That reaction is not unusual
for motorcycle guys, because
KTM is a legacy motorcycle
brand that has a reputation
for building high-performance,
championship-winning dirt
bikes. However, despite the
same name and embrace
of the color orange, KTM’s
bicycle business is actually the
result of an unrelated company
that purchased the naming
rights for the bicycle division
years ago. KTM bicycles have
been popular in Europe for
decades, and now they’re
offering a line of bicycles for
American riders too.
KTM Bike Industries is the
name the bicycle company
goes by in America. Although
KTM’s Euro e-bike catalog
is as massive as most other
brands’ complete catalogs,
they are currently only offering
a smaller assortment of
mountain and road bikes and
;ve electric bikes.
The Macina Lycans are their
full-suspension mountain
e-bikes, The Macina Force is
their hardtail 29-inch e-bike,
and then there’s the Macina
Cross 10 CX4, which we’re
testing here. KTM offers two
versions of this model—one
with a high top tube (CX4) and
the step-through version (CX4
LC) tested here. Both versions
sell for $3695.
THE BIKE
As with all of KTM’s
e-bikes, our Macina Cross is a
mid-drive powered by a Bosch
Performance Line CX with 36
volts rated at 350 watts. The
lithium-ion battery is a Bosch
PowerPack with 11.1 amp-
hours and 400 watt-hours.
Naturally, it comes with its
own battery charger that can
juice up a drained battery in
around three and a half hours.
The locking battery with a
convenient carrying handle is
easily removed (but only if you
have the key), and it can be
charged on or off the bike.
The aluminum frame
has a quality look with its
oval-shaped top tube and
downtube. The internally
routed cables help give the
bike a clean, uncluttered
and sleek appearance. It
has a 10-speed Shimano
11-36 cassette with a single
chainring up front, which is
normal for many mid-drives.
It may look small, but the
gearing inside the housing
makes it work like it’s larger.
Other quality components
you’ll appreciate are the
Shimano hydraulic discs
brakes with a big 180mm
rotor up front. KTM spec’d the
bike with a Suntour NCX-D
LO suspension fork and 700c
wheels. The bike weighs 45
pounds, which is lighter than
many e-MTB bikes we test.
WHO IT’S
MADE FOR
The Macina Cross line
is a commuter/touring bike
made for street and light off-road use. It’s great if you can
take an off-road shortcut to
work or you want to do some
exploring. The light suspension
fork and Schwalbe Marathon
Mondial tires are slightly
knobby and provide grip on
off-road dirt trails and gravel,
and are comfortable and sure-footed on-road as well.
THE RIDE
To get going, you ;rst push
the button on the LCD display
to turn on the controller. It’s
positioned in the middle of the
handlebars, making it easy to
see. There’s a housing at the
left side of the handlebars with
buttons easily reached by your
thumb to toggle up or down to
adjust pedal assist. The KTM
has four levels—Eco, Tour,
Sport and Turbo—along with
no assist at all. The electric
assist stops when the bike
reaches 20 mph. The LCD
display tells you your
speed; miles traveled
in the trip; and overall,
trip time, averages, as
well as battery level. It
will also tell you how
many miles are left in the
battery given your level
of pedaling input at the
time.
The seating to the
;at handlebars positions
you in a way similar to
most mountain bikes.
The Macina Cross line
is a commuter/touring bike
made for street and light off-
road use. It’s great if you can
take an off-road shortcut to
work or you want to do some
exploring. The light suspension
fork and Schwalbe Marathon
Mondial tires are slightly
knobby and provide grip on
off-road dirt trails and gravel,
and are comfortable and sure-
footed on-road as well.
To get going, you ;rst push
the button on the LCD display
to turn on the controller. It’s
positioned in the middle of the
handlebars, making it easy to
see. There’s a housing at the
left side of the handlebars with
buttons easily reached by your
thumb to toggle up or down to
adjust pedal assist. The KTM
has four levels—Eco, Tour,
Sport and Turbo—along with
no assist at all. The electric
assist stops when the bike
reaches 20 mph. The LCD
display tells you your
speed; miles traveled
in the trip; and overall,
trip time, averages, as
well as battery level. It
will also tell you how
many miles are left in the
battery given your level
of pedaling input at the
The seating to the
;at handlebars positions
you in a way similar to
most mountain bikes.
