WE DIG
WE DON’T
ABOUT THE MONDRAKER DUNE R
The Mondraker Dune is a big enduro rig, sporting 165mm of ZERO rear suspension travel, paired with a 170mm fork (or 180 mm on the XR model). With appropriately big-rig geometry, the Dune was a highly capable machine offering stability and confidence on the roughest of trails.
DRIVE UNIT AND ELECTRONICS
The Mondraker Dune is assisted by the Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit, delivering 600W of peak power and 60Nm (updated) of torque. This impressive power is powered by a 400Wh PowerTube battery, which can be extended with Bosch’s PowerMore range extender to add 250Wh of extra fun.
The Bosch LED System Controller, mounted in the top tube, displays the battery life via five light bars. Each bar represents 20% battery life, and as the battery is depleted, the percentage is shown to the nearest 10% with a bar changing from blue to white. The controller also displays the current power mode via a green, blue, purple, or red display. Modes can be changed, and the walk function used, with Bosch’s Wireless Mini Remote mounted to the handlebars.
To read the battery to the exact percent, you will need to access Bosch’s Flow App. Here you can also fine-tune settings like assistance level across the different modes, perform updates, lock the bike in the event of theft, and access several other features.
FRAME AND FEATURES
The Mondraker Dune R is one of the very few e-bikes in our test lineup that can accommodate a water bottle and the Bosch PowerMore range extender. However, this feature is only compatible with the larger frame sizes, as there just isn’t enough room to do so on the Small frame.
While the frame design allows for this extra space, it comes at a slight sacrifice. Due to the positioning of the shock, the Dune doesn’t have the insertion depth for the longest of dropper posts. Our size Large Dune R sees a 170mm dropper, roughly 30mm shy of other similar bikes on test, and it was notable on the descents.
Aside from the aluminum lower link, the Dune R is crafted entirely from Mondraker’s Stealth Carbon. The frame was designed around a mixed-wheel setup, and there are no flip chips or geometry adjustments. Chain noise and damage aren’t an issue, with effective driveside chainstay and seatstay protection. A mini fender helps keep dirt and debris out of the rear shock and pivots. There is also a nice bash guard at the bottom bracket to help protect the frame and the drive unit.
SUSPENSION
The Dune was the first bike to utilize Mondraker’s Zero Suspension platform, and they continue this tradition today, albeit with a few updates. The 165mm of travel is delivered by two co-rotating links, compressing the shock from both ends. Mondraker boasts its Zero platform as having zero power loss, zero pedal kickback, and zero brake jack. Bold claims – and not entirely true – but Mondraker’s updated suspension system impressed, regardless.
GEOMETRY
The geometry for the Mondraker Dune is what you might expect from a big enduro bike. Mondraker dubs it their “Forward Geometry,” which instills confidence by creating a stable platform during descents. This is mainly done through longer reach and top tube lengths, which help create an overall longer wheelbase. Once an outlier on the reach front, these days, Forward Geometry looks more typical.
Across the size range are a shared 64° HTA and a 77.5° STA. The reach on a size Large is 485mm, and the stack is a tall 648mm. We were sent the size medium however, with a 465mm reach 630mm. Combined with 445mm chainstays — a length consistent across sizes — provides a total wheelbase of 1,285mm. Rounding out the numbers are a fairly tall 352mm BB height, with a 21mm BB drop.
BUILD SPECS
Mondraker offers the Dune in three builds — the R (tested), the RR, and the top-of-the-line XR, which receives a 180mm fork.
Our R build is equipped with a RockShox Zeb Select and a Vivid Base rear shock. It also has SRAM Maven Base brakes with 200mm rotors, front and rear, and a SRAM Eagle 90 drivetrain with 160mm E*13 Helix cranks.
E*13 also handles the wheels with their Grappler Core rims laced to E*13 hubs with 60 POE. These wheels are wrapped in our Schwalbe control rubber — a Magic Mary up front and an Albert in the rear.
Onoff, a Mondraker in-house brand, handles the majority of the touchpoints. The handlebars, grips, and stem are all from Onoff. The saddle is an Ergon Enduro SPS20, which sits atop a 170mm X-Fusion Manic dropper post.
Our Mondraker Dune R in size medium weighed in at 45 lbs (20.4 kg) with our Schwalbe control tires fitted.
THE DIRT
SETTING UP THE MONDRAKER DUNE R
Getting the Mondraker Dune R set up for our riders was a bit more time-consuming than some bikes. This was a bike that benefited from a precisely tuned rear shock, and produced notably different feelings based on sag and tuning. Finding the happy spot for its setup took just a little longer on this bike, but with a little more effort we found a happy spot. The mudflap made access to the rear shock’s rebound knob difficult, which added to the setup complexity. Once we found our shock tunes, the bike came alive and moved up in our list of bikes for gnarly trails.
The rest of the bike was straightforward to get along with. That said, its headset cable routing will polarize some, no doubt. We found the hardware stayed tight, cable routing was quiet, and getting the Bosch unit dialed in was pretty easy. The limited dropper post insertion and resulting 170mm drop of the seatpost meant we had to manually raise and lower the saddle to optimize its height for up and down the hill.
ELECTRONICS AND INTEGRATION
Our crew all appreciated the Kiox 400C display neatly integrated in the top tube of the Mondraker Dune R. It was one of the only bikes we’ve had this year that specs this display, and we consider it almost a must-have at this point. Data sets, navigation, and more accurate battery monitoring are just a few of the reasons we were fans of this display. The rest of the bike’s integrations were on par with industry trends. There was nothing special in terms of charge ports, remote access or otherwise. Just parts that get the job done.
DRIVE UNIT RANGE TEST RESULT
We compared drive unit performance and efficiency with a standardized test. We created a 13-mile, 1,300-foot elevation “Battery Efficiency Loop” and rode every bike in its highest assist mode until the loop was done. Our test rider, Travis, is 193lbs and was diligent about his efforts and physical state for each ride.
We rode the Bosch SX on our Battery Consumption Test Loop both pre- and post- Bosch update, and noticed a large difference in battery consumption, as well as overall time of the loop.
Pre-update, the Bosch SX system completed the loop in 01:03:04 (5th/8), and used 300Wh of its 400Wh capacity (75%). This placed it mid-pack for energy used, and 5th in capacity remaining (predicted range: 17.3 miles, 1,730 feet).
After applying the 60Nm update, the Bosch SX system completed the loop 2nd fastest at 00:59:28, but used 388Wh of its 400Wh capacity (97%). This placed it highest for energy used, and lowest in capacity remaining (predicted range: 13.4 miles, 1,340 feet).
CLIMBING
Testers liked climbing the Mondraker Dune R. The 77.5-degree seat tube angle was one of the steepest in our test, and helped to put our riders in a comfortable, upright position. This was further aided by the relatively short 465mm of the size medium, compared to the size Large eBikes we mostly tested.
Another standout number that helped its climbing prowess was the higher bottom bracket height. At 352mm, it was higher than other eMTBs on test, meaning that we could sit and spin our way to the top with much less worry about clipping pedals.
The Bosch SX drive unit’s power further helped this bike get up the trails among the best lightweight electric mountain bikes. While the suspension platform may not have been the most plush, it was smooth enough for big days out, while striking a good blend of traction and efficiency.
To see more feedback on the drive unit of this bike and the other six mid-power eBike systems, head over to the Main Page of the SL Shootout. We dive into the details of each drive unit, what we like about them and what we don’t.
DESCENDING
Here is where our testers began to form differing opinions on the Mondraker Dune R. Drew was the first rider to really unlock the shock tune magic and let this beastly electric mountain bike eat. After lots of riding with big smiles, Drew passed it back to Sean, who had only ridden it on his mellower, flatter home trails without so much success. It wasn’t that he didn’t like it, it just felt like a lot of bike for the flatter, jumpier trails he had been riding.
After seeing Mondraker’s light eBike eating up the chunk of Klamath Falls at speed, it was time for round two of Sean’s testing. The team spent the next 2 days trying to pry this bike out from underneath Sean, as he just wanted to keep lapping the two gnarliest trails at Klamath Falls’ Spence Mountain. Sean’s never one to volunteer for more laps, so when he was the first one to say he’d pedal over the mountain to meet us at the other trailhead when seats in the van were full, we knew something was wrong…or right, with that bike.
While most of the riders agreed the Dune R was a lot of fun at speed and when pushing the limits on downhill chunk, Cole wasn’t quite as pleased. Cole is a rider who is always the first to put the geometry chip in the Low position, whereas Drew and Sean often prefer bikes in High mode. Cole felt that he just couldn’t get “into” the bike and give him the feel he was looking for. While he did like the bike’s ability to go fast, it just felt a bit more on-top of the terrain than eBikes like the Trek Fuel LX or Revel Rerun. This wasn’t helped by the limited seatpost insertion depth.
Like everything, people have preferences. Luckily, different styles of eBikes are built for different types of people and the trails they ride. If you like a bike with a slightly higher bottom bracket, want to hammer into choppy terrain, want to pull up and send drops deep, the Mondraker Dune R and it’s 165mm of travel could be good for you. If you regularly like to manual, pre-hop, or rider flatter gradient trails with smaller features where a lower bottom bracket and more playful eMTB rule, perhaps this isn’t the best option for you.
FINISH AND VALUE
Although the crew were a bit divided on where the Mondraker Dune R landed in the lightweight eMTB lineup when it came to performance, we all agreed that the value proposition of the Dune R was not strong. At time of publication, the bike is going for $8,999 and comes spec’d with SRAM 90 Eagle derailleur with SRAM 70 shifter, SRAM Maven Base brakes and a Base Rock Shox Vivid shock and Zeb Select Charger RC fork. At this price, many of the other bikes come with electronic shifting, upper tier suspension and higher level brakes.
Moving away from the value, there is no denying that Mondraker’s bikes look sharp. All our testers admired the industrial design, the lines and thought it was a cool-looking eBike. The finish, hardware and overall product give a feeling of quality and pride, even if the spec isn’t as competitive.
COMPARISON AND RANKING?
Compared to other bikes in the lightweight eBike group test, the Mondraker Dune R is a worthy adversary when it comes to performance. However, the lack of value combined with the Bosch SX drive unit’s smaller 400Wh battery bumps it down slightly. This was a heated shootout, and while so many of the bikes performed admirably on the trail, we had to start cutting into these bikes somehow.
The bike is a strong performer for riders who don’t mind pushing a bike hard, or want to set the bike up a bit softer to just cruise around and explore. It’s a versatile machine that has geometry which could make it great for lots of riders, or be a turn off for some.
The Wolf’s Last Word
When the Mondraker Dune R got pointed down the type of terrain it loved, there were few bikes that could match it! We don ‘t often have to pull Sean off of bikes, but this was one that had him hucking his meat and pedaling back up for more day in and day out.
If you like a higher BB, want a suspension platform that gives you some feedback about what’s happening beneath you while still being active enough to eat up highspeed hits, the Mondraker Dune R could be a lightweight eMTB worth considering. That is provided you can swallow the spec to price aspect, which did drop it a bit for us overall.
Price: $7,999
Weight: 45 lbs (20.4 kg)
Website: mondraker.com
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