Descending
82
Slack 62.5° head angle, 150mm travel and a long 1280mm wheelbase — composed in the chunk, confident when it gets steep, and stable through fast corners.
Cannondale
Moterra SL 2024
Discontinued✎Full Power · TrailLegacy · 1.7/10iFreshness 1.7/10
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
Motor
Shimano EP801 · 85Nm · 600W↗
Battery
Cannondale Custom 601Wh
Travel F/R
160/150mm
Wheels
MX or 29F / 29R✎
Frame
Full carbon
Weight
—
Price
From £6,549
From £6,549
EMTB Forums verdict
The 2024 Cannondale Moterra SL was the brand's lightweight full-power eMTB, pitched as the lightest full-power trail bike of its time at a claimed 19.7kg. A carbon FlexPivot four-bar frame gives 150mm rear travel paired with a 160mm fork, driven by a Cannondale-tuned Shimano EP801 motor (85Nm, 600W+ peak) and a custom 601Wh internal battery. The platform is defined by a slack 62.5 degree head angle, a 77 degree effective seat angle and size-specific chainstays (449 to 458mm), with an Acros adjustable-angle headset (1.2 degree range) and a flip chip that switches between the stock MX setup and full 29in wheels.
Three builds were offered. The Moterra SL 1 (around 8,460 GBP) ran Fox Factory 36 and Float X suspension, SRAM XO Eagle AXS T-Type wireless shifting, Code Silver Stealth brakes and DT Swiss XM 1700 alloy wheels. The cheaper SL 2 (around 6,550 GBP) shared the chassis and motor at a lower price point, dropping to a Fox Performance 36 fork and Shimano XT/Deore 12-speed shifting. The halo LAB71 (around 14,000 USD) upgraded to a Series 1 carbon frame, SRAM XX Eagle AXS, Code Ultimate brakes, DT Swiss XMC 1501 carbon wheels, a RockShox Reverb AXS post and OneUp carbon cockpit.
Geometry is firmly modern-trail to light-enduro: long, slack and steep-seated, with the per-size suspension and chainstay tuning Cannondale calls Proportional Response. The adjustable headset and wheel-size flip chip let riders bias the bike toward stability or agility.
The Moterra SL is discontinued as a 2024 model year and no longer appears in Cannondale's range. Buyers should expect clearance or used availability only.
Geometry read
What the numbers mean on the trail
Computed from this bike's geometry, spec and build kit — reach, wheelbase, chainstay, head and seat angles, travel, motor, weight and the fork/tyre/brake spec — and worked out per size, because a fixed chainstay can make an S and an XL feel very different.
Size
Playfulness
41
More planted than poppy — better on steep terrain than tight, fiddly singletrack.
Size balance
90
Balanced front-to-rear in L (FC:RC 1.83) — weight sits evenly between the wheels.
Technical climbing
62
Climbs well — a 77° seat keeps the front planted, with 85Nm on tap.
Rewards commitment; it should feel calmer as the speed rises.
The numbers are well balanced for its category.
How it stacks up vs other Full Power · Trail bikes (from 218 bikes in the database)
Battery601 Wh105 Wh below average
Motor torque85 Nm13 Nm below average
Value for money48/100from £6,550 · most Shimano EP801 bikes ~£6,480
⚙️ Adjustable geometry: this frame has a high/low setting — low drops the BB and slackens the head angle for more descending stability; high lifts the BB and steepens slightly for clearance and a perkier, more playful feel.
Computed from geometry + spec, not a paid review. Scores are guidance, not gospel.
💬 Forum discussion
Cannondale Moterra 1,2,3 and SE
127 replies · 57k views · last reply 3 months ago
Join the discussion →
“Moterra 3 with a bit of bling. Fully sic bike ?? I bought the base model because they all share the same frame, considerably cheaper, I prefer a lighter 500whr battery, and I had the Fox 36’s from my previous emtb. Absolutely love it,…”
— Davemtb · ♥ 6 · most-liked post
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 420 mm | 445 mm | 470 mm | 505 mm |
| Stack | 630 mm | 639 mm | 648 mm | 657 mm |
| Seattube | 380 mm | 400 mm | 445 mm | 490 mm |
| Chainstay | 449 mm | 449 mm | 453 mm | 458 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 62.5° | 62.5° | 62.5° | 62.5° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 77° | 77° | 77° | 77° |
| Wheelbase | 1210 mm | 1240 mm | 1280 mm | 1320 mm |
| Headtube | 115 mm | 125 mm | 135 mm | 145 mm |
| BB Height | 335 mm | 335 mm | 335 mm | 335 mm |
| Standover | 738 mm | 737 mm | 737 mm | 742 mm |
| Front Centre | 761 mm* | 791 mm* | 827 mm* | 862 mm* |
| FC:RC | 1.69 | 1.76 | 1.83 | 1.88 |
Trims · 3
2 £6,549 | 1 £8,459 | LAB71 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Shimano EP801 · 85 Nm · all trims | ||
| Battery | Cannondale Custom 601Wh · 601 Wh · all trims | ||
| Travel F/R | 160/150 mm · all trims | ||
| Frame | Carbon (Moterra SL Carbon) | Carbon (Moterra SL Carbon) | Carbon (LAB71 Moterra SL, Series 1 Carbon construction) |
| Fork | Fox Performance 36, 160mm | Fox Float Factory 36, 160mm travel, Grip2 Damper, Kashima coating, 15x110mm Kabolt thru-axle, tapered steerer, 44mm offset | Fox Float Factory 36, 160mm travel, Grip2 Damper, Kashima coating, 15x110mm Kabolt thru-axle, tapered steerer, 44mm offset |
| Shock | — | Fox Float X Factory, 2 pos adj, EVOL LV, 210x55mm | Fox Float X Factory, 2 pos adj, EVOL LV, 210x55mm |
| Headset | — | Acros Adjustable Angle (1.2 degree) | Acros Adjustable Angle (1.2 degree) |
| Stem | — | Cannondale 1, 7075 Alloy, 1-1/8", 35mm, 0 degree | OneUp Stem, 6061 Alloy, 1-1/8", 35mm, 0 degree |
| Handlebar | — | HollowGram SAVE riser bar, Carbon, 35mm clamp, 30mm rise, 8 degree sweep, 5 degree rise, 780mm | OneUp Carbon Ebar, 35mm clamp, 35mm rise, 8 degree sweep, 5 degree rise, 780mm |
| Grips | — | Cannondale TaperRidge | Cannondale TaperRidge |
| Saddle | — | Fizik Terra Ridon X3, 145mm, Wingflex, K:ium Mobius rail 7x7mm | Fizik Terra Ridon X1, 145mm, Wingflex, Carbon Mobius rail 7x10mm |
| Seatpost | — | Cannondale DownLow Dropper, internal routing, 31.6, 150mm (S), 170mm (M-XL) | RockShox Reverb AXS, 31.6, 150mm (S), 170mm (M-XL) |
| Brakes | — | SRAM Code Silver Stealth, 4-piston hydraulic disc, 200mm HS2 rotors | SRAM Code Ultimate Stealth, 200mm HS2 rotors |
| Rear derailleur | Shimano XT/Deore, 12-speed | SRAM XO Eagle AXS, T-Type | SRAM XX Eagle AXS, T-Type |
| Crank | — | e*thirteen e*spec Plus, 165mm, 34T | e*thirteen e*spec Race Carbon - Gen 4, 165mm, 34T |
| Shifters | — | SRAM AXS T-Type POD Controller | SRAM Eagle AXS T-Type Ultimate Pod Controller |
| Cassette | — | SRAM XO Eagle, 10-52, T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM XX Eagle, T-Type, 10-52, 12-speed |
| Chain | — | SRAM XO Eagle, T-Type, Flattop | SRAM XX Eagle, T-Type, Flattop |
| Drivetrain | Shimano XT/Deore, 12-speed | SRAM XO Eagle AXS, T-Type; e*thirteen e*spec Plus, 165mm, 34T; SRAM AXS T-Type POD Controller; SRAM XO Eagle, 10-52, T-Type, 12-speed; SRAM XO Eagle, T-Type, Flattop | SRAM XX Eagle AXS, T-Type; e*thirteen e*spec Race Carbon - Gen 4, 165mm, 34T; SRAM Eagle AXS T-Type Ultimate Pod Controller; SRAM XX Eagle, T-Type, 10-52, 12-speed; SRAM XX Eagle, T-Type, Flattop |
| Wheels | — | DT Swiss XM 1700 Spline, 30mm inner width, TC tubeless ready | DT Swiss XMC 1501, carbon, 30mm inner width, hookless, TSS tubeless ready |
| Tyres | — | (F) Maxxis DHF, 29x2.5", 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready / (R) Maxxis Dissector, 27.5x2.4", 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready | (F) Maxxis DHF, 29x2.5", 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready / (R) Maxxis Dissector, 27.5x2.4", 3C, EXO+, tubeless ready |
| Price | £6,549 | £8,459 | — |
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