This bike is sexy! With the R.X750 ULTRA, Rotwild present an exciting, muscular looking bike featuring an exclusive design and lots of clever features. Looking at the key specs, the Rotwild could be a Specialized Levo killer, but will it deliver on the trail?
Click here for an overview of the best eMTB 2020 group test.
Wow, what a bike! Looking at the specs, the componentry, the clever features and the unique looking design, we had very high expectations. The proportions of the oversized carbon frame with its beautifully integrated Brose Drive S-Mag motor have been elegantly matched to the large 750 Wh battery. The massive top tube measures almost 9 cm across at its widest point. To compare, most other bikes in the test field are between 4 and 7 cm wide.
Components, weight and technical details of the ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA
The German bike brand didn’t hold back on the componentry either, speccing the R.X750 ULTRA with a 210 mm EightPins dropper post – brilliant! Apart from that, the 150 mm travel suspension consists of a FOX FLOAT DPX2 shock and a FOX 36 FLOAT Factory fork with the FIT4 damper. It’s a shame ROTWILD didn’t spec the markedly better GRIP2 damper and especially since it’s almost as easy to set up thanks to modern guides. The carbon wheels in combination with the puncture-prone Continental Baron Project ProTection tires can lead to annoying defects on rough terrain. Apart from these exceptions, the componentry is top-notch and doesn’t allow for any further critique. A standout feature on the ROTWILD is the magnetic MonkeyLink mounting system on the in-house stem. It’s connected to the ebike’s battery, so you can simply clip on the light and go.
Bottle cage mount, elegant battery cover and a magnetic cover for the charging socket – ROTWILD have paid a lot of attention to the details when integrating the Brose motor and the 750 Wh battery.
The FIT4 damper can’t match the performance of the FOX 36 forks with the GRIP2 damper.
Thanks to the MonkeyLink bracket on the stem, the light mount is already integrated and connected to the ebike’s battery – thumbs up! This is how everyday practicality should be done!
ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA
€ 9,999
Specifications
Motor Brose Drive S Mag/750 90Nm
Battery IPU750 Removable 750Wh
Display Bloks 14D
Fork FOX 36 Factory FIT4 150 mm
Rear Shock FOX FLOAT DPX2 Factory 150 mm
Seatpost EightPins NGS2 168 – 228 mm
Brakes Shimano XTR 4-piston 200/200 mm
Drivetrain Shimano XTR 1x12
Stem ROTWILD S35 50 mm
Handlebar ROTWILD B35 780 mm
Wheelset DT Swiss HXC1200 SPLINE 29"/27.5"
Technical Data
Size S M L XL
Weight 22.3 kg
Perm. total weight 120 kg
Max. payload (rider/equipment) 97 kg
Trailer approval no
Kickstand mount yes, with special dropout
Specific Features
Monkey Link
The proportions of the top tube perfectly suit the rest of the bike but it’s so big that you often hit your knees on it. If you don’t have knee pads, buy a pair!
The BLOKS 14D high gloss remote is integrated very nicely and while it’s small, it has a simple display offering all the information you need. Unfortunately, the screen scratches very easily, which decreases legibility.
The EightPins dropper post is one of the best on the market. With 210 mm travel on the size L, it’s exactly to our taste.
The elegant DT-Swiss carbon wheelset is out of place on a hard-charging eMTB. However, it serves its purpose for light off-road or SUV use.
Geometry and size of the ROTWILD
Not only the looks but also the geometry of the ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA are very modern. The reach of 465 mm and relatively tall front end (637 mm stack) should be quite roomy.
| Size | S | M | L | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seat tube | 413 mm | 444 mm | 473 mm | 509 mm |
| Top tube | 588 mm | 617 mm | 654 mm | 688 mm |
| Head tube | 110 mm | 110 mm | 130 mm | 140 mm |
| Head angle | 66.0° | 66.0° | 66.0° | 66.0° |
| Seat angle | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° | 74.0° |
| Chainstays | 445 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm | 445 mm |
| BB Height | 350 mm | 350 mm | 350 mm | 350 mm |
| BB Drop | 15 mm | 15 mm | 15 mm | 15 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1,172 mm | 1,198 mm | 1,236 mm | 1,270 mm |
| Reach | 405 mm | 437 mm | 468 mm | 500 mm |
| Stack | 610 mm | 617 mm | 637 mm | 648 mm |
The ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA on the trail
On flat terrain, the 74° seat tube angle and the tall front end makes for a comfortable pedalling position and is well suited for longer distances. Thanks to its powerful motor and active rear suspension, The R.X750 ULTRA is a capable climber and it reaches its limits only on the steepest of terrain. The MX wheel concept with a 29er up front and 27.5″ wheel on the rear doesn’t perform quite as well, since the tread on the 2.6″ Continental Baron isn’t aggressive enough and provides too little traction. The Brose S-Mag is tuned significantly better than on the NOX, but it can’t compete with the FANTIC in terms of modulation, control and motor feel. Unfortunately, the creaking of the stem and headset is amplified unnecessarily by the large cavity of the frame and can’t be ignored, which can get annoying.
The tuning of the Brose Drive S Mag is much better than on the NOX but not as good as on the FANTIC. It can at times be difficult to control.
With an active riding style or when pedalling standing up, you inevitably come into contact with the massive top tube of the extremely stiff frame. That’s uncomfortable enough on flat terrain or going uphill, but on the descents, the oversized top tube becomes a real problem. All of our test riders came back with a lot of bruises on their knees and thighs – knee pads are an absolute necessity here! The ROTWILD R.X750 demands an active riding style on winding trails, otherwise, it tends to understeer in flat and tight corners. Agility is not one of the bike’s strengths but you can still get on the rear wheel easily enough. At high speed the R.X750 ULTRA performs at its best. The suspension is plush and the handling is composed, allowing you to stay off the brakes through rock gardens and over roots but the limiting factor here is the puncture-prone tires. The bike is very stable in the air and you can happily take on big jumps. However, all in all, it can’t keep up with the best descenders in the test field.
The ROTWILD with its plush suspension and composed handling really starts to shine at high speeds.
Tuning tip: upgrade the front and rear tires | rubber foam under the battery cover/between the battery and top tube to reduce noise
Riding Characteristics
7Agility
- sluggish
- playful
Stability
- nervous
- stable
Handling
- demanding
- balanced
Riding fun
- boring
- lively
Motor feeling
- digital
- natural
Motor power
- weak
- strong
Value for money
- poor
- top
Conclusion
The R.X750 is a high-quality, well thought-out bike with an imposing look, powerful motor, a huge, integrated 750 Wh battery and high standards of design and innovation. However, the performance on the trail lags somewhat behind the best bikes on test. If you want to ride the ROTWILD off road, you should take it for a test ride first as there is a risk of annoying bruises on your thighs and knees due to the massive top tube.
Tops
- design and innovation
- good motor and big battery
- handles well at high speed
- MonkeyLink system for easy and intuitive light integration
Flops
- width of the top tube
- loud
- carbon wheelset in combination with thin tires
You can find out more about the ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA at rotwild.de.
The test field
You can find everything you need to know about our test for the best eMTB of 2020 right here!
All bikes in test: BULLS SONIC EVO AM 6 | Cannondale Moterra 1 | Canyon Spectral:ON 9.0 | COMMENCAL META POWER 29 TEAM 2020 | CONWAY XYRON 927 Carbon | CUBE Stereo Hybrid 160 HPC | FANTIC XF1 180 Race | FOCUS JAM² 9.9 DRIFTER | Giant Reign E+ 0 Pro | Haibike XDURO Nduro 10.0 | Liteville 301 CE MK1 | MERIDA eONE-SIXTY 10K | Moustache Samedi 27 Trail | Norco Range VLT C1 | NOX Hybrid Enduro 7.1 | Orbea WILD FS M-LTD | Pivot Shuttle 29 | Rocky Mountain Altitude Powerplay Carbon 90 Rally Edition | ROTWILD R.X750 ULTRA | SIMPLON Rapcon Pmax | Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert | Specialized S-Works Turbo Levo | Trek Rail 9.9 | Whyte E-180 RS V1 | YT DECOY CF Pro Race
Relaxed and comfortable riding on surfaced roads, both uphill and downhill.↩
Easy climbs up trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate incline.↩
Active and playful descents on easy trails with few obstacles, wide turns and a moderate slope.↩
Single-track climbs on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and occasionally extreme inclines.↩
Singletrack descents on challenging terrain. Loose ground, steps, roots, tight corners and small jumps as well as some very steep descents.↩
High speed descents on sometimes very rough trails with large jumps and obstacles that you can’t roll over.↩
The rating used for riding characteristics refers to the bikes in the group test and the current state of development of eMTBs. The best bikes managed to blend supposedly opposite riding characteristics, feeling both lively and stable at the same time. The handling describes the balance of the bike on downhill sections. The information regarding motor-power refers to the ride-feeling in the overall context of the bike and not exclusively to the motor – that’s why the same motor can present different values.↩
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Words: Felix Stix, Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig Photos: Finlay Anderson, Robin Schmitt, Felix Stix, Markus Frühmann
