Whyte's new E-Lyte e-MTB brings big power and low weight
Bosch's SX motor, a 400Wh battery and as little as 16.4kg all in
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Spotted under a neat wrap job at Eurobike and around some of our local trails, Whyte has pulled the covers on its brand-new E-Lyte lightweight e-mountain bike platform. Introducing three models, they all offer full power with a 400Wh battery and all are compatible with the Bosch PowerMore 250Wh battery. The PowerMore is included with 150 Works and 140 Works bikes and there's an optional extra on the 150 RSX. Power is 600W peak, 250W nominal. Its lightest weight XC/trail build is set to weigh just 16.4kg. Here's everything we know about Whyte's exciting E-Lyte lineup.
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The E-Lyte comes alongside Whyte's recent rebrand which sees in all-new logos found along the downtube as well as a neat-looking head badge with these changes being seen across the whole range of bikes.
Whyte's new E-Lyte lineup has been crafted for those who strive for the experience that a regular mountain bike offers, but blended with the helpful pedal assist of an e-mountain bike. And to do so, the brand has specced the new bike with Bosch's Performance Line SX motor system, which is its lightest system to date.
2023 whyte e-lyte 150 worx tt.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Paired with the 400Wh battery that comes as standard on each of the E-Lyte models, this motor kicks out 55Nm of torque 600W of peak power, and plenty of range. But importantly, not only is it Whyte's first lightweight e-MTB but it's the brand's first full carbon frame in a decade.
And that frame comes with a range of very cool features, including seals at the internal cable routing ports and the seat tube which have been built in to keep the worst of the British weather out. As with Whyte's existing e-bikes, a lot of work has been put into placing the bulk of the bike's weight as low as possible in the frame, so unlike some other bikes, the 250Wh range extender sits where a bottle cage usually would, opting to place the bottle higher up on the down tube when in use.
However, this isn't the only home for a water bottle as the range extender uses a special adaptor, as well as the bike's bottle cage, so these can be changed as the rider wishes.
2023 whyte e-lyte 150 worx motor.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Other neat tech comes in the form of the motor cover which adds a sleek look to the frame. It is sorted with venting, so there shouldn't be any need to worry about overheating the motor.
As mentioned before, there are three bikes in the range, one flagship E-Lyte 140 Work and two 150 models, the RSX and the Works. You might have guessed that these bikes are equipped with different travel figures with the 140 getting 135mm of rear travel and 140 up front, whereas the 150 is sorted with 142mm at the rear and 150 at the front. Interestingly, and cleverly, all bikes share the very same frame, the 150 models just get a longer stroke shock.
Using the same frame means that the bike's geometries are fairly similar with the 140 getting a 64.4-degree head angle, and a 77.5-degree seat tube angle on a large with the same frame size benefitting from a 1269mm wheelbase. The 150 gets a little slacker with a 64-degree head angle and a little steeper with a 77.1-degree seat tube. this one's wheelbase sits at 1273 on a large frame.
2023 whyte e-lyte 140 worx hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer
Onto the builds and this is where the 140 and 150 builds really set themselves apart as the former is designed to cater to those who appreciate the lightest of weight for cross-country and trail-style riding. While it gets the same motor system, there's a Fox 34 Factory fork paired with a Float Factory shock. Driving the bike is a SRAM XX SL T-Type drivetrain with SRAM Level Ultimate Stealth four-piston brakes. It rolls on a set of 29in DT Swiss XRC 1501 Spline wheels which are shod with Goodyear Escape tyres. This build is claimed to weigh an impressively light 16.4kg.
2023 whyte e-lyte 150 worx hero.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The E-Lyte 150 Works ups the ante with a more trail/enduro style build but with this model, Whyte has really leaned into its British heritage by partnering with Hope to offer a bike that's sorted with all of the best Hope components, something that we very rarely see from stock. As a heavier-hitting build, there's a burlier Fox 36 Factory fork and Float X Factory shock as well as a SRAM XO T-Type drivetrain. Hope supplies the Tech 4 V4 brakes, Pro 5 hubs, and 155mm crankset. The Whyte TeXtreme Innegra-infused rims get a Maxxis Minion DHF at the front and a Dissector at the rear. As you can imagine, this one is heavier, claiming to weigh 19.2kg
Both of the bikes listed above get the 250Wh range extender included in the box.
E-Lyte-150-RSX-Whyte-bc-12.jpg, by Liam Mercer
The E-Lyte 150 RSX benefits from a more budget-friendly build (which still costs £8k) with suspension from RockShox with a Lyrik Select+ fork and Deluxe Select+ shock. There's a SRAM GX T-Type drivetrain with SRAM Code Bronze Stealth brakes. This one also rolls on Whyte's carbon Innegra-infused rims but this time with generic hubs, however, it gets the same tyre setup. This model is set to tip the scale at 18.9kg.
Prices for Whyte's brand new E-Lyte system start at £8,000 for the 150 RSX with the 150 Works costing £10,000. The 140 Works will set you back £11,000.
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