Husqvarna Hard Cross 9 Review

Shimano motors remain at the top of the engine popularity alongside Bosch motors. No wonder, as evidenced by EP8. No matter how steep or technical the climb is: the Shimano motor makes it conquerable! At the same time, the drive provides a well-rounded feeling while riding with a harmonious power delivery. Fans of XXL tours are greatly restricted by the Hard Cross 9 with only an average range.

At the chassis, Husqvarna were generous and gave the Hard Cross 9 a golden shine Kashima chassis from the house of Fox with 180 mm of travel. Setup-Nerds can squeeze out the maximum performance from the chassis thanks to the many setting options. The thick 38mm stanchions on the fork provide an extra dose of steering precision and performance. Thanks to the solid power, the Shimano brakes can be counted on in the upper class segment. With four pistons , Husqvarna won't take any chances in that area. The components and the gears are less in the spotlight with an EMTB than with bikes without motor. Nevertheless, when we take a look we find out that here, good components are always used. The moderate head tube angle provides a good compromise between stability and agility when going downhill. The reach is also right there in the middle ground. The bottom bracket is high, which costs handling points. This tends to make the rider stand on the bike. On other EMTBs it feels better integrated. Overall, the geometry does not seem to be up to date anymore. The competition is significantly more modern in this regard.