New Mondraker Crafty Carbon 2025 on test – On target with Bosch Performance Line CX?

The 2025 Mondraker Artful rolls into the brand new season with a up to date rear suspension. With its highly effective Fifth-gen Bosch Efficiency Line CX motor and 160/150 mm of journey (f/r), it needs to shine as an uncompromising all-rounder. How does the most recent iteration of the Artful fare on the path and what extra is behind the brand new design?

Based in 2001 in Alicante, Spain, Mondraker shortly made a reputation for themselves within the mountain biking and eMTB scene, which is especially as a result of revolutionary ideas like their Ahead Geometry and in-house ZERO suspension system – however extra on that later. Mondraker are recognized for his or her daring designs and quick bikes, and with the brand new 2025 Artful, they’ve launched an eMTB that was developed to sort out the hardest terrain. To realize this, they redesigned body from the bottom up and specced it with the most recent Bosch Efficiency Line CX motor. The brand new Artful rolls on 29” wheels, and generates 160/150 mm of journey entrance and rear. This units it other than its siblings, the Mondraker Dune and Mondraker Neat, that are each gentle eMTBs. We’ve already examined the Dune within the picturesque landscapes of Sintra close to Lisbon, whereas the Neat took on 26 eMTB in our our big eMTB comparability take a look at.

With the brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful, Mondraker responds to suggestions from clients and sellers, delivering a thoughtfully up to date model of their full-power eMTB. Because the flagship mannequin within the lineup, the Artful stays true to its roots when it comes to motor efficiency and battery measurement, but additionally breaks new floor with a number of first-time options. Let’s discover out what they’re!

The brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful Carbon intimately – trendy craft beer or extra of an old-school lager?

With its discrete, rectangular body silhouette and sharp strains, the Artful Carbon is distinctly recognisable as a Mondraker. It appears quick even when stationary, and is paying homage to a Ferrari F40. Any further, Mondraker will rely completely on carbon frames for the brand new Artful, whereby the R and RR spec variants depend on an alloy swingarm. There isn’t a full-alloy model of the Artful anymore.

New, nuevo, nou! Am I seeing this proper? Sure, on the 2025 Artful, Mondraker modified the place of the shock, which now splits the seat tube in two. This allowed them to enhance the kinematics of their well-known ZERO suspension design – a confirmed rear suspension idea with a floating shock and digital pivot level. The up to date model goals to supply much more management and grip on the path. We actually just like the look of the revised suspension system, however how does it carry out on the path? We’ll let you know all about it in our driving impressions.

The cable routing on the brand new Artful is nicely thought out, which is one thing that every one house mechanics will recognize. Mondraker ditched the inner headset routing system and depend on typical cable ports on the pinnacle tube as an alternative. The cables are securely clamped on the ports and didn’t make a noise throughout our take a look at runs – the Mondraker Artful 2025 is quiet as a mouse on the path. Though the brand new Artful comes commonplace with typical cable routing, Mondraker provide the choice to configure your bike with a headset routing system.

Let’s transfer on to the guts of the bike, the brand-new Bosch Efficiency Line CX motor, which is seamlessly built-in into the body. The Fifth technology of the CX drive delivers 85 Nm of torque and 600 W peak energy, drawing its energy from a 800 Wh battery. Learn our in-depth evaluation of the Bosch Efficiency Line CX to search out out every thing about its options. The motor is paired with a Bosch System Controller and Bosch Mini Distant, which is intuitive to make use of and gives good haptic suggestions. The brand new Bosch Purion 400 show gives all primary driving information with out clogging up the cockpit. Not like the larger Kiox 500 show of the Mondraker Dune, it’s tucked away securely behind the handlebars.

Alongside the up to date CX motor, Bosch additionally launched new batteries. Mondraker wasted no time and designed the brand new Artful body to be appropriate with each the 600 Wh and 800Wh batteries, which is fairly straightforward as a result of the 2 batteries are the identical size, and solely differ in thickness, which means that they each slot in the identical frames – sensible!

For the primary time on a Artful, the 800Wh battery may be faraway from the body, and is secured within the downtube with a double-locking Allen bolt. If you wish to journey lighter, the Artful may run with the smaller 600-Wh battery. If 800 Wh are nonetheless not sufficient for you, you may broaden the battery with Bosch’s PowerMore Vary Extender, which types a part of the Good System and mounts on a particular rail for the bottle cage and gives an additional 250 Wh.

Plug it in and off you go – no have to lug the Artful out of the basement for charging anymore. Because of the detachable battery, it may be conveniently charged indoors with out the bike itself needing entry to an influence supply. For many who desire to cost the Artful straight, the charging port is situated on the downtube simply above the motor. Whereas this space stays largely protected against dust, continually bending over to achieve it may not be probably the most back-friendly resolution in the long term.

The Artful’s body options each a instrument and bottle cage mount. When you’re utilizing the Bosch Vary Extender, you should use the remaining mounting level on your most well-liked accent – candy!

Sadly, the chainstay protector on our take a look at bike was nonetheless a prototype, and the manufacturing bike might be delivered with a full measurement protector that covers the whole chainstay. That stated, our take a look at bike was pleasantly quiet. Our bike additionally had a provisional, 3D-printed motor cowl, which might be changed by a refined fiberglass-reinforced plastic cowl.

The spec of our 2025 Mondraker Artful Carbon RR take a look at bike

For this evaluation, we examined the 2025 Mondraker Artful Carbon RR spec variant, which retails at € 8,499, and comes geared up with solely the best elements, leaving little or no to be desired when it comes to path efficiency. The suspension consists of a 160 mm FOX 38 Manufacturing facility GRIP X2 fork and matching FOX FLOAT X shock, which controls 150 mm of journey on the rear.

SRAM MAVEN Bronze four-piston brakes do stopping duties. The levers function SRAM’s proprietary SwingLink know-how, which minimises deadband and improves modulation, thus guaranteeing extra constant braking efficiency. The brakes are paired with 200 mm rotors entrance and rear, guaranteeing highly effective, dependable deceleration,even on lengthy descents. Shifting is taken care of by an digital, wi-fi SRAM GX Eagle Transmission drivetrain, which depends on a direct-mount rear derailleur.

The 2025 Artful rolls on Mavic E-Deemax alloy wheels and strong MAXXIS tires, with a Minion DHF on the entrance and a Minion DHR II on the rear, each in EXO+ casing and the tougher MaxxTerra compound. Whereas this mixture ensures good traction and respectable puncture safety, the entrance wheel may gain advantage from the softer MaxxGrip rubber compound, which is at one other degree when it comes to grip. Heavier, aggressive riders also needs to improve to the more durable Doubledown casing to enhance puncture safety and defend the edges towards tougher impacts, a minimum of on the rear.

For the cockpit, Mondraker depend on their in-house elements, combining a 30 mm ONOFF S6 aluminium stem and matching 800 mm S6 handlebars.

ONOFF additionally provide the PIJA dropper publish, which lets you alter the journey between 155 mm and 180 mm in 5 mm increments. The journey of the dropper publish is ample, however the insertion depth is restricted by the brand new body design, which barely restricts freedom of motion on the bike. The dropper is paired with an ergonomic distant, which integrates seamlessly into the cockpit because of Matchmakers.

Spec variants of the brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful

The Artful Carbon 2025 is available in 5 spec variants: R, RR, RR S, XR, and RR SL. Whereas the R and RR fashions mix a carbon important body and alloy swingarm, the RR S, XR, and RR SL fashions depend on a full carbon body. The fashions additionally differ in battery measurement and suspension journey. The RR S, XR, and RR SL fashions come geared up with a 600Wh battery, which means that they’re barely lighter.

The XR variant stands out from the gang with a elaborate Öhlins suspension and 170 mm of journey on the entrance. Most spec variants share the identical tire combo consisting of a MAXXIS Minion DHF with EXO+ casing up entrance and a Minion DHR II with EXO+ casing and MaxxTerra compound on the rear. The one exceptions are the top-tier RR SL mannequin, which depends on a narrower 2.5” entrance tire within the softer MaxxGrip compound, and the XR variant, which options an ASSEGAI entrance tire within the more durable Doubledown casing.

The Artful Carbon R entry-level mannequin depends on dependable Shimano elements, just like the confirmed DEORE XT drivetrain and matching four-piston XT brakes, that are paired with 203 mm rotors entrance and rear — a setup that ensures stable braking energy. The 160 mm FOX 38 GRIP Efficiency fork is an effective match for an all-rounder just like the Artful R, although it doesn’t supply the refined suggestions of the dearer Manufacturing facility model. Retailing at € 7,199, Mavic the Artful Carbon R supplied a really harmonious general bundle for its worth class.

The Mondraker Artful Carbon RR S sits simply above our take a look at mannequin, and retails at € 9,499. To your cash, you’ll get a dependable SRAM X0 Eagle AXS Transmission drivetrain, Mavic E-Deemax S wheelset and lighter 600 Wh battery. Braking is taken care of by SRAM MAVEN Silver brakes, which function a chew level adjustment, although they don’t differ a lot from the Bronze model when it comes to braking energy. The suspension is an identical to that of our take a look at bike, however this mannequin is provided with a FOX Switch dropper publish.

With its 170 mm Öhlins RXF 38 fork the XR spec variant is geared toward riders who need to go greater, quicker, and tougher. The SRAM MAVEN Silver brakes are mixed with an enormous 220 mm rotor on the entrance and 200 mm disc on the rear, guaranteeing much more highly effective deceleration on lengthy descents. The Öhlins TTX22 coil shock delivers stable path efficiency, although dialling within the excellent setup could be a bit difficult. Priced at € 10,499, the XR modelis nothing in need of premium, with a spec that’s designed to excel on the hardest of trails.

The Artful Carbon RR SL clearly focuses on weight optimisation! The SRAM CODE Final Stealth brakes with 200 mm rotors could not ship the identical braking torque because the MAVEN, however assist scale back weight. Each the FOX 36 29 FLOAT GRIPX2 Manufacturing facility fork and FOX FLOAT X Manufacturing facility shock ship top-notch efficiency on the path, controlling 160/150 mm of journey entrance and rear, respectively. SRAM provide the XX Eagle AXS T-Kind drivetrain and RockShox Reverb AXS dropper publish, which maintain the load down whereas on the similar time guaranteeing a tidy cockpit. The E*13 Sylvan Race carbon wheelset rounds off the light-weight general idea. Retail worth is € 12,999.

The geometry of the brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful

First issues first: the brand new Mondraker Artful brings alongside an up to date sizing idea system, which, alongside the acquainted sizes S, M, L, and XL, now additionally provides an M/L choice. This makes the brand new Artful interesting to a good wider vary of riders. One other first for Mondraker: the chainstay size grows with the body measurement, from 455 mm (S, M, and M/L) to 465 mm (L and XL), guaranteeing constant dealing with throughout the board.

Mondraker have lengthy been counting on their Ahead Geometry idea, which, mixed with an extended attain and quick stem, is designed to make sure higher stability, thus inspiring extra confidence, particularly on quick descents.

There’s additionally a brand new flip-chip within the shock mount. Whereas it doesn’t have an effect on the suspension journey, it permits you to drop the usual 25 mm backside bracket drop by 5 mm to 30 mm in low place, and alter the seat tube angle from 77.95° to 77.6° and head angle from 64.5° to 64.15°. From the usual place, the attain decreases barely from 480 mm to 476 mm, whereas stack peak will increase from 647 mm to 650 mm.

Whereas the rear suspension is appropriate with a coil shock, you may’t convert the Artful to a mullet bike with a smaller 27.5” wheel.

Mondraker additionally adapts the dropper publish journey to the respective body measurement. The dropper of the RR spec variant has 140 mm of journey in measurement S, 160 mm in M, 180 mm in measurement M/L, and 210 mm within the greatest sizes L and XL. Nonetheless, the brand new place of the shock considerably reduces the insertion depth within the seat tube, and in our examined model, this meant the dropper publish couldn’t be totally inserted into the body.

Tuning tip: Use a dropper publish with the shortest insertion depth and the longest journey potential.

The geometry of the Mondraker Artful in the usual setting.

Measurement	S	M	M/L	L	XL
High tube	581 mm	596 mm	618 mm	640 mm	662 mm
Seat tube	380 mm	410 mm	435 mm	460 mm	490 mm
Head tube	120 mm	120 mm	130 mm	140 mm	150 mm
Head angle	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°	64.5°
Seat angle	77.95°	77.95°	77.95°	77.95°	77.95°
Chainstay	455 mm	455 mm	455 mm	465 mm	465 mm
BB Drop	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm	25 mm
Wheelbase	1,240 mm	1,255 mm	1,280 mm	1,314 mm	1,338 mm
Attain	445 mm	460 mm	480 mm	500 mm	520 mm
Stack	638 mm	638 mm	647 mm	656 mm	665 mm

The brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful on the path

Costume up, verify your bike and battery degree – and off you go. We put the brand new Mondraker Artful by the grinder on our house trails round Stuttgart. Not solely did we find yourself with loads of mud on our faces (or “Kosch,” because the locals say 😉), however we additionally had a blast.

As quickly as you swing your leg over the saddle, the Artful locations you in a balanced pedalling place, which is each comfy and environment friendly, inspiring confidence and making the Mondaker appropriate for lengthy days within the saddle. Whether or not you’re climbing on fireplace roads or technical trails, the load is evenly distributed between the entrance and rear, and because of this, the entrance wheel stays planted on the bottom even in steeper sections. The motor responds easily and gives highly effective help even on the steepest climbs. On technical uphill trails, the Artful boosts by rooty and rocky sections in Turbo mode as when you had been David Hasselhoff sprinting to an emergency with Pamela Anderson in Baywatch.

After letting the Artful shuttle you to the trailhead, it’s time to drop into the valley. When gravity takes over, the Artful shines with a well-integrated driving place that insopires big quantities of confidence. Regardless of the massive 29” wheels, it’s surprisingly agile – the brand new M/L measurement noticeably contributes to its glorious dealing with on our take a look at bike. Bombing straight down the mountain isn’t any downside for the Artful, which stays extremely composed and offers you adequate confidence to maintain your fingers off the brakes for just a few extra seconds. The Mondraker implements steering enter eagerly, and due to the balanced place, doesn’t require you to actively weight the entrance wheel in flat corners. All in all, the Artful strikes an optimum steadiness between composure and agility.

In steep sections, the excessive stack peak evokes confidence, stopping you from diving into the dust head first. Given the inherent weight of a full-power e-bike, the 2025 Mondraker Artful is steady within the air, however the suspension nonetheless provides sufficient pop to take off the smallest kickers. Botched landings? No downside – the suspension absorbs all of it, offering loads of assist within the course of. The identical goes for small, consecutive hits, that are absorbed extraordinarily easily, to the purpose that you just don’t even discover them. The bike additionally handles greater impacts with ease. That is the place the ZERO suspension actually proves its value, hanging an ideal steadiness between sensitivity and traction.

Who ought to take a better have a look at the brand new 2025 Mondraker Artful Carbon?

In a nutshell, the Mondraker Artful is a superb selection for riders on the lookout for a stable all-rounder. It’s equally dependable on lengthy excursions as it’s for fast-paced post-work rides – and it’s at all times tons of enjoyable, no matter you do! The massive, detachable battery and optionally available Vary Extender allow lengthy days within the saddle whereas offering a number of charging choices.

Conclusions concerning the 2025 Mondraker Artful

With the 2025 Artful Carbon, Mondraker made vital enhancements over the sooner variations. Particularly, the extra measurement choice makes it accessible to a wider viewers, and due to this fact extra interesting to newcomers within the eMTB world. The brand new body design and revised cable routing are standout options too. Nonetheless, it’s a bit disappointing that the dropper publish can now not be inserted all the way in which into the body. Total, the Artful impresses each uphill and downhill, and with the brand new detachable battery system, it ensures higher flexibility for simpler charging and longer rides.

Tops

• Good steadiness between composure and agility
• Detachable battery
• Nicely-rounded general design

Flops

• Brief insertion depth limits freedom of motion

For extra data, go to mondraker.com

---

Did you take pleasure in this text? If that’s the case, we might be stoked when you determine to assist us with a month-to-month contribution. By changing into a supporter of E-MOUNTAINBIKE, you’ll assist safe a sustainable future for high-quality biking journalism. Click on right here to study extra.

Phrases: Robin Ulbrich Photographs: Peter Walker