Cannondale Moterra SL - First Ride. First Look

The Cannondale Moterra NEO SL really does deliver on the brand’s aim to build ‘The lightest full-power mountain bike ever’. Apparently the Cannondale Moterra NEO SL came about after an internal debate about what an eMTB should be. Should it let you whizz up the hills without range anxiety (or ever having to utter the cursed words ‘I’ve got enough left for one more lap’)? Should you be able to throw shapes and flick it around the trail like a mountain bike that uses leg power alone? Does SL stand for Super Light, Slightly Lighter, or Slightly Less Good? The folks at Cannondale thought they could have their cake and eat it, and set about making a bike that would deliver all the torque and battery capacity of a full fat ebike, but with the handling of traditional full suspension bike. The Moterra Neo SL is the result. Cannondale Moterra NEO SL in a nutshell 150mm rear travel 160 fork travel Mullet 29/27.5 wheels Two carbon frame options Moterra SL LAB7 – 19.5kg claimed weight (based on size Medium with 180ml of sealant) Moterra SL 1 – 19.7kg claimed weight Moterra SL 2 – 20.6kg claimend weight Moterra SL Lab 71 – £12,500 Moterra SL 1 – £8,550 Moterra SL 2 – £6,550 All bikes in the range are 150mm rear/160mm front travel bikes, and come with a mullet wheel set up – although a flip chip allows you to run a 29er front and rear if you choose. Weighing in around 20kg for a whole bike, it’s still up there near the weight of old alloy DH sleds – but that was fun even without a motor, right? The Moterra Neo SL comes fitted with a Shimano EP801 motor, delivering 85Nm of torque. You get a 601Wh battery which is Cannondale’s own design of battery, complete with dense battery construction that packs more power into each cell, plus a lightweight liner to keep the weight down. More details at https://singletrackworld.com