Two and a half years ago, the then newly founded Forestal brand launched its Light-E-MTB Siryon presented. And the newcomers hit the ground running. Namely with their own e-bike motor, which the brand from Andorra developed together with motor specialist Bafang. The 29-inch Siryon e-enduro bike has now been joined by the Cyon (trail) and Hydra (downhill) e-MTBs, which are all powered by the same motor.
For our large comparison test of lightweight e-bike drives we were able to test the F60-S1 extensively in the lab and in practice. First things first: the motor clearly stands out from the other light candidates with its very own character and delivers a strong power-to-weight ratio.
The technical data: Forestal F60-S1 (Bafang)
- Motor weight: 2.03 kg
- Battery weight: 1.9 kg (360 Wh)
- Battery options: 360 Wh permanently installed. An optional range extender (250 Wh) will be available from 2023
- Drive modes: Eco, Sport, Race, Nitro
- Tightness: IP67
- Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth, ANT+
The battery of the Forestal e-bike motor
The e-mountainbikes from Forestal are currently all supplied with the F60-S1. And each bike has a battery with 360 watt hours permanently installed in the down tube. The slim energy carrier weighs 1.9 kilos. The battery cannot be removed for charging or changing on tour. Since the system was introduced, Forestal has been advertising an additional external battery that should significantly increase the range if required. However, this is not yet available to buy. The range extender with 250 watt hours should finally be available in 2023.
Ride feel and power delivery with the Forestal e-bike motor
The underdog from Andorra surprised us with plenty of power and massive torque. The engine releases its power in a very bold and somewhat uncouth manner. In the highest support level, the nitro mode, it pushes fully even with the slightest rider input, creating a motorbike feeling and the enormous torque is clearly noticeable. However, the modulation could be better, as the assistance does not react very sensitively to the rider's input. If you want to steer in a targeted and controlled manner in technical passages, you won't have much fun in the powerful nitro mode. However, this can also be an advantage in some situations: The F60-S1 pushes unwaveringly over steps and some tricky root carpets. That's where the power bike feeling comes in! The modulation is slightly better if you select a lower support level on the slim remote lever. However, even then the F60 S-1 does not become a really smooth stroking drive. In sporty use, it is annoying that the performance drops significantly at very high cadences. This is noticeable in practice, and our lab test (see below) provides the facts in black and white.
The Forestal e-bike motor in the lab test
The findings from the laboratory test paint a double-edged picture of the Forestal F60-S1. The enormous torque of the small power pack is impressive. At 79 Newton metres, the maximum value is exactly at the level of a Bosch Performance CX (measured values with identical measuring method). No other light motor delivers a similarly high output at low cadences. The peak power of 386 watts is also at an official level. The negative side becomes apparent when you look at the right-hand side of the power curve. The F60-S1 cannot maintain its power at high cadences. Even at a cadence of just over 90 revolutions, the power decreases and drops drastically as the cadence increases. No other drive unit in our test exhibited this behaviour so early and so clearly. In practice, this leads to a less lively riding experience. This "power gap" is particularly noticeable when you accelerate hard before a steep section or key section.
The Forestal motor in continuous load operation
Forestal sees the high support levels more as an emergency nail for short key sections than as a permanent mode. We emphatically agree with this appeal. Because if you use the full power of the motor continuously, the battery is drained in no time at all. During our comparison ride in turbo mode, we achieved an uphill riding time of 36 minutes (+6 minutes with reduced power). Interesting: In contrast to most other drives, the battery indicator has a buffer. This means that the turbo support ends at zero per cent battery. However, the motor continues to push for a while with reduced power. With maximum support, we climbed 814 metres in altitude with the Forestal drive on our standardised test rides, plus 84 metres in altitude with heavily reduced power. The rider data: Rider weight 89 kilos, 150 watts pedalling power, cadence 80 rpm. Another problem in continuous load operation: the motor gets extremely hot. The housing reached a temperature of over 80 degrees after a 410 metre climb (around 16:30 minutes). Danger of burns! The heat was also noticeable on the F60-S1. In the second part of the climb, it reduced its power somewhat. However, the power remained at a high level throughout.
Forestal F60-S1 (Bafang): The noise development
The drive noise of the F60-S1 is one of the loudest in our comparison. We were unable to detect a clear difference to the more powerful classic models from Bosch and Shimano. Unfortunately, it does not become significantly quieter even in the lower support levels. The test riders described the noise as mechanical and not very pleasant. A big plus: the motor doesn't rattle on downhills. Overall, the Forestal Siryon is one of the quietest E-MTBs we have ever ridden downhill.
The controls of the Forestal e-bike motor
Forestal wants to set off a firework of innovation in this discipline. The dashboard has a large touchscreen that is easy to use even when wearing gloves. On top of that, there's GPS, WiFi and a dedicated Android system with internet access. Updates are possible directly on the bike, everything is perfectly integrated. Annoying: The system takes a long time to boot up. The display is easy to read, even in difficult lighting conditions. On the trail, however, the innovation brought us little added value for the time being, as the range of functions is currently still limited. Many functions are being planned, but have not yet been implemented. In addition to a classic power display, this also includes some crazy features such as the measurement of G-forces and "airtime" during jumps. The software department at Forestal still seems to have a lot of work to do in this area. However, updates should significantly expand the range of functions in the future.
The situation with the Forestal Sync app is similar to the dashboard in the top tube: many features are being planned, but the current range of functions is manageable. The software developers are currently working most urgently on customising the riding modes. Also on the list are anti-theft protection with a GPS bike finder, heart rate coupling for motor control, a setup guide and other smart features. In its current state, however, the range of functions is very limited. Good: You can get in touch with Forestal directly via the chat function. We tried it out and were pleasantly surprised by the quick and helpful feedback.
- Chat function
- Ride history with Strava Sync
- Many functions in development
EMTB evaluation and measured values
- max. torque: 79 Nm
- Top performance: 386 W
- Power: 6/6 points
- High cadence pull-through: 2.5/6 points
- Drive around 25 km/h: 4/6 points
- Engine sound: 2.5/6 points
- Control elements: 4.5/6 points
Test summary of the Forestal F60-S1 e-bike motor (Bafang)
Brute power in a small and light package. The F60-S1 is suitable for anyone who is looking for a lightweight e-MTB, but doesn't want to do without a striking e-bike feeling and lots of oomph in steep key sections. Unfortunately, the drive is comparatively loud and a little rough. The touch display with integrated Android system gives the bike an innovative character - but the added value of the system is currently still limited. The development department still has to realise the potential here. The range of the system is moderate, especially when utilising the high power of the motor. In addition, the drive gets hot under continuous load operation. The full power should only be used sporadically. Nevertheless, it is impressive: full e-bike feeling with low weight and compact dimensions! Unfortunately, the noise level is also correspondingly high.
More light drives in the test
The Forestal F60-S1 was tested as part of a major comparison of various lightweight e-bike motors. Our overview article including comparative values can be found here. We will also be publishing detailed test results for the other candidates on our website in the coming days.
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
