Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles.
One app.

Start reading

Get all your news in one place.

100’s of premium titles. One news app.

Start reading

Bike Perfect

Lifestyle

Neal Hunt

GasGas’s new agile and playful MXC range of e-MTBs is designed for maximum trail time fun

GASGAS SRAM WP Maxxis Moto (Organization) RockShox

The ECC e-enduro range from the Spanish moto experts GasGas was released in September, and now we have its fun, less agro sibling, the MXC. Much like its longer travel stablemate, this latest e-MTB features the latest SRAM Eagle Powertrain with its powerful motor and automatic gears, as well as some very clever suspension tech from their in-house suspension brand WP, and trick add-ons that would be familiar to any motocross or trials riders.

The term all mountain can cover a broad spectrum of bikes, and this one looks like it sits nicely as a fun option between a full race option and more serious high mileage bikes for flow trails, bike parks, and generally having a laugh. An e-MTB is the perfect tool for making the most of a power hour, and the MXC sounds like it could be one of the best electric mountain bikes for mojo-boosting sessions.

GasGas was one of the first to launch a new bike using SRAM's latest Eagle Powertrain system. Bike Perfect’s technical editor, Guy Kesteven, loved it. With headline figures of up to 90Nm of torque with 680watts of peak power, combined with a clean display and clever automatic gears that let you as a rider get on with riding, it's easy to see why. This unobtrusive and easy-to-use approach with minimal rider input needed should work well with a fun platform and let you crack on with smashing turns and clearing gaps instead of fiddling with motor settings and complicated levers.

The GASGAS MXC_s moto heritage is easy to see (Image credit: GasGas)

Full carbon, full gas fun

The MXC pairs the popular mullet wheel setup with 160mm of travel up front and 140mm on the rear, emphasizing being playful and poppy and not just flat-out fast, which sounds ideal for those more interested in smiles than Strava.

All of the MXC models use the same 140mm travel full carbon frame, in sizes S/M, M/L, L/XL, and all with size-specific rear triangles. The reach figure for the M/L is 470mm, which is 5mm shorter than the ECC and is paired with a slightly steeper head angle of 64.5 mm, so it sits in a nice sweet spot of efficiency and playfulness.

The MXC range uses a full carbon frame with size specific rear ends across the range (Image credit: GasGas)

In keeping with its petrol-powered heritage, the MXC range features replaceable frame fairings and a plastic bash guard to protect the easily interchangeable motor. It should help protect the carbon frame from impacts. If you don't like the full factory look, you can run the bike without them. You just need to use the neat plugs supplied with the frame to cover the mounting holes.

The rear suspension uses a Horst-style four-bar linkage system, which in itself isn't that unusual, but it's paired with the latest collaboration between the Moto and bike suspension brands WP and DVO.

The MXC range uses WP_s famous Cone Valve damping in its shocks and forks for consistently good performance on technical trails (Image credit: GasGas)

Suspension tech fresh from the moto world

Previously, we have seen the DVO Onyx D1CV Sl fork on the ECC range, but there's now another version called the OTT, which is used on the range-topping MXC 6 bike. They both use the super stiff 38mm chassis and innovative WP cone valve technology. The OTT version uses a coil spring for its negative chamber instead of a lighter but potentially stickier air version, which we have seen with other forks from DT Swiss. It should mean a supple beginning stroke for maximum grip for only a marginal increase in weight.

The rear shock is all new, too. It is an air shock using the DVO Topaz platform, and just like the fork, it uses Cone valve technology, which improves the oil flow through the damper under hard impacts. Shocks often use a series of shims and ports to control oil flow to control your suspension, but the WP system replaces these with a patented cone design. This gives a lower breakaway force and maintains the oil flow control, giving you the perfect combo of smooth suspension with plenty of support from the damper with no compression spikes on high-speed impacts. It is a very clever solution that has graced the fronts of high-end motorbikes for some time now, and it is great to see it being used on e-MTB.

Designed to playful and agile, the MXC range looks great fun for smashing trails (Image credit: GasGas)

The range

The MXC is available in three different models – MXC 6, MXC 5, and MXC 4. All the bikes share the same frame, and SRAM Eagle Powertrain using the 630wh battery, with the option for a 250wh extender, should range anxiety be an issue. The two top models use the DVO powered by WP suspension, with the four running a RockShox Lyrik fork with a Super Deluxe coil shock in the rear.

For more information, head over to GasGas.com.