If you lived in one of the many dense urban cities across Europe, and could have just one vehicle, chances are you’d pick a two-wheeler. For many years now, scooters have been extremely popular urban runabouts. However, recent years have ushered in a new trend, and that’s electric bicycles. Indeed, e-bikes have become so popular that they’re overtaking regular bikes when it comes to sales in some European countries.
You could argue that this rapid growth in popularity of e-bikes is because they hit multiple birds with one stone. On the one hand, riding e-bikes has been proven to be a good form of exercise, provided that you use the pedal-assist function and not rely solely on a throttle. They’re also compact and lightweight, which means they can be stored indoors with relative ease. Last but not least, they’re green – although how green exactly is certainly up for debate – as they don’t directly burn any fossil fuels in order to run.
Speaking about versatility, Husqvarna’s e-bike division has rolled out the new Grand Pather 6, an electric bike that’s good not only for commuting in the city, but is also more than willing to go on the odd off-road excursion. In the performance department, it’s powered by the Yamaha PWX3 motor, known for its impressive performance on both electric commuter and mountain bikes. With 85 Nm (63 pound-feet) of torque on tap, it’s as powerful as flagship offerings from Bosch and Shimano, while promising the same Yamaha dependability we find in its motorcycles.
As for the battery, Husqvarna promises a decent amount of range – about 62 miles on a single charge – via a Simplo battery with a 720-watt-hour capacity. The same battery powers a fairly comprehensive lighting system that promises maximum visibility at night. It consists of a Litemove HKSE-150 lux headlight, and a Spanninga Commute Glow E tail light.
Fancy electronics aside, you could say that the Husky Grand Pather 6 is really a mountain bike masquerading as an urban commuter. For starters, it has an SR Suntour Mobie34 suspension fork with 80 millimeters of travel. On top of that, it rolls on Schwalbe G-One all-around tires, and makes use of large Shimano BR-U8000 hydro disc brakes with 203-millimeter rotors. The Shimano Deore XT 12-speed drivetrain is yet another premium MTB setup we find on the Grand Pather 6.
While its drivetrain and suspension components are indeed indicative of the Grand Pather’s willingness to travel off-road, its utilitarian accessories point towards the practical side of the equation. For starters, the bike comes standard with mudguards, a sidestand, and a MIK HD rear luggage rack capable of hauling 27 kilos (59 pounds) of cargo. Its ergonomics also suggest a more laid back riding character, though it wouldn’t be surprising to see riders popping wheelies and doing bunny hops aboard this e-bike.
The new Grand Pather 6 has been announced initially for the European market, with no word just yet as to whether or not it’ll make its way stateside. It carries an MSRP of 4,999 euros, translating to about 5,374 USD, and comes in a total of four sizes.
