2024 eMTB LITE GROUP REVIEW

CANNONDALE MOTERRA SL 1 REVIEW

A GENRE BLURRING eBIKE

Words by Staff  |  Photos by Dusten Ryen

The Cannondale Moterra SL finds itself in its second Loam Wolf eMTB shootout of 2024, and for good reason. During our 2024 eMTB Shootout (full power), it represented an exciting lightweight option that prioritized a more natural, lighter ride compared to range-seeking battery monsters. Even with its 601Wh battery and full size, full power Shimano EP801 drive unit, this bike is still within the weight range of other less-powered eMTBs like the Devinci eTroy Lite and Trek Slash+. But how does its performance stack up?

We’d like to offer a huge thank you to our sponsors: Outdoor Research, Schwalbe Tires, Ride Concepts and the Running Y Resort. Without their gracious support, these types of content series would not be possible. Give them a thanks down below!

ABOUT THE CANNONDALE MOTERRA SL 1

Cannondale was one of the first brands to hit the market with a bike in the genre-blending eMTB space, taking a full power drive unit with a slightly smaller battery and focus on dropping weight to deliver a full-power, SL eBike, which is a ton of fun.

DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS | Cannondale uses the Shimano EP801 drive unit, delivering 85Nm of Torque and 600W Peak Power for its 2.7kg (6.0lbs) weight. Powering this is a custom 601Wh battery with high energy density, tipping the scales at 3.1kg (6.8lbs). This is non-removable, and there’s no option to use a Range Extender.

Cannondale worked on some custom modes to maximize range, without compromising on power. These power modes can be customized further with the E-Tube Project App, which allows for the creation of up to 15 unique power modes to fine-tune the power delivery.

The SM800 display and standard two-button wired switch are found on the bars, as is typical for a Shimano eBike. The top tube features a custom power button, equipped with LEDs which indicate the power mode and battery life in 20% increments.

FRAME AND FEATURES | The Moterra SL is built with Cannondale’s Series 1 carbon fiber, and features a unique Flex Pivot solution instead of a standard Horst Link pivot setup. This allowed Cannondale to shave notable weight from the frame and reduce complexity and need for maintenance.

As standard, the 150mm travel Moterra SL is supplied with an MX, mixed-wheel setup and a 160mm fork. However, thanks to a generous Flip Chip, it can be converted to dual-29” if the rider desires.

On the downtube, you’ll find a custom plastic skid plate which extends part of the way up. There’s fully guided internal cable routing through ports in the front of the head tube; a molded chainstay protector, and UDH derailleur hanger offering T-Type Compatibility. The front triangle receives a lifetime warranty, whereas the rear end is given five years.

SUSPENSION | The 150mm rear end of the Moterra SL features somewhat of a party piece, with Cannondale’s Flex Pivot design. This replaces the bearings in the Horst Link rear end with a carbon piece that’s engineered to flex in a controlled manner, and allows for weight savings and overall improvements to the structural efficiency of the frame. The suspension receives Cannondale’s Proportional Response treatment, featuring different kinematics on each frame size to best suit their typical riders.

GEOMETRY | The Moterra SL comes with two geometry numbers which stand out – the 62.5° Head Tube Angle (adjustable to a slightly more modest 63.7°); and features size-specific chainstays.

The Small to XL size range spans Reach figures from 420mm to 505mm, with Stack heights from 630mm to 657mm.

BUILD SPECS | Cannondale offers the Moterra SL in a choice of three builds, from the $7,000 Moterra SL 2 to the $14,000 Moterra SL LAB71. We tested the mid-spec, $8,750 Moterra SL 1, which is likely the build that we’d opt to buy if we were putting our money on the table.

This build features the Series 1 carbon frame with a Fox Factory suspension package, featuring the Float X shock and 36 Grip 2 fork.

SRAM provides the CODE Silver Stealth brakes, with a pair of 200mm HS2 rotors; and the drivetrain is XO AXS T-Type. An e*thirteen e*spec Plus crank transmits pedal input to the drive unit.

Cannondale’s in-house Hollowgram SAVE carbon bar is clamped by their alloy stem. The Cannondale DownLow dropper is topped with a Fizik Terra Aidon saddle.

Rounding out the build specs is a DT Swiss XM1700 wheelset, wrapped in a pair of Maxxis tires with EXO+ casings. However, for this Lightweight eMTB Shootout, we equipped all bikes with a pair of Schwalbe Albert Radial Trail tires in Ultra Soft compound, leveling the playing field and providing us with consisten traction to push these lightweight eBikes to their limits.

With the Schwalbe control tires, the Cannondale Moterra SL 1 in size Large weighed 46.1lbs (20.9kg).

THE DIRT

SETUP | When it came to getting the Mottera SL ready to hit the trail all of our test riders on the trip agreed that this bike was best kept in the Steep headset setting, and by steep we mean less slack and low, but still very slack and very low. In that steep setting the Motera has a 63.7º head tube angle, which puts it on par with the slackest bikes in their low position that we have on test. The Fox Factory 36 Fork and Float X Shock were easily set to each riders weight with little to no fussing – we all get along with those components well.

ELECTRONICS & INTEGRATION | The Moterra SL is one of three bikes in our group of test bikes that feature a full power motor. The Shimano EP801 85nm motor is paired to a custom 601wh battery and delivers 600w of peak power. The bike uses a non-removable battery to help improve frame stiffness and reduce the weight, and at just a hair over 46lbs, we think they found a solid balance. Shimano’s E-Tube Project App allows you to fully customize the tune from the motor. We of course have opted for the most power possible in the boost mode. From the showroom floor, the bike has four drive modes to choose from, but up to 15 can be selected.

The small power button on the top tube is easy to use and view, but some of our crew weren’t thrilled with the on-the-bar display screen Shimano currently offers. We prefer the top tube only displays, especially when done exceptionally well like the DJI multi color touch screen. Battery life was rather impressive in the Moterra SL, notable compared with most other bikes in the test with their batteries in the 320Wh-430Wh range.

The EP801 motor has become a trusted power unit that delivers solid performance backed by durability. Motor rattle was limited, especially compared to the 801 RS motor found on the Orbea Rise LT. While this may be a difference in individual units, we think it has more to do with the frame structure and sound deadening on this Moterra. The “hum” from the motor was pleasant and faded to the background while chatting on climbs. The full power 85nm motor was a pleasant change – or increase – of pace in a sea of 50nm – 60nm eBikes. It really shone on steep sections of trail, or while racing up before sunset to snag one last lap.

CLIMBING | As to be expected the full power Shimano 801 drive unit was among the most powerful in our group. It was only outshone by the 105nm DJI Avinox, which is in a league of its own. This resulted in the crew cleaning some technical climbs that they failed on lower powered bikes. A rider like Drew – who really likes technical climbing – found there to be quite a few moments where the crank arms met the earth in a harsh way. Tor this reason, it is a bike that is really hard for him to like. For others who are less prone to climbing the nastiest terrain, the downsides of the low BB on the climbs weren’t as severe. But with that said, even on climbs with light chunk, those crank arms found a way to smash the ground from time to time.

The rear suspension on the Cannondale Moterra SL 1 was supple and very active. This translated to a lack of feedback to your body through rough terrain when seated, and ample traction when it got steep. The relatively slack head tube angle made it a bit floppy around tight switchbacks, and the second longest wheelbase on test meant there was more attention to detail needed when picking your lines. In the low setting it was almost unmanageable to pedal through very tight and technical terrain.

With a 648mm stack – which was the tallest on test, tied with the YT Decoy – the climbing position was among the most comfortable for the long-leggers in the crew. We found there to be very little hand pressure when spinning on long fire road ascents, keeping us comfortable on days when we were out to burn the entirety of the battery.

DESCENDING | The Cannondale Moterra SL shone when the trails got steep or speeds were high. The upright riding position and slack head angle begged you to attack the trail ahead. Our riders would regularly get themselves into wild situations, as the head tube angle and wheelbase began writing checks the 150mm of travel struggled to cash. While the suspension was very smooth and had a fair amount of ramp at the end of the stroke, it would be better served with a bit more travel to allow you to fully maximize the geo, and maybe even a Fox 38 fork instead of a 36. This is something all of us agreed on. Cannondale – we’d love to see a Moterra SL LT!

The Fox Float X did a superb job of controlling the bike, delivering a smooth ride over chattery terrain. Once on the bike and riding it, all of the crew forgot about the flex stay. We do not think this should be a worry for any riders out there. It adds to the unique feel this bike presented and its looks, and also made the lateral stiffness of the rear end a lot of fun to snap around.

When cornering on flatter terrain, there was some fork flop just as there was on the climbs. Pitching it into something steep though, that flop transformed into control and confidence. While it was one of the heavier bikes on test, it rode surprisingly light. The longer wheelbase and chain stays slowed down the movements, but the Moterra SL was still a bike on which some of the crew enjoyed getting the back end out and playing on the ground. This was a mixed feeling across our crew, with others noting that it took a bit more effort to get airborne on smaller hits. But of course, that is to be expected compared to other lighter and shorter bikes on test. Compared to most other full-power eMTBs, the Cannondale Moterra SL 1 ranks highly on fun factor.

FINISH AND VALUE | While the $8,750 price tag is no bargain, for full Factory suspension and an XO Transmission mated to a beautiful carbon frame, the Cannondale Moterra SL 1 definitely isn’t the worst value on test. With prices ranging from $7k to $14k, we feel this SL 1 build strikes a balance of what you really need, with some sense of realism.

COMPARISON AND RANKING?

The Moterra SL is a tough light eMTB to compare as it was a bit confusing, mostly in a good way. It felt the most similar going downhill to the Santa Cruz Heckler. Both are 150/160 bikes, but the Heckler was a bit more spritely in some scenarios. The Cannondale had moments of awesomeness that put it near the top of the pack, with other times where we were less fond of its character.

The slack nature yearned for more travel, which allowed you to charge harder into the roughl, but the 150mm rear end found its limits on big successive hits. Overall this bike was a ton of fun in the right terrain, but it could also be a bit cumbersome to maneuver through or over technical terrain. I’m thinking of those who ride multi-use trails where erosion ruts, embedded rocks and switchbacks are plentiful. Lastly, if Cannondale could package this with 160mm – 170mm travel, I feel that our group would have been much more inclined to have this higher up as a top contender, as it had the attitude to charge harder and we’d love to send it deeper.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Cannondale Moterra SL is a bike that had our riders feeling hot and cold depending on the terrain. It could be one of our absolute favorites one day, and be in a spot where it was cumbersome and challenging to keep moving on another. This is a bike that is very rider and terrain dependent, and could be an absolutely amazing partner in crime, or an anchor.

Price: $8,750
Weight: 46.1 lbs
Website: Cannondale.com

Thanks again to our amazing sponsors who made this group test possible.

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