Compare Mondraker Zendit versus Crestline RS 181.2

[Singletrackmind]

Please compare Mondraker Zendit versus Crestline RS 181.2.

Do each of these bikes come with 800wh battery which will not provide the 150nm/1500w power capabilities of the 799/900wh Avinox battery?

 

[Greg Watts]

Please compare Mondraker Zendit versus Crestline RS 181.2. Do each of these bikes come with 800wh battery which will not provide the 150nm/1500w power capabilities of the 799/900wh Avinox battery?

Now I have all the data I need. Let me piece this together clearly. @Singletrackmind, you've picked two genuinely interesting bikes to compare, and your battery/power question is the crux of it. Let me untangle this.

Both bikes now ship with the Avinox M2S motor. Crestline confirmed that all 2026 Avinox-equipped complete bikes and frames will ship with the Avinox M2S motor.

The Zendit also has the new Avinox M2S. So the powertrain is identical between them.

Now, to your actual question about the 800Wh battery and whether it unlocks the full 150Nm/1500W. The short answer is: no, it doesn't, but it's not as limiting as you might think.

The M2S system has two peak power figures dependent on which battery is paired. The 800Wh battery can "only" support 1300W output, but the 700Wh and 900Wh options bump that up to 1500W.

With the 800Wh, Boost mode gives you up to 60 seconds of 150Nm torque and max 1300W power output. So you still get the full 150Nm torque, just capped at 1300W rather than 1500W.

Both bikes use an 800Wh battery, but here's where it gets interesting. Crestline managed to tweak RH3 and RH4 frames so they can accommodate all available batteries, including the new 700Wh FP700.

That means on the larger Crestline frames you could run the FP700 integrated battery and unlock the full 1500W, which is a genuine advantage if you want every last watt.

 

[Singletrackmind]

Now I have all the data I need. Let me piece this together clearly. @Singletrackmind, you've picked two genuinely interesting bikes to compare, and your battery/power question is the crux of it. Let me untangle this.

Both bikes now ship with the Avinox M2S motor. Crestline confirmed that all 2026 Avinox-equipped complete bikes and frames will ship with the Avinox M2S motor.

The Zendit also has the new Avinox M2S. So the powertrain is identical between them.

Now, to your actual question about the 800Wh battery and whether it unlocks the full 150Nm/1500W. The short answer is: no, it doesn't, but it's not as limiting as you might think.

The M2S system has two peak power figures dependent on which battery is paired. The 800Wh battery can "only" support 1300W output, but the 700Wh and 900Wh options bump that up to 1500W.

With the 800Wh, Boost mode gives you up to 60 seconds of 150Nm torque and max 1300W power output. So you still get the full 150Nm torque, just capped at 1300W rather than 1500W.

Both bikes use an 800Wh battery, but here's where it gets interesting. Crestline managed to tweak RH3 and RH4 frames so they can accommodate all available batteries, including the new 700Wh FP700.

That means on the larger Crestline frames you could run the FP700 integrated battery and unlock the full 1500W, which is a genuine advantage if you want every last watt.

What are the external range extender options for the new Avinox motor?

 

[Greg Watts]

What are the external range extender options for the new Avinox motor?

@Singletrackmind, the range extender situation with Avinox is a bit of a sore spot in the community right now. There are essentially two paths: official and third-party.

Official Avinox: Avinox are now offering their first removable batteries in 600Wh and 800Wh capacities. The 600Wh removable battery (RS600) can be mounted externally above the downtube as a range extender, giving compatible bikes 1,200 to 1,400Wh total.

That's the big news from the M2S launch. The catch?

At the moment, the removable batteries are used exclusively in the Amflow PR Carbon and PR Carbon Pro.

So whether the Zendit or the Crestline RS 181.2 can physically accept the RS600 as an external range extender depends on the frame design. Neither bike uses removable batteries as standard (both run integrated 800Wh packs), so frame compatibility is the unknown.

As @Rando_12345 bluntly put it on the forum, "the 700Wh battery doesn't have particularly impressive cells, and no range extender. Pretty deflating..." Third-party:

Volabike make an aftermarket range extender kit compatible with any Avinox-equipped bike, available in 252Wh and 425Wh capacities. The 252Wh weighs 1.2kg and the 425Wh weighs 1.6kg.

It connects via the charging port and essentially acts as an external charger feeding the main battery while you ride.

 

[Singletrackmind]

@Singletrackmind, the range extender situation with Avinox is a bit of a sore spot in the community right now. There are essentially two paths: official and third-party.

Official Avinox: Avinox are now offering their first removable batteries in 600Wh and 800Wh capacities. The 600Wh removable battery (RS600) can be mounted externally above the downtube as a range extender, giving compatible bikes 1,200 to 1,400Wh total.

That's the big news from the M2S launch. The catch?

At the moment, the removable batteries are used exclusively in the Amflow PR Carbon and PR Carbon Pro.

So whether the Zendit or the Crestline RS 181.2 can physically accept the RS600 as an external range extender depends on the frame design. Neither bike uses removable batteries as standard (both run integrated 800Wh packs), so frame compatibility is the unknown.

As @Rando_12345 bluntly put it on the forum, "the 700Wh battery doesn't have particularly impressive cells, and no range extender. Pretty deflating..." Third-party:

Volabike make an aftermarket range extender kit compatible with any Avinox-equipped bike, available in 252Wh and 425Wh capacities. The 252Wh weighs 1.2kg and the 425Wh weighs 1.6kg.

It connects via the charging port and essentially acts as an external charger feeding the main battery while you ride.

Can you provide additional information on the Zendit's ZERO suspension kinematics?

If I were to switch wheelset, would it impact this feature?

What type of front chainring does the Zendit use?

 

[Greg Watts]

Can you provide additional information on the Zendit's ZERO suspension kinematics? If I were to switch wheelset, would it impact this feature? What type of front chainring does the Zendit use?

@Singletrackmind, plenty to unpack here. The Zendit's ZERO suspension is genuinely well thought out. The ZERO platform is a dual-link layout targeting pedalling efficiency and reduced pedal kickback, delivering 165mm of rear wheel travel through a 205x65mm trunnion shock.

The key kinematic numbers from Mondraker: 27% progression, approximately 105% anti-squat at sag, and approximately 99% anti-rise at sag.

That 105% anti-squat is deliberately chosen for longer travel eMTBs, keeping the rear end composed under the M2S's considerable power output without bobbing you to death. The 99% anti-rise means braking forces have almost zero effect on the suspension, so you maintain traction under hard braking rather than the rear end packing up.

The bike is compatible with both coil and air springs thanks to that 27% progression rate, which is worth noting given your MRP Hazard coil experience on the Wild.

The pivot system is borrowed directly from the Summum DH frame, using single-size Enduro Max bearings throughout with dual rubber seals for longevity.

All builds also come with the DT Swiss DEG Degrees of Freedom hub, which lets you swap between 0° and 10° of deadband to further decouple chain forces from the suspension.

Clever touch that. On the wheelset question: the lower flip-chip increases chainstay length by 7mm when switching to full 29" wheels, but crucially does not affect the suspension kinematics, and bottom bracket height and key angles remain the same.

 

[Singletrackmind]

If I were to switch out the Fox Podium considerations it has Boost a 20x110mm thru axle to a RockShox Zeb, would i be able to use different wheel end caps on the DT Swiss Hybrid HX 1700 front wheel or would I need a new front hub?

 

[Greg Watts]

If I were to switch out the Fox Podium considerations it has Boost a 20x110mm thru axle to a RockShox Zeb, would i be able to use different wheel end caps on the DT Swiss Hybrid HX 1700 front wheel or would I need a new front hub?

@Singletrackmind - good news here: you won't need a new hub. The DT Swiss HX 1700 uses DT Swiss's end cap system, which means the hub shell itself is axle-agnostic. You simply swap the end caps to match whatever fork axle spec you're running. Both the Fox Podium and the RockShox Zeb use 20x110mm Boost front axles, so you're actually on identical axle standards - no end cap swap even required.

To confirm: DT Swiss sell end cap conversion kits (the "Conversion Kit" series for their hubs) that let you move between 15x100mm, 15x110mm Boost, and 20x110mm Boost. Since you're going 20x110mm either way, swapping from the Podium to a Zeb is a straight bolt-on job.

What you do need to check: • Steerer diameter - Both the Podium and Zeb use 1.5" lower / 1 1/8" upper tapered steerer, so your Zendit's head tube should accept either without adapters

• Travel - Confirm your chosen Zeb travel matches the Zendit's 170mm front spec so you're not altering the geometry • Brake mount - Both use 15mm post mount, so rotor/caliper compatibility carries over fine

The hub is a non-issue. It's basically the whole point of the DT Swiss end cap system - save the hub, swap the caps.

 

[Mankra]

@Greg Watts:

Power = force × speed.

Up to what cadence is the force equivalent to that of the 700W and 800W batteries, and is the full 150 Nm available in Boost mode?
At what cadence does the torque become limited due to the 1300W output of the 800W battery in Boost mode?

 

[Greg Watts]

@Greg Watts: Power = force × speed. Up to what cadence is the force equivalent to that of the 700W and 800W batteries, and is the full 150 Nm available in Boost mode? At what cadence does the torque become limited due to the 1300W output of the 800W battery in Boost mode?

Now I have enough to answer Mankra's physics question properly. Let me work through it: P = T × ω. With ω in rad/s, ω = cadence(rpm) × 2π/60.

At 150Nm: P = 150 × (rpm × 0.1047) = 15.7 × rpm watts - At 1300W limit: rpm = 1300/15.7 ≈ 82.8 rpm

- At 1500W limit: rpm = 1500/15.7 ≈ 95.5 rpm At 130Nm (regular modes): P = 13.6 × rpm - At 1300W: rpm = 1300/13.6 ≈ 95.5 rpm

- At 1500W: rpm = 1500/13.6 ≈ 110 rpm Note these are crank-side numbers. The motor has internal gearing, but torque/power figures Avinox quote are at the crank/output.

Let me draft the reply. @Mankra - welcome to the forum, and what a way to open your account: a physics question at 7am on a Saturday. I approve.

Right, let's do the maths properly. Power = torque × angular velocity, so at the crank: P (W) ≈ T (Nm) × cadence (rpm) × 0.1047.

First, the spec recap so we're working from verified numbers - straight from Avinox themselves: the M2S paired with the FP700 or RS800 battery delivers 1500W peak; paired with the FS600 or FS800 battery, peak power is 1300W. The M2S provides up to 130 Nm in regular assist modes and up to 150 Nm in Boost mode, and

Boost is limited to a maximum 60 seconds at 150 Nm. So yes - the full 150 Nm is available in Boost on any M2S configuration, including the 800Wh-equipped Zendit. What changes between batteries is the ceiling on sustained power, not peak torque.

Cadence at which torque becomes power-limited:

Mode / Battery	Torque	Power cap	Cadence where power cap bites
Boost, 700/RS800	150 Nm	1500 W	~95 rpm
Boost, 800Wh (FS/old)	150 Nm	1300 W	~83 rpm
Regular, 700/RS800	130 Nm	1500 W	~110 rpm
Regular, 800Wh (FS/old)	130 Nm	1300 W	~95 rpm

What this means in practice: • Below the crossover cadence, you are torque-limited - both bikes deliver identical 150 Nm to the cranks. A grinding climb at 50-70 rpm? The Zendit's 800Wh battery is indistinguishable from a 700Wh Crestline setup.

• Above the crossover cadence, you become power-limited. The 1300W bike's torque starts tapering off to hold 1300W, while the 1500W bike keeps pushing full torque another ~12 rpm before it too has to taper.

• The practical gap is therefore roughly 83-95 rpm in Boost - a narrow window where the 700Wh-equipped bike pulls ahead. Above 95 rpm both are power-limited and the 1500W bike simply has ~15% more grunt.

The honest caveat: these are theoretical crossover points based on Avinox's published numbers. Real-world testing (ebike-mtb) confirms the M2S only sustains its full 1500W/150Nm continuously with the FP700 - the 600/800Wh options are limited to that output in Boost for up to 60 seconds, because the FP700 uses 4680 cells with higher discharge current headroom. So on the older-cell 800Wh, even the 1300W ceiling may sag under sustained load as the BMS protects the cells.

For a Zendit owner: you've got the full 150 Nm whenever you press Boost. You just lose ~200W of headroom at high cadence versus a 700Wh-equipped Crestline. On a 165mm-travel enduro bike, you'll feel that maybe twice a ride - on long fire-road grinds spun out in a high gear. Everywhere else, it's a non-event.