Mondraker’s new long travel e-bike gets the lightweight Bosch SX motor and battery system, weighs under 20kg, and is claimed to be ‘the natural evolution of enduro’. It’s not Mondraker’s first sub-20kg e-bike – last year the Spanish brand launched the sub-18kg Neat trail bike with the TQ motor, and back in 2019 it came out with a Crafty Carbon with a full-power Bosch CX motor and 625Wh battery – but the Dune is significant as the first mixed wheel e-bike in the range, and one of the only mid-power e-enduro bikes to go head-to-head with the Specialized Kenevo SL in the quest to be one of the top lightweight e-bikes. As such it’s aimed at enduro riders who have been reluctant to give up the natural and dynamic riding experience of their analogue bikes, or e-bike converts looking to shed weight in search of greater agility.

The Kiox display comes as standard, but can be removed.

Mondraker Dune need to know

• Sub-20kg e-bike with 165mm travel at the rear
• Uses the Bosch SX motor with 600W peak power and 55Nm torque
• Non-removable 400Wh internal battery can be expanded with 250Wh range extender
• Full carbon frame and carbon rocker link shared across entire three-bike range
• Mixed wheels (29in front/27.5in rear) for maximum agility
• XR model enjoys a 180mm fork, while R and RR get 10mm less travel up front
• Range starts with the Dune R at £6,799/€7,999/$10,999

At the heart of the Dune is a full carbon Stealth Air frame with carbon rocker link weighing a claimed 2,650g without shock (Mondraker doesn’t say which frame size). It uses the new Zero suspension configuration first shown on the Neat and since applied to the Summum and F-Podium. Here, the shock is angled more acutely, piercing the seat tube and anchored to the rocker link at one end, and the swingarm at the other. Still a twin-link design, the new layout opens up space inside the front triangle and allows for a lower top tube and shorter seat tube. Mondraker claims revised suspension kinematics bring improved sensitivity and grip at the start of the stroke, and the 25% progression rate allows for the use of both coil and air shocks.

The Mondraker Dune XR turns heads with its boutique Ohlins spec.

Sleek frame with non-removable battery

Up front, there’s still Mondraker’s signature window reinforcement behind the head tube, and combined with a blade-like top tube, the result is a side profile that’s both distinctive and striking. To minimise weight and reinforcing material, the battery is housed in a fully enclosed down tube. That means it’s not removable without taking the motor out.

The Bosch SX moor on the Mondraker Dune XR brings power and range in a lightweight package that requires the rider to get involved more than with the full-fat CX.

Bosch SX motor brings power and modular battery

Talking of which, Mondraker has chosen Bosch’s latest SX unit to power the Dune instead of the TQ HPR 50 found in the Neat. It’s a decision that makes absolute sense given the Dune’s intended use, where longer travel and gnarlier terrain naturally demand a heavier bike with burlier components. Bosch’s unit trades some of the TQ’s diminutive size and weight for extra power and more battery capacity. So the Dune gets double the power, 10% more torque, and 10% more battery capacity than the Neat’s TQ motor. To further boost range, you can plug in Bosch’s PowerMore 250Wh range extender (not included) to bring the overall battery capacity to a full-fat rivalling 650Wh – that’s 150Wh more than the TQ with its range extender. By squeezing in two bottle cage mounts inside the front triangle, you can run the range extender and a water bottle.

Being part of Bosch’s familiar ecosystem means the Dune uses the basic top tube mounted controller, giving visual feedback on power mode and battery life, allied to the wireless bar-mounted remote. Mondraker also adds further data potential with the Kiox 500 screen fitted as standard on all Dune models, but you can remove this for a cleaner cockpit.

The Mondraker Dune and Dune XR geometry and sizing

Geometry and sizing

Famed for its game-changing Forward Geometry that debuted around a decade ago, Mondraker’s current sizing and geometry now sits within the mainstream. Across the four frame sizes (S-XL) the reach runs from 445mm to 505mm in 20mm increments. A longer fork on the Dune XR chips those reach numbers back by 5mm as well as slackening the head angle by 0.6º. On the Dune XR that figure is 63.6º, while on the Dune R and RR it’s a round 64º. Other numbers of note are the 350mm bottom bracket height (3mm higher on the XR), and 445mm chainstay length across all four sizes. This is pretty average considering the smaller 27.5in rear wheel.

The Mondraker Dune XR impressed with its capability and agility.

First impressions: How it rides

Click here for my detailed first ride review of the Mondraker Dune XR, but for a potted summary I would say that Mondraker has created an e-bike that will appeal to a lot of enduro riders. It has much of the agility and engagement that makes riding an analogue enduro bike so satisfying, yet it lets you stay fresher and pack in loads more runs. The motor really rips along typical fireroad climbs when you crank up the cadence to 90rpm or more. So while it’s not a bike that likes to winch up steep ascents in a high gear and minimal effort from the rider, if you’re prepared to put the legwork in the Bosch motor really gives back.

The Ohlins suspension works well on rough tracks, although it’s not the easiest to set up, and the mullet wheel set-up and low top tube/short seat tube combo gives the Dune stacks of manoeuvrability.

Mondraker Dune range overview

The top-of-the-range Mondraker Dune XR gets a host of carbon parts.

Mondraker Dune XR – £11,999 / €11,999 / $16,499

This flagship model gets a longer travel 180mm fork and coil shock, for increased capability on the toughest tracks. Both are from the Ohlins stable, giving the build a premium feel. Something underlined by the fancy colour-changing ‘Mars’ flip paint. The drivetrain is SRAM X0 Eagle T-type wireless with a carbon E*Thirteen crank. There’s also a wireless AXS Reverb dropper post and E*Thirteen carbon wheels.

The Mondraker Dune RR sticks with Ohlins suspension, but gets a shorter fork and an air shock.

Mondraker Dune RR – £8,499 / €9,499 / $12,999

Cost savings on the Dune RR model over the XR include SRAM GX AXS drivetrain instead of X0, E*Thirteen Grappler alloy wheels instead of carbon, and an in-house OnOff dropper post. There’s an Ohlins TTX air shock instead of a coil, and the RXF 38 M.2 fork gets 10mm less travel.

With a mechanical drivetrain and Fox suspension, the Mondraker Dune R looks like our pick of the range.

Mondraker Dune R – £6,799 / €7,999 / $10,999

Looking at the prices, this looks like the thinking enduro rider’s choice, with a switch to mechanical SRAM GX/NX drivetrain from wireless, and SRAM mineral oil DB8 brakes. The big switch is in the suspension spec, with a Fox 38 Float Peformance fork and Float X Performance shock. While not as posh as the Ohlins units, both are easy to set up, come with decent performance out-of-the-box, and can be upgraded with better dampers at a later date.