We found the CrossCore RC’s overall ride quality to be excellent, though we found a few minor points of critique.
In terms of comfort, the bike strikes a good balance between a city bike and a commuter, though it takes a larger influence from the former. It has a forward-leaning riding position that places some of the rider’s weight on the handlebars; we found that the large ergonomic grips enhanced the ride by spreading out that weight.
The saddle, while on the slim and performance-oriented side, was more plush and accommodating than expected! I spent roughly seven hours on the bike over two consecutive days when performing our range test, and was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable it remained even after such a duration.
In terms of fit, Yamaha offers three sizes of frame to accommodate riders from 5’-1” to 6’-7”. Our test bike was a medium frame quoted to fit those from 5’-5” to 6’-0”, though as a 5’-11” rider it felt somewhat on the smaller side in terms of reach and top tube length.
The sizing helped to give the bike a nimble and responsive – even playful – feel that I thoroughly enjoyed. With 640-mm handlebars, steering felt quick, and with 27.5”x2” CST street tires, the bike was highly maneuverable on paved surfaces. Wider tires added stability and additional shock absorption to what was already granted by the SR Suntour NEX suspension fork with 63 mm of travel.
In the spirit of a minimalistic city bike, the CrossCore RC is relatively light on included accessories; the integrated headlight is all that the bike is equipped with aside from reflectors and a bell. Buyers can choose to add simple fenders (front and rear sold separately) or equip the rear wheel with a fender/rack combination that includes an integrated taillight. With or without this optional accessory, the bike does not include brake lights, which we consider to be essential on an e-bike sharing the roads with automobile traffic and other cyclists. We appreciate the ability to further outfit the CrossCore RC with accessories, but we challenge Yamaha to add brake light functionality to its taillights.
We liked the bike’s cockpit layout, with a rapidfire Shimano Altus shifter on the right bar and the display/control panel on the left. Considering the CrossCore RC’s price of around $3,000, we would have preferred a color display with a more accurate battery percentage readout and range estimate, but we liked the equipped display’s ease of use.
One of the most unique and appealing features is the Auto-assist mode. By holding the up arrow button, this “set it and forget it” system can be activated, which allows the rider to pedal naturally while getting a varying amount of power as needed. This system amplifies the feedback from the torque sensor – when pedaling harder, the PAS moves to High and when soft-pedaling, it reduces output to Eco. Due to the bike’s quad sensor system, this mode felt smooth and intuitive, ultimately making the bike easier and more fun to ride.
The overall feel of the motor and the bike’s pedaling experience were other highlights; even with full power, the CrossCore RC never lost the feel of an analog bike. The motor output felt dialed-in, responsive, and completely natural!
We give the CrossCore RC extremely high marks in terms of its overall ride quality.
.
.
.
#Yamaha #CrossCore #Review #Electric #Bike #Report
Source link
