January 8, 2025

COMMENCAL META POWER SX 400 & T.E.M.P.O POWER eMTBS

Words by Robert Johnston | Photos by Jean Espert

SPONSORED CONTENT

Today, Commencal is launching the second of their Bosch Performance Line SX-equipped eBikes in the T.E.M.P.O POWER. Joining their Meta POWER SX 400 enduro electric mountain bike, the T.E.M.P.O POWER expands Commencal’s lightweight, mid-power eBike lineup. We spent some time with the Commencal team to learn about these two new eMTBs, and even managed to sneak in a ride on the very first production model their team received. Is the self-shuttle, ultra-capable Meta POWER SX 400 or the T.E.M.P.O POWER electrified trail machine the new bike for you? Let’s dive into the details to find out what they’re all about.

As with all of our Dissected Features, this is not intended to be a long term review or endorsement of a product but is instead a chance for our viewers and readers to get a deep dive look into some of the newest tech and products in the mountain bike space. We thank Commencal for the opportunity to create this feature and getting you some valuable beta on these two new eMTBs.

THE POWER

Both of these new machines are built around the Bosch Performance Line SX drive unit, which produces 55Nm torque but up to a full 600W peak power. The Bosch SX drive unit is unique in its approach, relying on a high cadence to access its maximum output. We appreciate its natural feeling and potential to obtain some solid power for a 2kg drive unit.

Both the Meta SX and T.E.M.P.O POWER are fueled by a 400Wh integrated and fixed battery, sitting inside the downtube of their alloy frames. This capacity can be boosted by 250Wh using the Bosch PowerMore range extender, giving a modular approach that allows riders to choose their preferred setup.

WHY THE BOSCH SX SYSTEM?

“In the past years we’ve tried a lot of motors with light assistance. We’ve already had the Shimano (EP801) and Bosch CX in the range. But we wanted to have something more to make shuttle bikes – that’s to say, a light motor and light battery. We didn’t want to go to the lightest because it’s not our benchmark. We wanted something mid-power with a good mix between weight and the power. On the Bosch SX we have 55Nm Torque with the same 600W peak as the Bosch CX, and you have the choice of riding with the 400Wh battery and the Range Extender of the 250Wh.“ – Matt Beaube, Product Manager.

Commencal Meta Power SX 400 and T.E.M.P.O Power Dissected

NO CARBON.

Both of Commencal’s mid-power electric mountain bikes are built from 6066 Aluminum. Using triple-butted tubing, Commencal is able to put the material where it’s needed for strength and stiffness and keep things lighter where it’s not.

Commencal is committed to building bikes from aluminum rather than carbon fiber, due to a few key reasons.

The first comes from a performance standpoint, where Commencal’s athletes prefer the performance characteristics of an alloy frame. This has been backed up by some incredible results on the world circuit – 31 out of 44 DH Elite races were won on alloy bikes from 2021 to 2023.

Developing bikes with aluminum increases responsiveness, with changes to geometry, kinematics and construction possible in shorter timeframes. By prototyping quickly, Commencal is able to fine tune stiffness and vibration characteristics in addition to the more visible changes to their frames.

The final aspect is the improved environmental aspect of alloy frames, from the carbon footprint to the recyclability. Considerations are also made for the welfare of the manufacturing workers, who are thought to be subjected to harmful conditions when making carbon bikes.

FRAME DETAILS

Commencal Meta Power SX 400

META POWER SX 400

• Wheels: 29″ front, 27.5″ rear
• Front travel: 170mm
• Rear travel: 165mm Virtual Contact System kinematics

Commencal T.E.M.P.O Power

T.E.M.P.O POWER

• Wheels: 29″ front and rear
• Front travel: 150mm
• Rear travel: 135mm Virtual Contact System kinematics

Both of these frames feature space within the front triangle for either the Bosch PowerMore range extender, or a large water bottle. The underside of the top tube features a mount to attach a tool and spares easily. Cables are routed internally, but avoid the headset to ensure easy maintenance. At the entry and exit, there are bolted ports to prevent the cables from rattling and to help to keep the elements out.

There are custom motor and chainstay protectors to keep the Commencal POWER bikes quiet and well protected. The motor guard features significant ventilation, helping to keep the motor cool when working it hard and ensuring peak performance.

Supporting the performance and durability of their frames, Commencal offers a Lifetime Warranty to the original owner of the T.E.M.P.O POWER and Meta POWER SX 400 eBikes.

VCS SUSPENSION

The Commencal T.E.M.P.O POWER and Meta POWER SX 400 use their Virtual Contact System suspension design – a dual link set up with two co-rotating links. This system allows Commencal to make changes to the kinematics that their previous linkage-driven single pivot Contact System design wouldn’t allow as easily.

The VCS system sees the chain effects – Anti Squat and Pedal Kickback – rise from 0 travel up to sag, then drop off as the bike goes deeper into the travel. Commencal says this helps the bike to be stable under pedalling forces, while minimizing the harshness that a big chain effect can produce deeper in the stroke.

“With the single pivot we’ve been experimenting a lot – many bikes, many prototypes. And we helped to push the trend back towards the high pivot suspension design. With the single pivot, we always felt we had the compromise between grip, sensitivity, dynamism and bump absorption. We didn’t just say “let’s move to virtual pivot”, we made prototypes and we felt we found something that was really interesting and could really help to get the best of both worlds.” – Nico Menard, R&D Engineer

WHAT ARE PEOPLE GOING TO FEEL ON THE TRAIL?

“They’re going to feel the fact that the bike is still having good sensitivity at the beginning of the travel. The main thing is when you push the bike on corners, it’s not going too deep into the travel, it has good dynamism. The bike is going to sit a little bit and is always very neutral – especially on technical climbs, you don’t need to think about your weight balance to counteract the movement of the shock. You just go, and the bike is going to move forward, keeping the grip. ” – Nico Menard

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN T.E.M.P.O POWER AND META POWER SX 400 VCS?

“They’re adjusted for intended use…T.E.M.P.O is a trail bike, and the META is more focused on the downhills. We focused on the T.E.M.P.O to have a bike that is versatile, so less travel but a bike that has really good pop and good grip.

The Meta just goes harder. It has significantly more travel, more progressivity.

Both of the POWER bikes are more progressive than the regular platform, and on the T.E.M.P.O we went for more travel as we thought with the motor we could get away with it.” – Nico Menard

GEOMETRY

Commencal Meta Power SX 400 Geometry

META POWER SX 400

The Meta POWER SX 400 shares a lot of geometry similarities to the non-powered Meta SX. Highlights are the chainstays, which are on the longer end of the spectrum for a mixed-wheel bike. While this defies convention, it delivers improved balance to aid in the stability and control when pushing hard. Commencal helps to retain the balance of the larger size bikes by extending the chainstays 5mm on the Large and XL sizes.

Commencal T.E.M.P.O Power Geometry

T.E.M.P.O POWER

To match the extra travel Commencal gave to the T.E.M.P.O POWER, the geometry was given a boost of aggression. The head angle was slackened by a degree, and the chainstays slightly extended to 445mm across the size range. The remaining numbers are all quite typical of a trail eBike, and are likely to make a wide range of riders happy.

WHAT WERE THE KEY GOALS WITH THE BUILD SPECS?

“The key goal with these bikes is you unpack the bike and you go riding. We could do very light bikes, but it’s not our main objective. Our main goals with those bikes are you have fun on the bike, can jump, and have a day of riding without any issues.

We put more travel on the T.E.M.P.O (POWER) than on the normal T.E.M.P.O. We have a 36 on the front, strong wheels, reinforced tyres and big brakes. “ – Matt Beaube

BUILD SPECS AND PRICES

Meta POWER SX 400 Signature | EU : €8,200 EUR | USA : $7,800 USD

Meta POWER SX 400 Essential | EU : €6,000 EUR | USA : $5,700 USD

T.E.M.P.O POWER Signature | EU : €7,800 EUR | USA : $7,000 USD

T.E.M.P.O POWER Essential | EU : €5,600 EUR | USA : $5,200 USD

Commencal Meta Power SX 400

WHICH IS FOR YOU?

Meta POWER SX 400

“If you have to choose one bike from the range to pick up, the Meta SX is the one. The goal was to make the fastest eBike for downhill. So you can hit jumps, very steep tracks.

We brought some guys to test the bikes on the world cup downhill track in Andorra, and they said “what the f**k, this is almost as fast as my downhill bike”.
 – Matt Beaube

“The first shuttle bike that you can really shred downhill”
– Lucas Berghman, Commencal Product Manager

“The Meta POWER SX 400 is another step forward. You can climb pretty well, and go as fast as you want going downhill. You don’t really feel limited with the bike, you just want to go faster and faster.”
   – Thibaut Ruffin – former WC DH racer and Commencal Riding Addiction team manager.

It’s clear that the Meta POWER SX 400 is the bike to go for if you’re a rider that finds themselves riding steep, gnarly terrain regularly, but still wants assistance for the climb.

Commencal T.E.M.P.O Power

T.E.M.P.O POWER

“We chose to motorise the funnest bike in our range – the T.E.M.P.O – and put a little bit more travel, a bigger fork, and the motor and battery.”

“Versatile, playful and efficient.”

“Fun, versatile, and more fun.”

“(Super) Fun, easy to handle, gives you so much joy.”
– The Commencal Team

The T.E.M.P.O POWER is the machine to go for if you’re looking for a more mild-mannered eBike, but still want healthy comfort and capability. It’ll serve riders looking to go on longer pedaling missions with minimal assistance, or those seeking a more agile and responsive ride for all but the gnarliest of descents.

Commencal Meta Power SX 400 and T.E.M.P.O Power Dissected

THE WOLF’S FIRST IMPRESSION

As with all our Dissected features, this is not intended to be a long-term review. In fact, so far I’ve only logged a couple of hours of trail time on one of the Commencal Muc-Off downhill team riders’ personal Meta POWER SX 400s. Although it was short, it was pretty damn sweet. I was only able to test the size medium, whereas the large would have been my preference to match my 189cm (6’2”) stature. That said, I was still relatively comfortable on this smaller size thanks to its balance and was able to obtain a solid initial impression of its character.

On the way up, the Bosch SX system is a solid performer in this space. I love how it blends the “under your own power” feeling, with the ability to get some serious drive if you can spin the legs hard. In this way, you can just about keep up with full-power bikes on short and steep sections of ascents. On longer extended climbs, it’s then battery management that becomes the test. I was able to get a 900m (3000ft) elevation climb with 10 miles (16km) distance on the SX system, primarily using the Tour+ mode. As a 100kg (220lbs) rider, I feel like this is a satisfactory battery life, especially when you consider that the 250Wh range extender could push you up to the 1500m (5000ft) zone – plentiful vert for many.

Commencal Meta Power SX 400 and T.E.M.P.O Power Dissected

The rest of the bike was comfortable for the climbs and made it a pleasure to utilize the power of the Bosch system. The medium gave me a compact cockpit, but with the rear end being relatively long for a mixed-wheel bike, it was still manageable on the steeper climb sections. The suspension was adequately supportive that the climb switch on the Fox Float X2 shock wasn’t essential, however for smoother climbs I utilized it to help to extend the battery life.

Going down, there was no denying the feelings of speed and composure the Meta SX was providing. It didn’t feel to be a particularly playful machine even in this smaller size, instead begging to be pushed harder and to really open the taps and let it charge. With the suspension set to a very rough initial setting in a rush before the ride, it was easy to hop on and ride aggressively from the get-go.

We’re crossing our fingers that we’ll be able to get one or both of them in to test for a full review, so watch this space if you’re interested in how they perform. And for you non-eBike fans, we’re currently putting the finishing touches on a review of the Commencal Meta SX V5 enduro bike.

The Meta POWER SX 400 is already available to buy in most markets, and the T.E.M.P.O POWER should be available from February 2025. Head to the Commencal website to learn more about these new eBikes and pick one up for yourself.

Commencal Meta Power SX 400 and T.E.M.P.O Power Dissected