Making sense of the Mondraker emtb line-up

Mondraker was among the first traditional bike manufacturers to embrace ebikes. All the way back in 2016, they had three models. The full suspension 140 mm travel e-Crafty was probably the most popular one. But does anyone remember the e-Panzer fatbike or the e-Vantage hardtail? All bikes had a 400 Wh external battery and the original Bosch Performance motor.

Another hardtail for 2017​

Was the 140 mm travel of the e-Vantage hardtail too much? Who knows, perhaps Mondraker decided they wanted a more normal hardtail with a 120 mm fork. That’s what the e-Prime offered.

The beginning of integrated batteries - 2018​

The 2018 Crafty became one of the first ebikes with an integrated battery, and it was a 500 wh one. They kept the 27.5+ tyres and Bosch CX motor and bumped suspension travel to 150/160mm.

More ebike models - 2019​

In the early days, many brands just took an existing model name and added an “e” to the name. But now Mondraker decided they meant business and removed the E from the bike names, I guess they wanted to signal their ebikes weren’t copies of their pedal bikes anymore.

Mondraker wanted more full suspension options. So, they introduced the Crusher which was a similar kind of bike to the Crafty with 150/160 mm travel. What set it apart was the Shimano E8000 motor.

Now you had the option of the Crusher and Crafty if you wanted a 150 mm rear travel emtb. But what if you wanted less? Cue the Chaser. A 130 rear, 150 mm front ebike with The Bosch CX motor and an internal 500 Wh battery.


But that wasn’t enough, perhaps what you really wanted was more travel? Therefore, 2019 also brought the longer travel Level. It was a burlier 160/170 mm travel bike and among the first 29er emtbs. Now the Vantage hardtail was gone, and the Prime too had received an internal battery. This meant the old Panzer ebike was the only model left with an external battery and this was it's final year in production.

More modern – 2020​

Now the emtbs started looking more like we know them today, with bigger batteries and no plus-tyres. The Crafty was the first bike I rode with the Boch CX gen4 motor, 12-speed drivetrain and the bigger 625 Wh battery.

Also, Mondraker decided they needed more 120 mm hardtails, but with a Shimano-motor. It was the Thundra.

A year without changes? – 2021​

The Mondraker emtb line-up was looking quite complete. What could possibly change for 2021? Well, the Shimano powered Crusher was looking dated, so Mondraker replaced it with the Dusk. This bike was very similar to the Crafty, only with a Shimano motor.

And coming to think of it, the 130 mm travel rear Chaser was getting a bit old too. And who really wanted a shorter travel emtb anyway? Mondraker updated the Chaser to match the Crafty. Now the Chaser too had 29er wheels and 150/160 mm suspension travel. Why would Mondraker have two very similar bikes with the Bosch motor? I guess the Chaser was meant to be a cheaper option.

More updates but no new models – 2022​

This was the year of even bigger batteries and the Bosch Smart System update. The Chaser, Crafty and Level could now be had with the 750 Wh battery.

An uneventful year? – 2023​

No new models this year either? Was it the aftermath of Covid? Mondraker took the opportunity to bump the battery size on the Shimano powered bikes. The 150/160 mm Dusk became available with a 720 Wh battery.

Back at it – 2024​

Now Mondraker has two Bosch powered 150/160 mm travel emtbs, the Chaser and the Crafty. There’s also a Shimano powered bike with the same amount of travel, the Crusher.

And it was time to shake things up a bit again by adding another 150/160 mm travel emtb. It was the first SL bike from Mondraker, the TQ powered Neat. But having just one mild, lightweight emtb wasn’t enough. We also got the 165/180 mm Dune running the Bosch SX motor.

What's missing? - 2025​

What do you think is missing in the Mondraker line-up for 2025? Yeah, you guessed it, another 150/160 mm travel 29er emtb! The Sly belongs to the mild and lightweight category with its 55 Nm Bosch SX motor.

How many models?​

I’ve lost count, but let’s try to sum it up. Today, you can buy the following Mondraker emtbs.

Hardtail: Thundra (120 mm Shimano), Prime (120 mm Bosch)

Full power FS: Chaser (150/160 Bosch), Crafty (150/160 Bosch), Crusher (150/160 Shimano), Level (170/180 Bosch)

Lightweight FS: Dune (165/180 Bosch), Neat (150/160 TQ), Sly (150/160 Bosch)

That’s nine different models to chose from, some of them are available with both carbon and aluminium frames too. Out of these, five bikes have 29er wheels and 150 mm travel rear combined with a 160 mm travel fork!