Mondraker Dune XR first ride review

Mondraker has revived the Dune nameplate for its latest electric mountain bike, staying true to its enduro roots with aggressive geometry, a 180mm fork and 165mm rear suspension.

The bike is aimed at riders on the fence about buying an electric mountain bike or an enduro bike, with the mid-power Bosch Performance Line SX drive system aiding in a claimed sub-20kg weight.

This £11,999 / $16,499 / €11,999 Mondraker Dune XR is the range-topping model and features a spec worthy of the price tag, with Öhlins suspension, SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission and E*thirteen Grappler Carbon wheels.

The Performance Line SX motor gives plenty of push, with high cadence pedalling rewarded with almost full-fat motor power, dispatching technical climbs easily.

But it’s going back down the trail where the Dune XR shines, packing sufficient travel to tackle any trail with reassuring confidence while not feeling too vanilla on mellow sections.

The extra weight isn’t too noticeable while descending – the bike feels poppy and playful despite having a coil shock, which usually gives a more ground-hugging feel.

Its low centre of gravity and mullet configuration help it in this respect, giving the bike a nimble and surefooted character in the corners that is missing from more brutish electric bikes.

Early impressions suggest the Mondraker Dune XR should certainly be on your shortlist if you’re looking for a lightweight, gravity-focused electric mountain bike with plenty of punch to get you to the top of the trail.

Mondraker Dune XR frame and suspension

The Dune XR uses Mondraker’s highest modulus Stealth Air Carbon Fibre layup. This is used on the brand's F-Podium cross-country bike through to its Summon downhill bike.

Mondraker says the layup offers the best ratio of stiffness, compliance, trail buzz absorption and weight.

The bike rolls on mullet (or mixed) wheels, with the front end using a 29in wheel and a 27.5in wheel at the rear.

Like the Neat, the brand’s lightweight trail eMTB, Mondraker’s updated Zero Suspension System is used. This sees the rear shock mounted horizontally in the frame dissecting the seat tube.

Mondraker says this design provides greater shock sensitivity while reducing weight and increasing stiffness.

A coil or air shock can be used with the system, with Mondraker speccing either through the range.

At the centre of the bike is Bosch’s Performance Line SX motor. This pushes out 55Nm of torque and 600W of peak power while weighing only 2kg.

This is connected to a 400Wh battery integrated into the downtube. Total capacity can be increased by fitting Bosch’s PowerMore 250Wh range extender.

Mondraker says the bike can climb 1,500m+ elevation when running solely on the integrated battery.

While the band doesn’t clarify what drive mode to expect this from, it’s likely to be in the lowest assistance level. Riders should expect more or less depending on their system weight and riding style.

Like most modern mountain bikes, internal headset cable routing features, giving the front end a clean look.

There is also space in the frame for a bottle cage and a mount for a tool pack under the top tube.

An abundance of frame protection decorates the frame with the downtube, seat stay and chainstay all featuring plastic guards. The rear shock also has it's own little mudguard.

Mondraker Dune XR geometry

The Dune is available in four sizes from S to XL. All feature progressive geometry suited to aggressive gravity-fueled riding.

Mondraker was early to give its bike long reach with its Forwards Geometry principle. The size large bike I tested comes in at 480mm.

Head tube angles are slack at 63.6 degrees through all sizes, with effective seat tube angles relatively steep at 77.1 degrees.

Chainstay lengths are relatively short for an eMTB at 445mm – 2mm shorter than the Specialized Kenevo SL 2. However, unlike some modern mountain bikes, you can't run a 29in rear wheel.

Mondraker Dune XR specifications

The top-end Dune XR features a 180mm Öhlins RXF 38 fork up front and an Öhlins TTX22 M.2 Coil shock controls the 165mm rear end.

A SRAM’s X0 Eagle AXS Transmission is paired with Code Ultimate Stealth brakes that bite into a pair of 200mm rotors.

Rounding off the electric gubbins, Mondraker specs a RockShox Reverb AXS dropper post.

An E*thirteen Grappler Race Carbon wheelset is wrapped in Maxxis rubber, with a 2.5in Assegai 3C MaxxGrip EXO+ on the front and a 2.4in Minion DHR II 3C MaxxTerra DD on the rear.

E*thirteen TRS Race Carbon cranks are specced. Size small and medium bikes use 165mm long cranks, with large and XL featuring 170mm long cranks.

A Bosch Kiox 500 display on the handlebars displays power, cadence, speed, battery level and more. This is navigated via the three-button Mini Remote.

Most of the finishing kit comes courtesy of Mondraker's in-house OnOff brand, with a Kryptron Carbon handlebar bolted to a Krypton FG 30mm stem.

Mondraker Dune XR ride impressions

I tested the Mondraker Dune XR over three days at the launch event in Sintra, Portugal.

The riding ranged from loamy blue-graded trails to rocky downhill trails in perfect dust-free tacky conditions.

Each day began with a long ascent to the top of the mountain from sea level, taking in fireroads and singletrack trails, offering a good chance to test the bike's climbing ability.

Mondraker Dune XR climbing performance

Climbing on the Dune XR can be just as fun as descending, with the Bosch Performance Line SX motor providing a powerful punch comparable to some ful- fat motors I have tested.

Unlike systems such as TQ’s HPR 50, the Performance Line SX motor can be used for technical climbing with good effect.

Similar to Bosch’s Performance Line CX Race motor, the Performance Line SX motor has an overrun function, where the motor keeps driving you forward for several meters. This can help you clear trail features when you're unable to pedal.

The rear wheel has a particularly fast pickup. This enables you to pick the front wheel quickly, opening up a world of eMTB trials manoeuvres on techy climbs.

Riders coming from a full-fat ebike will feel the drop in torque, with gear-grinding, low cadence efforts not resulting in the same propulsion you’d find on the Performance Line CX motor.

However, those coming from an enduro background will find the motor to be natural feeling while providing the pokey nature of a full-fat motor at higher cadences.

The steep seat angle of the bike makes for efficient climbing performance, enabling you to sit forward over the bike to settle it on for steady climbsin steeper gradients.

Fizik’s Terra Aidon Slim X5 saddle proved a comfy companion during my testing, though I found it quick to scuff when leaning the bike against a wall or glancing it with my shoe when mounting.

Climbing with a coil shock almost always provides some unwanted pedal bob due to the increased initial sensitivity compared to air shocks.

While a little bob was present on the Dune XR, it added to the bike's ability to find grip on technical climbs and unlike on an unassisted bike it doesn’t zap the extra energy from your legs.

There is a climbing switch on the shock, but I never felt the need to move this when climbing even in the lower assistance modes.

The RockShox Reverb AXS is a great addition to the bike when climbing, helping me to quickly drop the saddle by a couple of inches for more technical ascents.

SRAM’s X01 Eagle AXS Transmission doesn’t offer the fastest shifting, but for ebike application, it works amazingly well, making it possible to stab the shifter for crunch-free, last-gasp shifts when hitting steep sections.

Mondraker Dune XR descending performance

The Dune XR offers supple and plentiful confidence-inspiring suspension performance.

The Öhlins TTX22 M.2 Coil feels silky smooth and slips into its travel with ease, swallowing up every trail imperfection.

Despite this, the bike doesn’t feel too wallowy, with a surprisingly poppy feel underfoot.

The Öhlins RXF 38 fork chassis is stiff, leading to a direct steering feel.

Having a mullet wheelset adds to the bikes playfulness on the descents, with the rear wheel finding its way around the corners with good speed. It also makes it easier to lift the front end for drops, jumps and manuals.

In my view, every electric mountain bike with even the smallest gravity application should use a mullet setup.

The extra weight of the battery can make heavy-hitting eMTBs feel brutish in the corners. Mullet wheels go some way to counteracting this, giving the bike a more spritely ride quality.

I kept an ear open for the motor and battery when hitting janky sections of trail but the bike remained silent, with only the sound of the tyres being audible.

SRAM’s Code Ultimate Stealth brakes scrub speed well, with the HS2 rotors aiding lever feel and stopping power.

The Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR II is a versatile and capable tyre combination, with the Double Down casing on the rear giving peace of mind from punctures when ploughing through rougher sections of trail.

SRAM’s X01 AXS Transmission provides fuss-free consistent shifting, though I did find it easy to catch on rocky terrain with the cage trailing very close to the ground on a 27.5in wheel.

While it does a good job of protecting itself from impacts, it feels a little vulnerable on the smaller wheel size.

Mondraker Dune XR early verdict

Mondraker’s Dune XR balances an almost full-fat feel on the climbs with amazing agility on the descents.

The Performance Line SX motor does some heavy lifting in this equation but Mondraker has built an incredibly capable bike around it that would challenge any die-hard enduro enthusiast to second guess their stance on ebikes.

While this sits at the super-expensive end of the electric mountain bike spectrum, I’m glad high-end bikes like the Dune XR exist as they represent where the technology is heading, giving hope that it may trickle down to more affordable options.

There are also, of course, cheaper models in the Dune range, which I have highlighted in my news story.