It's no secret that SCOR bikes lives alongside the BMC brand, but the employees put on specific hats when talking about one versus the other. SCOR is very much the "off-the-clock" and non-race focused crew, and their bike and branding portray that image. There's no intent for SCOR to enter the world of racing at this time, but that doesn't mean that their bikes aren't fast.
We've given a full
introduction to the brand before, which Dan Roberts covered, but Crankworx 2022 was the first time we were able to swing a leg over the 4060 Z LT eMTB. If you're up to speed on their standard bikes, you'll know the 4060 Z e-bike doesn't stray too far from SCOR's ideology to build two different travel bikes with just one frameset. They have achieved that by mounting either a 48.5 or 55mm shock stroke shock on the lower suspension link to give either 140 or 160mm of travel. A 1.5-degree angle adjusting headset is used to adapt the geometry for the short and long travel configurations.
4060 Z LT Details • Wheel size: 29"
• Travel: 160mm, 170mm fork
• Carbon frame
• Motor: Shimano EP8 - 85Nm Torque
• Battery: Darfon 720Wh
• 63.8º head angle
• 435mm chainstays
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Claimed weight: 22.50kg / 49.6lb
• Price: $6,599 - 8,699 USD
•
scor-mtb.com Both the ST and LT Z-series bikes, are splashed with either a full Shimano SLX or XT build, so it's no surprise to see the STEPS EP8 motor in play there as well. That produces 85Nm of torque and there's a 720 WH Darfon battery that's easily removable after loosening a few bolts. You'll notice that the wires running from the controls to the motor enter the head tube through the stem spacers - a hot debate amongst mechanics - but that does keep them from getting hooked by branches or anything else that might be out to snag the delicate danglers.
Unsurprisingly, there are no cheap options for purchasing one of the 4060 Z bikes because the front and rear triangles are carbon with no aluminum options in sight. This does yield a 22.5 kg weight for the XT build in a size medium and SCOR hasn't totally skimped on the tire spec to attain this weight. A Maxxis DD casing out back on the strong DT Swiss H1900 wheels adds some more reassurance to keeping the air in the tires while Fox Factory and RockShox Ultimate suspension can be found on the XT and SLX builds for $6,599 and $8,699 USD respectfully.
Frame DetailsTwo mounting points on the lower link tune the travel settings, and the adjustable head tube is purposefully ovalized internally for aligning the offset cups without any drama, but otherwise, there are no further frame adjustments. The lower shock mount is clearly marked and the user manual documents how to accomplish those changes, full component specs, and frame torque values.
Under the downtube, a plastic shroud protects the frame and battery against stones although there is no rubber guard or skid plate. There is, however, a wavy chainslap protector on the stay and a micro guide along the top of the chainring. When asked about chain protection, SCOR chose to lean in favor of keeping the area light and without risking transferring skidplate loads in the frame, versus adding more material and a guard. Replacing a chain and ring is cheaper and easier than replacing a frame for broken ISCG mounts.
To remove the battery and to gain access to the internal cable routing, two 5mm hex bolts under the down tube will drop away the 720Wh cell. The dropper post housing is externally accessible momentarily at the bottom of the seat tube so you can feed the line through, should you need more slack to raise the seat post. Otherwise, clean ports guide the cables into the front of the head tube and go unnoticed until the very end of the bike. The charge port and power button sit on opposing sides of the shock basement and are very unobtrusive. The silver power button isn't the typical Shimano one and actually looks like a piece of pivot hardware.
SCOR has also supplied their own 31.8mm carbon handlebar and focused primarily on strength, especially considering the forces that eMTBs can go through if they take a tumble. Another interesting note on carbon bar durability was how SCOR engineers noticed that pivoting split clamps often have to be over-torqued to sit snugly in place, so extra material was placed here. Sitting with a 5-degree up and 7.5 back sweep, the 20x800mm bar should be something most riders find comfortable.
Suspension DesignSCOR wanted to give the 4060 Zs the same ride characteristics of the non-assist versions, so the dual link suspension configuration uses a similar leverage curve that is fairly progressive. It's tricky to tell from the sketch-style graphs, but those numbers start around 2.85 and finish around 2.20. That may be exactly the way SCOR sheds light on the kinematics without revealing the full details though.
The axle path looks to be mostly vertical with a little tail that trails inwards halfway through the travel, while the anti-squat and anti-rise are perhaps higher than most. The anti-squat appears to start around 130% and doesn't drop to less than 100% until about 90mm into the travel. Considering the 30% sag point equates to 48mm of travel, I'd expect the 4060 Z LT to resist squishing under pedaling forces, while the anti-rise is fairly neutral starting around 95% and tapering off gradually. That means that the rear suspension won't lift too much under braking, but comes at some compromise to feeling supple when you're on the binders in the rough stuff.
GeometryThe major benefit of the short, dual-link design, next to tuning the kinematics, is the ability to tuck the rear triangle up and into the frame. The 4060 Zs have one of the shortest chainstays for eMTBs that I've seen, especially with a Shimano motor. That results in agile 435mm chainstays on all frame sizes, which suit the S and M size frames that have a reach of 435 and 459mm. Taller riders on the L and XL frames may find that imbalance less stable at high speeds, though.
Other numbers that jump off the pages would be the slack 63.8-degree head tube and steep 77.9-degree seat tube angles. Coupled with 160 and 170mm of front and rear wheel travel, the 4060 Z LT shouldn't shy away from near-vertical chutes or roads that seem closer to walls. Keep in mind, that if you want to flip that headset cup around, it will bring the head angle back to a more conservative 65.3-degrees, which should work well on flatter terrain.
Models & PricingRide ImpressionsIf you're going to build an eMTB with a full-size motor and battery, why not opt for more travel? The 4060 Z LT is an enduro e-bike through and through with plenty of travel and geometry that outshines plenty of other rides marketed as "aggressive". With the headset in the slack setting and that stout Fox 38 at the helm, I expected the purple machine to eat up the chunky Whistler trails and it certainly didn't disappoint.
I opted to downsize to the M frame with a 459mm reach to experiment and see how the increased system mass would counteract the shorter wheelbase compared to a size L (for reference, I'm 5'10" / 177 cm). In the parking lot, the rider position felt well balanced between the axles and even with a 170mm fork, the low stack height kept a considerable amount of weight on the front wheel. I shuffled around steer tube spacers until I settled on 25mm under the stem and had the bars trimmed to 770mm. This setup certainly felt on the smaller side and I did have to raise the post considerably in the frame to reach my desired saddle height.
On the trail though, it was a different story. With the seat in the middle of the rails, I could keep the front wheel in check around tight uphill switchbacks and not have to slide my weight around the saddle. The 160mm of dropper post travel never limited my descending either. However, I could see this potentially limiting some taller riders who would gravitate to the size L frame as they may need 180mm of drop. We've touched on the subject before, but generally steeper seat angles require a longer dropper post and the seat lies directly in the zone where your hips hover on descents.
Supporting this XT build is a Fox Float X, and that shock performed beautifully on the descents, but also on the uphills. There were never any stalls in direction change as the bike plodded over rooty climbs and the lockout switch is firm, but still active enough that it won't relocate your spine. All of this meant that you can stay seated and pedal through rough bits of trail and still get plenty of traction without sinking into the travel, making the 4060 Z LT an effective climber regardless of the motor.
E-bikes can mask suspension performance due to the decrease in sprung to unsprung weight ratio, however, there was no shortage of square edges and deep compressions found on some of Whistler's finest trails to test the 4060 Z LT. I did increase the rear shock pressure slightly during the ride as I found the 30% sag buttery, but it eased into the travel slightly too easily compared to how I set up the fork. On the second half of the day, the 28% sag balanced out the bike, but I did miss the gliding action of the rear suspension initially breaking away. Either setup can work, depending on where you're riding, and even with the lower shock pressure there is ample progression to ward off heavy bottom outs.
Another catch twenty-two: even though I was able to pick up the 22.5 kg bike with ease to set up high for some tight corners, I think a few more millimeters of chainstay length would let me run the softer rear shock setup without the feeling of getting pulled over the back of the bike through large compressions. One ride is hardly enough to get overly picky, and with further suspension tuning I could find a suitable balance, which might mean reducing the fork pressure too.
Next to the positive characteristics of the suspension, one of the stand out corners of the bike has to be the DT Swiss H1900 wheelset. These rims saw their fair share of pointy rocks on the day and even though I'd opt for a tire insert if this was my personal bike, the rims returned as good as new. There isn't a lot of news to talk about in regards to the Shimano EP8 motor, but one thing I did notice on the particularly rough Whistler valley singletrack trails was some lateral play that appeared to be present on not only my bike but all of the Shimano motors in our group. We're looking into that further, but the movement gave the feeling of the linkage coming loose, but all bolts were torqued solidly.
The 4060 Z LT is one of the more agile, full-powered e-bikes I've ridden that doesn't sacrifice stability either. Choosing the smaller size of the two sizes let me place that bike exactly where I wanted to while the slack head angle and stout suspension backed me up through questionable line choices.
The other one I see is "analogue", which is an antonym of digital. It's closer, but still wrong.
seems like 'mountain bike' is the most appropriate, then?
@Twenty6ers4life : I'm pretty sure that's only referring to 26" bikes
And the ebike motor does what? It amplifies the rider's power... using electricity.
Apart from the hate towards adding ANY word before "(normal) bikes", which I understand, this doesn't seem so bad...
I guess "analogies are bad" and only "accurate pinker facts" are acceptable in here.
Since we are into being pedant about semantics... :
PS @blackercanyons : "analog" is not "electric but not digital". Both digital and analog can be unrelated to electrity/electronics.
1. Short stays really help with the balance of weight with the battery in the downtube. These bikes have a lot more forward weight so the short stays help me feel more centered. Sounds odd but I’ve compared it to other ebikes with longer stays like the Repeater and this feels like weight it distributed better.
2. The charging port needs a better cover. I made one out of plastic and velcro. Helps keep dust out
3. I’m glad they added the metal plate on the rear triangle. I don’t have one and the chain can rub. I have material that i add there to help protect against rub but it needs replaced often
4. I wish there was a mullet option. This is the first 29 i’ve gotten butt buzz. I’m 6’1”. I think it’s partially because of the short rear end.
5. I’ve had to run lower sag than normal to keep from blowing through the mid stroke but a volume spacer could help. It’s just tough to get in there to snap one in. Very tight spot to get the shock in/out or just access the can.
6. Overall i love the bike, descends amazingly and does feel preemptive agile for a 51lbs bike. I ride the large with a rear insert btw. I weighed it with pedals and a tube strapped on usinf the Wolftooth mount and a bottle cage.
It is pretty nimble for its weight. No problem on tight switchbacks. No issues with Shimano motor as it uses Shimano cranks. There have been problems with bikes using E13 cranks.
Obviously this article mentioned something on the motor seemed loose but the bike was still rideable, and I’m sure there are a lot of variables but in an attempt to simplify my question,would it be normal to have problems with a new shim.ep8 in say , less than a year if you ride it 2-3 days a week with proper maintenance? I currently have 2 other mid travel FS bikes w/a DJ build in progress, but I’d like to try and get my hands on an e bike within the nxt year or so. However judging by all the articles and reviews it seems like the majority of em experience some form of mechanical/motor failure way to soon? This alone makes me wonder if buying a used eeb would be a bad idea unless it had a recent warranty replacement on the motor?
@Blerger Suck my balls
If you could sell a $10 burrito why on earth would you only charge $5? If SCOR could get SC money for their bikes they'd charge it.