ROTWILD R.X1000 Ultra – In our huge 2024 e-mountainbike test

ROTWILD enter the race with their full-power R.X1000 ULTRA eMTB, which relies on a low maintenance Pinion motor and drivetrain system and huge 960 Wh battery, which makes it the bike with the most capacity in the entire test field. How did the red stag fare against the competition in our 2024 eMTB group test?

The R.X1000 ULTRA falls into the full-power category in ROTWILD’s eMTB portfolio, and was designed primarily to impress uphill – it’s a bike that’s about the journey, not getting to the end as quickly as possible, tackling epic climbs, and taking it a little slower down the other side. It comes equipped with an 85 Nm Pinion MGU E1.12 motor/gearbox unit which forgoes a conventional drivetrain and provides plenty of assistance in combination with the FIT Ultracore 960 Wh battery. The ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA generates 150 mm of travel front and rear, and rolls on a mullet wheel setup. Tipping the scales at 24.7 kg in size L, it’s slightly heavier than the average 23.9 kg weight of our full-power test field. The ROTWILD R.X1000 retails at € 11,999.

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2024 – 27 of the most exciting models in our comparison test

Black, red, gold! What sets the 2024 ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA apart from the competition?

With their typical square-edged frame design and distinctive red paint finish, the R.X1000 is immediately recognisable as a ROTWILD. The shock merges seamlessly into the seat stays, while the colour scheme bears a faint touch of patriotism. The matt black swingarm transitions into the eye-catching red mainframe, with the FOX Kashima suspension providing the golden accents. The 36 FLOAT Factory fork generates 150 mm of travel and employs the cheaper FIT4 damper, which offers less adjustment than its top-tier GRIP2 counterpart. The fork is paired with a FOX FLOAT X Factory shock, which manages 150 mm of travel at the rear.

Although ROTWILD are usually known for their clean integration, the R.X1000 ULTRA has to make some compromises, because the FIT components don’t allow for customised solutions. Particularly striking is the massive FIT Utracore 960 Wh battery, which results in a bulky, bloated look, giving the bike a pot-bellied down tube. The battery can be removed from the down tube for external charging and is secured to the frame with a key lock. If you want to charge the battery directly on the bike, you can do so with the easily accessible charging port. The Pinion motor/gearbox unit requires little maintenance but is rather big, making it hard to integrate seamlessly into the frame. However, ROTWILD did a great job with the integration of the drive unit. That said, the oversized motor makes for a rather beefy bottom bracket area, which is significantly bigger than with conventional mid-drive motors. Unlike most Pinion bikes, ROTWILD pair the motor/gearbox unit with a conventional chain rather than a belt. The chain can easily be fixed with a chain tool or joining link when it breaks, and doesn’t require a split seat stay. On the other hand, you lose the advantages of a belt drive, which needs virtually no maintenance – you’ll have to clean and oil the chain on a regular basis. Gear shifts are done via the Pinion TE1 E-Trigger shifter, while the FIT Remote Display lets you control the motor system. The bulky, joystick-like remote display takes some getting used to, and it’s exposed position leaves it vulnerable to damage if things get a little too loose on the trail. The countless clamps for the brakes, display and remotes come at the expense of ergonomics, making it hard to reach the individual levers on the trail. Together with the big cable ports on the side of the frame, it rather spoils the overall look of the bike.

MAGURA MT5 four-piston brakes with 203 mm rotors front and rear do stopping duties. For the wheels, ROTWILD rely on a DT Swiss HX 1501 SPLINE ONE alloy wheelset and Schwalbe tires, with a Magic Mary in the puncture-prone Super Ground casing and soft rubber compound at the front, and a Hans Dampf Evo tire with Super Trail casing and soft rubber compound at the rear. Heavy, aggressive riders should upgrade the front tire to the more robust Super Trail casing. Moreover, we recommend upgrading to a dropper post with more travel to improve the freedom of movement on the bike – the 150 mm Crankbrothers Highline Dropper just doesn’t cut it, even for short riders. Our test bike came with a FIDLOCK bottle cage on the top of the down tube, which was a very nice detail. There’s also a Monkeylink mount on the handlebars, which is compatible with all modern MonkeyLink lights. A USB-C plug on the head tube allows you to charge a mobile phone or GPS device.

Tuning tip: Dropper post with more travel

What sets the 2024 ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA apart from the competition?

In zoological terms, the ROTWILD is more of a migrating deer than a mountain goat. Nevertheless, the R.X1000 ULTRA wants to be a climbing expert in our 2024 eMTB group test, which leads to some rather unconventional design solutions. When you swing your leg over the saddle, the ROTWILD places you in a stretched, rear-heavy pedalling position, which is mainly due to the slack 74º seat tube angle – the slackest in the entire test field. As a result, the bike feels extremely long – and that’s despite the fact that, at 468 mm, it has a rather short reach. Cockpit ergonomics are rather unusual too. The Pinion MGU drive provides powerful assistance on gravel climbs, requiring little physical effort. With the massive 960 Wh battery, you could reach altitudes where you’d rather attach an oxygen bottle to the top tube mounts than a water bottle. Uphill, the drive keeps up with the most powerful motors in this test, but can’t match the direct, responsive behaviour of the Bosch CX Race of the Pivot Shuttle AM. With its wide gear range, the Pinion gearbox always provides a suitable gear, allowing you to negotiate even the steepest ramps without pedalling like a circus monkey on level ground. However, when shifting between gears 4 and 5, the shifting process takes slightly longer, as the mechanism has to shift two of the internal gears at the same time to achieve the next gear ratio. On steeper climbs, the slack seat tube angle causes the front end to lift off the ground, forcing you to actively weight the front wheel to keep it tracking. However, this comes at the expense of traction on the rear wheel, which spins out of control on looser ground.

If you prefer enjoying the landscape at the top of the mountain rather than ripping your way back down into the valley, you might as well skip the next section! If you’re up for some shredding, and drop into a trail, the first thing you’ll notice is the very short reach. The front heavy riding position pulls you far over the bike’s front end, putting plenty of pressure on your hands. Overall, the handling of the R.X1000 ULTRA is fairly intuitive, albeit a little cumbersome in corners, which requires a slightly more active riding style. On demanding, challenging descents, the ROTWILD feels composed, but the heavy system weight really impacts the bike’s agility. The fork quickly reaches its limits and struggles to address fast, consecutive hits. Despite the front-heavy riding position, the rear sensitive rear suspension generates good traction. That said, the shallow-profiled Schwalbe tires struggle to grip in deeper loam. Whether you’re cruising flow trails or tackling technical descents, the ROTWILD is a loud riding companion, with the chain slapping loudly against the frame and the battery knocking about in the down tube – the battery on our test bike slipped off the mount, which made us feel a little wary, significantly spoiling the riding fun.

Despite the front-heavy riding position, the sensitive rear suspension generates good traction downhill.

Who should take a closer look at the 2024 ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA and who should look elsewhere?

The ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA is a great choice if you’re looking for a bike with a massive battery for leisurely climbs, and you’re nott too fussed about long-distance comfort. If you hate fiddling around with rear derailleurs, the low-maintenance Pinion MGU motor/gearbox unit is true godsend, though you still have to put up with a chain. However, if you’re looking for a capable trail ripper with good climbing qualities, you might be better off with our test winner.

Our conclusions about the 2024 ROTWILD R.X1000 ULTRA

With the R.X1000 ULTRA, ROTWILD promise to deliver a powerful climber that takes you to the top of the highest mountains. The Pinion motor/gearbox unit perfectly matches the bike’s strong touring character but reaches its limits on demanding, technical climbs. However, if you’re looking for a massive battery capacity and spend your time primarily on moderate trails, the ROTWILD might be a good option.

Tops

• Big battery
• Intuitive handling on moderate trails and at lower speeds

Flops

• Front wheel lifts off the ground uphill
• Suspension limits the bike’s performance
• Sub-par system integration

For more information, visit rotwild.com

The test field

For an overview of the test fleet head to the group test: The best eMTB of 2024 – 27 of the most exciting models in our comparison test

All bikes in test: BULLS VUCA EVO AM 2 (Click for review) | BULLS SONIC EVO AM SX-I (Click for review) | Canyon Strive:ON CFR LTD (Click for review) | Canyon Torque:ON CF Roczen (Click for review) | CENTURION No Pogo SL R8000i (Click for review) | CUBE AMS Hybrid ONE44 (Click for review) | FLYER Uproc X 8.70 (Click for review) | FOCUS SAM² 6.9 (Click for review) | GASGAS ECC 6 (Click for review) | GIANT Trance X Advanced E+ Elite 0 (Click for review) | KTM Macina Scarp SX Prime (Click for review) | Lapierre Overvolt GLP3 (Click for review) | Merida eOne-Sixty 10K (Click for review) | Mondraker Neat RR SL (Click for review) | Moustache Samedi 29 Game 11 FOX (Click for review) | Orbea WILD M-LTD (Click for review) | Pivot Shuttle AM Team (Click for review) | Propain Ekano 2 CF (Click for review) | RADON RENDER 10.0 HD (Click for review) | ROTWILD R.X 1000 Ultra | Santa Cruz Heckler SL XX AXS RSV (Click for review) | SCOR 4060 ST (Click for review) | SCOTT Voltage eRide 900 Tuned (Click for review) | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax Pinion (Click for review) | Specialized Turbo Levo SL Expert (Click for review) | Specialized Turbo Levo Pro (Click for review) | Spherik E-SMT XX AXS (Click for review)

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Words & Photos: Benedikt Schmidt