This new Cannondale electric mountain bike impresses with its lightness

Reinforced with carbon, Cannondale’s new electric mountain bike combines controlled weight and a very muscular Shimano motor-battery duo, obviously at a high price. Presentation.

SL, we would translate it in France as “super light”. Of course, at 19.5 kg, it’s far from being the lightest weight of electric bikes on the market, but the new Cannondale Moterra SL is in any case the best and lightest in the brand’s e-MTB range.

Carbon and premium components

To do this, the Moterra SL logically uses a carbon frame. A material that is found in the saddle or the DT Swiss XMC 1501 wheels, in a mule format (29 inches front and 27.5 inches rear), in any case on the flagship of the range. Because the German VTTAE offers three models:

• the SL 2 as an entry ticket, with high performance and WTB KOM Tough i30 rims; and a weight of 20.6 kg
• the SL 1 with DT Swiss XM 1700 Spline wheels; with a weight of 19.7 kg
• the LAB71 standard bearer, weighing 19.5 kg.

All of them have in common the Shimano EP801 central motor with 85 mm of torque – at least a personalized version based on the Shimano system – and the 600 Wh battery, enough to ensure long outings.

In its press release sent to the editorial staff, Cannondale explains that it has worked on personalized driving modes, in collaboration with Shimano. A mode “ECO (minimum assistance, maximum autonomy for all-day exploits), two TRAIL modes (the first TRAIL mode provides medium power, ideal for riding with friends on light e-bikes, the second TRAIL mode speeds up the assistance for riding electric bikes at full power), and of course, BOOST (full power, all the time)“, we can read.

The other common points are the Maxxis Minion DHF tires at the front and Dissector at the rear.

Fully suspended from carbon flex points, the Cannondale entrusts this part to the Fox Factory 36 front fork (160 mm of travel) and the Fox Float X Factory rear shock absorber (Performance on the Moterra SL 2).

The move upmarket is especially felt in the transmission: Shimano Deore XT 6100 in SL2, SRAM X0 Eagle AXS in SL1 then XX on the Lab71. Same thing regarding the brakes, where the SL draws from Magura (MT5 and MT7) and the top of the range from the SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth.

A very high-end Cannondale Moterra SL e-MTB

The Cannondale Moterra SL is therefore a light but powerful e-MTB, commanding an elite price. It costs 7,999 euros for the most “affordable” SL2 version and 9,999 euros for the SL1. The Moterra Lab71 model costs 13,999 euros. The latter only offers one color compared to two for its little brothers, but all offer 4 sizes from S to XL.