2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 first ride review – Rowdy e-mountainbike with MX styling

What happens when you develop an eMTB specifically for bike parks and rough trails, where the climbs are just a means to an end and the motor doubles as a shuttle replacement? You’ll get a long travel eMTB with a massive battery capacity. Add beefy MX styling and you’ll be rolling down the hill astride the new Canyon Torque:ON CF 9.

When first introduced by Canyon in 2021, the Torque:ON relied on a full alloy frame, small 27.5” wheels and a 504 Wh battery, which was already considered small back then. The idea behind the concept was to offer a bike that allows for on-the-fly battery swaps between runs, making it easy to quickly replace an empty battery with a spare right in the car park of a bike park. The latest iteration of the Canyon Torque:ON CF is still intended to be a shuttle replacement for rowdy trail sessions, and is the longest-travel bike in Canyon’s eMTB portfolio, generating a very generous 180/175 mm of travel front and rear. Despite relying on the same concept as its predecessor, the new Torque:ON has undergone significant changes: the entire Torque:ON range now relies on a full carbon frame and mixed wheel setup with a bigger 29” wheel at the front. Our Torque:ON CF 9 test model tips the scales at 24.6 kg and retails at € 7,899.

The new 2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 in detail

With its beefy frame silhouette, the Torque:ON CF 9 stands out from the crowd of modern eMTBs. Particularly striking are the heavily slanted top tube, the compact swingarm with deep-drawn seat stays, and the horizontal driver link that connects the down tube and swingarm. Also unusual for Canyon is the position of the shock, which runs parallel to the down tube. Despite looking different from all other Canyon eMTBs, the Torque:ON still relies on a four-bar suspension platform. Since the shock position leaves no room for a bottle cage in the main frame triangle, Canyon’s designers came up with a rather creative solution: a cut-out in the top tube that accommodates a specially developed 650 ml water bottle. In keeping with the Torque:ON’s MX look, the bottle looks a bit like a fuel tank.

Like its trail counterpart, the Spectral:ON, the Torque:ON relies on a Shimano EP8 motor and Canyon’s in-house battery. The latter is available in two options, with either 720 Wh or 900 Wh capacity. However, frame size S is only compatible with the smaller 720 Wh version, but this shouldn’t be an issue given that small frame sizes are usually ridden by lighter riders. Moreover, the battery is quick and easy to replace with a spare, providing virtually endless range. That said, the Torque:ON can’t be ridden without a battery, because the skid plate is attached to the battery and the charging port. In other words, if you want to ride without support, for example when using a lift at the bike park, you’ll still have to lug the battery around with you, unless you want to secure the skid plate with gaffer tape ;).

The spec of our 2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF 9

The spec of the Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 is the perfect match for a merciless downhill beast. The FOX Factory suspension consists of a 38 mm GRIP2 Kashima fork and matching FLOAT X2 shock, both with externally adjustable high- and low-speed compression and rebound damping. Shifting is taken care of by a Shimano XT 12 speed drivetrain while matching XT brakes with 200 mm rotors front and rear provide powerful and reliable deceleration.

For the cockpit, Canyon rely on their in-house ON component range, pairing a 40 mm stem and 800 mm alloy handlebars. However, frame size S comes standard with 780 mm bars, which suits the anatomy of short riders better. In our opinion, Canyon could have specced the narrower handlebars on frame size M too – which is what they did with the new Strive:ON. The Torque:ON CF 9 rolls on SUNringlé Düroc SD alloy wheels and MAXXIS tires, with an ASSEGAI in soft MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front and Minion DHR II in the harder MaxxTerra rubber compound at the rear. While this is a pretty decent combo per se, both tires come in the thin EXO+ casing, which is clearly too flimsy for a bike in this category. We recommend upgrading to more robust tires with tougher casings, like MAXXIS’ Doubledown, both front and rear. Not only is the tougher casing more resistant to punctures, but also allows you to run lower air pressures for better traction.

More spec variants of the 2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF

Alongside the Torque:ON CF 9 model we tested, Canyon have released two more spec variants: the CF 8 and CF LTD Roczen. All models are available with either a 720 or 900 Wh battery. While the latter costs an additional € 400 and is around 900 g heavier, in return it increases the range by around 20%. The CF 9 model with big battery retails at € 7,899. The CF 8 entry level model sets you back € 6,399 and comes equipped with a big 900 Wh battery and FOX Performance suspension consisting of a 38 mm GRIP fork and FLOAT X2 shock with externally adjustable low-speed compression and rebound. Shimano supply the Shimano SLX series drivetrain and matching SLX 4-pot stoppers. The CF 8 variant provides a pretty solid base, regardless of your riding skills.
Motocross fans and RockShox devotees can look forward to the CF LTD Roczen variant. As the name suggests, it’s the pro model of MX rider and Canyon ambassador Ken Roczen. Retailing at € 9,393, it comes equipped with a big 900 Wh battery and top-tier RockShox Ultimate suspension consisting of a ZEB Charger 3 fork and Super Deluxe coil shock. Shifting is taken care of by a SRAM X01 AXS drivetrain while SRAM CODE RSC brakes do stopping duties.

The geometry of the new 2023 Canyon Torque:ON

The Torque:ON shares near-identical geometry values with the Canyon Strive:ON, including the head angle and seat angle. In size M, both bikes combine 475 mm reach and a pleasantly short 420 mm seat tube. While in theory this should ensure excellent freedom of movement on the trail, this is spoilt by the extremely long reach. This makes the size M an interesting option even for long-legged riders. However, the 170 mm dropper post is too short for tall riders, restricting freedom of movement on the bike. Chainstay length is 445 mm across the board. Compared to the Strive:ON, the Torque:ON has a lower bottom bracket, giving it a taller stack height.

Size	S	M	L	XL
Top tube	592 mm	618,6 mm	645,6 mm	673 mm
Seat tube	395 mm	420 mm	435 mm	460 mm
Head tube	105 mm	115 mm	125 mm	135 mm
Head angle	63.5°	63.5°	63.5°	63.5°
Seat angle	77.5°	77.5°	77.5°	77.5°
BB Drop	32 mm	32 mm	32 mm	32 mm
Chainstay	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm	445 mm
Wheelbase	1.247 mm	1.276 mm	1.306 mm	1.334 mm
Reach	450 mm	475 mm	500 mm	525 mm
Stack	639 mm	648 mm	657 mm	666 mm

The epitome of composure – the 2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF 9 on the trail

As soon as you swing your leg over the saddle, the Torque:ON CF 9 places you in an upright, relaxed position, without pressure on your hands. When you start pedalling, the Canyon feels pleasantly spacious, which together with the comfortable position, makes it the ideal companion for epic, dawn-to-dusk shuttle sessions. When the climbs get steeper and more technical, however, the front end tends to lift off the ground far too easily, while the low bottom bracket requires you to time your pedal strokes carefully to avoid smashing the cranks into obstacles. On technical climbs, the Torque:ON falls far behind the Strive:ON, partly because the Shimano EP8 motor doesn’t push as hard as the Bosch CX motor.

When gravity takes over, the low bottom bracket and high front-end integrate you nicely with the bike and as a result, the Torque:ON inspires huge amounts of confidence from the get-go. On flat, flowing trails, however, it feels rather underwhelmed, delivering a plush, slightly sluggish ride, which is no surprise considering you’re sitting on 180 mm of travel. Here, the Torque:ON sucks up the rider’s input rider like a sandbag, making it hard to pop off ledges or to pump through rollers, requiring plenty of physical effort to play with the trail. The progressive suspension offers plenty of reserves, taking the edge off big drops with a plush cotton-wool feeling, and bailing you out on botched landings. The new Torque:ON is the epitome of composure and only really comes to life on steep, rough trails, where it encourages you to keep your fingers off the brakes just a bit longer. At the same time, the small rear wheel makes it easy to negotiate narrow trail sections.

Who should take a closer look at the new 2023 Canyon Torque:ON CF 9?

The Torque:ON CF 9 is the ideal companion for those riders who are looking for an eMTB with a massive range and huge reserves. It’s an excellent shuttle replacement for lift-less bike parks and rough high-speed trails. And while it inspires huge amounts of confidence, it only really comes to life on steep, technical trails. Unlike the Canyon Strive:ON, which provides tons of feedback and support, encouraging you to pick the clean lines, the Torque:ON is a rowdy trail ripper that prefers to plough its way down into the valley in a straight line.

Aggressive look? Check. Massive reach? Check. Huge reserves? Check. The CanyonTorque:ON CF 9 is a rowdy trail bruiser and excellent shuttle replacement. Although the potent suspension makes it feel rather undefined on flat, flowing trails, the Torque:ON is quite agile and easy to manoeuvre through tight, twisting trails. While the high front end and low bottom bracket hold it back on technical climbs, they both work in its favour downhill, where the Canyon Torque:ON CF inspires huge amounts of confidence.

For more info, visit canyon.com

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Words: Simon Kohler Photos: Roo Fowler