Last year Mondraker launched the stealthy Neat with its barely perceptible TQ HPR 50 motor and 150mm travel. Then came the enduro-ready Dune with Bosch SX motor and 165mm of travel. But both bikes only use the Spanish brand’s exotic Stealth Air carbon frames, leaving room for a mid-power e-bike with an alloy frame. And that’s where the new SLY comes in; a trail bike with the Bosch SX motor, 400Wh internal battery, 150mm rear travel, 160mm front travel, and an alloy frame available in five sizes.

The Mondraker SLY R gets Bosch’s rev-hungry SX motor.

Mondraker SLY e-bike need to know

• Mid-power e-bike with Bosch SX motor (55Nm peak torque/600W peak power)
• 400Wh internal battery
• 160mm travel front / 150mm rear with 29in wheels
• Compatible with 250Wh PowerMore range extender and water bottle at the same time
• Stealth alloy frame available in five sizes
• Claimed weight of under 21kg (depending on spec)
• Two models offered starting at £5,299

In many ways the SLY is a, er, carbon copy of the Neat trail bike – a bike that I liked when I tested it last year. It has 29in wheels front and rear, 160/150mm travel, and both bikes share the same kinematics and geometry. The only two differences are the frame material (alloy instead of carbon) and the motor (Bosch SX instead of TQ HPR 50). And as well as the alloy frame saving a chunk of change, I reckon the extra power and range of the Bosch SX system will appeal to a wider audience than the minimal TQ found on the Neat, which should help it compete against the best lightweight e-bikes on the market.

We’ve found that the the Zero suspension design does limit dropper post insertion on the Dune, but it looks less of an issue on the SLY.

Let’s look at the price difference first. The new SLY starts with the R at £5,299, with the RR model costing £6,199. Compare that to the Neat, which starts at £6,799 and goes up to a whopping £11,899 for the rather gorgeous Gulf special edition.

Room for a range extender and a water bottle.

Then there’s the motor. With 55Nm of torque Vs. 50Nm on the TQ, 600W peak power Vs. 300W on the TQ, and a 400Wh battery Vs. 360Wh on the TQ, the SLY comprehensively trumps the Neat on paper. Of course it’s not as simple as that, because the TQ is lighter, smaller, and quieter than the Bosch. But for most riders, power and range will be of primary concern. Plus the SLY can be further enhanced by adding the Bosch 250Wh PowerMore range extender, which is significantly larger than the TQ’s 160Wh unit. Yes, the Bosch unit thrives on revs, so you need to spin a high cadence to access that peak power, but it’s a punchy system that feels really good on the trails.

Yay! The Mondraker SLY comes with separate cable ports, rather than headset-routed cables.

Both Mondraker models benefit from having two water bottle mounts, so you can run both the range extender and a bottle at the same time. Not something many rivals can compete with. And now Mondraker seems to have ditched the hateful headset-routed cables found on the Neat and Dune, there’s not much to criticise from what I can see.

While the sizing, geometry, and suspension are shared between both models, the SLY benefits from an extra frame size. The ML sits between M and L in the range and comes with a 480mm reach. Other notable geometry includes a 64.5º head angle, 77º effective seat angle, and pretty long 455mm chainstays.

The SLY seems to answer the limitations of the Neat with a bigger battery, more powerful motor, and lower price point.

The Mondraker SLY model range overview

Two models are offered in the SLY range, compared to four for the Neat and three for the Dune.

Mondraker SLY RR

Mondraker SLY RR £6,299 / $6,599 / €6,999

This is the top model and comes with Fox 36 Float Performance fork, Float X Performance shock, SRAM Code Bronze brakes, and SRAM GX Eagle AXS wireless drivetrain. Claimed weight is 20.7kg.

Mondraker SLY R

Mondraker SLY R £5,299 / $5,599 / €5,999

The cheaper spec SLY gets a RockShox Psylo Gold RC fork, RockShox Deluxe Select + shock, SRAM DB8 brakes, and SRAM S1000 AXS wireless drivetrain. Claimed weight is 20.9kg.