E-MTB drive test: With the Fazua Ride 60, one of the pioneers of Light Assist drives presented its latest motor. We were finally able to test the exciting drive system in detail. In addition to practical impressions, we have also determined the performance data on the test bench.
Fazua is undoubtedly one of the pioneers in the field of light assist drives for e-bikes. In addition to the Specialized SL drive, the manufacturer based in the Munich suburbs had the only mid-motor for light e-bikes in its range for years. Also because the drive can be removed as a whole - i.e. motor and battery - it still enjoys great popularity, although it no longer seems quite up-to-date in terms of battery capacity (250 Wh).
Fazua Ride 60: Specifications
- Weight engine: 1,9 kg
- Max. Torque: 60 Nm
- Battery capacity: 430 Wh
- Battery weight: 2,2 kg / 2,3 kg
With the Fazua Ride 60, the portfolio has now been expanded to include a more powerful drive with a significantly larger battery. The maximum torque is now 60 Nm, the battery has a whopping 430 Wh. The weight has increased slightly, but it remains low: approx. 1,9 kg for the motor itself, 2,2 or 2,3 kg for the the battery, depending on the variant installed. Unfortunately, with the Ride 60 you have to do without the option of being able to remove the drive completely - according to Fazua, that would simply not have been possible due to the design. After all: One of the two battery variants can be removed from the frame very quickly and easily.
Fazua Ride 60: On the test bench - full-blown motor in mini format
As with all of our extensive E-MTB drivetrain tests, the Fazua Ride 60 also had to prove itself on the test bench under laboratory conditions. For this purpose, the crank is driven automatically and the final power that arrives on the ground is measured on a drum.
Offering
To determine the maximum power of the drive, we apply 250 W to the crank and switch to the highest support level. This scenario is intended to deliberately depict an extreme situation, such as overcoming a step. This shows that the Fazua Ride 60 is a good leap forward compared to its predecessor and can catch up with the most powerful "Light Assist" motor Shimano EP8 RS to date - with almost 700g less weight! The motor thus manages to close the gap between real light E-MTB drives and full-fledged mid-motors such as the EP8 - especially since the 525 W maximum power we measured is without the time-limited turbo mode. If you switch this on, another approx. 100 W of power is added, which can then almost completely close the remaining gap to the EP8. Impressive.
No less powerful is the presentation of the Ride 60 in a somewhat more realistic scenario. At 100W input power, we are depicting a more everyday situation with easy pedaling. This is where the new Fazua delivers the best performance - at least in comparison to its direct light competition. The Shimano EP8 is significantly more powerful here, although this is also a matter of tuning. While the Shimano motor already provides very strong support in this scenario, a Bosch Performance CX, for example, is hardly more powerful than the Fazua Ride 60. The comparison with the current TQ HPR50 is interesting and shows the fundamentally different design of the two systems; while the unit from TQ is much more reserved and demands more performance from the driver, the Ride 60 is much more based on the classic mid-engine.
energy consumption and range
High support performance usually goes hand in hand with comparatively high energy consumption. This connection cannot be completely dismissed with the Fazua Ride 60 either. On the test stand, we measure how many watt hours the drive draws from the built-in battery in its highest support level per kilometer driven. We carry out this measurement both on the level and with a simulated 10% incline.
On the flat, it shows once again how enormously efficient the Shimano EP8 is at work. This applies to both the regular and the throttled RS variant. The new Fazua Ride 60 can't quite keep up here either, although it clearly beats the rest of the competition here. The progress compared to the Ride 50, which requires more energy despite significantly lower performance, is interesting.
The energy consumption at a 10% incline pretty much reflects what we outlined at the beginning: a lot of performance results in a high energy consumption. In this respect, it is hardly surprising that the EP8, which is still frugal on the level, draws the most energy from the battery here. In view of its power, however, the Fazua Ride 60 delivers strong performance and is significantly more efficient than the EP8 RS, which is roughly the same.
Overall, we have a powerful yet energy-efficient drive system. Combined with the 430 Wh battery, this allows for impressive ranges. This translates to well over 80 km on flat terrain and over 1.500 hm on the hill. This should be sufficient for many day trips, especially since our measurements were taken at the highest support level. The range extender with an additional 210 Wh capacity will also be available later this year. This will enable ranges and altitudes that are in no way inferior to those of a full-size mid-drive motor with 750 Wh.
Batteries: Two variants and a range extender
Fazua offers the Ride 60 system with two battery variants. Both have a capacity of 430 Wh, but only one of them is intended for the user to charge. This then also weighs about 100g more (2,3 kg). With a robust housing, small handle for removal and a well-functioning locking mechanism, it can be installed and removed very quickly and intuitively. The variant for fixed installation, on the other hand, is suitable for particularly slim and light designs. The 100g additional weight of the battery itself does not play such a big role, but the more complex and heavier frame construction with flap, lock etc.
For the Shuttle SL, for example, Pivot states that the frame would have been around 500g heavier with a removable battery. Haibike takes a middle ground with the Lyke CF, which uses the fully integrated version, but the energy storage can be removed via a flap under the bottom bracket. However, this requires the disconnection and connection of various cables - this solution certainly does not offer the convenience of a regular removable battery, as is the case with the Nox Epium, for example.
In the course of 2023, a range extender for the Fazua Ride 60 will also be launched, which will increase the total capacity by a further 210 Wh.
Operating concept: Intuitive, but with weaknesses in the details
A small, light and sporty drive like the Fazua Ride 60 needs a minimalist operating concept - and that's exactly what we get. You have to do without a display completely. Colored LEDs provide information on the charge status of the battery and the selected support level. On most bikes with the Fazua Ride 60 system, these are in the so-called LED hub in the top tube. This can be pulled up a little bit out of the frame and then reveals a USB-C socket, which can be used to charge the smartphone, for example - nice.
The drive is operated via the control ring: visually very unobtrusively, the support level can be selected here by pressing the ring up or down. The idea is good, but the implementation was only partially successful; the control ring feels insignificant, has play and rattles a little. While it sits fairly well protected, we're not too confident it'll survive a decent impact in a fall. After all: For just under 15 euros, the ring itself can be reordered in the Fazua online shop.
Alternatively, Fazua also offers the so-called Control Hub - here the LEDs are integrated into the Control Ring, making the LED hub in the top tube superfluous.
Fazua App: Two become one
With the Ride 60, Fazua heralds a small change of course in terms of the app: Up to now, two separate apps have been used, Fazua Rider and Fazua App. While the former functioned as a classic display replacement including navigation, you could use the Fazua app to adjust the motor and its support levels to your own needs. The Ride 60 is now only compatible with the Fazua app, into which the features of the Fazua Rider app are gradually being integrated. With the last update, for example, the live dashboard was introduced, which can be used wonderfully as a display replacement, even if you (still?) have to do without navigation.
The customization of the individual support levels and their characteristics is done via a wonderfully intuitive interface, from which virtually all other drive manufacturers can learn a great deal. Even technically less experienced e-bikers will find their way around here immediately and can adjust acceleration and support via performance curves.
Fazua Ride 60 in practice: Makes a lot of steam!
Trail practice shows exactly what the technical data and our own measurements from the test bench suggest: The Fazua Ride 60 is damn close to a regular, full-power mid-engine. This applies to its support performance as well as its characteristics and volume. If you switch from another E-MTB, you will find your way around immediately and can start right away without getting used to it. Depending on the drive, the power deficit is sometimes larger, sometimes smaller, but overall the Ride 60 brings an impressive amount of power to the ground for its weight class. If you hold the control ring up for a few seconds, you activate the turbo mode, which is limited to 12 seconds, and then at the latest you can hardly feel any difference to full-fledged E-MTBs.
When it came to responsiveness, the Fazua Ride 60 received some criticism immediately after its launch a few months ago. We tested the drivetrain with the latest software on two different bikes (Nox Epium and Pivot Shuttle SL) and didn't see any issues like this. The drive was easy to dose, and we couldn't identify any problems such as stuttering.
The Fazua Ride 60 is often mentioned in the same breath as the similarly current TQ HPR50. In practice, however, these drives could hardly be more different: while the HPR50 relies on naturalness and accepts losses in power and acceleration, the Ride 60 is a real mid-mounted motor in a particularly light overall package. The support is clearly noticeable, even at the lowest support level. The background noise of the drive is not disturbing, but the motor is clearly audible, especially in the higher support levels or at high cadence.
Our only real criticism of the Fazua Ride 60 currently relates to the Control Ring as a control panel. This simply looks cheap, which is very annoying given the high acquisition costs for a light E-MTB. The service itself is also average at best; Because the ring has to be moved quite far up or down to change the support level, riders with smaller hands in particular have to move their thumbs uncomfortably far. In any case, we would prefer a classic control panel with two buttons.
Overall, with the Ride 60, Fazua has achieved a similar success as with the Ride 50 and the Evation a few years ago. Thanks to its impressively high performance combined with low weight and the long-range 430 Wh battery, Light E-MTBs with Ride 60 should also be of interest to those who find the compromises of "Light Assist" drives to be too great.
