Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS first-ride review: DJI’s RS-Tuned Avinox motor and electronic integration make this eMTB even better

The new Orbea Wild LT builds on the success of the previous model, switching from Bosch’s Performance Line CX motor to an exclusive RS-tuned Avinox M2S that aims to differentiate it in a sea of new Avinox electric mountain bikes.

At £11,879 / $14,883 / €13,499, the top-of-the-range carbon fibre Wild LT M-LTD RS doesn’t come cheap. But Orbea offers the bike in a variety of spec levels, including the alloy framed Wild/M LT H20 priced at £4,899 / $6,173 / €5,599, which is the only model to feature the slightly lower powered Avinox M2 motor.

The new electric mountain bike shares a similar silhouette to the previous model, with the key pivot points in the frame remaining in roughly the same place, and stiffness tuning braces continuing to dissect the front triangle as seen on the Rallon.

However, the brand says the all-new chassis has improved stability, with the mass lowered and centred closer to the bottom bracket.

Out on the trails, the bike's handling characteristics are impressive, and the stiffness through the bike enables you to be precise when picking a line on even the jankiest of trails.

While the Wild LT can blast fireroads with the full 1,500W might that the M2S motor delivers in Boost mode, Orbea has worked alongside DJI to create a custom motor tune for Wild called RS.

Together, they have made improvements to the motor's reactivity and sensitivity compared to the standard tune.

You can still add a full power mode to the bike through the Avinox app without losing the RS performance benefits.

The bike climbs better than other M2S bikes I have ridden, with the RS tune delivering greater torque at lower cadences and feeling more reactive on tricky technical climbs.

This model also features Orbea’s RS ecosystem, including the OC Mountain Control MC10 smart dropper post.

Orbea’s previous Wild LT was widely highly regarded, previously winning our Bike of the Year award, and that bloodline appears to have been drawn into the new bike.

Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS initial ride impressions

The new Wild LT remains one of the hardest-hitting eMTBs on the market, with the frame featuring 170mm of suspension travel and the ability to run up to a 180mm fork.

Uphill, the new RS-Tuned Avinox M2S proves to be an excellent powertrain, with the modifications made by Orbea boosting its ability on technical climbs.

The power comes with easy control, responding naturally to inputs on steep shoots or when positioning the bike to overcome obstacles on the trail.

While it's sensible to control an eMTB's power with the rear brake when climbing technical trails, I used it noticeably less while riding the Wild LT as the bike followed my inputs more predictably.

Of the mark, the RS-tuned motor feels very reactive, with high levels of torque coming early on in the pedal stroke, helping to surge up technical climbs.

The Avinox’s Quick Start feature enables you to get up to speed more easily, but it also comes in handy when trying to restart midway through janky ascents.

This responsiveness isn’t just apparent on the ups. It picks up fast when exiting slow corners on the flats and on descents, so you get back up to speed quickly.

Assisting on the climbs is Orbea’s OC Mountain Control MC10 smart dropper post, which takes charge from the main battery and is operated by the RS remote on the handlebars.

With one click of the paddle, the dropper post operates normally, enabling you to fully drop or select an infinite saddle height, but press it twice, and the saddle will drop down to a climbing mode set at a preset height.

This is really useful on undulating trails, where I found myself in the right saddle position at all times without having to faff about trying to find a suitable position.

If you’re not a fan of the system, you can use the dropper post in a regular fashion, but it's something I’ll miss when testing other eMTBs.

The RS remote, or RS HMI, also enables you to turn the bike on, switch lights and control the ride modes.

The assistance levels of the ride modes can also be altered with the remote, which made it easy to work as hard or as little as I wanted on the climbs.

This feature would also come in useful when riding with others on different power bikes, meaning you can match outputs on fireroad climbs without altering your input or cadence.

I only had one issue with the remote when going uphill, and that was with the bike's walk mode, which requires one of the smaller mode-selecting buttons to be held in.

Unfortunately, the throw on these is quite short, and my thumb kept slipping off while wrestling the bike up steep sections of trail. This would be okay if restarting Walk Mode didn’t require the bike to be stationary, but enabling riders to select the dropper lever for the walk mode would be a great workaround, although this function is currently reserved for setting the mode of the dropper post.

The Fizik Terra Aidon X1 saddle was comfortable while seated, but I struggled with it on descents as the plastic wings of the saddle extend further than the padding, resulting in bruising on the inside of my legs from repeated descending.

It feels Orbea has got the stiffness just right with the frame, with the bike remaining composed through rock gardens and having great predictability through the corners.

This was helped by Fox’s Factory 38 fork upfront, which offered plenty of support on the long descents where I tested the bike in the Pyrenees.

While the bike is a hard-charging, big country enduro bike, it remains spritely, hiding its weight well when the trails turn steep.

Small trail adjustments and endo turns don’t feel laborious despite the 800Wh battery in the frame, and the front wheel is light to pick up into a manual thanks to the bike's weight distribution.

The rear suspension is supple off the top and remains supportive deep into the compression, with the tune complementing the fork upfront. This makes for an excellent balance that remains playful on smaller gradients.

Maxxis’s DH casing tyres gave me confidence to push hard over harsh sections of trail, with the Assegai and Minion DHR II finding plenty of grip in a variety of terrain, though the rear Minion DHR II MaxxGrip did wear quickly on the rocky terrain.

I struggled to get a correct bleed on the SRAM Maven Ultimate brakes, but they proved to be very impressive once fixed.

This was the same for SRAM’s well-proven SRAM XX Eagle AXS transmission, which didn’t flinch at being shifted even under full power.

Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS frame

The Wild LT M-LTD RS I tested is made from Orbea’s latest OMR carbon fibre layup and features a design that has come to define the Basque brand’s recent gravity models.

While Orbea has gone all out with electronic integration, the brand has moved away from the headset cable routing found on the previous model. Instead, Orbea routes the cables through ports in the head tube.

The bike continues to have 170mm of suspension travel at the rear, but Orbea has made the leverage curve more progressive. It has also reduced the anti-squat for improved traction on rough terrain.

At the centre of the bike is DJI’s Avinox M2S motor, which connects to either a 600Wh or 800Wh battery, depending on how you wish to configure the bike.

Orbea has collaborated with DJI to create a custom RS-tune specifically for the Wild LT, which is something we haven't seen from other brands yet.

The bike can be bought with either a 29in or mullet setup, but if you want to change it, you’ll need to buy a replacement linkage, which Orbea says will cost around €250.

The bike features geometry adjustment, allowing you to select from two set positions that affect head angle, seat angle, bottom bracket height, reach and stack.

In the low mode, the head angle is 63.34 degrees with the high setting pushing it to 63.9 degrees.

The medium-sized bike I tested features a 455mm reach in the low setting, which grows to 461.25mm in the high setting.

The seat tube angle is 77.5 degrees in the low setting and 78 degrees in the high setting.

The bike features a built-in multi-tool in the main pivot bearing, handy for trail-side adjustments, and there’s a shuttle pad on the downtube should you be swinging it over the back of your pick-up.

Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS spec details

The Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS is the top-spec model in the line-up, so as you’d expect, there are some tasty bits in the build.

It also features a colour selected through Orbea’s MyO customisation program, which appeared to change throughout the day depending on light intensity.

Upfront, the bike features a Fox 38 Float Factory fork, which is paired with a Float X2 Factory rear shock.

SRAM’s XX Eagle AXS is used for shifting, though no battery sits in the cradle; instead, it is connected to the DJI system and takes charge from the main battery.

The US brand’s Maven Ultimate brakes are also specced.

Plenty of Orbea’s own Oquo branded components are used, with Mountain Control MC32LTD wheels, Mountain Control MC10 Carbon handlebars and Mountain Control MC10 smart dropper post featuring.

Orbea Wild LT M-LTD RS bottom line

Those looking for the latest and greatest eMTB will have to consider the Wild, with the Avinox M2S motor proving to be the most in-demand on the market.

Riders who appreciate technical climbing will see the benefits in the RS-tune, with the Wild’s reactivity and sensitivity being a cut above the standard tune.

But while it shines on the climbs, it is also thoroughly impressive on the descents, feeling composed and capable whatever you throw at it.

The levels of electronic integration may be too far for some, but the smart dropper post and RS remote really add to the enjoyment of this bike – and I'll it miss on other eMTBs.