Proof that life goes on outside the DJI Avinox bubble takes the form of the new Propain Shresh SL. A lightweight, mid-power enduro/all-mountain e-bike with the latest TQ HPR60 motor. Following hot on the heels of the mega-bucks Yeti MTe, this new Propain Shresh SL offers a similar package on paper, at a much more palatable price. But can it match the Yeti’s seductive packaging and magical ride quality? Let’s dive in.

Old Vs. new – the new Shresh SL on the left with smaller diameter, enclosed down tube, and the old Shresh with Shimano motor on the right.

The Shresh isn’t a new model, per se. Propain already offered the Shresh powered by a Shimano EP801 or EP600 drive unit at a similar weight and travel and with either 29in wheels front and rear or an MX set-up. But the Shresh SL isn’t some Frankenbike conversion – it’s a ground-up redesign built to maximise the strengths of the diminutive TQ system.

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Can it go toe-to-toe with the best electric mountain bikes, like the game-changing Amflow PL Carbon? Let’s dive in and take a look.

Tough to resist a bit of red and gold! The Swedish Gold version of the new Propain Shresh SL.

Propain Shresh SL need to know

• All-mountain/enduro bike with the new TQ HPR60 motor
• Peak torque is 60Nm and peak power is 350W with max 200% assistance
• 150mm travel paired with 160mm fork and MX
• 580Wh internal battery is removable – options for 160Wh range extender or 360Wh internal battery
• New colour display and upgraded app with customisable modes
• Full carbon frame and twin link PRO10 suspension
• Flip-chip geo adjustment can also be used to compensate for 27.5in rear wheel
• Room for a water bottle or range extender
• Weighs 20.89kg in size large
• Four frame sizes (from S to XL) and ?? build options with prices starting at £5,994 and going to £10,499
• Five build kits, and customisable specs include Trickstuff brakes and Ohlins suspension

Frame

Unmistakably a Propain thanks to its twin-link PRO10 suspension design centred around the seat tube, the Shresh SL does make some important deviations from its Shimano-powered predecessor. Firstly the harmonic pin-ring design means the e-machine and the gearbox are concentric, so the TQ HPR60 motor takes up a lot less space than the Shimano unit, and the Shresh SL looks almost indistinguishable from a conventional bike as a result.

Two steps back, one step forward: It’s good to see cable ports on the Propain Shresh SL frame.

That opens up possibilities for the Propain engineers when it comes to packaging. One big advantage being that the battery is still removable, but it now slides into a fully enclosed down tube rather than dropping out of a massive cut-out in the underside. This has benefits in terms of strength, stiffness, and weight, so Propain can use less material to achieve the same numbers in the testing lab, without compromising on convenience when it comes to battery charging.

Another upgrade, albeit a minor one, is the re-introduction of cable ports at the head tube. There is still the option to re-route the cables through the Acros headset if you’re mad/have OCD, but now the bike comes shipped with much more mechanic-friendly separate ports.

The battery cover actually boasts a rubber seal to keep out the worst of the muck, and it’s easily removable, giving you the option to quickly pull the battery out for charging.

The Blend full carbon frame is available in four sizes, from S-XL, and there’s plenty of room in the front triangle for a water bottle or TQ’s 160Wh range extender. Propain has thoughtfully added a second gear strap mount under the top tube to further improve the load carrying capacity, and there’s also a mini-tool clipped into the plastic sump guard.

The Propain Shresh SL can be configured with 29in wheels front and rear, or as a MX set-up. I tested the latter, but preferred the geo in the 29 position.

A flip-chip on the upper linkage gives two geo settings. It’s labelled 29 / 27.5 indicating that its useful for minimising geometry changes when switching between rear wheel sizes, but you can also use it as an attitude adjuster. My Shresh SL came shipped in the 27.5 setting with MX wheels, but having tried both positions, I settled on the 29 stance to give a lower BB and slacker head angle.

Propain’s comprehensive rubber frame protection is effective, and I’m happy to report the Shresh SL is a really silent bike. No rattle from the motor, no clatter from the cables, and no chainslap. Nice work Propain.

The rear brake caliper is tucked inside the swingarm, but I didn’t have issues with catching my heels on the stays.

Another couple of aspects worth highlighting about the frame are the neat brake mount, tucked inside the crook of the seatstays and chainstays, and the rubber seal at the seat tube clamp.

The upper and lower link rotate in opposite directions, driving both ends of the shock.

Suspension

Propain’s PRO10 twin-link suspension design uses counter-rotating links to actuate the shock at both ends. This helps keep the leverage curve more consistent through the travel, while also tuning the axle path.

The layout keeps the relatively heavy shock nicely centred inline with the seat tube and BB, making the bike easier to manoeuvre. All the adjustments are easy to reach, except for the preload. When I got the bike, one of the small plastic grubscrews, that stop the preload ring from moving, was hidden by the swingarm upright, so I had to remove the shock to adjust the preload. Once I’d reset the position of the grubscrews, this wasn’t a problem again.

I was given three extra springs with my test bike, and, at 78kg, I ended up on the 502lb option.

Swapping springs is easy, as long as you can access both the grubscrews on the preload collar.

Propain claims 150mm of rear wheel travel for the Shresh SL, but I only measured it 137mm. This is likely because there’s a large bottom out bumper on the Ohlins TTX shock that can’t just disappear into thin air. Having said that, I didn’t feel undergunned on the Shresh SL at any point, so I’d say most riders shouldn’t feel short-changed.

Coupled with the 25% progression rate, that juicy bottom-out bumper does mean the Shresh SL reaches the limits of its travel in a nice, quiet and unruffled manner.

The Ohlins RXF 38 fork is not as easy to set-up as a RockShox or Fox, and in my opinion it doesn’t work as well as the latest MY26 Fox 36 Grip X2.

Up front the Ohlins 38 fork is the M.2 version, not the latest M.3. Like all Ohlins forks, it takes a little bit more setting up than a Fox or a RockShox product, but the suggested settings in the manual did a decent job of getting me up and running.

Geometry

The Shresh SL comes in four frame sizes and mostly mirrors the original Shresh. Starting with the sizing, the large Shresh SL I tested gets a 479mm reach (measured) with 25mm gaps between the other options. The head angle measured 64º, the effective seat angle a steep 78.8º at a seat height of 725mm, and there’s a 1,272mm wheelbase with 450mm chainstays. All pretty standard stuff.

Move the Propain into its 29 position – effectively the slack setting – and the head angle rakes out to 63.6º, the seat angle reclines by 0.3º, and the BB drops from 342mm to 337mm. Obviously the reach also shortens, and there are a couple of additional nudges here and there, but for me it’s the ideal setting.

The latest TQ HPR60 motor is more powerful, but not much bigger or louder than the old HPR50.

Motor and battery

As indicated, the Shresh SL is assisted by TQ’s new HPR60 drive unit. Aside from the diminutive size, which makes packaging suspension simpler, it’s a lightweight unit, with a 4.6kg system weight. That’s with the 580Wh internal battery, but it’s important to note that all the stock builds come with the smaller 360Wh unit. My advice is, make sure you upgrade to the 580Wh on the configurator, because the 360Wh has a really limited range.

Power is mild rather than wild, with 60Nm peak torque and 350W power giving up to 200% support. I can attest to the fact you need to work hard to keep up with mates on full fat e-bikes. Or rather I would watch them pedal off up the hill and only catch them up lounging at the entrance to the descents, but when I rode the Shresh SL on my own it easily provided enough poke to keep me engaged and firing. And on a solo mission, the TQ’s virtually silent running is wonderfully calming.

It gets a better screen, too, but I’d like to be able to configure the display.

TQ gives the option to tune the max power, support, and responsiveness in each of the three power modes in the app, and it’s all very intuitive. However, there is no overrun in any of the power modes, and the motor cuts out very abruptly when I stopped pedalling, which is a major drawback on steep and/or technical climbs.

I also found that this example of the TQ motor felt crude in the High power mode, almost as if the e-machine was spinning too quickly for the output shaft. It’s not something I noticed on the Yeti MT-E, so hopefully it’s just an isolated issue.

Turn the latch to remove the battery cover.

The new top tube display is crisp and easy to read, while providing a decent range of information. I’d like to be able to customise this in the app, but there’s no such feature as yet.

In terms of range, exclusively using the Mid power mode and the 580Wh battery, the Shresh SL has returned over 40km/1,300m of climbing with battery to spare.

Then pull the cover off, detach the power cord, and unscrew the upper battery bolt. The battery then slides out.

Removing the battery is easy – just flick the latch on the (sealed) cover. Hinge it away from the down tube and pull out of the pegs on either side of the frame. Disconnect the power cable and unscrew the bolt near the head tube with a hex key. Grab the webbing strap and side the battery out. Getting it back in is a reversal of the process, but you need to be careful that the power lead is flat against the inside of the down tube or it can push the battery to one side and it won’t line up with the bolt hole. Both jobs should take just a couple of minutes, all being well.

I’m not a fan of the latest Reverb’s looks, but I’m addicted to the extra comfort.

Components

This sexy Swedish Gold model comes in Ferrari red with contrasting gold Ohlins fork and shock from £7,939, but one of the great things about Propain is that you can configure the spec of your dreams on the website. The build I’ve been testing has been upgraded with a smorgasbord of delights, such as comfortable, compliant OneUp bars, wireless Reverb dropper post, and bigger battery. That brings the price up to £8,818.

OneUp’s excellent Carbon bars also add a degree of isolation from high-frequency chatter.

Honestly I think it’s a mistake to even offer the 360Wh battery other than as a spare. I can’t see many riders opting for it over the 580Wh option, but some riders might forget to tick the box on the configurator.

Spec highlights on the Shresh SL include the vibration reducing OneUp bar, the grippy SuperSoft Continental Kryptotal tyres, and the brilliantly comfortable bouncy RockShox Reverb. Honestly, I can’t get enough of this dropper post. It takes the edge off chattery climbs and liaisons while remaining rock-solid at the highest and lowest saddle positions. Game-changing!

Can’t complain about a set of Mavens.

SRAM also deserves praise for the solid Maven brakes and mechanical Eagle 70 Transmission. Both performed faultlessly for me, with the brakes particularly confidence inspiring.

It’s the Swedish Gold edition, so I had to indulge in a little Scandi-flick action!

Performance

I’ve had the Propain for a month now, and managed to get some decent mileage on it on my local Surrey Hills trails. So far, it’s been a blast, with adroit handling and the attitude to take on anything. If it was a canine, it would be a Jack Russell – big dog attitude in a small dog body. Always up for a scrap, no matter how large the opponent.

Don’t expect to rock-cawl up impossible climbs on the Shresh SL.

Climbing

Given the relatively mild assistance of the TQ motor, the Shresh SL is not going to win any awards for speed climbing. It’s not a particularly strong tool for technical ascents either, given the motor’s lack of torque and overrun. But I could settle into the cushy Reverb atop that steep seat tube, and find a decent position for spinning up mellow gradients.

Decent tyres ensured I didn’t lose traction in the loose summer conditions, but the first climb of the day always got the pulse racing.

It really is a singletrack weapon.

Descending

Workmanlike is the best way I can describe the Propain suspension. That sounds like I’m damning with faint praise, but as a package, the Shresh SL wormed its way into my heart. It’s just that the suspension performance didn’t reveal those flashes of brilliance and magical moments that I experienced on the Yeti MT-E. It was just solid; no real frills, no real flaws. It was a bit like flat Coke – I still got the sugar hit, but there was not the same sparkle. And I have a hunch the Ohlins TTX shock could be part of the reason – other bikes I have tried with this unit have felt a bit lethargic and underwhelming responding to rider and bump inputs.

But, while the Shresh SL didn’t shine quite as brightly as the TQ-equipped Yeti, it actually performs better out of the box, since it already comes with a 27.5in rear wheel. And I had 95% of the fun I had on the Yeti, while riding it 100% as fast.

But is happy sending jumps.

The low weight makes it effortless to chuck around, rewarding a dynamic riding style while never showing signs of being harsh or fatiguing. Some Propains I’ve ridden have been noticeably flexy at the back, probably due to the single upright swingarm design, but the Shresh SL had a nice blend of stiffness and compliance.

The MX wheel set-up ensures it’s eager to turn.

Getting it turned into corners and changing direction required only the lightest initiation, and while it revelled in steep and deep enduro situations, I never felt over-biked on cruisy, flowing singletrack.

Dropping the flip-chip into the 29in position brought a more hunkered, confidence-inspiring stance, without endless pedal strikes. While firming the suspension – using the high-speed compression lever on the fork and the shock – dramatically affects the ride quality of the bike. A bit like a Sport button, closing the damping one click from fully open at both ends makes the bike tense up, respond more effectively to pumping terrain, and allows it to carry way more speed while giving up some comfort and grip.

And it doesn’t feel like a dead weight in the air.

Most twin-link designs don’t work that well under braking, particularly hitting square-edge bumps, but the Shresh SL didn’t feel harsh through the pedals.