Mondraker Crafty 2025 Review

The Mondraker Crafty is one of the most iconic EMTBs on the market. Contrary to the trend towards ultra-lightweight construction, the latest Crafty focuses more on usability. With a hefty, replaceable battery and additional options, it aims to outshine the competition. Whether it succeeds is revealed in our test.

With 20.7 kilograms, the RR SL top model is heavier than the bikes that have recently caused a stir. The RR model for €8499 here weighs 24 kilograms in size M without pedals. Mondraker knows how to build lightweight. They have proven this with the Neat or the F-Podium. But with the Crafty, a different argument takes center stage.

Unlike all other SUB-20-kilo full-power bikes, this one doesn’t have a small 600-Wh battery in the down tube. With 800 Wh straight from the factory, the Crafty is generously equipped. And the fact that the battery can be removed and replaced with just one screw from the down tube is a clear distinguishing feature from most bikes recently showcased. The battery sits rattle-free.

The double-thread screw is easy to handle and also prevents the battery from falling out on the trail if the screw becomes loose. This ensures not only a quick battery swap in just a few minutes, but also that the battery sits snugly and, most importantly, rattle-free in the down tube.

Bosch has introduced new batteries alongside the 5th generation Bosch CX motor. It’s thus possible to install either a 600 or 800 battery in the same bike. This provides riders with maximum freedom, allowing them the option of either two interchangeable batteries for extended range or a 250 Wh range extender.

While the 250 Wh range extender costs around €450, you can get the 600 battery for just under €1000. However, the advantage of Bosch’s widespread presence is that you don’t necessarily have to buy this battery. It suffices to have someone in your circle who owns a bike with such a battery. Then you can borrow it for extended tours.

To achieve the large opening for the swappable battery, the engineers increased the wall thickness on the sides of the down tube from 1.8 mm to almost 3 mm compared to its predecessor, whose battery was permanently installed. This eliminates possible stiffness issues.

The bike handled very precisely during our test. But this also means a higher weight is clear. The carbon frame weighs about 3100 grams according to Mondraker. The combination of the aluminum main frame and carbon rear triangle adds about 500 grams more. The weights are OK, but there’s still room for improvement.

We hit the trails with the new Crafty in Finale Ligure on some truly challenging courses. As previously mentioned, we consistently felt that the bike handled super precisely and without torsion. This is partly due to the fact that a 38mm fork is fitted into the head tube. Many other manufacturers in this travel class often opt for a 36mm fork or a Lyrik, which even has only 35mm stanchions.

While the thicker stanchions add a bit more weight, they also offer several advantages beyond the additional stiffness. With the 38mm tubes, the fork operates smoother when braking on steep terrain. Furthermore, the issue of creaking fork crowns is nonexistent with the 38mm fork, especially compared to the narrower ones. The fork and frame could also withstand a maximum permissible weight of 180 kilograms. However, the Mavic wheelset is still limited to a hefty 150 kilograms.

The new Mondarker Crafty is available exclusively with the Bosch new CX Gen 5 (BDU38) motor. The biggest difference from its predecessor: In the fifth generation, Bosch has finally managed to eliminate the gearbox rattling of the motor when descending.

This makes the Swabians the only manufacturer of a motor with a gear mechanism that does not rattle in freewheel. This step was long overdue, and it clearly differentiates not only from the predecessor but also from the Shimano EP801 motors, which still struggle with this issue significantly.

Bosch doesn’t completely reveal how they got the sound under control. But some things become apparent in the pattern. A gear is now made of plastic, instead of metal. And when you turn the motor unit, there’s hardly any movement to see at the crank axle.

Even though a plastic gear is now installed, it remains the same: A Bosch motor doesn’t require servicing. The motor is designed to easily handle over 50,000 km without any service. That’s according to Bosch. And in practice, this has already been confirmed. This is likely the biggest and most important argument that the Bosch CX Gen 5 has over the innovative DJI Avinox motor. Because the ride characteristics compared to its predecessor have changed so slightly that you can hardly notice a difference on the trail.

Bosch sticks with the 85 Nm torque, and the data sheet also maintains the 600 watts peak power. However, in turbo mode, the motor noticeably unleashes its power.

In the terrain, you are better off with the EMTB mode in our opinion. You can configure this to full power with the app, but the motor remains a bit smoother. Especially when you’re navigating technical trails, you get a bit more grip that way. By the way, you also notice on the climb that there is a 29er rear wheel and not a 27.5-inch rear wheel installed.

Many manufacturers are now opting for a smaller rear wheel. And downhill, this undoubtedly makes handling an EMTB more playful. However, uphill, such a small rear wheel can cause the front to lift more quickly. Plus, there’s slightly less grip due to the reduced contact area.

We tried a one-to-one comparison and are genuinely convinced of the superiority of the larger rear wheel in this regard. Those who enjoy technical climbing should definitely keep this in mind when making their purchase decision.

When it comes to downhill riding, several factors combine to give the bike a secure handling. First, there’s the 38mm fork we’ve already mentioned. But also the really powerful Sram Maven brakes and the chunky 2.6-inch tires both front and rear. This allows for controlled deceleration even in rough terrain.

For a bike of this class, the front wheel could also be equipped with a softer rubber compound than the installed MaxxTerra. A minor drawback that especially affects performance on rocky or wet trails.

With a weight of 24 kilos, it’s clear that you have to use your body a bit during jumps or tight corners to initiate the desired riding situation. However, the bike doesn’t push over the front axle when braking. This is something that EMTBs over the 20-kilo mark tend to do, and it’s absolutely annoying. Thanks to the high level of grip from the suspension, we didn’t experience this phenomenon with the Crafty.

The 150 mm of rear travel provides massive grip even on small bumps. There’s really nothing to complain about there. In Finale, we even caught some air over the occasional edge. The shock remains absolutely composed but can be coaxed into using its full stroke. If that bothers you, you might want to add a volume spacer for more progression to the factory setting. However, what surprised us is that the rear suspension remains 100% active even under full chain tension. This is a huge help when climbing.

The forward geometry is still long, but compared to the competition, it’s no longer extreme. Mondraker also has a new sizing scheme with the new M/L size.

With a height of 1.80 m, we usually test L bikes. However, we consciously chose an M bike and felt very comfortable on it. The 35 mm stem compensates somewhat for the long reach. And in the high setting of the flip chip, the bike didn’t feel sluggish at all. This is also because the size M comes with even shorter 455 mm chainstays. Starting from ML, they grow by 10 mm.

Mondraker bikes are never cheap. But with a starting price of €7199, the pricing policy is almost fair. The RR model leaves nothing to be desired for €8499 and is probably the “way to go”. For those who want to spend more or less, here are the different options. With our comparison function, you can also compare the details one-to-one.