A first ride on the Californian brand’s new 21kg eMTB
Marin’s first lightweight eMTB, the Rift Zone EL, uses Bosch’s mid-powered Performance Line SX motor and 400Wh onboard battery.
The EL – which stands for Electric Light – is the latest addition to the trail-bike Rift Zone family, sporting a familiar 140mm of rear-wheel travel and a 150mm fork shared with the human-powered Rifty and full-power eMTB in the existing range.
At 21.39kg (size large), it’s questionable whether it sits in the SL electric mountain bike category, but it is Marin’s lightest ebike yet.
An adjustable head tube angle switches the figure between 64.5 and 65.5 degrees in 0.5-degree increments, while the four-size range has reach figures starting at 430mm and lifting to 520mm.
The new three-bike range starts at £4,699 / $4,799 / €5,399 for the Rift Zone EL 1 and rises to £6,599 / $6,999 / €7,699 for the range-topping Rift Zone EL XR.
Rift Zone family lineage
The Rift Zone EL shares its Series 4 aluminium frame and 140mm-travel MultiTrac suspension design with its full-power ebike and non-assisted counterparts.
Cables are routed internally via ports on the side of the down tube/head tube junction (rather than through the headset) using rubber membranes that seal around the cable to help prevent water ingress.
These are found on the brand’s newest Alpine Trail and are an upgrade over the other Rift Zone design.
There’s chunky chain-slap protection on the driveside chainstay and the rear dropout uses SRAM’s Universal Derailleur Hanger.
An underslung motor and down-tube protector – made from a fibreglass-infused nylon – is fitted to the underside of the bike to help protect it from damage.
Marin has managed to lower the bike’s weight by using Bosch’s 55Nm torque 600W Performance Line SX motor and 400Wh internal battery, rather than a chunkier full-power motor and bigger battery.
As the lightest eMTB in Marin’s range, it tips the scales at 21.39kg (size large) compared to the equivalently sized full-power Rift Zone E2‘s 24.23kg and the Alpine Trail E2 Bosch‘s monumental 27.55kg.
But whether it qualifies as an SL ebike is up for debate. Seemingly, its spec, price and weight matrix is impressive, but its 21kg weight would make it one of the heaviest SL ebikes on the market.
Up-front, an adjustable headset switches the head angle between 64.5 degrees, 65 degrees and 65.5 degrees. It does this using plus and minus 0.5-degree cups and a 0-degree neutral cup.
The seat tube hovers around 77 degrees (depending on which geometry setting the head angle is set to), which is plenty steep enough.
| | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube angle (degrees) | 77 | 77 | 77 | 77 |
| Head tube angle (degrees) | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Chainstay (mm) | 440 | 440 | 440 | 440 |
| Seat tube (mm) | 400 | 420 | 430 | 460 |
| Top tube (mm) | 572.85 | 605.99 | 638.08 | 669.12 |
| Head tube (mm) | 100 | 115 | 125 | 130 |
| Bottom bracket height (mm) | 342 | 342 | 342 | 342 |
| Wheelbase (mm) | 1188.81 | 1225.15 | 1259.38 | 1291.49 |
| Standover (mm) | 674.75 | 687.74 | 691.98 | 699.2 |
| Stack (mm) | 618.74 | 632.33 | 641.4 | 645.93 |
| Reach (mm) | 430 | 460 | 490 | 520 |
The four-size range spans small to extra-large and has reach figures from 430mm to 520mm.
Chainstays are 440mm across the size range, while stack heights range from a modest 618mm (small) to 645mm (extra-large).
2025 Marin Rift Zone EL models and pricing
The Rift Zone EL is available in three models, starting at £4,699 / $4,799 / €5,399 for the Rift Zone EL 1, rising to £5,699 / $5,999 / €6,499 for the Rift Zone EL 2 and topping out at £6,599 / $6,999 / €7,699 for the Rift Zone EL XR.
2025 Marin Rift Zone EL 1
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, MultiTrac 140mm-travel suspension
- Shock: Marzocchi Bomber Air Inline
- Fork: Marzocchi Z1, 150mm travel
- Drivetrain: Shimano CUES
- Brakes: TRP Slate EVO
- Price: £4,699 / $4,799 / €5,399
2025 Marin Rift Zone EL 2
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, MultiTrac 140mm-travel suspension
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance Elite
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance, 150mm travel
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle
- Brakes: SRAM Code Bronze
- Price: £5,699 / $5,999 / €6,499
2025 Marin Rift Zone EL XR
- Frame: Series 4 aluminium, MultiTrac 140mm travel suspension
- Shock: Fox Float X Performance Elite
- Fork: Fox 36 Performance Elite, 150mm travel
- Drivetrain: SRAM GX Eagle AXS Transmission
- Brakes: Magura MT-7
- Price: £5,699 / $5,999 / €6,499
2025 Rift Zone EL XR initial ride impressions
Luke Marshall spent some time on the 2025 Rift Zone EL XR ahead of its launch, and these are his ride impressions.
Marin has done well to maintain the Rift Zone E Light’s trail bike heritage. This 21.39kg (size large) ebike still benefits from a trail-bike feel thanks to its suspension kinematics and geometry.
2025 Rift Zone EL XR climbing performance
Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor and integrated 400Wh battery can deliver a useful boost to get you up demanding climbs.
However, it’s best used in lower-power modes. That gives you the additional assistance to tackle the climbs and manage range for a worthwhile ride.
Sure, you won’t win any KOMs, but you’ll also not blow a gasket, as it's possible to do without the motor’s help.
Cruising up the climbs like this is helped by the Marin’s geometry. The 77-degree effective seat tube angle sits you nicely above the bottom bracket for smooth and efficient pedal strokes.
The modest 606mm (medium) effective top-tube lengths also make the bike comfortable to pedal for extended periods.
I never felt cramped or too stretched out, yet still had enough space to move around the bike as I needed to help get the best traction from the rear tyre or aid front-wheel tracking around tight hairpins.
I also never reached for the climb switch to firm up the shock. The Marin’s suspension when pedalling remains composed and there was never undue pedal bob.
In fact, the rear suspension is relatively firm with ample support. What feels like a firm shock tune helps keep the bike in the trail bike category.
Rear-tyre grip from the Maxxis Forekaster was good in the dry, but it struggled on steeper climbs when the surface became greasy. Still, for rocky trail-centre terrain, there’s plenty of traction.
The rear end, while not the most sensitive, helps the back wheel track over rough and technical climbing trails to provide traction and comfort.
It’s usable suspension, but it's not wasteful – which is ideal for a trail bike.
2025 Rift Zone EL XR descending performance
This trail-bike feel carries on at the top of the climb. On flowing blue trails and smooth jump lines, the Marin’s firm suspension support is great for maintaining momentum and carrying speed down the trail. You can pump and push your way through rollers, landings and into berms, and there’s a helpful platform to push against.
It’s also great for when you want to unleash the potential of the bike. With modern geometry, you can charge on the Rift Zone E Light and use its eMTB weight to your advantage.
The stability it provides at speed is great and the supportive suspension, while shorter on travel, keeps the bikes higher in its travel so what travel it has is there on tap to help smooth out the trail.
Its handling is accurate too, and the weight never feels like a hindrance. Tight turns are easy to initiate and there’s good composure for long, flat turns that helps the bike remain balanced and hunts out grip.
However, that firmer suspension isn’t the best on slow, rough tracks. Here, the firmness limits traction a little and the bike feels more like its trail-bike self. It’s not harsh, but it doesn’t conform to the trail as well as it does at higher speeds.
Everything is a balance, and Marin has done a good job with the Rift Zone E Light of delivering decent trail efficiency with capable downhill performance.