Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 Review

Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Electric Bike Review 1
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Bosch Centerdrive
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Removable Battery Pack
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Lcd Control Panel
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Hydraulic Disc Brake
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Rear Cassette
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Suspension Fork Rockshox
Bosch Battery Charger
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Electric Bike Review 1
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Bosch Centerdrive
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Removable Battery Pack
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Lcd Control Panel
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Hydraulic Disc Brake
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Rear Cassette
Lapierre Overvolt Ht 900 Suspension Fork Rockshox
Bosch Battery Charger

Summary

  • Cross country (XC) style hardtail electric mountain bike with efficient 2nd Gen Bosch Centerdrive system
  • Solid components include Shimano hydraulic disc brakes, Rockshox pneumatic suspension fork with lockout, SR Suntour NCX seat post shock absorber and 27.5" Mavic wheelset
  • Lapierre joined the Accell Group in 1996 and now benefits from their distribution and support channels for improved warranty coverage, in the USA this is handled by Currie Technologies

Video Review

Introduction

Make:

Lapierre

Model:

Overvolt HT 900

Price:

$4,500 USD

Body Position:

Forward

Suggested Use:

Trail, Mountain

Electric Bike Class:

Pedal Assist (Class 1)
Learn more about Ebike classes

Warranty:

Lifetime Frame, 2 Year Drivetrain and Electronics

Availability:

United States, Europe

Model Year:

20142015

Bicycle Details

Total Weight:

41 lbs (18.59 kg)

Battery Weight:

5.5 lbs (2.49 kg)

Motor Weight:

8.8 lbs (3.99 kg)

Frame Material:

Aluminum Alloy Supreme 6

Frame Sizes:

15.35 in (38.98 cm)17.71 in (44.98 cm)20.07 in (50.97 cm)

Frame Types:

High-Step

Frame Colors:

Black with Blue and White Accents

Frame Fork Details:

Rockshox Reba RL 27.5" Solo Air Suspension with 120 mm Travel and Lockout, 15QR Tapered Head Tube

Gearing Details:

10 Speed 1x10 Shimano XT Shadow Plus RDM786GSL

Shifter Details:

Shimano SLX KSLM670BIRA ISpec Triggers on Right Bar

Cranks:

Miranda Delta, 170 mm

Pedals:

Wellgo Aluminum Alloy Platform, Black

Headset:

FSA Orbit 1.5E ZS NO.57E Tapered

Stem:

Easton EA50 8° Diameter: 31.8

Handlebar:

Nico Vouilloz Signature by FUNN 6061DB Width: 720 mm Rise: 15 mm Diameter: 31.8 mm

Brake Details:

Shimano XT Hydraulic Disc with 180 mm Rotors

Grips:

Rubber with Lockers

Saddle:

Overvolt VL1205

Seat Post:

Suntour NCX SP12 Suspension with 25 mm Travel

Seat Post Length:

350 mm

Seat Post Diameter:

31.6 mm

Rims:

Mavic EN321

Tire Brand:

Michelin Wild Grip

Wheel Sizes:

27.5 in (69.85cm)

Other:

Quick Release Front and Rear Wheels

Electronic Details

Motor Brand:

Bosch Gen 2 with Shift Detection

Motor Type:

Mid-Mounted Geared Motor
Learn more about Ebike motors

Motor Nominal Output:

250 watts

Motor Torque:

60 Newton meters

Battery Brand:

Samsung

Battery Voltage:

36 volts

Battery Amp Hours:

11 ah

Battery Watt Hours:

400 wh

Battery Chemistry:

Lithium-ion

Charge Time:

3.5 hours

Estimated Min Range:

35 miles (56 km)

Estimated Max Range:

65 miles (105 km)

Display Type:

Intuvia Removable Backlit Grayscale LCD

Readouts:

Speed, 4 Assist Levels, Battery Voltage, Odometer, Estimated Range, Clock, Max Speed, Average Speed, Trip Time

Display Accessories:

Independent Button Pad with Tactile Feedback

Drive Mode:

Advanced Pedal Assist (Combined Torque, Cadence and Speed), (Eco 50%, Tour 120%, Sport 190%, Turbo 275%)

Top Speed:

20 mph (32 kph)


Written Review

The Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 is one of the lightest weight hardtail electric mountain bikes I’ve had the chance to test ride. It’s due out in the United States around Q4 2014 and will be the first Lapierre electric bike this side of the pond. In Europe, Lapierre has released one other Overvolt model (simply called the Overvolt Hardtail) that leveraged the slightly less powerful 250 watt Bosch System. With the HT 900 Lapierre is delivering a solid cross country riding experience with 27.5″ wheels, a 120mm RockShox Reba air suspension fork and seat post shock that provide an efficient and enjoyable ride. It’s also a beautiful looking bike in black with blue and white accents. The custom frame has been engineered to keep weight low and center while protecting the centerdrive and downtube battery pack.

The motor used here is a geared centerdrive from Bosch offering 350 watts of power. It’s extremely efficient and achieves excellent climbing and acceleration when used in conjunction with the 10 speed cassette in the rear. Three sensors communicate with the drive system for responsive activation and cut off. The bike monitors your pedal cadence, torque and wheel speed as well as shifting so it won’t mash gears. I’m a huge fan of the system on this and other electric bikes and while it doesn’t offer a throttle mode, the four levels of assist deliver an exhilarating ride. As someone who loves to ride trails but suffers from a knee injury I’ve found the lowest mode of pedal assist adequate for flats and light climbing with the highest level more than enough to ascend steep ridges.

Powering this bike is a nearly 400 watt battery pack offering 36 volts of power and 11 amp hours of capacity. This is slightly above average in terms of size and the the drive system really rations power as described above. The chemistry used here is a Lithium-ion mixture akin to that used in electric cars. It’s very stable, light weight and long lasting (in terms of charge cycles). I love that you can easily take the battery off for charging and safe storage inside. These Bosch power packs are also fairly standard so buying a second one to extend your range or simply replacing it after years of use won’t be an issue. Frankly, I also like the all-black motor and battery pack design used here. It’s not perfectly stealth but blends in well enough and seems protected from trail hazards.

The display unit on the Lapierre Overvolt HT 900 is large and easy to use. The screen is backlit and shows speed, distance and assist and you can interact with it using a break-out button pad. The benefit is being able to keep your hands on the grips at all times (critical when riding on rough potentially hazardous terrain). One of the neat things about the Bosch display is that you can either lock it to the mount with a set screw or remove the screw entirely and take the panel off each time you park (to prevent tampering and vandalism). It’s nice that they give you the choice here though I’ve heard that removing screens too often can allow the contacts to get dirty and weaken if not cleaned so be careful.

I really enjoyed testing this bike and appreciate how light and responsive it feel. During a press event I was able to meet a fourth generation member from the Lapierre family named Stephane who performed a short demo ride of the full suspension Overvolt. I was amazed to see him bunny hop the entire thing up a large curb right on video and that bike is two pounds heavier than this one! The higher price tag on these machines reflects the quality components, balanced design and excellent support offered by the major companies producing and distributing them. As a final thought, I especially appreciate the suspension seat post they added here. It feels like they really paid attention to the details of this bike… This single feature enhanced the ride quality for me while still enabling the power transfer and performance feel of a hardtail frame.

Pros:

  • High performance 350 watt Bosch Centerdrive is quite powerful, provides great acceleration and climbing
  • Motor and battery pack are kept low and center for improved balance and handling off-road, battery is removable
  • Sophisticated control console has a break out button pad for easy reach when riding, it’s removable and backlit
  • Drive system uses three sensors (cadence, torque and speed) to activate the motor making it extremely responsive
  • Thanks to the Supreme 6 Alloy frame and RockShox Reba air fork this bike is very light weight for an ebike ~41 lbs
  • Shimano XT 180mm hydraulic disc brakes deliver excellent, smooth stopping power without tiring your hands and fingers
  • 27.5″ Mavic EN321 wheelset is strong but light, this “in between” wheel size balances improved rolling momentum and bump navigation with responsive handling
  • Seat post suspension bumper offers the feel of a full suspension bike without the weight while maintaining the stiffness and performance of a hardtail, great accessory!

Cons:

  • The battery pack takes up space on the downtube where a water bottle cage might otherwise mount, consider a seat adapter like this
  • Externalized battery, larger bottom bracket and quiet whine during operation make it more obvious that this is an electric bike “less stealth”
  • No throttle mode, this bike only uses pedal assist (like all Bosch powered systems)
  • Only available in a high-step configuration but the top tube does curve down a bit for easier standing or bails (avoid racking yourself)

Resources:

More Lapierre Reviews

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A Carbon fiber, All Mountain, limited edition (70th anniversary), electric mountain bike with Bosch CX drive system (now featuring eMTB mode for click-free riding). Battery and motor integration are as low and center as I have ever seen delivering…...

Lapierre Overvolt FS 900 Review

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Comments (2) YouTube Comments

dan
10 years ago

Good review Court. I’m glad you survived the bee! lol.

The more I see these quality mid-drive mtn bikes, the more I see the differences and advantaged of mid drive over hub for off road. There are hub bikes that can handle it, no doubt, but the ride quality tips the scale IMO.

Cool stuff.

  Reply
Court Rye
10 years ago

Hey Dan, I agree… Mid-drives are awesome for off-road use and with responsive pedal assist they perform very well and allow for precision handling and solid grip over obstacles and jumps. Yeah, the bee snuck up on me there but everything worked out :P

  Reply
Nathan
9 years ago

Been looking for this bike, but seems it’s still pretty hard to come by in the US.

  Reply
Court Rye
9 years ago

Yeah, I haven’t seen it at many shops. I think Motostrano in Redwood City California carries it (just South of San Francisco).

  Reply

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