The new range-topping Whyte E-180 Worx MX Super Enduro electric mountain bike is one of the first bikes to incorporate the new strictly limited Bosch CX Race motor. Designed for eMTB racing and enduro, it’s aiming to be one of the best electric mountain bikes out there, used by the very best riders and racers.

Need to know:

• Flagship bike in the E-180 range get the new Bosch CX Race motor
• Suspension travel is 180mm front, 170mm rear, with RockShox Ultimate components
• Mixed wheel sizes combine a 29in front wheel with a 27.5in rear
• Battery capacity is 750Wh, and now easily removable
• Limited to three frame sizes, M, L and XL

There’s nothing quite like the heat of competition to focus the mind. And it’s the ability to focus intensely on a single task that enables racers to deliver outstanding performances in extreme circumstances. Having such a narrow focus also helps push product development.

The new Bosch Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition Motor

So it’s with racing in mind that Bosch has delivered the new Performance Line CX Race Limited Edition motor, the grey magnesium casing shedding the best part 250g over the standard version. And because the production process to make it lighter is more complex, Bosch will only produce a limited edition run.

One of the first bikes available with the new Bosch Performance CX Race motor is the Whyte E-180 Works. It’s the top end bike in the E-180 range, and because the Race motor is the same size and shares the same mounts as the standard version, it slots straight into any bike that currently runs a Bosch motor.

Now, if you’ve just had a lightbulb moment, I hate to break it to you, but the CX Race motor is currently not available as a standalone item.

And the new CX Race motor isn’t just about saving weight, it also gets a dedicated Race mode. To accommodate the extra mode within the current Smart System, Bosch has dropped the Eco setting. So the four power modes on the CX Race version of the E-180 are Tour+, eMTB, Turbo and Race.

So what’s the difference between Turbo and Race? One of the most noticeable features of Race mode is that it gives you a pumped up version of Extended Boost. In simple terms Race mode delivers a slightly longer overrun period, roughly equivalent to one full revolution of the pedals.

And it gives it to you at a higher power output. So when you stop pedalling the motor keeps pushing you forward for longer and in some cases the bike actually accelerates. This is a little unnerving at first, and it’s why it is always a good idea to cover your brakes when riding in Race mode.

The benefits are equally apparent though. The extra surge of power is there to get you up and over bigger trail obstacles, where you don’t have the necessary ground clearance to keep the cranks spinning.

It makes getting the front end up easier too, which is really handy on a 26.08kg  (57.5lb) bike like the Whyte E-180. So if you race, and are timed on technical ups, as well as downs, it will be a real boon. Riders that come from a trials background will love it too, as it will open up new possibilities on previously impossible climbs.

In Race mode the bike gets up to speed more quickly too offering 400% assistance, so if you crank out of a corner, or stall on a climb, it makes it that much easier to maintain race pace or get back on it. This also helps overcome the extra drag of the super soft compound Maxxis MaxxGrip tyres on the E-180.

The Race and Turbo modes are both customisable. So you can change the dynamic setting to adjust the initial acceleration, the overall level of assistance, and even the torque in 5Nm increments down from the 85Nm max.

So the real benefits of the Race motor are in the firmware not the hardware, so hopefully that means a Race mode for the standard CX motor will be an option at some point.

How it rides

Crack open the magnesium casing of the Race motor and the internals are identical to the current Performance Line CX unit, so I was surprised at how much quieter the Race motor was. Yes, it’s a little louder on the initial acceleration phase, but once up to speed it’s less distracting than the CX motor on the Whyte E-160.

On flatter trails the surge of power in Race mode when you first start pedalling really helps to maintain speed, and allows you to quickly correct errors in line choice or braking points.

On steeper descents where the terrain transitions rapidly from steep chutes to flat shelves, you can actually hear and feel the Extended Boost kicking in, even though you are not pedalling. And this is simply because the pitch of the bike is changing beneath you, which has the same effect as doing a quick half crank of the pedals.

It’s not uncontrollable, because you’re already on the brakes, so the bike never gets away from you, even though you can feel it pushing beneath you. It’s something to be cognisant of though and you can always switch to Turbo mode on the descents if the Extended Boost feels too pronounced in Race mode.

And it’s on the descents where the E-180 really excels. It’s built solid, the frame exceeding the current safety standard by nearly 250%. Hence the weight. And because the suspension feels very fluid and the 750Wh battery sits low in the frame, the bike masks its bulk better than a XXL black t-shirt.

The build kit on the Works bike will make you feel like a SRAM sponsored athlete. Well, not the part where you get the bits for free, but you get the gist.

Highlights include the Code RSC brakes with massive 220mm rotors front and rear for maximum stopping power.

With 170mm frame travel and the big 180mm RockShox Zeb up front, you can lean back and let the E-180 do a lot of the work for you. And shorter riders will have no problems getting far enough back either, as the smaller 27.5in rear wheel gives lots of bum clearance.

To keep things simple, there’s no display on the E-180. But the plug and play nature of the Bosch Smart System means you could always add a Kiox display later if you wanted to.

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