Yamaha Power Assist Bicycles, the electric bike division of Yamaha, has just announced two new updates to the brand’s US electric bicycle line: the Yamaha Wabash RT and the Yamaha CrossCore RC.
Both new e-bikes are the first US models to make use of Yamaha’s PWSeries ST mid-drive motor.
The PWSeries ST motor offers four levels of pedal assist and powers the bikes up to a maximum speed of 45 km/h (28 mph) with 500W of power. It uses a combination of four sensors (torque sensor, crank cadence sensor, wheel speed sensor, and bike angle sensor) to continuously calculate and apply the precise amount of power for constantly changing riding scenarios.
The bikes are both built on all-new frames that incorporate Yamaha’s 500Wh internal batteries and are weight balanced for their specific types of riding: gravel riding for the Wabash RT and road fitness/transportation for the CrossCore RC.
As Yamaha Power Assist Bicycle’s sales and marketing manager Drew Englemann explained:
Both of our new models are stylish performance e-Bikes that bring rider and machine together as one for adventures right out of the garage. Built on Yamaha’s heritage as a pioneering leader in e-Bikes, the Wabash RT is made for paved and unpaved exploration and adventure, while the CrossCore RC redefines ‘commuting by bicycle’ and serves the growing fitness and transit e-Bike market, which grew by approximately 50% in the last year.
All-new Yamaha Wabash RT
I had the pleasure of testing out the original Yamaha Wabash electric gravel bike back when it came out in 2019, and it was an absolutely joy to ride.
Now the new Yamaha Wabash RT looks to improve upon that bike even further.
The bike uses a traditional drop bar setup, though opts for wider flared bars that make room for optional handlebar bags. The bike is also designed to receive front and rear racks, making it a great option for bike-packing trips.
A built-in dropper seat post helps riders find the exact seat height for every section of the trail, or drop it out of the way quickly for when the trail gets extra rough. The last thing you want when traversing a tricky obstacle is for your bike saddle to punch you where the sun don’t shine.
Other high-end parts found on the Yamaha Wabash RT include quick release thru-axles for higher strength and more reliable hub connections, Maxxis Rambler 700 x 45c TR EXO 120tpi tires, Shimano GRX RX hydraulic brakes with 180mm centerlock rotors, and a Shimano GRX drivetrain with a 44t chainring, 11-42t 11-speed cassette, 11-speed ST-RX600 shifter, and KMC e11 Turbo EPT Chain.
That’s a lot of nice kit.
All-new Yamaha CrossCore RC
The Yamaha CrossCore is designed more for city riding, where it can be just as effective as a fitness bike or a quick commuter e-bike for urban rides.
The flat handlebars will be more familiar to most commuter bike riders. On those bars is mounted the color-coded display that makes it easier to determine your pedal assist setting at a quick glance. That means less time looking down at the display and more time watching the road for cars trying to run you off of it.
The CrossCore RC features a Shimano Alivio drivetrain with a 44t chainring, a 9-speed cassette, and a Shimano Altus shifter. The bike also comes with hydraulic disc brakes with centerlock rotors as well as quick-release style thru-axle hubs for easy tire removal without sacrificing quality or strength like more budget-level e-bikes’ quick release skewers.
Rolling on CST Brooklyn Pro tires, the CrossCore RC features e-bike specific rubber with stiffened sidewalls and puncture-resistant layering.
Both of the new bikes are aimed at the cycling sectors showing the highest growth rates, as Yamaha Power Assist Bicycle’s group lead Rob Trester explained:
These new models will offer great riding experiences to bicyclists for all of the three fastest-growing segments in cycling: electric bicycles, gravel riding, and bicycle commuting. They’re versatile, do-anything bikes with 28-mph class 3 speed assist. Yamaha’s pioneering experience, quality and reliability will give riders both the performance and the confidence that they’re on the best e-bikes available.
Both models will be available this summer. The CrossCore RC will be priced at US $3,099 and come in the creatively named color options of Shiver White, Painted Desert, and Urban Sage. The Wabash RT with its higher-spec loadout will be a bit pricier at US $4,099 and will be available in solely the Blue Steel colorway.
Electrek’s Take
If you’ve never been gravel biking (or ridden a gravel bike, for that matter), then I highly recommend it. Unlike the big, heavy mountain bikes that many people are used to for trail riding, gravel bikes offer a lighter, nimbler machine while still functioning great for on-road riding. It’s the kind of bike you can ride from your driveway through several miles of suburbia until you hit the trail head, and somehow feel comfortable on both terrains.
And if you’re like me (meaning you’re not an extremely accomplished road cyclist who does 50-mile rides every weekend), then you’ll enjoy the added electric assist of a gravel e-bike. My best friend is one of those Lycra-clad road cyclists who thinks a 50-mile ride is a nice warmup, and so being able to keep up with him by riding my gravel e-bike is a fun way for us to both enjoy a ride even at different skill and fitness levels.
Granted, my low-cost hub motor gravel e-bike costs less than a third of the new Yamaha Wabash RT, but it’s also not nearly as nice of a bike, nor do I expect it to last anywhere near as long.
The Wabash RT is a beautiful bike with very nice parts, I have to hand it to them. And the CrossCore RC looks every bit as nice for the more urban-style riding it is designed for.
With the bikes coming out this summer, I’m hoping to get a chance to test them both and report back on if they ride as good as their spec sheets look.
Until then, let’s hear what you think of the new Yamaha Wabash RT and CrossCore RC in the comments section below!
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Author: Micah Toll
Source: Electrek
