Ns-bikes NS Bikes E-Fine 1 170, Sort/oliven

Over the years, NS Bikes has tested many e-bikes, but there was never a bike that really captured the heart of their team. It took them a while to figure out what kind of bike they wanted to make for NS.
Wondering what makes an e-bike great? Well, if we leave the motor aside for a moment, it comes down to the geometry and suspension of the bike, and those are the main things they focused on. NS has been looking for geometry that works best on a motor-assisted bike – and that’s not necessarily the same as their “analogue” products. The geometry has to be complemented by a suspension that works perfectly on a bike that is inherently heavier than a normal MTB, and the tyres, brakes and cockpit all have to have more of a “moto” character.

Back to the motor: there are no “bad” drive units on the market these days. What NS see as crucial for their customers is reliability and easily accessible service if something goes wrong. That’s why they chose to work with Shimano.

Shimano’s new EP8 motor has everyone excited. It switches on seamlessly and its weight and size have been significantly reduced. It is almost 400 g lighter than its predecessor, the E8000. The second important feature is that Shimano has reduced drag by 50%. It is now almost comparable to a muscle-powered drivetrain.

One of the most important things NS have found is that the NS crew don’t like weak rides. So they’ve made sure the E-Fine is a big, powerful machine. It’s equipped with the excellent SRAM Zeb fork with massive 38mm stanchions and 160mm of travel, powerful brakes and aggressive tyres.

Other key features of the drivetrain include improved ground clearance, low Q-factor and new short cranks. All this means we could set the bike really low without fear of pedal strikes. Just in case, we included an option to adjust the height of the bottom bracket unit to personal preference). So did NS Bikes succeed in building an e-bike that all the guys on their team would love? Well, even the most die-hard dirt jumpers in their company are queuing up to borrow an E-Fine for a shredding weekend. Their team riders love the E-Fine, and their close friends who would never have considered an e-bike have changed their minds. Frankly, NS believes they have achieved their goal.