor changed just in case there was an issue. Motor change was bring in one day and collect the next.

Warranty 8/10 - Scott called my seat issue 'wear' and did not take responsibility for bad design.

Overall Experience - 8.5/10
If I could have fitted a larger capacity battery I would keep this bike as even with the slightly nose heavy weight bias it is a fun ride.
Oh - and the Twin Lock suspension is completely unnecessary on an ebike.

Value for Money 9.5/10

 

[Rusty]

2019 Levo Comp
Purchase Price $8200 NZD - retail $9000

Frame
Geometry 9/10 - Needed a little tweaking but not too far off the mark.
Handling 8.5/10 - A bit more twitchy than my Scott on the fast trails but awesome in the tight stuff.
Suspension (Front) 8/10 - RockShox Revelation not quite there for my weight. Have tuned some and found improvement but not up to the Fox 36.
Suspension (Rear) 7.5/10 - The overall design is poor. Shock not as good as the Fox.
Weight/Weight Distribution 9.5/10 - Lighter than my Scott and with a reasonable weight bias.
Componentry 9/10 - SRAM gearing works well enough for this type of bike but the SRAM Guide 4 pot brakes are crap. Very strong but no feel and they squeal like a stuck pig if there is any humidity.
Design 7/10 - Not a fan of the rear suspension design. Works reasonably enough but prefer a vertical shock design.

Motor
Power/ 9.5/10
Reliability 10/10 - no motor issues with 800km done.
Range 7-9/10 - My weight and aggressive riding style only gave me similar range to my Shimano powered bike but adding the 700Wh battery put me into distances I require.

Other
Display 2/10 - Doesn't have one, but if the battery indicator on the ETU showed different colours per whatever mode you were in it would be 100% better. Too many levels that are too hard to read for me.
Build quality 6.5/10 - Components are not up to spec for the price.
Assembly quality 9.5/10 - Nothing has fallen off and is close to what I would expect.
Customer Service 9/10 - Cycle Time Hamilton have been great, but Daves verbal garuantee that I would get better range than my Scott was off the mark.

Warranty ?/10 - Have not had any issues to complain about.

Overall Experience - 8.5/10

Value for Money 7.5/10 - For a $9000 NZD price point this bike has components I would expect on a $6000 bike. Not sure I would buy another Speshy as their next price point bike at $11000 is $2000 overpriced.

 

[HORSPWR]

2019 Merida e160 900e

Purchase Price: $7000AUD

Reason for buying: because a mate bought two and I took one for a ride and I couldn’t get the smile off my dial. Also I had not long purchased an Intense Carbine Pro Build and I was finding it a grind out on the trails and a lot of hard work, too much hard work.

Enjoyment whilst riding: 10/10, I love riding it, it's a joy to ride and makes me smile every time I do.

Enjoyment of ownership: 10/10, bike has been faultless, just charge up and go.

Quality of bike build: 9.5/10, I've change some components but that's just me wanting either more bling or a different setup. (For example, I hate QR axles, nothing wrong with the ones supplied with the bike but I like solid fixed axles like Wolftooth or Carbon Ti), different bend bars, different tyres etc. All of the components though are top spec.

Quality of parts: 9/10, the bike comes with Kashima coat forks and rear shock but the dropper is Reverb (black) they could've kept with the Fox and Kashima theme and fitted a Fox Transfer dropper in Kashima coat.

Quality of Support from seller: ?/10, don't know, never needed support but their great for service and spares and I got the bike in the middle of nowhere at the same price as the big smoke all assembled, setup for me and ready to ride.

Quality of Support from Manufacturer: ?/10, who knows, never needed them but there's a shit load of Merida's sold in AU so I can only assume there's heaps of dealers and support.

Would you buy again: Definitely, I'd buy my wife one if she rode bikes.

Lessons learnt: Live somewhere else where it's not like living in Death Valley so I can get out and ride it more often.

Advice for others: Buy one!

Range : 100+ks in Eco, 80+ks in Trail, 60+ks in boost.

 

[Trail-Niels]

I think what you're trying to say is that Breasts don't necessarily have to be large to be fun ?

You’re absolutely right @Zimmerframe - it’s the curves that matter

 

[wepn]

..there's a shit load of Merida's sold in AU so I can only assume there's heaps of dealers and support.

Sign of quality...a bike that survives some of the harshest conditions on Earth. I'm guessing Merida/Specialized sell 10 times as much as all the rest combined and that must have a lot to do with build quality and customer service.

 

[outerlimits]

I’d give my Levo bout an eight or a nine;
Maybe even nine an a half in four beers time. That Brose motor it got, is just fine, a little bit too much power but it still scores high. Like I will say it is not at all shit, but my gosh, don’t you just know it ?

 

[shawry]

I’d give my Levo bout an eight or a nine;
Maybe even nine an a half in four beers time. That Brose motor it got, is just fine, a little bit too much power but it still scores high. Like I will say it is not at all shit, but my gosh, don’t you just know it

Lol

 

[Gary]

A Grand don't come for free

Actually it pretty much does each time you warranty a shitty E8000 motor

 

[ggx]

My 50c
Cube Hibryd Race 160 27,0 2018
RRP €3900
Distance covered : 1000km's
Full suspension
Reason for Buying : For fun and fitness

Frame
Geometry 8/10 - Fitted well with minimum adjustment. Stand over a litle high . Gone for S with a litle short reach, but could prefer the M size reach.
Handling 8/10 - stable and agile uphill and down
Suspension (Front) 9/10 no issues and delivers good suport/absortion for my style of easy riding.
Suspension (Rear) 8.5/10 - Hey it´s Fox. Strugle a litle to find a good rebound personal Setup .
Weight 8/10 - slightly heavier , but is an e-bike
Componentry 9/10 - Not the high end but reliable and no problems so far.
Design 8/10 - Good looking (personnal view). Not the best finish in the battery cover adjustment to frame (aloy frame).

Motor/
Power 9/10. Good overall. e-mtb mode very good
Reliability 9.5/10 - Bosh quality. no motor issues with 1000km done.
Range 9/10 - Covers my needs.
Display and functions 6/10 - Not very good looking and lack of tuning options.

Local Customer Service 9.5/10 No issues. Very good.

Overall Experience - 9/10

Value for Money 9/10

Would you buy again? Yep, bought my wife one 120.

 

[Rich-EMTB-UK]

Spesh TL Expert 2019. £7,250 + around £3 on upgrades plus swop outs from my Yeti.

Had it a couple of months and upgraded everything apart from frame, battery and motor and absolutely love it. It is like a real MTB even sold my Yeti SB5 2019 as I just don't use that anymore. As you can tell I am totally impressed with this bike and looking forward to the Lakes and Cairngorms next year. Generally run on 15% assist with 25% battery power when on local flat/small hills.
One failure after I left it in full sun on a 30C day. battery kicked back in after about 3 miles and has been fine ever since.

 

[MitchF]

Rate , not full review.
jeees guys, all that data is available on the tinterweb ?

My bike is @@@kin awesome , ‘cause it’s mine ?
A class 10/10 Gold Standard

 

[Dax]

2018 Kenevo Expert.

Mostly ridden on off piste tech trails, done about 700miles so far. It's awesome fun, makes me ride faster and harder, usually while laughing my ass off Its been reliable so far, broke a spoke and a mech (separate incidents). The worst range I've had is 18 miles and 3500ft, all in turbo, normally i ride in eco/trail and have plenty of battery (I'm 75kg ish)

10/10.

 

[Gary]

My bike is @@@kin awesome , ‘cause it’s mine ?
A class 10/10 Gold Standard

View attachment 19570

There's always someone out there to love a ginger

 

[EbikeCurious]

Kona Remote 160 XL for me. 91 miles so far over 8 or so short rides. Estimate somewhere around 4500-5000k total elevation. Seems pretty decent for me at 255lbs geared up.

9/10 for ride quality so far. Pretty agile and fun for 53lbs. Feels pretty close to my Process 153... a bit plusher perhaps.

9/10 suspension...nice progressive rear end which is essential for my large self.

9/10 components...Superdeluxe Select R and Lyrik Select RC, GX, Codes. Liking the Shimano so far. I think I prefer the 504w battery for now...good enough range for my time constraints and a bit lighter. Wheelset was decent...WTB KOMs on Formulas (had them swap to a DT 350 rear hub). So far no issues there...although it’s only seen small to medium jumps and some 5-6 foot drops to transition so far.

27.5 2.8s seem good for current dry blown out conditions...it fits 29 as well so may try that at some point.

8/10 size/geo...510 reach is about as short as I should go for my size at 7ft/213cm (530 reach on two other bikes is just about perfect). Feels decent with 75mm riser bars. 65 hta seems dialed for me to still be fun on flattish stuff but handle gnarly steeps with minimal pucker. 160mm front and rear. Love the 435mm chainstays.

8/10 value...$5999 seems decent compared to many others...a few maybe have better value.

9/10 support so far...bought from out of state shop but LBS is a Shimano center...had to get a firmware update when I first got it.

Pretty stoked so far! Had a minor pang of regret when I saw the new Kenevo had 520 reach on the S5 but the stack is a bit lower than the Kona, so not as dramatic a difference. I think the slightly more trail orientation of the Kona is overall better for my setup here...for now....