Norco has fully committed to this e-MTB, emphasizing the downhill.
They have, then pitched the price significantly lower than much of the competition – as most of the elite downhill electric mountain bikes will run you $10,000 or more.
So undercutting by nearly $5,000 is a gamble and questions have to be raised about whether corners have been cut on the Norco Sight VLT A1.
It’s a very competitive section of the market, so if Norco pulls it off, they could have one of the best value-for-money downhill e-MTBs we’ve ever soon.
Do they manage to pull it off?
Let’s find out in our Norco Sight VLT A1 review…
Norco Sight VLT A1 Review
Price: $3,899 (battery costs more, varying sizes available)
Peaks:
- Motor power
- Budget price
- Great suspension
- Burly suspension
- Price
- Downhill capable
- Tires / Wheels
Troughs:
- Motor can be too powerful at times
- Hard to tame for novice
- Display
Weight/Frame
The Norco Sight VLT A1 is an aluminium framed, downhill-capable, e-MTB, which punches well above its weight for its price.
It appears in our best electric mountain bikes guide, a real coup for what can be considered a budget bike.
Part of the success is due to the playful frame and aggressive geometry, which allows the bike to bridge the gap into the world of technical terrain.
The aluminium frame does weigh a bit, though, and the Norco Sight VLT A1 weighs 25.2kg in the large battery size.
For riders who can get out of it what the bike offers in terms of weight, they ride superbly – especially in the descents.
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It’s absolutely able when things get tough on a trail, and the frame is tough enough to shrug off hits without so much as a whimper.
It’s produced in four frame sizes – small, medium, large, and extra large.
Battery
You also have an option of three sizes to the battery on the Norco Sightly VLT A1.
In as much as that is, there is a point of purchase where you will have to choose which one you want-or rather which one you fancy having-with the lighter ones reducing the weight of the bike as a whole but the largest bringing the weight of the bike to 25.2kg.
The size of the battery varies; it comes in 540Wh, 700Wh, and the largest is 900Wh.
These give you varying ranges we achieved more than 120km on the flats with the 900Wh battery tested in this review and around 70km including more than 3,000m of climbing.
That’s really outstanding performance for a bike weighing over 25kg, and the 900Wh battery unleashed its power rather conservatively.
That’s enough for most riders to have nigh on all-day riding potential and we found offered more than enough for our needs.
The company claims the 720Wh battery can push out around 50km, with close to 3,000m of climbing, and around 40km with 2000m of climbing on the 540Wh battery.
Each battery has different costs: the 900Wh will be $1,299 on top of the cost of the bike, the 720Wh will have a price of $1,099, and the 540Wh battery will add a further $899.
If you wonder how long does it take to charge a Norco Sight VLT battery, the answer is around 6 hours from empty for the 900Wh, four and a half hours for the 720Wh, and less again for the 540Wh.
Motor
The Norco Sight VLT A1 comes with Shimano Steps EP8 motor, which can dish up as much as 85Nm of torque.
It’s not our favorite motor by far on the market, but you can’t argue with the power it gives, particularly that dreadful kick that drags that 25.2kg bike up some pretty challenging climbs without breaking a sweat.
It actually feels composed going up and its aggressive geometry lets you feel reasonably nimble to take on technical ascents.
Against this it’s far from perfect though-power delivery can offer quite a nasty lag, which doesn’t make it feel the most natural.
It can be a bit difficult for a less experienced or smaller rider, but for the more confident and stronger rider, it should not be an issue.
Range anxiety is never an issue, and especially with the 900Wh battery, you can feel free to hammer the assistance all day long.
There are 3 modes of assist – Eco, Trail, and Boost – they deliver enough power variety to overcome most challenges but unnatural delivery remains.
ℹ️ Be cautious with your assistance use on hazardous technical sections – the bike’s heavyweight, combined with its immense power, could lead to a nasty accident if you aren’t careful or don’t have the strength to cope with it.
Motor Display
The display on the Norco Sightly VLT A1 is one true issue for us.
Dealer sheets with the entire system usually have one true flaw on the Shimano EM800. It shows the amount of battery life in 5 percent lights.
Because 20% increments are far too large to really get an estimate for how much battery life you may have left,.
That’s far too stressful, though it mitigates the problem somewhat thanks to the large battery size and conservative power release.
Display Issues
Display is problematic on many bikes and will catch you out if not very careful.
display is far too simple for what we expect these days.
Suspension
Suspension, then, is not exactly something the Norco Sight VLT A1 is lacking.
There’s burly 160mm travel at the front end and 150mm at the rear – which lets you take on some of the wildest terrain out there – from gnarly, woodland downhill lines, to jump parks and the big drops.
It’s been kitted with FOX Rhythm 36 forks and FOX Float X2 Performance Elite Shocks–a strong pairing, surprisingly on an e-MTB so affordable.
The all-out capability of an e-MTB can cost a heck of a lot more, yet for around the $5,000 mark, the Norco Sight VLT A1 offers challenging trail capability.
The setup gives lots of give, so you end up feeling confident when flying hard and fast down the hills, but it feels a little spongey up the climbs as a result.
Fortunately, though, the powerful motor takes the edge off the sponginess, but it isn’t anywhere near as proficient up the climbs as some bikes with a lower amount of travel.
Certainly a setup to admire though and you can’t knock its descending ability.
Wheels/Tires
As you’d expect from an e-MTB downhill-oriented, it has a set of 29-inchers at each end.
Such a combination helps absorb impact when the trail gets all lumpy and gives one good grip so that you feel stable on the trail. The higher surface area will need to bite into the dirt hard when pushing things into corners.
The wheels are supplied by e*thirteen, using their LG1 downhill models – tough and dependable – and there’s a pair of Maxxis Assegai tires on there too.
Tires have a toothy tread pattern which fight well when things get tricky in the corners and they lend themselves to be pushed hard – just what you need from a downhill bike.
Brakes
The Norco Sight VLT A1 is fitted with a pair of Shimano MT520 brakes.
among them, yet to keep the general cost down Norco has opted for a middle-of-the road model.
they provide enough to deal with the bike’s demands, but certainly are an area we could identify for improvement.
The brakes can be a bit slow sometimes, and there’s this ever-so-slight feel of slipping at the highest pace.
Drivetrain
We are not complaining about the 12-speed Shimano SLX drivetrain on the bike, which provides pacy enough shifting to meet the demands of downhill riding and is as tough as well.
And it could be better at performance, but for the price you’re paying, we think it’s enough to do the job.
Price – $3,899 (before battery choice)
We’re mighty impressed with the bike that Norco has managed to produce for the low price tag.
When you add on even the largest battery, it only comes in at $5,198 – and that gives you a downhill bike, which can compete with models twice its price.
It does well downhill, will take some very rowdy terrain, and it offers other features that are pretty good also.
There are one or two areas we aren’t happy with: the display, for example, and the unnatural power delivery. But that former is an easy enough (non-expensive) fix.
It’s a steal at this price.
Norco Sight VLT A1 Facts & figures
Size configurations
| GEOMETRY | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | L | XL | |
| WHEEL SIZE | 29″ | 29″ | 29″ | 29″ |
| TRAVEL (MM FRONT/MM REAR) | 160/150 | |||
| REACH | 425 | 455 | 485 | 515 |
| STACK | 616 | 625 | 634 | 643 |
| HEAD TUBE ANGLE | 64° | |||
| FORK OFFSET | 44 | |||
| SEAT TUBE LENGTH | 395 | 415 | 440 | 455 |
| EFFECTIVE SEAT TUBE ANGLE | 77° | 77.3° | 77.7° | 78° |
| REAR CENTRE LENGTH | 25 | |||
| BOTTOM BRACKET DROP | 350 | |||
| HORIZONTAL TOP TUBE | 567 | 596 | 624 | 652 |
| WHEELBASE | 1224 | 1258 | 1292 | 1327 |
| STANDOVER | 695 | 708 | 717 | 723 |
| HEAD TUBE LENGTH | 100 | 110 | 120 | 130 |
| TRAIL | 134 | |||
| RECOMMENDED SEATPOST DROP | 125 | 150 | 170 | 200 |
| MAXIMUM POST INSERTION | 225 | 250 | 275 | 300 |
| STEM LENGTH | 40 | |||
| CRANK LENGTH | 165 | |||
| TIRE SIZE | 2.35″ – 2.6″ | |||
| WATER BOTTLE COMPATIBLE | 1 x 620 mL | 1 x 750 mL | 2 x 620 mL or 1 x 750 mL | 1 x 750 mL and 1 x 620 mL |
Full Specs
| FRAMESET | ||
|---|---|---|
| Frame | Rear Shock | Suspension Fork |
| Aluminum, 150mm Travel, UDH, Hangerless Interface Compatible, Ride Aligned™ | Fox FLOAT X2, Performance Elite Chassis, Custom Factory-Level Spec & Tune, 210x55mm | Fox Rhythm FLOAT 36, 160mm Travel, 44mm Offset, E-Rated |
| DRIVETRAIN | ||
| Rear Shifter | Rear Derailleur | Crankset |
| Shimano SLX SL-M7100 | Shimano SLX RD-M7100 | Shimano FC-EM600, 34T, 165mm |
| Cassette | Chain | |
| Shimano SLX CS-M7100-12, 10-51T, 12 Speed | Shimano SLX CN-M7100 | |
| BRAKES | ||
| Front Brake | Front Brake Rotor | Rear Brake |
| Shimano BR MT520, 4 Piston, Metallic Pads | Shimano RT-64, 203mm | Shimano BR MT520, 4 Piston, Metallic Pads |
| Rear Brake Rotor | Brake Levers | |
| Shimano RT-EM600 203mm, Integrated Sensor Magnet | Shimano BR MT520 | |
| COMPONENTS | ||
| Handlebar | Stem | Seatpost |
| Butted 6061 Alloy, 800mm, 25mm Rise | CNC Alloy, 40mm Length, 35mm Clamp | TranzX YS105 Dropper, 34.9mm, 125mm (S), 150mm (M), 170mm (L), 200mm (XL) |
| Dropper Lever | Headset | Saddle |
| Norco Dropper Lever | FSA No.55R-1 Sealed Bearing | Ergon SM-10 E-Mountain Sport |
| Grips | ||
| DMR DeathGrip A20 Soft, Thin (S, M), Thick (L, XL) | ||
| WHEELS | ||
| Front Hub | Rear Hub | Rims |
| Shimano Deore HB-401, 15x110mm Boost, Center Lock | Shimano Deore FH-510, 12x148mm Boost, Micro Spline, Center Lock | e*thirteen LG1 DH, 32H, 29″ |
| Front Tire | Spokes / Nipples | Valves |
| Maxxis Assegai 2.5″ 3C MaxxGrip/D/TR/WT | DT Swiss Stainless Butted Front, Alpine Rear | Tubeless Presta |
| Sealant | ||
| Stan’s – 200ml | ||
| COCKPIT | ||
| Stem | Handlebar | Grips |
| FSA Comet 35 Fork steer tube diameter: 1 1/8″ Clamping diameter: 35,0 mm | FSA Comet Alloy 35 Riser Width: 760 mm Rise: 25 mm | Canyon Lock-On |
| Display | Modeswitch | |
| Shimano SC-E7000 | Shimano Steps E7000 | |
| ELECTRIC COMPONENTS | ||
| Motor | Battery | |
| Shimano STEPS EP8 | Removable. 900Wh, 720Wh and 540Wh Options. | |
How Does it Compare?
We are going to be comparing the Norco Sight VLT A1 against another downhill ride that you will find in our Best Electric Mountain Bike 2023 guide, the Santa Cruz Bullit 3 CC MX X01 AXS RSV.
The Santa Cruz would have been quite a sticker shock even with our biggest 900Wh battery – and that one is priced at $10,499.
For that, you get a carbon frame and it’s lighter than our Norco, at 22.32kg over our 25.2kg bike – that makes it easier to handle and lighter to play around with.
However our Norco gives us far more in the battery department, with just short of 300Wh more and that offers us far more range.
The motor pairing is identical. Both are using Shimano EP8, with the identical problems – unnatural power delivery.
Santa Cruz’ suspension is better as well, it has 170mm travel at both ends, higher-spec FOX set-up. That allows the bike to tackle even gnarlier terrain than our already well-accomplished Norco.
The Santa Cruz SRAM Code RSC brakes are, on the other hand, quite something different from the Shimano brakes on the Norco and the SRAM X01 Eagle AXS drivetrain is far, far more highly tuned than our lower-spec Shimano gearing.
At twice the cost you would expect the Santa Cruz to be specced at a higher level, and indeed it is in many respects. However, the battery here is a smaller size than our Norco and the motors are identical.
Unless you’re some sort of elite-level rider or a very serious amateur, then many riders wouldn’t notice a huge amount between the two bikes.
Both are excellent in their own; it’s just a matter of being within your budget and experience you may have with these two.
Final Thoughts
The Norco Sight VLT A1 is an absolute powerhouse downhill e-MTB for the money.
Thanks to that enormous battery, it can take you to some pretty wild terrain and keep going all day long.
That’s why this bike sits atop our Best Electric Mountain Bikes 2023 – there simply isn’t another downhill electric mountain bike this cheap or performs this well.
It’s not a perfect bike, but it’s a complete showstopper for the crew at Norco.
This is an e-MTB you absolutely have to ride, so get out here and hit the pedals.
