Andi takes the unique looking Thok Mig R for a long-term spin full a mud-splattered review.
Thok is an Italian bike brand that focuses solely on e-MTB’s. The brand currently has hardtail and full-suspension e-Bikes in its range and has even teamed up with Ducati for the Italian superbike maker’s first foray into the e-Bike world.
If you’re not familiar with Thok, then it might be because you haven’t really been taking much notice of the e-Bike world. While a rather new brand, they’ve quickly become well known in e-MTB circles and thanks to the passionate team behind the company we’re seeking more Thok bikes by the day.
For our first fling on a Thok, we have been sent the Thok MIG-R for review. The MIG-R shares the same 140mm travel frame and 27.5in Plus wheels as the standard MIG, but with higher-end components. The bike is aimed at the all-mountain crowd, but with 150mm travel upfront and the right tyres, it’s more than up to the task of hitting rougher and more technical terrain.
Riders attracted by the unusual under tube battery design of the MIG-R but prefer a shorter travel bike can take a look at the Thok MIG-ST with 120mm of rear-wheel travel or there’s the MIG-HT which is a hardtail design with the same battery position.
Of all the e-MTB’s I’ve tested of the year, and there have been a lot, the Thok has the shortest travel of the lot but not by much. It also has a geometry that is slightly less radical than some of the other bikes I’ve ridden recently with this large size test bike measuring in at around the same as a more progressive medium-sized bike.
After coming straight out of the YT Decoy review I was interested to see how the less radical numbers, slight loss in travel and change over to plus tyres would affect my ability to ride challenging terrain. The fact that both the Thok and Decoy both run a Shimano E8000 drive system meant I could focus on chassis performance rather than power delivery and output.
The Bike
Each Thok in the range uses a hydroformed alloy frame with a Shimano Steps external battery mounted beneath the downtube. Seeing an external battery on a 2020 e-Bike might sound a little dated, but the fact that it’s slung low does ensure that riders can benefit from a lower centre of gravity and there’s provision for a bottle cage in the frame too.
Because the Thok frame design had the battery in a place where it could be hit with debris and rocks, the designers have created a neat battery cage that protects the 504Wh cell from strike damage. These cages are made of a sturdy plastic and our bike was shipped with both red and black cages to give us the option to customise the look a little.
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Specification
- Frame // Alloy frame 6061 T4 T6 with 140mm rear travel, forged and CNC parts, hydroformed tubes
- Front Suspension // ROCK SHOX – Lyrik RC, Boost with 150 mm travel
- Rear Suspension // ROCK SHOX – DELUXE RL custom tuned Thok metrico 210×55 mm
- Wheels // SUNRINGLE – Duroc 40 Comp wheels, Boost
- Tyres // Maxxis – DHR 27,5×2.8 – Rekon 27,5×2.8 EXO TR
- Shifter // SHIMANO SLX
- Rear Derailleur // Shimano XT Shadow Plus 11-speed
- Crank // Shimano XT 165mm
- Cassette // SHIMANO XT 11 – 46
- Saddle // THOK – Fit in Chromo
- Seatpost // THOK – Dropper post (125-150 mm)
- Handlebar // THOK Oversize bar 35 mm, size 20 mm
- Stem // THOK CNC, oversize 35 mm
- Brakeset // SHIMANO XT 4 piston – 203 mm Ice Technologies front and rear rotor
- Grips // THOK – Lock-On grip
- Motor System // Shimano Steps E8000 25KM/H 250W
- Battery // Shimano Steps 504wh
- Mode Switch // SW-E8000
- Display // Shimano E8000 colour
- Sizes// S,M,L,XL
- Price // €5250