Norco Sight VLT TQ
Wheel Size: 29’’ front / 27.5’’ rear
Suspension Travel:
- Frame: 150 mm
- Fork: 160 mm
Geometry Highlights:
- Sizes offered: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5
- Headtube angle: 64°
- Reach: 472..5 mm (Size S3)
- Rear center: 436 mm (Size S3)
Drive System Highlights:
- Motor: TQ HPR60
- Torque: 60 Nm
- Power: 350 W
- Battery: 580 Wh
- Remote: TQ
- Display: TQ Color
Frame Material: Carbon fiber
Blister’s Measured Weight: 44.3 lb / 20.1 kg (Sight VLT TQ C1, size S4)
Price: Complete bikes $6,999 to $10,599 USD
Intro
Norco’s latest fourth-generation Sight VLT CX (Full Review coming soon) launched last year with new design language and an updated suspension layout to mirror the Sight All-Mountain bike — and cut a ton of weight in the process. Now there’s another, lighter motorized version of the Sight platform: the Sight VLT TQ.
The Frame
The Sight VLT TQ looks a whole lot like the regular Sight and the Sight VLT CX. All three variants share the same suspension layout — a high-pivot Horst link with an idler pulley mounted in the chainstay — and similar lines overall. The Sight VLT TQ’s downtube and bottom bracket area are slimmer than those on the CX, due to the smaller motor and battery on the TQ, but there’s a clear family resemblance. The Sight VLT TQ shares the 150 mm rear / 160 mm travel figures of the other two as well, and like the Sight VLT CX, it’s a dedicated mixed-wheel affair rather than being able to convert between rear wheel sizes, which is an option on the Sight.
The cable routing is internal and fully guided (but not through the headset), and there are water bottle mounts inside the front triangle, plus an extra accessory mount. The Sight VLT TQ also gets a UDH dropout, ample rubber protection on the chainstay, seatstay, and downtube, and is offered with a lifetime warranty for the original owner.
Drive System
The Sight VLT TQ uses a TQ HPR60 drive unit with a 580 Wh battery on all three builds. TQ calls the HPR60 a “mid-power” motor, with a peak output of 350 Watts and 40 Nm of torque. It can provide up to 200% assistance, but Norco says that keeping the power delivery natural was a top priority. Despite using TQ’s largest battery, Norco says that the top-tier Sight VLT TQ C1 weighs 42 lb / 19.1 kg — relatively light for an All-Mountain eMTB.
Fit & Geometry
The main difference between the Sight VLT TQ and the Sight VLT CX, apart from their respective drive systems, is that the Sight VLT TQ is offered in a size S1, while the Sight VLT CX starts one size up, at S2. The geometry for the S2 through S5 sizes on both is identical. Reach starts at 422.5 mm on the S1 and grows by 25 mm per size, up to 522.5 mm on the S5. Stack heights are on the taller side, at 618 mm for the S1 up through 654 mm on the S5, with 9 mm jumps between sizes.
The rear center lengths are also size-specific, with the S1 and S2 getting 432 mm ones, which then grow by 4 mm per size up to 444 mm on the S5. The headtube angle is 64° across the board, with seat tube angles starting at 77° (effective) on the S1 and steepening by 0.25° per size from there.
The Builds
The Sight VLT TQ gets notably different builds from the Sight VLT CX. While the CX gets RockShox suspension across the board, and SRAM Transmission groupsets on the two higher-end options, the TQ version is spec’d with Fox suspension on the higher-end C1 and C2 builds, paired with Shimano Di2 wireless drivetrains and Shimano brakes; the base C3 model subs in DVO suspension and a Shimano Deore mechanical group, paired with TRP Slate Evo brakes.
The top-end C1 build gets a Factory-tier suspension (a 36 Grip X2 fork and Float X shock), a Shimano XT Di2 drivetrain and M8220 brakes, and Crank Brothers Synthesis Carbon wheels. The C2 steps down to a 36 Performance Elite fork and Float X Performance shock, a Deore Di2 group, and Synthesis aluminum wheels. The C3 build gets a DVO Diamond D1 fork and Topaz Pro shock, more basic aluminum wheels, and the aforementioned Shimano Deore drivetrain and TRP Slate Evo brakes.
The full build details are as follows:
Sight VLT TQ C3 ($6,999 USD):
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore Mechanical
- Brakes: TRP Slate Evo
- Fork: DVO Diamond D1
- Shock: DVO Topaz Pro Gen 3
- Wheels: WTB ST i30 rims w/ Bear Pawls hubs
- Dropper Post: TransX YSI36KL (S1: 125mm; S2: 150mm; S3: 170 mm; S4 & S5: 200 mm)
Sight VLT TQ C2 ($8,999 USD):
- Drivetrain: Shimano Deore Di2
- Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120 4-piston
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance Elite Grip X2
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance
- Wheels: Crank Brothers Synthesis Enduro Aluminum
- Dropper Post: TransX YSI08 RAD+ (S1: 125mm; S2: 150mm; S3: 170 mm; S4 & S5: 200 mm)
Sight VLT TQ C1 ($10,599 USD):
- Drivetrain: Shimano XT Di2
- Brakes: Shimano XT M8220 4-piston
- Fork: Fox 36 Factory Grip X2
- Shock: Fox Float X Factory
- Wheels: Crank Brothers Synthesis Enduro Carbon
- Dropper Post: TransX YSI08 RAD+ (S1: 125mm; S2: 150mm; S3: 170 mm; S4 & S5: 200 mm)
Some Questions / Things We’re Curious About
(1) With a smaller, lighter motor and battery than the Sight VLT CX, how close does the Sight VLT TQ come to matching the ride feel of the standard Sight?
(2) Who is going to be better off with the Sight VLT TQ vs. the Sight VLT CX, and vice versa?
(3) What kind of range can the Sight VLT TQ achieve?
Bottom Line (For Now)
The new Sight VLT TQ looks like an intriguing middle ground between the Sight and the Sight VLT CX, and we’ve started spending time on it to see how it stacks up. Check out our Flash Review for our early impressions, and stay tuned for a Full Review to follow.
Flash Review: Our Initial On-Trail Impressions
BLISTER+ members and those who purchase our Digital Access Pass can check out the Flash Review below to read our initial on-trail impressions. Get our Digital Access Pass to view all our Flash Reviews and Deep Dives, or become a BLISTER+ member today to get access to that and a LOT more, including the best worldwide Outdoor Injury Insurance, exclusive deals and discounts on skis, personalized gear recommendations from us, and much more.
Flash Review: Norco Sight VLT TQ
We’ve started testing the new middle sibling in the Norco Sight family. Here’s our early take on the Sight VLT TQ.
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