QUICK HITS
• 182mm Dual Link Suspension (adjustable)
• Mixed Wheels (29” F / 27.5” R) or Dual 29”
• Bosch CX Gen 5 Drive Unit
• 100Nm, 750W Peak
WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE CRESTLINE S 180
What is the Crestline S 180 designed to be?
The Crestline S 180 is their hard-hitting Enduro eMTB. Crestline makes their eBike highly adaptable, with shorter travel options possible using the same frame. But of course, for our gravity-focused eMTB riding, the S 180 was likely to be the ultimate tool.
What eBike Drive System Does It Use?
The Crestline S 180 is equipped with the latest Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive unit, which delivers 85 Nm Torque and up to 600W Peak Power to the back wheel as standard. With the eBike Flow App, riders can increase this to 100 Nm and 750W, if desired. The Bosch CX Gen 5 drive unit weighs 6.2lbs (2.8kg).
Crestline gives customers the choice of the 600Wh or 800Wh PowerTube HED (High Energy Density) batteries, letting riders choose between more agile handling characteristics or bigger range. The 600Wh battery weighs 6.6lbs (3kg), whereas the 800Wh weighs 8.6lbs (3.9kg).
The battery can be removed from the frame without dropping the motor, easing the process for hot-swapping batteries or removing them for charging or transportation. The battery capacity can be boosted by 250Wh with the 3.3lbs (1.5kg) PowerMore range extender.
With the Bosch Smart System, you get the LED System Controller nestled within the top tube to show battery life and the power mode selected. Up on the bars, the wireless Mini Remote lets you change power mode and use the walk mode.
Using the Bosch Flow app, riders can change the configurations of the power modes; track and lock the bike, and record and plan their rides.
What are the details of the Crestline S 180 frame?
The S 180 frame was built by Crestline to meet DH standards, offering confidence that it’ll withstand the most aggressive descending. The frame is made with High Modulus carbon fiber, giving a solid strength-to-weight ratio. There are unique rear triangles offered to determine either a MX or dual-29” wheel setup, with the 29” rear wheel receiving a 10mm longer chainstay.
The headset spec allows riders to tune the geometry of the front end, with either an angle-adjust or reach-adjust headset. Otherwise, geometry and suspension characteristics are fixed, aside from a flip chip to adjust rear travel.
Cable routing is mostly internal with ports in the side of the head tube. Between the front and rear triangles, there is an exposed section with rubber grommets to seal against the frame.
Crestline backs their frames with a five-year warranty against manufacturing defects.
How much suspension travel does it have, and what kind of suspension linkage design?
As standard, the S 180 features 182mm of Dual Link rear suspension, with kinematics developed in partnership with Cascade Components. Cascade manufactures the red anodized lower linkage as part of the arrangement. Crestline publishes the axle path, with 9mm rearward travel at around 80mm, before coming back forwards towards bottom out and finishing 8mm forwards of neutral.
What are the stand-out geometry figures on the Crestline S 180?
Crestline makes unique rear ends for a 27.5” or 29” rear wheel, with 445mm or 455mm chainstay lengths respectively. Static, the bottom bracket is fairly high at 356mm, but once sagged into the travel it’s less notable.
What Crestline S 180 build specs are offered?
Crestline releases their mountain bikes in batches of limited edition builds each year, as well as a select number of frameset kits. Our S 180 Classic Edition build was limited to 150 units for 2025, and retailed for $9,999 as tested. If you’d like to get your hands on the next batch, head to the Crestline website and sign up to be notified.
Our size Large S 180 weighed 50.8 lbs (23 kg) with our Schwalbe Magic Mary and Albert Radial Gravity control tires fitted. These excellent tires were fitted to all of the eBikes in this year’s group test to ensure we had consistent and dependable performance.
Hit the spec list at the bottom of the article to view the full spec list tested.
THE DIRT
Setting up the Crestline S 180 Set Up | Most of our test crew found the Crestline S 180 easy to get dialed in. With 30% sag as the go-to spot, the handling characteristics of the rear end were pleasant, if not remarkable. Robert noted a compromise in the setup that was demanded to balance a sunk-in bottom bracket and an effective rear suspension feel. The rear suspension felt best to him in the 28% sag zone, however the dynamic ride height of the bike was slightly higher than his ideal as a result. Increasing sag reduced the rearward component of the axle path that remained beyond sag, reducing the ability of the rear end to absorb square edges and retain momentum on rough terrain. At 30% sag the compromise was acceptable, but it prevented the Crestline from blowing him away.
Otherwise, the Crestline S 180 and the components selected were all easy to get along with. We’re huge fans of the Rock Shox Vivid Ultimate rear shock and it complimented the bike’s kinematics quite nicely. The SRAM Maven SLV brakes necessitated SRAM’s infamous piston massage treatment the most out of of any of the bikes this year. We also performed a bleed to ensure there wasn’t excessive air in the system. It’s a time consuming process, especially when you have to do it multiple times, but once maintenance performed properly, they performed solidly.
How Did The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 eBike System Perform?
As with the other seven Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 drive units included in this eMTB Group Test, this unit performed very well. Having opted for the 600Wh battery to promote the best handling dynamics, range was satisfactory but not massive. Crestline stated that the majority of their customers were opting for the larger 800Wh battery option, and we understand why for the full-boost riders or those looking to go all day. This was especially true once the power update was applied, letting us obtain a competitive 750W from the Gen 5 Bosch system. As a result, battery range was a more urgent topic.
The Bosch Gen 5 system delivers the best controlled power of any eBike system on the market right now. The sensitivity to rider input is excellent, reducing the likelihood of rear wheel spin-out or the bike running away, at least in the standard riding modes. The more aggressive extended boost featured on the eMTB+ mode could at times produce some run-away sensations in particularly technical climb scenarios. As a result, we reserved this mode for more simple climbs, and opted to use Turbo or eMTB for the most technical maneuvers. We expect that with more time spent learning the behavior of the eMTB+ mode and perhaps with a reduced dynamic setting, we could begin to use it more frequently.
How Did The Crestline S 180 Climb?
Though it’s a 180mm travel machine, the Crestline was impressively well mannered going uphill. In fact, we’d say the extra travel had little to no detriment to its climbing performance. The suspension was firm enough under power to prevent the bike from wallowing or the cranks from dropping too low. As a result, the S 180 was a very solid technical climber. That said, it wasn’t as comfortable in the saddle as you might expect. So, for riders looking for the most comfortable bike for the uphills, there may be better options. Even so, we wouldn’t shy away from any climbs on Crestline’s long-travel eMTB and Drew tackled some of his most technical climbing feats aboard this bike, often to his own astonishment of what was possible to climb.
How Was The Crestline S 180 On The Descents?
The Crestline S 180 was a confident and composed descender, with well-balanced geometry. The suspension performance was solid, giving all of that 180mm cushion for the bigger hits, without lacking support for mellower terrain or wallowing when pushed hard. However, it wasn’t the most comfortable trail-muting machine we had on test. That’s not to say it was abusive, but a little more fatigue could creep in on this eBike than the likes of the Ari Timp Peak, Pivot Shuttle LT or the new Orbea Wild on sustained rough descents.
One other area some testers noted was in quick transitions from one extreme corner to the next while braking. Perhaps it was the higher bottom bracket or that combined with the suspension’s performance under braking, but it seemed that the bike could occasionally feel a bit lethargic when dipping it over from one side to the next during quickly alternating successive corners. A fairly minor and rare occurrence, but, if you’re one who’s living for the stopwatch, you’ll know that confidence during every second counts.
Because Crestline did not push the envelope too hard with the geometry or the suspension feel, it’s a more versatile and well-rounded bike than one may assume. With the ability to dial the travel back to 160mm, an even more trail-friendly guise is possible with minimal effort. Perhaps this came at the expense of ultimate descending capability, but that’s not to say that the Crestline was a poor descending machine by any means. It remained composed and inspired confidence when pushing hard and was regularly one of the faster bikes on our DH test laps.
Finish And Value On The Crestline S 180
Crestline has done a solid job of putting together a high-quality machine, and with a price tag that’s comparably reasonable. Make no mistake, we’re aware that $10k is a lot of money. But for this boutique, Bosch-powered carbon fiber eBike with a quality component package, the price is less than many competitors.
One issue we did have on the mixed-wheel setup Crestline S 180 was with rear tire clearance. Following some heavy rain, the clay-based mud on the test trails packed up the frame around the 2.5” Schwalbe Albert rear tire. It was sufficient to prevent the rear wheel from spinning, forcing Cole to stop dead and dismount. While many areas of the world won’t present these problems, there are also spots where this could regularly present issues. Clearing the mud out from the lower linkage area also proved to be a challenge, likely requiring a dreaded pressure washer to clean without removing the rear wheel for easier access.
A second issue of much lower consequences was the cable grommet for the brake hose on the entry to the rear triangle. As hard as we tried, we could not get it to stay in place for more than a run or two. If this was our bike, it’s likely some glue could fix the issue.
Otherwise, quality was high throughout, and the details were well covered. The Crestline remained tight and rattle-free throughout testing, with paintwork that held up well to the abuse.
The Wolf’s Last Word
Overall Crestline has put together a capable and surprisingly versatile eMTB with their S 180. Though it’s a long-travel machine, it’s not an eBike that is reserved for only the most aggressive riders. It provided a fun time on mellower trails and especially on high speed groomed trails, where the geometry balance and big-hit capabilities were a riot. Quality was high throughout, although the rear tire clearance left a little to be desired for the most testing of conditions. Our crew quite enjoyed this bike and were glad the wait was worth it.
Who Is The Ideal Crestline S 180 Rider?
We see riders seeking the ultimate self-shuttle bike park rig to be a good candidate for the Crestline S 180. But in addition, a rider looking for a versatile yet capable eMTB is likely to have a good time on this machine, from anything from long days in the backcountry to hot-lapping downhill runs or someone who wants a slightly higher BB bike for techy pedal days.
Price: $9,999 (As Tested)
Website: Crestlinebikes.com
About The Pack
During the production of our 2025 eMTB Shootout, we had the Ari Timp Peak 2.0 tested under 8 different riders and compared to the other 11 bikes. The Loam Wolf crew spans heights from 5’10” to 6’2” (177cm to 189cm), and weights from 160lbs to 220lbs. For this year’s test, we also included one of our supporting members, Leonard Johnston from Indiana. His “real world eMTBer” insight was invaluable to us as we evaluated the performance of each of these eBikes.
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