Orbea Wild Review: A 170mm Enduro eMTB and the Trail-Focused Wild ST

Introduction

Orbea has pushed its flagship full-power enduro electric mountain bike further into aggressive terrain. The new Orbea Wild gains travel, slacker geometry, a reworked suspension layout and an updated Bosch drive unit, while a new Wild ST joins the range as a trail-focused, aluminium-only alternative. This guide walks through what actually changed, what the numbers mean on the trail, and which version suits which rider.

What Changed on the New Orbea Wild

The outgoing Wild paired 160 mm of rear wheel travel with a 160 mm fork. The new model adds 10 mm out back for 170 mm front and rear, and Orbea has reworked the suspension kinematics around that extra travel. The way the shock is actuated has changed as well, with the stated aim of making the Wild suitable for racing and extreme terrain. Geometry is slacker than before, which points the bike squarely at riders who want more confidence at speed on descents.

Orbea also says the new frame has been optimised for stiffness in e-bike applications, and that it is 10 percent stiffer than an equivalent non-assisted bike. The reasoning is simple: the battery and motor add mass, and the frame has to cope with the pedalling forces that come with it.

Suspension and Frame Stiffness

The Wild uses Orbea’s concentric boost two-pivot suspension system, refined to handle the additional travel. It combines a single-pivot linkage-driven shock with a split pivot at the rear axle that deals with braking forces. Orbea says the new bike keeps similar levels of anti-squat to the outgoing model, the characteristic that governs how suspension responds to pedalling input, and the brand appears to see no reason to change an approach that works.

A climb switch on the shock firms up rear damping for smooth or steeply ascending trail sections, which is a practical detail for riders who spend as much time climbing as descending.

Geometry and Fit

Orbea describes the Wild’s geometry as eMTB-optimised: longer and slacker than before, with a low standover height and a long, straight seat tube. On the medium size, reach is 455 mm, stack is 634 mm and the effective seat tube angle is 77.5 degrees. The head tube angle drops to 63.5 degrees, a change developed with Orbea’s pro racers to give the bike more confidence at speed. Chainstays measure 448 mm and stay the same across every frame size.

The steeper effective seat tube angle is intended to perch the rider over the bottom bracket, which supports an efficient pedal stroke and helps reduce front-end lift on steep climbs. The shorter, straighter seat tube exists to accommodate long-travel dropper posts, with up to 210 mm of dropper insertion on small and medium frames and 240 mm on large and XL.

Motor and Battery Options

The Wild moves to the updated Bosch Performance Line CX drive unit. It offers the same torque, power and assistance percentage as the Performance CX motor it replaces, but Bosch says it is around 100 g lighter and it is quieter in use. The display is more compact and reports more data, including a six-dimension accelerometer plus tilt and inclinometers. Those sensors feed a hill start assist function and an improved walk mode that adjusts its speed to match your walking pace.

Battery choice shapes both weight and range. A new, slightly smaller Bosch 600 Wh battery is available and makes the bike lighter at the cost of range compared with the 750 Wh battery used on the outgoing Wild. The 750 Wh option remains for longer days in the saddle, and riders who lean on turbo mode all day can add an optional 250 Wh range extender for a combined capacity of 1 kWh. The battery mounts using Orbea’s SPS secure battery system, which the brand describes as stiff, light and reliable, and custom battery hardware lets Orbea tune placement for weight distribution. Orbea says the new Wild is one of the lightest truly full-power e-bikes at under 21 kg, and that nothing was compromised to reach that figure.

Spec, Wheels and Customisation

The flagship build is the carbon M-Limited, which comes with Fox Factory suspension in the form of a Fox 38 fork and a Float X2 shock. It runs Maxxis tires with a Double Down casing at the rear and EXO+ at the front, and Orbea’s MyO online configurator lets buyers step up to a tougher DH casing.

Two wheelsets are offered. The MC32 Limited carbon wheel delivers the lightest ride and suits smoother riders, while the new MC32 Team wheel uses an updated rim designed to stand up to downhill work-up runs and is aimed at the most aggressive riders. Orbea says the complete bike can come in under 21 kg.

A mullet setup is now an option for riders who prefer a smaller rear wheel. Two shock linkages let the rear wheel size change without affecting geometry, and pairing a 27.5 inch rear wheel with the low seat tube frees up plenty of room to move around over the bike.

Orbea Wild ST: The Trail-Focused Alternative

The Wild ST is the trail-focused sibling. It uses the same frame design and the same new Bosch Performance Line CX motor, with the same choice of 600 Wh or 750 Wh batteries, but travel drops to 150 mm front and rear and the geometry is toned down for more intuitive handling. It is available only in Orbea’s high polish aluminium, with polished welds that remove stress points, and it runs 29 inch wheels front and rear with no mullet option. Components are chosen with a closer eye on value, which makes it the more accessible way into the platform.

Model Range, Pricing and Buying Advice

The Wild range runs to eight models. The top-spec M-Limited is priced at £10,999 or $11,999. The M-Team uses the same carbon frame with a more budget-conscious spec at £8,499 or $9,499, and the M20 also keeps the carbon frame while sitting roughly £2,000 or $2,000 below the M-Team. The aluminium H20 still carries the same motor and battery technology as the rest of the range at £5,799 or $6,499, and the entry point is the Wild ST in its lowest H30 spec at £4,799 or $5,399.

Choose the full-travel Wild if descending performance and racing use are the priority, since the mullet option and the downhill-ready wheel choice only exist on that model. Choose the Wild ST if you want the same motor and battery platform in a shorter-travel, more forgiving package at a lower price.

Conclusion

Both versions share the updated Bosch drive unit, the SPS battery mounting and Orbea’s stiffness-focused frame work. The Wild pushes further into enduro territory with 170 mm of travel, slacker geometry and mullet compatibility, while the Wild ST keeps the platform and trims the travel, the materials and the price. The right pick comes down to the terrain you ride most and how much you value the extra travel.