Shuttle Killer
Mondraker Crusher Review

A hefty 720Wh battery, massive suspension travel, and a progressive geometry. Mondraker aims to challenge shuttle services with its Crusher. We took it for a test ride in Finale Ligure to see if it lives up to the hype.

The Spanish premium bike manufacturer Mondraker is known for its extreme product concepts, particularly its geometry concept dubbed Forward Geometry that has been turning heads for years.

Mondraker bikes are seriously long, designed to give riders ample room to maneuver and ensure steady handling in extreme terrain. The brand’s latest offspring, the E-Enduro bike Crusher RR, also pushes the limits. Has Mondraker overshot the mark with the Crusher?

Finale Ligure is an absolute mountain biking mecca, especially for those in search of exhilarating downhill runs. Recently, however, Finale has also become a magnet for E-Mountainbikers. That’s because E-Mountainbikers can now forego the shuttle and find real enjoyment on the uphill. The Italians have developed trails specifically for E-Bikers that aim to deliver one thing above all: uphill flow.

We loaded up the Sprinter with the latest E-Bikes on the market and spent a week last December in Finale, putting the bikes through their paces both uphill and downhill. The brand new Mondraker Crusher, alongside the Norco Sight VLT, was the bike with the beefiest battery. With 720 watt-hours housed in the downtube, you can easily cover 2000 vertical meters with a bit of your own effort. This means it can replace the shuttle, at least for half a day.

This makes it significantly more enduring than its siblings from the same line. Mondraker, with the Neat and the Dune, has two more EMTBs in the same or similar travel ranges. However, the Neat, with its TQ motor, has just 360 Wh in the battery pack. The Dune, featuring Bosch’s CX motor and a 400 Wh battery, doesn’t really go much further than the Neat. Nevertheless, comparing all the models still makes for an interesting showdown.

The 160 mm of travel up front and 150 mm in the rear make it clear: The Crusher is an All-Mountain bike. However, with its features, it’s encroaching heavily into the Enduro category. The hefty Öhlins suspension especially catches the eye, fuelling expectations for a truly strong downhill performance.

Numerous adjustable settings provide the opportunity to perfectly tune the suspension to individual preferences, but they do require a keen eye for detail. Like any fork, you can set the spring rate with the positive air chamber. The second air chamber allows for additional influence on the fork’s progression, meaning the spring curve. However, it was notable that dialing in the setup took quite a bit of time.

Öhlins certainly provides clear setup recommendations, but we had to significantly adjust the factory settings. Otherwise, the fork often sagged too deeply into its travel, failing to deliver the necessary feedback from the trail during aggressive riding. Even though other suspension manufacturers might make setup much more straightforward, an Öhlins suspension system is undoubtedly a damp dream for suspension aficionados.

Mondraker has equipped the Crusher with the new Shimano EP801 motor. It offers a significant improvement in performance over its predecessor, the EP8, and now features enhanced customization through the E-Tube app on your smartphone.

The motor offers a total of 7 modes: Eco, Trail, and Boost, with the Trail mode offering 5 different preset configurations. While this might sound confusing at first, we found it to be quite impressive on the trails. It simply means you have the right mode for every riding situation.

New is also the fact that the motor can now communicate with Shimano’s new electronic shifting system. The Shimano XT-DI2 shifting on the Crusher integrates into an ecosystem with the motor. This offers what’s known as the Free-Shift mode. This means you can shift without pedaling.

When you shift while the cranks are horizontal, the motor kicks in, driving the chain, allowing it to jump to the next gear on the cassette at the rear. This feature is especially helpful in riding situations where you can’t pedal due to lack of ground clearance. With the Free-Shift function, you can still select the right gear for the upcoming trail section.

However, what is also noticeable is that the gear changes with the Shimano drivetrain are quite loud. The new SRAM Eagle Transmission operates much more quietly, especially on e-bikes. Additionally, as with any Shimano motor, the transmission makes a pronounced rattling noise when descending.

That being said, the Shimano brakes decelerate very effectively. The beefy 2.6 Maxxis rear tire delivers power to the trail with ease even on the uphills.

The core of every Mondraker bike is its frame featuring Mondraker’s legendary Forward Geometry. This truly unique approach to geometry is characterized primarily by the long main frame and correspondingly long wheelbase.

In the tested size L, the Crusher sports a 490 mm reach, giving it a really long main frame. While it does provide ample room for movement, it also makes the bike quite lengthy. Yet, the Mondraker surprises with astonishingly direct handling. The 30 mm short stem also contributes to the rider’s steering inputs being directly transmitted to the trail.

That’s because Mondraker resists the current trend towards super slack head angles. With a head angle of 65 degrees, it almost seems conservative. But that’s precisely why the Mondraker can be steered with such precision.

The well-executed geometry benefits the Crusher on the climbs as well. You can dodge obstacles with ease due to its precise handling. Despite the long top tube, you’ll find yourself seated quite upright on the Mondraker. This is thanks in part to the rather steep seat tube angle, but also to the short stem.

Still, you’re able to apply ample pressure on the front wheel for steep inclines. Uphill flow is certainly guaranteed with the Crusher, and that includes the strong Shimano motor.

Downhill is where the Crusher truly exhibits its smooth-rolling nature. That’s because the lengthy wheelbase and the weight of 23.5 kg make the bike extremely stable in its tracking. The faster, the better. You ride a bit like you’re on autopilot, fully trusting the bike to handle whatever comes. It effortlessly finds its own line even through the rugged terrain of Finale Ligure, which really impressed us.

As a rider with an active riding style, you’ll probably find more playful bikes out there. Especially when it comes to quick changes of direction, you need to muscle the Mondraker through turns with a bit of authority. However, our reviews of the bikes listed below in the same travel bracket also reveal: Such a balanced performance across climbing, descending, and range is achieved by very few.

For our review, we took a spin on the Crusher RR, the flagship model. Riders who don’t want to drop €10,000 and can manage with a bit less bling, might consider checking out the more budget-friendly variants.
All information, including geometry charts and specifications for all models, can always be found on their respective detail pages. The comparison with the Mondraker Neat and Dune models continues to offer an interesting benchmark.