{"id":59811,"date":"2024-02-20T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-20T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/0d6b5a58-a23e-4f95-8aa7-f6121601ad9c"},"modified":"2024-02-20T16:59:44","modified_gmt":"2024-02-20T15:59:44","slug":"cannondale-moterra-sl-emtb-blends-sub-20kg-weight-with-full-powered-fun","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/cannondale-moterra-sl-emtb-blends-sub-20kg-weight-with-full-powered-fun\/","title":{"rendered":"Cannondale Moterra SL eMTB blends sub-20kg weight with full-powered fun"},"content":{"rendered":"

Mid-weight electric mountain bike gets punchy Shimano motor to keep the good times rolling <\/p>

By Tom Marvin\n <\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 20 February 2024 at 14:00 PM<\/p>

\n\n

The new Cannondale Moterra SL is a mid-weight electric mountain bike, featuring 150mm travel, mullet wheels, a Shimano EP801 motor and a 600Wh battery.<\/p>

The Moterra SL sits alongside the full-power, big-battery Moterra and long-travel Moterra LT<\/a>, offering a lower weight thanks to slightly pared-down componentry, a unique carbon frame construction and a smaller battery. The result is a sub-20kg weight for two of the three models.<\/p>

The geometry blends numbers typical of trail<\/a>, enduro<\/a> and downhill bikes<\/a>, while the rear triangle is reminiscent of Cannondale’s XC-focused Scalpel race bike<\/a>.<\/p>

Three models will be launched, with the pricey Lab71 version<\/a> sitting at the top of the tree.<\/p>

We have a bike coming to BikeRadar for a full review soon, but head to the end of this article to read our brief ride impressions from the launch event.<\/p>

Cannondale Moterra SL frame and suspension details<\/h2>
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

There\u2019s no alloy option here, with carbon being used front and back to keep the weight of this new electric mountain bike<\/a> lower.<\/p>

Cannondale\u2019s<\/a> Series 1 carbon is used, with the large down tube containing the 601Wh custom-built battery.<\/p>

The shock sits in line with the top tube, while the chainstays continue a parallel path to the rear axle, keeping the aesthetics as smooth as possible. A kinked seat tube helps Canondale put the pivots where it wants them, while still allowing for a deep-drop dropper.<\/p>

Frame protection and a bottle mount are present, while cables run through the frame. Blanking plates enable you to choose whether you run cables and hoses through the headset or through ports in the head tube \u2013 a nice touch for those who like an easier life mechanically, or value cleaner lines.<\/p>

Lab71 customers will just get a headset-routed rear brake hose \u2013 electronic drivetrains<\/a> mean there\u2019s not going to be a cable, and the brand has thus built the top-spec frame without the cable entry ports in the frame.<\/p>

Friendly Flex<\/h3>
\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

As hinted at, the suspension takes cues from the Scalpel XC bike. Despite the plentiful travel and the weight of the motor, Cannondale\u2019s engineers have designed the rear triangle around a flex-stay system<\/a>.<\/p>

There\u2019s a thinned section of the chainstay, towards the rear axle, that\u2019s designed to flex in a manner that replicates a rear pivot. Cannondale calls this the FlexPivot. <\/p>

With 150mm of travel<\/a>, it\u2019s pushed through a larger degree of flex than the Scalpel, however the engineering enables this.<\/p>

By removing the pivot, weight and necessary maintenance are reduced, while Cannondale claims stiffness is improved.<\/p>

The location of the FlexPivot mimics that of one in a four-bar Horst-link suspension system<\/a>, down on the chainstay, so Cannondale says the bike behaves as a Horst-link suspension bike would.<\/p>

Power pack<\/h3>
\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

At the heart of the Moterro SL is the Shimano EP801 electric bike motor<\/a>.<\/p>

This pumps out around 600W peak power and 85Nm of torque.<\/p>

These figures are on-par with other \u2018full power\u2019 motors from competitor brands. Cannondale hasn\u2019t used a de-tuned or less powerful (but potentially lighter) motor with its SL-monikered bike.<\/p>

However, the motor is paired with a 601Wh battery, custom built for Cannondale by Bafang, which comes in at 3.1kg including the wiring harness.<\/p>

\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Cannondale claims this gives it one of the best capacity-to-weight ratios from a battery on the market.<\/p>

The motor has been custom-tuned by Cannondale, giving it four ride modes, including two trail-focused settings, running alongside a full-gas Turbo mode and an Eco mode.<\/p>

The lowest of these trail modes is designed for riders whose mates are on more traditional lightweight electric mountain bikes<\/a>, while the more powerful of the two is built to give you the same ride experience as others on \u2018full-fat\u2019 eMTBs (although you\u2019ll get slightly less range).<\/p>

\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

An on-bar display and a controller by the grips help you toggle modes, though these could be removed, leaving you with just the top-tube mounted on-off button and simple display unit.<\/p>

If the modes aren\u2019t to your taste, Shimano\u2019s E-Tube app enables rider customisation, including up to 15 ride modes.<\/p>

Scintillating shape<\/h3>
\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Cannondale has given the Moterra SL a really intriguing geometry.<\/p>

The adjustable headset cups provide a 1.2-degree range of adjustment and a geometry chip enables the use of a 29in rear wheel<\/a>, if you wish.<\/p>

The brand’s Proportional Response philosophy means each size of bike is designed individually, with rear triangles that grow across the sizes and suspension kinematics that become more progressive on larger bikes.<\/p>

\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

However, the headline figure has to be the head angle.<\/p>

In the slack setting (the one Cannondale seems to recommend), it sits at a frankly ridiculous 62.5 degrees \u2013 this is one of the slackest mid-travel bikes from any mainstream brand.<\/p>

If you really don\u2019t want it that slack, the headset cups enable it to be steepened to a still-very-slack 63.7 degrees.<\/p>

\"Cannondale
Cannondale<\/figcaption><\/figure>

This head angle is paired with moderate reach figures, ranging from 420m to 505mm across the four sizes. The Medium and Large sizes have 455mm and 470mm reaches respectively.<\/p>

Combining the two is interesting \u2013 there\u2019s plenty of wheelbase length and a slack head angle for stability, but the front end shouldn\u2019t feel ridiculously long when stood on the bike.<\/p>

Further back, the chainstays sit between 449mm and 458mm across the sizes \u2013 these are pretty long.<\/p>

The bottom bracket is low at 335mm, while stack heights range between 630 and 657mm.<\/p>

Bikes come with 165mm cranks.<\/p>

<\/colgroup>
\ufeffSize<\/th>Small<\/th>Medium<\/th>Large<\/th>X Large<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
Reach (mm)<\/td>420<\/td>445<\/td>470<\/td>505<\/td> <\/tr>
Stack (mm)<\/td>630<\/td>639<\/td>648<\/td>657<\/td> <\/tr>
Head tube angle (degrees)<\/td>62.5<\/td>62.5<\/td>62.5<\/td>62.5<\/td> <\/tr>
Seat tube angle (degrees)<\/td>77<\/td>77<\/td>77<\/td>77<\/td> <\/tr>
Seat tube length (mm)<\/td>380<\/td>400<\/td>445<\/td>490<\/td> <\/tr>
BB height (mm)<\/td>335<\/td>335<\/td>335<\/td>335<\/td> <\/tr>
Wheelbase (mm)<\/td>1,219<\/td>1,248<\/td>1,283<\/td>1,327<\/td> <\/tr>
Chainstay (mm)<\/td>449<\/td>449<\/td>453<\/td>438<\/td> <\/tr>
Top tube (mm)<\/td>565<\/td>592<\/td>619<\/td>656<\/td> <\/tr>
Standover (mm)<\/td>738<\/td>737<\/td>737<\/td>742<\/td> <\/tr> <\/tbody> <\/table>