Pick the adjective of choice for the Moto: Burly. Brawny. Beautiful. Bump-aliscious. For all-mountain riders on steeper terrain, the Moto shines. Revolutionary floating shock technology gobbles up baby-head sized rocks, and delivers premium suspension performance. Ultra-stiff bottom bracket shell resists torsional stress and the sloppy flex that takes away from the riding experience.
Available as Moto Carbon 1, Moto Carbon 2, or Moto Carbon 3
Submitted by
fredjjjj
a Weekend Warrior
from North Vancouver, BC, Canada
Date Reviewed: February 12, 2010
Strengths: Solid and stiff for most downhill riding, but
light enough to maneuver on climbs and tight pedalling.
Weaknesses: Carbon frame finish subject to chipping.
Mylar protection needed.
Bottom Line:
Configured for all mountain riding it's a bit heavy overall.
(32.5 lbs), but rock solid on the downhills.
Lack of 1-1/8 headset adaptor is a definite miss from Cannondale! Could be a much more versatile bike with a
wider range of fork selections.
Favorite Trail: Porcupine rim-UT, Pine Valley-CO, Villarica Volcano Chile
Duration Product Used: 6 months
Price Paid:
$7000.00
Purchased At: Treads Cannondale De
Similar Products Used: Cannodale Prophet
Bike Setup: Factory with Maxxis tubeless
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Hotel12
a Weekend Warrior
from Finland
Date Reviewed: June 22, 2009
Strengths: Rear end eats every bump
Front end stiffness
Build quality
Looks
Joplin
Life time warranty
Weaknesses: Hmm.. Maybe little twangy on rear end
Nervous handling on slow speed technical terrain.Maybe because of 60mm stem.
High bb takes use to it.
It bops but just turn pro pedal and it is gone.
Bottom Line:
I had Jekyll 1000 for 5 years and I felt I want to try more burlier xc/am bike. My bike weights 13.9kg with nobby nic snake skin 2.4 tires. I'am going to change to a tubeless. I like bikes handling and it eats every root, bump etc. It is really plush. Dt swiss 1750 are light but strong and allthough my jekyll was under 13kg I'am not any slower with moto. I can go more difficult places with moto than jekyll and with more speed. I like talas travel adjust and dhx air pro pedal adjust. I use them quite a lot especially on flat tarmac sections. Rear end is a bit on soft ride but I think it is just to take just to it. Offcourse it is stiffer than jekyll. I love joplin adjustment and its suits to this bike very well. Talas 36 is siff and lots of adjustability.
Bottom line is that it is modern full suspension bike and I'am quicker on places where jekyll coughs.Anyone who hasn't try formula one brakes, they are suberb.Lots of power with 180 rotor and modulation.
Similar Products Used: Jekyll for 5 years.Tested intense tracer vp, Pivot mach 5&firebird. Raced on dh with perp.
Bike Setup: Medium stock model 1 2008 but I changed brakes to a Formula one gm edition.
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
dirtyhabit
a Weekend Warrior
from Pa.
Date Reviewed: May 18, 2009
Strengths: Climbs like a XC bike yet bombs the downhill. Plush, yet no bobs when climbing. Wicked fast in the tight twisty stuff.
Weaknesses: a bit pricey.
The continental tires are worthless.
Bottom Line:
Cannondale could not have selected a better name for their new high end Carbon all-mountain bike. Though lightweight and nimble, the Moto attacks any terrain like a motocross bike, holding it's line in rugged descents, and railing fast sweeping singletracks.
I recently rode the bike on a two-week trip in Western U.S. at many epic destinations including Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, NV, St. George, UT, Gooseberry Mesa, Moab, Fruita, and Grand Junction, CO. Conditions ranged from fast and flowy in Fruita, to technical and steep at Bootleg. The Moto never faltered.
One of the first things I noticed on the bike is how quickly and easily it accelerates. The lightweight bike offers no resistance to pedal power. Secondly, the carbon frame matched with Fox suspension tames the trails, almost making small bumps and normal roughness go unnoticed. The Fox suspension is extremely smooth and supple, from small bumps and chatter to bigger hits, jumps, and drops. With the engagement of the Pro Pedal on the Fox Shock, climbing is almost fun, as the bike wastes no time powering it's way up hills. The 36 Talas fork is also easily turned down for a better climbing experience.
The trails I rode on the first couple days of the trip were generally fast, smooth and flowy. I was impressed at how well the Moto handled, whether cornering in soft dirt or holding it's line on fast, all-out pedal sections. The SRAM X-O drivetrain is crisp and responsive, and the Avid brakes are always there when you need them, though they will somewhat annoyingly offer a "squeaky" reminder that you can only go so fast.
I think I put the bike to a good test on a few black diamond downhill runs at Bootleg Canyon. It's amazing that the same bike I had just ridden on an epic all-mountain all-day ride was handling black diamond trails like a downhill bike! Just drop the seat, open the fork and the Moto blazes over the boulders, soaks up the drops, and holds steady in the technical loose-over-hardpack that Bootleg is famous for.
This bike is the perfect choice for an aggressive rider who wants one bike that can do it all, and do it well.
2009 moto carbon 3 or 2010 Giant trance x...both going for the same price of around 1800....I like the idea of having a carbon frame with beefy travel (6inch) but i know the weight Read More »
my 2009 Moto Carbon 2 makes a Clicking sound whenever i pedal it hard, when i puch down it clicks, but when i pull up on the pedals while clipped in it doesnt, already checked the Read More »
Hello, I have a 2010 Cannondale Moto 2 Carbon AM bike.
Because I found the need to use it on the street I have purchased road tires and tubes for it and it works awsome.
Howe Read More »
Hey all,
I have a quick question on my Pro Moto Carbon bars that came on my El Mar Ti. As I was riding today, they slipped backwards as I was just starting a downhill after cresti Read More »
Got a new Salsa Pro Moto carbon bar. Installed it with my regular Bontrager Race Lite 4 bolt stem. The stem says 8nm so I followed those directions with my torque wrench. Ended up Read More »
