Testing the 2023 Marin Alpine Trail E1 - riding snow 

The EP6 is a fine motor, very comparable to the original EP8 (EP800) but it has the newest hardware to support autoshift. The EP801 has the same low cadence power, but it's more powerful at higher cadence and it keeps motorsupport to a little over 25kph. I believe rattle is similar for the EP6 and 801. My EP6/EP801 review ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-U1ApK2iR_Js.html I mostly rode the Tracer in the cold, so it's difficult saying anything meaningful. I guess I prefer it over the Rockshox 35 Gold RL. And over the RS Yari? Possibly... If there's SLX-levers on the bike, I'd be happy running them. According to specs, the bike comes with SLX levers, but I'm not sure that's the case. It seems there's a few errors in the specs on the official site. Like the tyres too. The bike I rode had the m4100 levers. They're not my favorite to operate due to the long lever and I would consider changing them to something like the M520/M6100/M7100.

I have an E1. The EP6 internals should be exactly the same as ep801 and I believe the weight diff is negligible but don't quote me on that. The Xfusion fork is alright, I don't feel the need to upgrade it though I'm not sure how well the sealed cartridge damper will fare long-term. I did end up having to swap to an air shock, the linkage progression is only something like 14% which IMO is way too low for a coil, I was either on a super stiff spring or bottoming out constantly. Shimano levers are almost all interchangeable. I have XT levers on mine with the stock mt420 calipers, I've actually started pairing SLX/XT levers with non-series calipers on other bikes since doing this because its slightly cheaper for the exact same performance. It seems Marin has also dialed back the sale price and its now over 4k.. Personally, if I were to make the ebike purchase again I would go with something else (Propain Ekano AL and Canyon Torque:ON being my top picks). I've had to upgrade quite a few things including the wheels within a few months of ownership and the overall quality just isn't the absolute best (the paint, for example, is total junk). I also find the 150/160 travel to be less than ideal for an aggressive ebike, though I have no complaints about the geo.

@@scottfoster4271 Thanks for sharing, I really appreciate it. Interesting that they would include a coil shock on the E1 and E2... 14% is really linear. I like your picks, but I'd rather purchase an emtb from a local shop so I can receive hands on service if issues arise. I agree that 170mm/160mm would be more preferable. I suppose a 170mm fork would slack it out too much, but I guess an angle set could compensate for that. What's so bad about the paint? Thanks again!

@@sjaan7370 I have a 29 on the rear (plenty of clearance, I have a 2.4 on but looks like a 2.6 should fit no problem) which I much prefer. I haven't tried it yet but I think 170 up front would even it back out to 63 deg. The paint/clear on mine is just really soft so it chips and scratches very easily. I put some film on the most exposed parts after realizing how bad it already looked after a few weeks. I didn't really care for the color to begin with so its not the end of the world for me, but I would say wrap the entire thing if that is something you care about.

​@@scottfoster4271 Surprised a 29" wheel fits. I do like the way a mullet handles though, but at least there's choices. How do you like the way it rides now? I'm guessing it's closer to 65°. It's really too bad about the paint. Guess I'll have to ride wrap it if I want to maintain resale value. And this would be my first Shimano motor. How it the motor rattle with the new EP6? Thanks again.

I quite enjoyed riding the E1, it's an interesting bike because of geometry and price. If I were to purchase a bike, I guess I'd take it over the 975.But I'd be very interested in having the new Merida e160 carbon version!