2026 Mondraker Crafty RR — any known issues to watch out for?

[Tony3J]

I ride a 2026 mondraker crafty rr.

Any problems with this bike.

@Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

Welcome aboard, Tony. The Crafty RR is a cracking bit of kit — Fox 38 Factory up front, GRIP X2 damper, Float X Factory out back, Maven Bronze brakes and a GX AXS Transmission. The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 gives you 85Nm in standard tune (the 120Nm/750W peak figure is the new Gen 5's headline, but most riders run it in the sensible band day-to-day) paired with the 800Wh battery. Honest rundown of the niggles the community's actually flagged:

1. OEM tyre grip
The single most common gripe. @mcboab found the stock Maxxis Minion DHF up front "nearly caused face-plants" — grip folding in faster trail corners — and rated it well below a Continental Kryptotal:
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If you ride anything fast or wet, budgeting for a softer front (Kryptotal Enduro Soft or a MaxxGrip Assegai) is the first upgrade most Crafty owners make.

2. Rear tyre clearance
Tied to the above — be careful going taller. @mcboab found a Continental Kryptotal 2.6 sits noticeably taller than the OEM Maxxis 2.6 and gets close to rubbing the rear triangle, and a 2.6 Argotal fouled the mudguard entirely:
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Stick to true 2.6 or go 2.5 rear if you want headroom.

3. Drivetrain wear
@David1960 on a Bosch Crafty reported chains every ~3 months and a cassette every ~6 at high mileage:
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Normal for a torquey 24kg e-bike, but worth knowing — keep on top of chain wear and you'll save the (pricier) cassette.

4. Brake & motor rattles
Two known squeaks: Shimano-style pad rattle in the calipers (yours are SRAM Maven, so less likely, but worth a check), and the classic Bosch motor-mount bolt creak — a known culprit across Bosch bikes that a torque-check usually silences.

Range — David1960 sees 35–40 miles in Turbo on the 750Wh; your 800Wh should nudge a touch beyond that, more in Eco/Tour.

None of these are dealbreakers — the consensus on here is the Crafty rides brilliantly, with @ntm95 happily running his on 90% of trails including proper western Canada terrain. The tyres are the one I'd sort before your first proper ride.

If you tell me your size and where/how you ride, I'll dial in suspension pressures and a tyre combo for you.