Orbea Wild Review: Rowdy Enduro E-MTB

The Wild is Orbea's full-power enduro e-MTB, built for riders who want to race or ride aggressively instead of just wanting assistance up a hill. It's been part of Orbea's lineup since 2016, when it started life as a hardtail. The current version barely resembles that original bike. Orbea reinvented the Wild in 2022, and it won e-MTB of the Year that same year. It's stayed near the top of group tests ever since.

It has 170mm of suspension travel front and rear, up from 160mm at the rear in the previous generation. The head angle has slackened slightly, too, from 64 to 63.5 degrees. Neither change looks dramatic on its own, but together they add up to a bike that is planted and confident at speed.

It's available as an OMR carbon frame or a high-polish alloy frame, and both share the same geometry and features. Carbon versions weigh around 48-50 lbs, depending on spec and battery size, while the alloy version costs less but adds a few pounds.

Orbea builds the Wild in a few different specs, and every trim shares the same frame and suspension platform regardless of price.

Wild ST is the more trail-oriented sibling. It uses the same aluminum frame and the same Bosch motor and battery options, but drops travel to 150mm front and rear through a shorter-stroke shock. It's aimed at riders who don't need the full 170mm of the standard Wild.

Every Wild, regardless of spec, uses Orbea's Steep'N'Deep seat tube design. That means even the smallest frame size fits at least a 200mm dropper post, and Large and XL frames fit up to 230mm.

Every Wild comes with 29-inch wheels as standard. But a mixed wheel configuration, 29-inch front and 27.5-inch rear, is available through Orbea's MyO configurator. This configurator is a great way to waste time choosing the perfect spec, color options, and a few personal touches, but it gets expensive quickly.

The seated position is upright and comfortable, and pedaling is efficient even on steep, technical sections. That's partly down to the frame geometry. But the Bosch motor does a lot of the heavy lifting, too.

On the way down, the Orbea Wild feels composed. The long wheelbase keeps things stable, and the suspension soaks up bumps from rocks, roots, and drops. It does prefer momentum, though. Riders coming from a lighter trail bike may notice it takes more effort to change direction quickly on tight, technical sections.

Orbea also sells the Rise, a lighter, less powerful sibling built for trail riding instead of racing or enduro. The Rise is around 5 lbs lighter, with less travel and a steeper head angle, which makes it quicker through tight singletrack. But it can't match the Wild's sustained climbing power on long, steep hills.

One recurring critique across earlier generations was excessive frame stiffness, which reduced comfort on rough terrain. Orbea addressed some of this in the latest Wild. Reviewers have noted a more compliant, plusher suspension feel this time around.

Power comes from Bosch's Performance Line CX Gen 5 motor, rated at 85Nm of torque and 600W of peak power out of the box. A firmware update through Bosch's Flow app can take those figures to 100Nm and 750W on supported bikes. It's worth checking which firmware version a used Wild is running before assuming its full potential.

The battery choice comes down to two options: a 600Wh PowerTube or a 750Wh PowerTube, both mounted inside the downtube. You can't remove the battery, so you have to charge it in place through a port above the motor. For longer days, a 250Wh PowerMore range extender clips onto the downtube in place of a bottle cage.

The smaller 600Wh battery isn't just a budget option. It shaves weight off the bike and keeps it lower in the frame, which some riders prefer, even at the cost of a bit of range.

Bosch's Flow app handles firmware updates, power mode tuning, ride tracking, and route planning with battery simulation. It also has theft tracking via the bike's connection to Bosch's Smart System.

Orbea keeps the handlebars minimal. Instead, you get a small LED System Controller in the top tube that shows battery level and current ride mode, and a wireless Mini Remote lets you cycle through modes or use the walk-assist function. If you want more data on the bars, you can add Bosch's Kiox 300 display separately.

The battery isn't removable for charging. Both the 600Wh and 750Wh batteries stay fixed in the frame, so charging could be awkward for some.

Cable routing runs through the headset. It keeps the cockpit clean, but it makes basic maintenance more involved than on a bike with external routing.

Firmware status is worth checking on a used bike, since it determines whether you're getting the original tune or the updated torque and power figures.

North American warranty support has drawn some criticism. A few owners have flagged slower or less consistent support compared to Orbea's home market in Europe, which is worth factoring in if warranty coverage matters to you.

• Enduro racers and aggressive enduro riders who want a stiff, capable bike built to hold its line at speed.
• Riders who want the option to run either 29-inch or mixed wheels.
• Anyone who wants deep customization through Orbea's MyO configurator, down to frame color and component spec.
• Riders who mostly ride mellow terrain, or who want something lighter and quicker through tight trails, should look at Orbea's own Rise instead.

The Orbea Rise is Orbea's own lighter, trail-oriented alternative, worth considering if outright climbing power counts for less to you than agility on tighter trails.

The Santa Cruz Vala uses the exact same Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 motor in a different chassis, making it worth looking at if you're deciding between brands rather than motor systems.

The Specialized Levo uses a different full-power motor system entirely, worth a look if you want to compare Bosch's approach against a competing drivetrain.

A bike like the Wild carries a serious price tag new, which makes the certified pre-owned market a legitimately good place to look. Every e-Bike on Upway goes through a 50-point mechanical inspection before it's listed, and any battery with a capacity below 80% gets replaced first. You get a one-year warranty on the frame, motor, and electrical system, plus a 14-day return window, and the bike arrives mostly assembled.

Browse the current Bosch-equipped e-Bike selection on Upway, or check out the wider range of electric mountain bikes and used mountain electric bikes to compare your options.