First Look | The 2023 Scott Lumen is a 15.5kg e-MTB with a jaw-dropping price tag

The Scott Lumen has just arrived on the scene as a brand new lightweight electric mountain bike. How light exactly? According to Scott, the Lumen weighs as little as 15.5kg, which is an astonishing figure for a bike equipped with a motor and battery!

Of course if there was any brand that was going to make a splash in the lightweight e-MTB game, it would surely be Scott. And it’s been a long time coming too. Nearly three years have passed since Specialized introduced the original Levo SL, and the competition has only gotten hotter with the arrival of the Orbea Rise, Trek Fuel EXe and Pivot Shuttle SL.

Although Scott is somewhat late to the lightweight e-Party, it’s drawn on every conceivable tool in its arsenal to develop the new Lumen, which stands as the most high-tech (and most expensive) bike we’ve ever seen from the Swiss brand. Curious? Us too! Let’s dive in to see what this new e-MTB is all about.

2023 scott lumen eride
The Scott Lumen is a brand new lightweight e-MTB that draws its design from the latest Spark and Genius.

An overview of the Scott Lumen

The Scott Lumen is based on the Spark 900, and in reality, the two bikes appear almost identical.

The Lumen is equipped with 29in wheels and 130mm of suspension travel front and rear. It’s built around a full carbon frame, and it features an integrated suspension design that relies on engineered flex through the seatstay.

A compact rocker linkage drives the custom Fox-manufactured Nude 5T shock, which is hidden within the seat tube. The shock uses the same 45mm stroke as the regular Spark, but a change in its placement creates a more progressive leverage rate. Combined with longer chainstays, the Lumen generates an extra 10mm of rear wheel travel compared to its non-motorised sibling.

A removable downtube hatch gives you access to the shock and its adjusters, though because it sits higher up inside the frame, the Lumen comes supplied with a valve extender for attaching a shock pump. As with the Spark, a sag guide is integrated into the non-drive side rocker link.

2023 scott lumen eride
Just like the Spark, the Lumen hides its shock inside the frame. To clear the motor, it sits higher up in the seat tube.
2023 scott lumen eride
Designed for speedy trail riding, the Scott Lumen features 29in wheels and is equipped with 130mm of travel front and rear.

TwinLoc suspension

Of course this wouldn’t be a Scott without some kind of handlebar remote. Both the Lumen’s shock and fork are cabled up to the TwinLoc lever, which allows you to adjust between three suspension modes: Descend (130mm travel), Traction Control (90mm travel) and Lockout.

Remote-adjustable suspension may seem like an odd choice on an e-MTB. However, as we found with the big travel Patron, the middle Traction Control mode does pay some serious dividends on technical climbs. And with the Lumen being pitched as a lightweight and sprightly electrified trail bike, we expect it’ll attract more active riders that are going to appreciate the added platform the TwinLoc system provides.

2023 scott lumen eride
The TwinLoc remote gives you access to three distinct suspension modes. The middle Traction Control mode is particularly beneficial for technical climbing.

TQ’s tiny motor

Also tucked away in the Scott Lumen’s frame is the new TQ HPR50 motor. This is the same drive unit that debuted on the Trek Fuel EXe, which has been earning rave reviews for its quiet performance and discreet assistance.

The HPR50 motor delivers up to 50Nm of peak torque in an extremely compact package. It’s claimed to weigh just 1.8kg and is largely hidden by the chainring. It may not have the same gut-churning power as a Shimano EP8 or Bosch Performance Line CX motor, but it is significantly smaller and lighter.

TQ also supplies the slim 360Wh battery, which is bolted in place within the downtube. It is possible to remove the battery, but you’ll need to drop the motor out to do so. Otherwise you can charge the battery in situ thanks to a neat port that sits further up the downtube.

2023 scott lumen eride tq hpr50
First seen in the Trek Fuel EXe, the tiny TQ HPR50 motor helps the Lumen to achieve its staggering sub-16kg claimed weight.

It fits two bottles!

The fact that Scott’s engineers were able to incorporate a shock, motor and battery inside the Lumen’s frame is remarkable, though it’s made all the more impressive by the fact that you can fit two bottles inside the front triangle. Yep, just like the Spark, you can carry two bottles on the Lumen. There are very few full suspension e-MTBs on the market that are capable of that.

It’s also possible to fit a 160Wh range extender battery, which Scott will be selling separately. The range extender is designed to bolt onto a purpose-built mount on the downtube, leaving space for you to fit a water bottle on the seat tube.

2023 scott lumen eride
Thanks to its space-efficient frame design, the Lumen will accommodate two bottles. Alternatively, you can add on a range extender battery and still have room for a bottle on the seat tube. Nice!

Clean display & wireless connectivity

Just like the Fuel EXe, the Scott Lumen integrates TQ’s low-profile display into its top tube. The screen displays key information including battery status, riding speed, range estimation and rider power.

A slim controller sits next to the TwinLoc remote, allowing you to cycle between the Eco, Mid and High assist modes. The motor’s support characteristics have been customised by Scott, though it is possible to tune the motor via the TQ E-Bike app.

2023 scott lumen eride
The TQ display is integrated neatly into the Lumen’s top tube.

We made use of this adjustability in our Fuel EXe long-term review, where we experimented with tweaking the Maximum Power, Assist Factor and Pedal Response for each of the three assist modes. It’s cool to have this option, though beware; setting the motor to the maximum settings will see you burning through the battery quickly.

The TQ E-Bike app can also be used to record rides and provide you with a suite of information beyond what is displayed on the top tube. Furthermore, the TQ system features in-built ANT+ wireless connectivity, meaning it can be paired with your Garmin, Wahoo or Hammerhead GPS unit.

2023 trek fuel exe electric tq hpr50
It’s possible to custom-tune the Lumen’s TQ motor, which is something we’ve been experimenting with on the Trek Fuel EXe.

Scott Lumen sizing & geometry

Geometry on the Scott Lumen draws on the Spark, though there are some notable differences.

The head angle is slightly slacker at 65.5°, the reach is a tad longer at 446mm (Medium), and the seat angle is a fair bit steeper at 77°.

The biggest difference between the two bikes is in the chainstay length, with the Lumen getting a 450mm rear centre on all frame sizes. This is significantly longer than the Spark (437.5mm), and it’s also longer than the Fuel EXe (438mm).

Scott says this is due to having clearance for a 29×2.6in rear tyre, while building a sufficiently sturdy and stiff chainstay yoke for the main pivot and minimising material around the motor housing to help with cooling. There’s certainly a lot going on down there!

2023 scott lumen eride 900 sl
Geometry on the Lumen sits somewhere in between the Spark and Genius.

As with the Spark, the hidden shock also limits how far you can insert the seatpost into the frame. We haven’t found this to be an issue on the bikes we’ve ridden so far, though it could be a problem for riders who are looking to up-size, or those who wish to fit a longer dropper post than standard.

For those who like to tweak, the Lumen incorporates modular headset cups that allow you to steepen or slacken the head angle by 0.6°. The frame is also rated for use with up to a 140mm travel fork. There are no flip chips however, so it’s not really intended to be set up as a mullet.

Scott Lumen Size Chart
Scott Lumen Size Chart
2023 scott lumen eride
The modular headset cups can be switched around to slacken or steepen the head angle independently.

Scott Lumen weight

The Scott Lumen is claimed to weigh just 15.5kg in its lightest configuration. We’re a bit blown away by that number, particularly when you compare it to the claimed weights of some of its competitors;

As you can see, the Lumen is the lightest out of the lot. It is a bit shorter on travel though, particularly compared to the 150mm travel Levo SL. The HMX carbon frame is claimed to weigh a paltry 1.95kg on its own, with the single pivot flex-stay suspension design helping to reduce grams. Furthermore, the tiny TQ motor and 360Wh battery are as light as it gets in the e-MTB world.

2023 scott lumen eride 900 sl
The top-end Scott Lumen eRIDE 900 SL weighs a claimed 15.5kg, making this one of the lightest e-MTBs on the market. It’s also one of, if not the most expensive!

To hit its impressive number on the scales, the Lumen eRIDE 900 SL features a suitably lightweight build kit. You’ll find a Fox 34 fork with a FIT4 damper instead of the heavier GRIP2 damper. Syncros provides a lightweight one-piece carbon cockpit, as well as the ultra-exotic Silverton SL wheelset. These are shod with Schwalbe Wicked Will tyres, which feature the same Super Race casings that come on the Spark.

It’s not exactly the burly build you’d expect to find on the average e-MTB, but of course it all helps to make the Lumen as light as possible.

Will there be a Lumen ST?

With the introduction of the latest Scott Genius, we also saw the arrival of the Genius ST. Standing for ‘Super Trail’, this model uses the same frame but switches things up with a piggyback shock, a GRIP2 fork and a burlier front tyre. The result is a plusher bike that places more of an emphasis on fun over outright weight.

While we expect Scott will be introducing more ST variants in the future outside of the Genius family, unfortunately we won’t be seeing a Lumen ST. Or at least, not for the time being anyway. Given this frame will handle a 140mm fork however, we’d be curious to see a Lumen spec’d with a GRIP2 fork and more aggressive rubber.

scott lumen 910
Even the ‘entry level’ Lumen 910 is said to weigh just 17.6kg.

Scott Lumen price & specs

There will be three Scott Lumen models coming into Australia for 2023. All models are equipped with the same HMX full carbon frame, the TQ HPR50 motor and 360Wh battery.

Prices will start at a robust $12,799 AUD for the Lumen eRIDE 910, and will go up to a heart-palpitating $25,599 AUD for the top-of-the-line Lumen eRIDE 900 SL. That is an extraordinary sum of money, which somehow manages to put the Lumen beyond the price of any Specialized S-Works Levo, Levo SL or Kenevo SL. As far as mainstream brands go, this is the most expensive e-MTB we’re aware of.

As you’ll see from the specs below, the 900 SL does come equipped with some seriously high-end exotica, and it’s clear that Scott is aiming the Lumen at the most premium end of the market. Is it worth it? We’ll have a test bike arriving in the near future, and we’re eager to see how it handles our local trails compared to the Levo SL, Rise and Fuel EXe that we’ve tested previously.

2023 scott lumen eride 900 sl
With its crazy one-piece carbon Syncros wheelset, XTR brakes, AXS drivetrain and 160Wh range extender battery, the Scott Lumen eRIDE 900 SL will sell for more than a S-Works Levo. Bonkers!

2023 Scott Lumen eRIDE 900 SL

2023 scott lumen eride 900
The Lumen eRIDE 900 skips the Kashima and carbon wheels to bring the price down by $8,000 over the SL model.

2023 Scott Lumen eRIDE 900

2023 scott lumen eride 910
The ‘entry-level’ Lumen eRIDE 910 features the same carbon frame, TQ motor and 360Wh battery as the top-end models, but goes for an alloy cockpit and Shimano Deore to bring the price down.

2023 Scott Lumen eRIDE 910

2023 scott lumen eride
There’s no denying the Scott Lumen is one seriously light and seriously expensive e-MTB, but it’s also one of the sharpest we’ve ever seen. As to how it rides? We’ll be getting the Lumen onto home trails soon to find out!

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