Review: Norco Range VLT - The Purple Plow

Frame & Motor Details

The Range uses a stout looking carbon fiber front triangle and an aluminum swingarm, with the battery and mode indicator for the Bosch motor incorporated into the top tube. The layout leaves room for a water bottle inside the front triangle, and the straight seat tube makes it possible to run long travel dropper posts.

There's no silly thru-headset cable routing to be seen here; the housing runs through ports on each side of the head tube. The battery can be removed without too much hassle – it slides out through the bottom of the downtube, a design that I prefer over dealing with rattly side or downtube panels.

Chainslap protection is located on the seat and chainstays, and there's also a downtube guard to prevent any damage if the bike's loaded in the back of a pickup truck.


The Bosch Performance CX motor is controlled by the wireless remote located on the left side of the handlebar. If the remote battery died or if it was damaged in a crash there are buttons on the top tube display that can be used to switch through the four different modes. Those modes can be customized in Bosch's Flow app, and it's now possible to swap one mode out for another from Bosch's catalog of options.

Geometry

There are five sizes in the Range VLT lineup, with reach numbers starting at 417mm and going up in 25mm increments, maxing out at 517mm for the size 5.

The split between size 3 and 4 may leave some riders scratching their heads about what size to buy. Over the last few years many companies seem to have settled on 475 – 485mm reach for a size large, but with the Norco's sizing, riders will be deciding between the 467mm reach of the size 3, or the 492mm reach of the size 4.

The head angle is a slack 63-degrees across the board, and all sizes roll on a mixed wheel setup.

The rear center length increases in 4mm increments, starting at 428mm for the size 1 and going up to 444 on a size 5. Don't forget, the bike's rearward axle path will increase those numbers further as the bike goes through its travel; add 8 millimeters to each figure to determine the chainstay length at sag.

Suspension Design

The Range and Sight VLT use Norco's VPS HP suspension layout (or Virtual Pivot Suspension High Pivot, which sort of looks like word salad). The idler is mounted on the chainstay, above and slightly behind the chainring, a positioning that's covered under a patent that Norco licenses from i-track. That layout gives a rearward axle path for the first two-thirds of the bike's travel, which equates to the chainstay length growing by a total of 15 millimeters.

The anti-squat levels are slightly lower than what's found on the non-motorized Sight and Optic, since outright efficiency isn't quite as high of a priority when there's a motor in the mix - the focus can be shifted to creating more grip on steep, loose climbs.

Testing Info

Testing took place in Bellingham, Washington, over the last few months, with conditions ranging from wet and dreary to sunny and perfect - typical springtime weather in the Pacific Northwest.

Climbing

With a 750 Wh battery (part of the reason it weighs so much) and Bosch's powerful Performance CX motor, the Range VLT is well equipped for knocking out long climbs in a short amount of time. On multiple occasions I was able to get over 6,000 vertical feet of climbing on one charge, and that was with a healthy use of Turbo mode. Tour+ saw plenty of use too – in that mode the motor automatically adjusts its output depending on if you're spinning on flat ground or grinding up a steeper grade, which noticeably increases the range.

The Range's weight wasn't too noticeable while climbing, at least until I had to get off and lug it over a downed tree, but you can feel the overall mass when working through slower speed, more technical climbs. The slack head angle comes into play too – there's plenty of stability, and the Range is great at clambering its way up rough, chunky climbs, but it's not the zippiest, easiest to maneuver thing. The suspension does a good job of balancing traction and support, keeping the rear wheel stuck to the ground without making the rider feel like they're bouncing around on an old waterbed.

It wouldn't be a high pivot review without a couple sentences mentioning the idler, but this time around there's really no noise or noticeable drag to talk about – the whir of the motor masks any idler pulley noise, and erases any noticeable drag.

Descending

The Range VLT truly is a downhiller's e-bike, and its happy place is blasting down steep trails, plowing over whatever gets in its way. It does an impressive job of knocking the edge off of square edge hits, and there wasn't any sense of the rear wheel getting hung up. I did find that the high pivot suspension layout didn't feel as, well, high-pivoty, as I'd anticipated. All the same, the Range maintains its composure remarkably well when faced with chopped up section of trail.

This is a bike that rewards a more confident rider – sitting back and hanging on isn't going to have the best results. That said, the Range VLT's geometry gives it a level of quickness you might not expect, all other factors considered. Even with the rearward axle path the chainstays aren't that long, which can make it easier to rip around tighter turns, or pop off the lip of a jump. The suspension feels like it goes through its travel at exactly the right rate – there's no wallowing or unwanted mushiness on smoother sections, and then there's very controlled impact absorption from larger drops or rougher bits of trail.

The weight of the motor and battery helps keep the Range VLT planted when ripping through high speed turns, although the bottom bracket height is on the higher side, with just 2mm of drop from the BB to the rear axle. It's a similar sensation to what I experienced on the Commencal Meta Power – cornering is aided by the extra weight from the motor, but there's not that totally locked in, carvy feeling that can come with a lower bottom bracket. The Nukeproof Megawatt (RIP) and Specialized Turbo Levo are two examples of bikes with relatively low bottom brackets that corner exceptionally well.

While an extra pound (or three) doesn't really matter as much as it would on an eMTB compared to a non-motorized bike, when the weight starts creeping towards the 60-lb mark it is noticeable. One of the reasons I enjoyed Orbea's Wild eMTB last season was that it came in under 50 pounds with a full power motor. Granted, that bike did have a smaller battery, but with more and more range extenders hitting the market I think that a slightly smaller battery (600 Wh or so) with the option to stick on a 250 Wh battery for longer rides is the way to go on these bigger full power machines.

How Does It Compare?

I recently reviewed the Commencal Meta Power, which has the same motor as the Range, so a comparison seems fitting. Starting with the basics, the Commencal takes the win in the price department thanks to its aluminum frame and the Andorran company's consumer direct model.

The Meta Power has more of an all-round feel to it – it has a little less travel, and slightly sharper handling (depending on the setting, the head angle is either .6 or 1-degree steeper than the Range VLT). It has a more direct suspension feel, and doesn't smooth out the big hits to the same extent that the Range does. Speaking of range, the Meta Power has a smaller battery 625 Wh, although there is a 250 Wh range extender available. For pure downhill performance, the Range has the edge - it has a more DH-focused feel, and does a better job at handling steep, rough descents.

Which Model is the Best Value?


There are just three models of the Range VLT, and none really qualify as screaming deals. The C2 model is $1,000 less, and it still has a solid parts kit, with a cable-actuated SRAM GX drivetrain, Select+ level suspension components, and SRAM's mineral oil powered, 4-piston DB8 brakes. The A1 base model has a NX drivetrain, which isn't known for its longevity on non-motorized bikes – add a motor into the equation and it's not something I'd recommend. That model also has an aluminum frame, which is going to push the already-substantial weight even higher.

Technical Report

SRAM GX Transmission: The GX derailleur worked well for the entire test period, firing off consistent shifting no matter how much I was mashing on the pedals. I do wish the Norco had used an auxiliary power cord to wire the derailleur into the main battery. I don't really like charging batteries as it is, so I'd rather only need to remember to charge one battery instead of two.

Continental Kryptotal Enduro tires: The enduro casing of Continental's Kryptotal tires is tough enough for eMTB usage, although I'm still waiting for that long-rumored combination of an enduro casing with the Super Soft rubber compound. The Soft compound is fine in drier conditions, but when things are wet and slimy the Super Soft rubber that's currently only available on the DH casing tires is the way to go.

Headset noises: The Range developed a creaky headset a couple times during the test period, which was fixed each time by cleaning and greasing the cups and bearings. I rode in some pretty miserable conditions, so this isn't entirely unexpected, but it did seem to happen faster than I would have expected.

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Pinkbike's Take

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