We’re back at it with another lightweight Spanish eMTB – this time, it’s the Mondraker Dune RR. The Dune is a long-travel, lightweight eMTB that uses the new Bosch Performance Line SX motor and battery. The Dune uses Mondraker’s Zero Suspension design, a dual-link, virtual pivot style. I’m already seeing the comparison being made to the Unno Ikki. So stick around to see if it’s the right lightweight emTB for you.
Let’s cover just a few high-level details here before we go ride. The Dune has 165mm of rear wheel travel and 170mm courtesy of the Ohlins RXF 38 fork. It has mixed wheel sizes and aggressive yet fairly reasonable geometry. It uses the Bosch Performance Line SX motor, which is a reduced-power, lightweight motor, and a 400WH battery.
The XL Dune RR comes in at 44lb. That’s all we have here, so let’s go ride.
Mondraker Dune Review
Drivesystem:
The Mondraker Dune RR uses the new Bosch SX drive system. It’s my first time on a bike with the lightweight, reduced-power Bosch. I had high expectations for this one — the full-power Bosch motor is consistently one of the better performers. The SX offers 55Nm peak torque and up to 600w of assistance. That’s square in the middle of torque ratings when compared against other mid-power motors. Its power output sits between TQ HPR50 and Shimano EP8 RS, and Fazua Ride 60. In terms of real-world assistance and power output, it feels more like the Fazua, except the power comes on more smoothly and ramps up a little more naturally. It’s not as on/off as the Shimano or Fazua. It’s closer to the TQ in that regard, but it feels a bit more powerful. I found that cadence is the biggest driver of power output on the SX. It doesn’t like grinding in a hard gear. Instead, if you drop a few gears and spin a bit faster, you’ll get more love out of the motor. The Shimano EP8 RS is this way, but I think the effect is even more pronounced on the Bosch SX.
The range on the Bosch SX is on the better end for a lightweight system. With the 400Wh battery I’m getting around 2500-2700 vertical feet on a full charge. As always, that’s a 200lb rider in full boost. Of course, your mileage will vary based on rider weight, bike setup, and terrain. Bosch offers a 250Wh PowerMore range extender battery if you need more range.
While I found the bar-mounted screen a little distracting, it can easily be removed if you want a stealthier look and feel. You won’t get as much data out of the bike, but you’ll be able to stare at your front wheel better while bumbling down the mountain. Apart from that, the system as a whole is pretty sleek. The wireless controller is one of my favorites, and the top tube-mounted display shows battery life in 10% increments, which is more than enough bike info for me.
Uphill:
Thanks to its rear suspension platform, climbing on the Dune RR is comfortable and easy. The Zero Suspension design offers a good mix of efficiency and traction. In particular, it absorbs bumps very well without bogging down, minimizing pedal bob. It’s not as active and smooth (read: tractiony) as some of the Unnos I’ve been riding lately, but I do think it strikes a nicer balance between traction and efficiency. On a mid-power eMTB, efficiency matters a little more than it would on a big dog with a lot of torque. This characteristic, combined with the rather powerful for the class Bosch SX, makes climbing on the Dune one of the better experiences I’ve had on a mid-power eMTB. Whether navigating technical climbs or just blasting up steep fire roads, the Dune’s suspension delivers.
Part of what makes the Dune so nice on the climbs is the body position and geometry. The bike’s geometry leads to an upright riding position, making it comfortable over longer rides. I’m not one to complain about a bike’s front end being too tall, but the Dune is pretty damn tall. I had to drop the bars almost as far as I could on the steerer tube to get the handling where I liked it. With them all the way up, I felt like there was a bit of understeer and a wandery front end. Getting those bars lower put more weight over the front end, improving the handling for me. That said, the bike doesn’t feel overly cumbersome. The MX setup keeps the wheelbase from getting obscenely long, so there isn’t too much difficulty navigating tighter trails. Although, folks with really tight trails might struggle a bit.
Downhill:
Descending aboard the Dune really highlights the rear suspension design. It’s easily the star of the show. It feels very deep yet supportive. It’s not quite as plush as the Unnos, but it is certainly more lively. It’s one of those rare eMTB thats really easy to get off the ground and unweight. The suspension is fairly progressive, which contributes to its bottomless feel. Well, that and the fact it has 165mm of travel. It certainly rides like a big, forgiving bike. It’s great when it comes to large impacts, rough trails, and bad landings. If you’ve got old bad ankles, you’ll like how joint-friendly this one is. Now, talking about the suspension components, I don’t have much ride time on Ohlins. But first impressions here are really good. Dialing in fork pressures with the two air chambers took me a bit. Once I got the setup figured out, the suspension felt very nice. If you’re a fan of tinkering with suspension, you’ll like the Ohlins stuff.
I was initially a little critical of the Dune’s downhill handling characteristics. I found myself pushing through corners, and the front end was a bit vague. Dropping the bars helped a ton, but so did adjusting the lens I was looking through. I think I treated the Dune more like a pedal bike than I did an eMTb with extra weight and momentum. That says quite a bit about the Dune on the descents. It rides quite a bit like a pedal bike, enough so to trick you. I think getting more weight over the front of the bike all but fixed the issues I had with understeering and pushing through the corners – especially when compared to other ebikes.
The Dune is one of the more stable bikes I’ve ridden at speed. The wheelbase certainly has a lot to do with it. It’s long, and the head tube angle is pretty slack. I think the suspension is a big factor here, too. It’s plush enough for the little chatter, but more importantly, it’s supportive and deep, meaning you don’t get bounced around too much on the bigger compressions. You have endless stability on both smooth and bumpy bits of trail.
Mondraker Dune Comparisons
Mondraker Dune vs Unno Ikki
I’ve just finished riding and reviewing the Unno Ikki, so we’re going to make that comparison. Both bikes are lightweight, long-travel eMTBs designed for aggressive riding. Starting off by comparing motors, the Bosch SX is quite a bit more powerful than the TQ HPR50. I struggled at times with the power and range of the Ikki. The Bosch SX offers enough love and range for the category. The Suspension designs are both on the active and bottomless side of the spectrum, but I think the Ikki is plusher and provides more traction. They both offer great support and a bottomless feel. The geometry is very similar, leading to long and stable bikes. Overall, there are not a ton of differences here apart from the drive systems. If you’re going to force me to make any decisions about these two bikes, I’d have to lean toward the Dune being a bit better as an overall, or well-balanced bike, but the Ikki wins in the descending category if only for the suspension feel.
Who is the Dune for?
First and foremost, the Dune is a mid-power eMTB. By nature, that means it’s not going to be the self-shuttle rig for endless laps on your local mountain. You won’t shuttle as quickly as you would on a full-power bike, and more importantly, you’ll have less range than on a full-power eMTB – although for a lightweight ebike, the range is pretty good. With that out of the way, let’s talk about who it is for.
If you want an eMTB that helps facilitate quicker weeknight rides or you just don’t like the way a full-power ebike handles, then you should consider the Dune. Keep in mind it’s a big, stable bike that will be happiest in rough and rugged terrain. It wants steep descents and higher speeds. It’s best suited for riders who like aggressive riding and terrain. It’s not completely a one-trick pony, but it is on the big side of the spectrum.
Riders who appreciate a lively and engaging ride quality will appreciate the Dune. As far as lightweight eMTBs go, it’s one of the easier ones to get off of the ground—the suspension fun and supportive, making jumping, unweighting, and bunnyhopping easy.
Riders who value good handling and pedal-bike-like characteristics will also appreciate what the Dune brings to the table. It’s one of the best bikes I’ve ridden at mimicking an acoustic bike on the descents.
That’s going to wrap it up on the Mondraker Dune RR. We’ll see you next time.
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