A good three years ago, we first became aware of the Taiwanese motor manufacturer Hyena. Since then, the company has gradually expanded its range of ebike systems with rear hub drive. Since 2024, with the Unidrive 70, the segment has even included a first system with a mid-mounted motor. Now Hyena is entering new markets and presenting a rear-wheel drive featuring a thru-axle.
The German bicycle industry association ZIV has just presented the economic balance of the German bicycle industry for 2024. According to the statistics, ebikes had a difficult time last year and reported a slight overall decline in sales. However, e-road bikes and e-gravel bikes were able to maintain and even slightly expand their share. Many of them are based on a motor in the rear wheel hub. And many of the frames now require a thru-axle. Hyena combines these two features on the MRC-F250.
35 ‘real’ Newton metres
Behind the cryptic-sounding abbreviation lies a unit suitable for pedelecs that supports you up to the usual speed of 25 kilometres per hour. It is based on an operating voltage of 36 volts and, like comparable motors, produces 250 watts. The manufacturer specifies a torque of 35 Newton metres. Since the manufacturer explicitly refers to the torque of the rear wheel, we strongly assume that this is exactly where it was measured. Of course, the competitors do the same. In their marketing campaigns, however, they emphasise a torque that is converted to mid-mounted motors and is always higher. For example, Mahle advertises its X20 motor with a torque of 50 Nm, although only 23 Nm can be measured at the rear wheel. Giant does the same with its SyncDrive Move Plus. Here the corresponding values are 75 Nm and 30 Nm respectively.
Hyena does not follow this strategy. Especially since none of the manufacturers mentioned disclose exactly how they convert the figures from rear-wheel drive to the equivalent for the mid-mounted motor.
Suitable for common cassettes
So, let’s stick with the reliable facts. And these show that the motor is designed for use in sporty ebikes with drop handlebars and derailleur gears, as mentioned above. Hyena approves its integration into models that are equipped with 26-inch, 27.5-inch or 28-inch wheels. Provided that their frame allows the installation of rear wheels with a 142-millimetre axle. The MRC-F250 can be combined with cassettes that have nine to twelve sprockets. Hyena relies on Shimano’s HG-11 standard for this. A Shimano CS-R7100-12 cassette, for example, could be used with a gradation of eleven to 34 teeth.
Looking at the weight, it is noticeable that Hyena’s new product cannot quite keep up with the best of the competition. The two kilograms are significantly more than the 1.375 kilograms of a Mahle X20. However, with 23 Nm, the latter offers a correspondingly lower torque. The gap to Giant’s SyncDrive Move Plus is not quite as large. Giant’s latest rear hub motor weighs around 1.7 kilograms and generates a torque of 30 Nm.
Hyena MRC-F250 at a glance
- Rated power: 250 W
- Operating voltage: 36 volts
- Torque: 35 Nm
- Axle length: 142 mm
- Weight: 2.0 kg
Premiere at major trade fair in Asia
Hyena will present the MRC-F250 to a wider audience for the first time at the Taipei Cycle Show 2025 in Taiwan, which starts on 26 March. It would probably be easier to check there whether the drive provides support as smoothly and naturally as the manufacturer promises in its press release. We won’t be there, so our first test ride will have to wait. Based on the information we have so far, the motor could cause a stir not only at the show. From our point of view, it has the potential to secure a slice of the pie in the e-gravel and e-road bike segment. The performance data sounds competitive. In relation to its weight, it doesn’t do too badly in comparison to the competition. And if the price is right, it is not out of the question that the manufacturer might be able to enter into similar collaborations as with Trek for the FX+ 2 and Diamant for the 365. These two brands have already integrated rear wheel drives from Hyena into their models.
Picture gallery with current impressions of the Taipei Cycle 2025
Pictures: Hyena Inc.