Cannondale is doubling down on full-power eMTBs—but making them more configurable, more connected, and more “long-ride practical.

16/02/2026 /

Published by the Radical Life Studios / MTB Report

If you’re scanning the Cannondale lineup for a real headline (not just new paint), the story is clearly: Moterra is back in a big way—and Cannondale is leaning hard into the “full-power eMTB, but built to actually ride like a mountain bike” direction.

The main highlight: the Moterra family gets sharper, smarter, and more “big day” ready

Cannondale is positioning Moterra as the do-it-all eMTB (160/150mm travel on higher-spec builds like the Moterra 1) and Moterra LT as the more aggressive enduro sibling (170/165mm, mullet setup). On paper that sounds normal—what’s not normal is how consistently the whole package is now built around Bosch Smart System + big battery + optional range extender.

On the US product pages, Cannondale is calling out 800Wh batteries on multiple Moterra models, plus the option to push total capacity up to 1050Wh with the Bosch PowerMore range extender. That’s a serious “all-day mission” setup—especially for heavier riders, big climbs, or when you want to lap without staring at the battery percentage every five minutes.

Bosch “Performance Upgrade” is the sneaky power headline

Here’s the part that’s easy to miss if you’re not following Bosch updates: with Bosch’s smart system, there’s a Performance Upgrade that (for compatible drive units) lets you adjust to up to 100 Nm torque and 750 W peak power, and Bosch is also pushing features like the newer eMTB+ mode via the Flow app. That means “what your bike can do” isn’t only hardware anymore—it’s also software and settings.

Range extender details that matter (because numbers are useless if they’re vague)

Bosch’s PowerMore 250 is officially a ~250Wh add-on battery. Bosch lists it at about 3.3 lb (without holder) / 3.5 lb (with holder) in the US specs. Translation: you’re adding real range without turning the bike into a motorbike… but you will feel the extra mass compared to a “light eMTB” concept.

Cannondale’s ride-feel play: size-specific suspension tuning

Cannondale keeps pushing its Proportional Response / size-specific suspension tuning on Moterra builds—basically: not every frame size should ride with identical kinematics when rider weight and center of gravity change. That’s one of those engineering choices that doesn’t sell bikes on Instagram, but it does show up when you’re climbing techy stuff or braking hard into rough corners.

On the radar: a new Habit prototype has been spotted

This is the “watch this space” news: Pinkbike spotted a new Cannondale Habit prototype under Ella Conolly. The report calls out full carbon, a four-bar layout, and a flip chip at the seatstay/rocker area—likely geometry or BB height adjustment, potentially tied to mixed wheel setups. If Cannondale refreshes Habit with a more modern adjustment system, that’s a big deal in the US trail-bike market where the Habit name is already strong.

Quick but important: US recall info (Cannondale “Dave” MY21–23)

Not MTB news—but safety news that matters for a US audience: Cannondale has a recall for Model Year 2021–2023 “Dave” bikes/framesets due to a potential issue where the headtube/downtube weld can become damaged and separate, creating a fall/injury hazard. The US recall is listed by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) (recall date: Feb 29, 2024). Cannondale’s guidance: stop riding and go through the recall process.
Bike industry reporting also noted Cannondale received two reports of the issue and stated no injuries were reported at the time of publication.