Cyke Falcon S eMTB

For Starters

So, how much power is too much power. That’s a questions we’ll try to answer today. First off, the Falcon S is the 29er version of the Falcon line (also available are a 27.5 x 3″ Falcon A and 26 x 4.8″ Falcon X).

Design

The wheelbase on the Falcon S is an impressive 52″ (132cm)! This is one of the longest e-bikes I’ve ever ridden, but it also has an aggressive 64° head tube angle and a 74.3° seat tube angle. I found that all of these elements feel very confidence-inspiring on downhills and quite comfortable while pedaling throughout the trails. The frame is fully-upgradeable if you choose to as it does not use proprietary parts.

Tires & Brakes

The tires that come on the Falcon S are the downhill-ready 29 x 3.00″ Maxxis Minion DHF, and they are some of the beefiest tires I’ve ever seen on an MTB. These also have the EXO sidewalls which offer extra protection from sharp rocks. One of the most important parts of any bike is the stopping power, and the Falcon S comes with 4-piston hydraulic brakes from Tektro with massive 203mm rotors.

Suspension

Cyke wanted to get it right on their first eMTB and went with an air suspension. The Falcon S offers 150mm of travel both front and rear via a RockShox Recon SL up front and RockShox RS-DELUXE SELECT-C1 in the back.

Drivetrain

The rear derailleur on the Falcon S is a Sram X5 9-speed, and it works just fine. However, I would have liked to have seen a 10-speed minimum with a clutched rear derailleur. Without the clutch, there is just a bit of extra noise out on the trail. Again, this could be upgraded later if one were so inclined.

Motor and Battery

The Falcon S is sporting a Bafang mid-drive motor capable of producing 1,100 watts of peak power generating 160nm of torque! That’s 75nm more than the Shimano or Bosch motors that I’ve ridden in the past. Powering that motor is a massive 960Wh (20Ah) battery with LG cells. The whole thing is a 48V system.

Final Thoughts

The app is absolutely crucial for dialing in this bike to how you like to ride, and potentially just to make it legal on your local trails. I dive in to this topic in my video starting at 7:40.

Overall, I feel like this is the eMTB that a motocross rider would choose. The heavier weight and higher power output would probably feel really natural for that type of rider. I wish it had tubeless ready wheels, a dropper post, and a clutch rear derailleur. However, the beefy tires, great suspension, and heavier weight make this bike an absolute trail shredder. Oh, and the 160nm of torque allow you to climb just about any hill you can find.

If this sounds like the bike for you, I’d really appreciate it if you used my link. It won’t cost you any extra and it really helps out this channel.

Falcon S: https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=2593684&u=3657928&m=156949&urllink=&afftrack=