Cannondale was a close partner at the end of the noughties when Bosch designed the first generation of motors. However, the US manufacturer was unable to make effective use of this head start and did not initially set the tone for the e-mountainbike trend. This has changed significantly since the Moterra E-Fully was launched in 2016. And now the second generation of the Moterra is in the starting blocks, setting new accents, particularly in terms of battery integration. Cannondale is also at the forefront of the e-trend this year with the launch of the Synapse Neo e-road racer and the Cujo e-fully with Shimano drive this summer.

Homogeneous appearance

But back to the Moterra. For the first generation, the aluminum specialists at Cannondale reached deep into their bag of tricks and designed the down tube in such a way that a Bosch PowerPack battery was integrated (and perfectly protected from flying rocks) and the motor was placed behind it. This frame design and the system integration in the motor bridge gave the Moterra an extremely low center of gravity and very short chainstays. The result: a playful, agile E-Fully that really lets rip on rough terrain despite the reasonably low suspension travel of 130 millimetres at the front and rear. Charging the battery on the bike proved to be a little fiddly, the access to the plug is definitely not too big. When clicking the battery into the down tube, there was also the occasional opportunity to swear, as - mostly depending on the temperature - the battery sometimes clicked into the lock more easily, sometimes more difficultly.

The Moterra Neo retains the system integration with the slightly tilted Performance CX motor, but the bike is adapted to the new generation of Bosch Powertubes batteries. A form-fitting battery cover integrates the power source beautifully into the down tube and less manual force is required to click the battery in and out. The visual effect in particular should not be underestimated. The Moterra Neo comes across as much more uniform, even more pleasing and less polarizing.

More direct control

The product managers have not just left it at a new integration of the battery on the Moterra Neo. New on board are suspension forks with 140 millimetres instead of the previous 130 millimetres. The voluminous 2.8 inch Schwalbe tires are also gone. New on board are Maxxis Minion-style tires in the new plus size of 2.6 inches. This makes the bike a little less forgiving to ride, while the 2.6-inch tires give the E-Fully a more direct ride. The steering is more precise and direct, but some of the "close your eyes and shoot over" feeling that the 2.8s conveyed is lost.

What has remained is the option of fitting a bidon holder - an attribute that does not apply to all fullies with or without a motor. The Moterra Neos increasingly use Sram parts, with Eagle gears, Guide brakes and Rock Shox suspension elements dominating. A cool feature of the Moterra Neo 1 is the Supernova front light, which comes as standard and is great fun on night-time trails.

Basically, the question arises as to what Powertube batteries with the corresponding design cover really achieve. Okay, it certainly looks a lot better. But it also largely eliminates the possibility of putting any Bosch PowerPack in your e-bike. If you still appreciate this conventional battery option, you can also buy the conventional motor bikes with PowerPack instead of Powertube batteries for the 2019 model year.

cannondale.com