Using the same lightweight, low-profile Fazua drive motor and battery that we got a close look at earlier this summer in their Project Y road/cross concept, Focus bikes has the first e-bike in the Project Y family ready to ride (and buy) – the carbon XC hardtail Raven². To see what the new eMTB hardtail could handle, Focus sent two of its pro Focus XC racers – Florian Vogel and Markus Schulte-Lünzum – to tackle the Heckmair route, the original mountain bike route crossing of the Alps and the precursor of the Transalp way back in 1989.
The route adds ups 400km/250mi of riding and 16,000m/52,500′ of climbing in what normally means 5 days on the bike. With a goal of 36 hours straight for the pair on the new lightweight production e-bike, it was meant to be a new type of ride to the test. Just last week the pair finished the ride rolling into Riva del Garda in just 27 hours & 20 minutes. No word yet on how many battery changes they needed to make it, but for sure that’s something we’ll share when hear back.
Focus Raven² carbon e-bike XC hardtail
The Raven² is the first of the Project Y bikes to make it into production, adding the lightweight Fazua Evation e-bike drive system to the already light carbon World Cup XC race hardtail Raven. Sharing that same low-profile, integrated Fazua e-bike drive motor+battery, the idea is providing a small degree of smooth motor assist, while preserving the feel that you are pedaling up hill, not being pulled along.
