The WILD is Orbea’s e-mountainbike for the rough stuff. Not only does it look brutally fast, but it also secured the coveted Best in Test title in the big eMTB comparison test of our sister magazine E-MOUNTAINBIKE – for two years in a row! That was reason enough to see what it’s capable of against 13 of the hottest enduro bikes of the season.
22.3 kg in size L | € 12,030 | Manufacturer’s website
As the only electric mountain bike in the entire test field, the Orbea WILD is the clear outsider in our 2024 enduro comparison test, and, at € 12,030, also by far the most expensive contestant. However, Orbea’s extensive MyO configurator allows you to customise both the spec and look of your bike – hence the price! Tipping the scales at 22.3 kg, it’s well over 5 kg heavier than the next heaviest competitor and, needless to say, the heaviest bike in the entire test field. In our e-bike group test, however, it placed right in the middle of the test in terms of weight. The Orbea WILD generates 170/160 mm of travel, which is a standard configuration for a modern enduro bike. But how did it fare against the analogue test field, and what are the pros and cons of an electric motor?
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
The Orbea WILD M-LTD in detail
The lovechild of Peppa Pig and Spock: that’s perhaps the quickest way to describe the Orbea WILD’s unique look. The modern, rectilinear frame silhouette is topped off with a bright pink paint finish. The cables are routed internally and disappear into the frame through Orbea’s proprietary headset. The motor system consists of a Bosch Performance Line CX Race motor and a 625 Wh PowerTube battery, which is seamlessly integrated into the frame, ensuring a subtle, sleek look – at least by ebike standards. Compared to the analogue bikes in this test, the WILD is distinctly beefy. The motor is paired with a discreet mini remote on the handlebars and Bosch System Controller, which is embedded in the top tube and provides all basic riding data, like the battery charge status and current support mode. The chainstay and down tube are covered by generously sized TPU protectors, which, together with the cable clamps, ensure a quiet ride on the trail. Of course, the battery leaves no room for a storage compartment in the down tube and, unfortunately, Orbea also forgo a tool mount, meaning that you’ll have to rely on a hip pack or backpack to carry your trail essentials on long rides.
The cables disappear into the frame through Orbea’s proprietary headset.
The Bosch CX Race motor packs a punch uphill, whether you make your way to the trailhead on gravel tracks or trails – you never rode to the top of the mountain this fast!
The spec of the Orbea WILD M-LTD
Just like over half of our test field, the Orbea WILD comes equipped with a FOX 38 Factory GRIP2 fork and matching FOX FLOAT X2 Factory shock, both of which offer extensive adjustability options and a top performance on the trail. Shimano XTR brakes with 200 mm Galfer rotors front and rear do stopping duties, while shifting is taken care of by a top-tier, electronic SRAM XX Eagle Transmission drivetrain, which relies on a direct-mount rear derailleur to ensure butter-smooth shifting even under load. This is a very useful feature, especially with ebikes, because the torque of the motor puts additional strain on the drivetrain components. For the cockpit, wheels and dropper post , Orbea rely on their in-house components brands OC and OQUO. Despite offering a whopping 230 mm of travel, the OC Mountain Control MC 21 dropper post can be inserted all the way into the seat tube, providing unmatched freedom of movement on the trail! And if 230 mm is too much for you, you can pick a dropper post with less travel from the MyO configurator.
The robust, grippy tires with DH casing and soft MaxxGrip rubber compound transform the WILD into a downhill beast. However, the soft rubber compound also wears down pretty quickly.
At 230 mm, the WILD’s OC Mountain Control dropper post has the longest travel in the entire test field – and that’s on an e-bike!
The minimalist display in the top tube shows the battery charge status and current support mode
The OQUO Mountain Control MC 32 TEAM alloy wheelset is paired with MAXXIS tires, with an ASSEGAI at the front and a Minion DHR II at the rear, both in the super robust DH casing and soft MaxxGrip rubber compound. While this combination provides excellent grip and puncture protection, the soft rubber compound wears relatively quickly – rolling resistance is marginal though. Speaking of wear: The OQUO alloy wheelset needed quite a bit of tender loving care, requiring regular re-tensioning of the spokes throughout the testing sessions.
Orbea’s extensive online configurator allows you to customise both the spec and look of your bike – awesome!
Orbea WILD M-LTD
€ 12,030
Specifications
Motor Bosch Performance Line CX Race 85 Nm
Battery Bosch PowerTube 625 Wh
Display Bosch System Controller
Fork FOX 38 Factory GRIP2 170 mm
Rear Shock FOX FLOAT X2 Factory 160 mm
Seatpost OC Mountain Control MC21 230 mm
Brakes Shimano XTR 200/200 mm
Drivetrain SRAM XX Eagle Transmission 1x12
Stem OC Mountain Control MC10 50 mm
Handlebar OC Mountain Control MC10 Carbon 800 mm
Wheelset OQUO Mountain Control MC32TEAM Alu 29"
Tires MAXXIS ASSEGAI, DH Casing, MaxxGrip/MAXXIS Minion DHR II, DH Casing, MaxxGrip 2.5/2.4
Technical Data
Size S M L XL
Weight 22.3 kg
Perm. total weight 140 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 117 kg
Trailer approval nein
Kickstand mount nein
Specific Features
E-Bike
Range extender
Tuning tip: For maximum trail performance, we recommend using the spec of our test bike as reference.
The geometry of the Orbea WILD M-LTD
The Orbea WILD is available in four sizes, S to XL. Our test bike in size L combines 480 mm reach and a short 435 mm seat tube, which allows you to use dropper post’s full travel – which is anything but commonplace, especially with e-bikes. The chainstay length doesn’t grow with the frame size and measures 448 mm across all sizes, and the WILD forgoes any sorts of geometry altering gadgets.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 435 mm | 455 mm | 480 mm | 505 mm |
| Stack | 621 mm | 630 mm | 639 mm | 648 mm |
| Chainstay Length | 448 mm | 448 mm | 448 mm | 448 mm |
| BB Height | 353 mm | 353 mm | 353 mm | 353 mm |
| Seat Tube | 415 mm | 415 mm | 435 mm | 460 mm |
| Head Angle | 64° | 64° | 64° | 64° |
| Seat Angle | 77.5° | 77.5° | 77.5° | 77.5° |
| Horizontal Top Tube | 573 mm | 595 mm | 622 mm | 649 mm |
| Head Tube | 110 mm | 120 mm | 130 mm | 140 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1223 mm | 1247 mm | 1277 mm | 1306 mm |
The Orbea WILD M-LTD on the trail
When making its way to the trailhead, the Orbea WILD clearly runs outside the competition. The powerful Bosch CX Race motor pushes hard, even on the steepest ramps, allowing you to grind your way up the mountain in the blink of an eye and, above all, without breaking a sweat. However, the Race mode’s motor tune is very aggressive, so we recommend starting off in a weaker support level, especially if you’re new to eMTBing. Unlike its competitors, the Orbea can be great fun on technical uphill trails, opening up completely new challenges in the process. Here, the sensitive rear suspension and soft rubber compound generate plenty of traction, while the comfortable pedalling position and high front end make it easy to negotiate moderate fire road climbs, enabling long days in the saddle astride the WILD.
When gravity pulls you back down into the valley, the Orbea WILD makes you feel at ease from the get-go, even if you’ve never ridden an ebike before. It’s predictable and intuitive to ride, implementing steering input willingly and directly – although the additional weight of the motor system makes it a smidge slower. In terms of agility, the WILD falls to the bottom of the test field, with most analogue competitors overtaking the Basque e-bruiser on narrow, technical trails, which is where the WILD requires significantly more physical effort to pop into the air and flick the rear end around tight corners. That said, the Orbea still feels a smidge more nimble than the Rocky Mountain Altitude. What the WILD lacks in manoeuvrability, it makes up for in terms of composure. No matter how rough the trail is or how fast you ride, the Orbea takes on anything you throw at it with stoic composure, making it easy to stick to your line while inspiring huge amounts of confidence in the process. In that regard the WILD can easily keep up with our test winners, the Ibis HD6 and Yeti SB160. The well-tuned suspension plays a big role in this, delivering outstanding small-bump sensitivity and tons of traction, while at the same time providing enough support to generate speed by pumping through rollers and berms. In fast, rough sections, the WILD is reassuringly plush and stable – together with the excellent traction, it instils you with plenty of confidence. Downhill, however, it can’t keep up with the best enduro bikes in this test, failing to match their outstanding all-round qualities with its sluggish handling.
The suspension is one of the WILD’s greatest strengths, striking an excellent balance between sensitivity, support and end progression.
Who should take a closer look at the Orbea WILD M-LTD?
The Orbea WILD is a good choice if you like to turn the heat up downhill and don’t want to waste too much energy uphill. It’s an ebike with excellent all-round capabilities, that’s fun on any type of trail, but also slightly harder to control due to the additional weight and more cumbersome handling.
Our conclusions about the Orbea WILD M-LTD
As the only eMTB in the test, the Orbea WILD is unrivalled uphill. The motor opens up countless new riding scenarios, including challenging uphill trails. Downhill, the capable suspension and additional weight ensure excellent composure, though this comes at the expense of agility. Orbea’s extensive online configurator allows you to customise the spec and look of the Orbea WILD down to the smallest detail.
Tops
- Makes you want to ride uphill
- Incredibly composed
- Fantastic suspension
Flops
- Can't keep up with the analogue bikes in terms of agility
- Permanently installed battery – no off-bike charging
For more info, visit Orbea’s website.
The test field
For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best enduro bike 2024 – 14 of the most exciting enduro bikes in our 2024 comparison test
All bikes in test: Bold Unplugged Ultimate (Click for review) | Canyon Strive CFR LTD (Click for review) | GIANT Reign Advanced 1 V2 (Click for review) | Ibis HD6 GX AXS (Click for review) | Norco Sight C1 (Click for review) | Orbea WILD M-LTD (Click for review) | Propain Tyee 6 CF MIX (Click for review) | RAAW Madonna V3 (Click for review) | Rocky Mountain Altitude C70 (Click for review) | Santa Cruz Megatower GX AXS RSV (Click for review) | SCOTT Ransom 900 RC (Click for review) | Trek Slash 9.8 XT (Click for review) | Yeti SB160 T3 (Click for review) | YT CAPRA CORE 4 (Click for review)
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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Peter Walker Translation: Eric Frajria
