More battery capacity equals more fun with the re-engineered Canyon Spectral:ON eMTB

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To create a better, all-round eMTB, Canyon went back to the drawing board. The revamped Canyon Spectral:ON is the result, with new geometry and new battery design that works in tandem to produce a bike that handles better and rides further, placing it towards the cutting edge of the best electric mountain bikes on the market. 

Need to know: 

• New Canyon-engineered 720Wh and 900Wh batteries
• 150mm front travel, 155mm rear travel
• Total claimed weight 21.8kg/48lb (Spectral:ON CFR, size medium, 720Wh battery)
• Mullet or mixed wheelsize setup
• New carbon rear triangle
• New Spectral:ON CFR build

Luca Shaw and Mark Wallace in action on the Spectral:ON

Featuring 150mm front travel and 155mm of rear travel, the Spectral:ON has a mullet or mixed wheelsize, new carbon rear triangle and carbon frame that’s been engineered to shave weight, increase strength and improve impact resistance. Canyon claims the result is a bike that handles better due to a lower centre of gravity, stiffer rear end and trail-ready geometry that’s longer, lower and slacker but still trail-friendly. 

New battery, more capacity

The headline news is that Canyon claims an impressive 15% to 42% capacity increase in the battery department, thanks to re-engineering the battery design itself. By arranging the battery cells horizontally, Canyon was able to create a more compact and more efficient battery pack. The new Spectral:ON comes with 720Wh or 900Wh battery options.

Canyon also shifted the position and mounting angle of the Shimano EP8 motor to a 30 degree tilt. 

These changes, combined with frame geometry and design updates meant that Canyon was able to place the battery lower in the frame, and place it in front of the motor rather than above it, which means the bulk of the bike weight is lower in the frame, which helps aid stability and handling rather than hindering it. 

Designed to go up, down, far and fast

Frame and geometry updates 

The frame is the other part of the update and performance equation here, and to enable the new placement of battery and motor, Canyon tweaked the carbon layup and design to decrease weight and increase strength. This includes the addition of a seatstay bridge to reinforce this section plus the addition of 15mm thru-axles at the main and seatstay pivots. These, combined with the fact that for the first time the Spectral:ON gets a carbon rear triangle, increases rear end stiffness which in turn offers greater handling precision. 

Studio photo of the Canyon Spectral:ON CFR eMTB

While it is longer, lower and slacker, Canyon is the first to state that this isn’t designed to be an enduro slayer. Versatility is at the heart of the geometry of the Spectral:ON, and mid-range suspension travel is complemented by trail-ready geometry. 

The new Spectrail:ON geometry has a 25mm longer reach on each size over the previous incarnation, plus 5mm longer chainstay length. Combined with that lower centre of gravity and stiffer rear end plus a 1 degree slacker head angle (to 65.5 degrees) to produce a bike that’s designed to be confident on technical descents. The seat tube length has been shortened by 20mm to allow longer dropper seatposts to be fitted. 

Head angle is now 65.5 degrees, seat tube angle is 76.5 degrees, with 440mm chainstay length and a BB drop of 35.5mm. On a size large, wheelbase length comes in at 1252mm and stack at 652mm. 

Canyon:ON gets the CFR treatment

If you’re looking for the best of the best then the CFR or Canyon Factory Racing spec is the way to go. 

A stiffer rear end makes for better handling

The super-premium range topper CFR LTD model features high-spec components like RockShox Flight Attendant Lyric Ultimate forks and Super Deluxe shock plus wireless SRAM XX1 Eagle AXS drivetrain with Reverb AXS dropper post, this is the performance perfectionist’s dream. 

If you don’t want to flash that much cash, the Spectral:ON CFR has top-of-the-line Fox 36 Factory Grip2 forks and Float X Factory shock, a Reynolds TRE309 carbon wheelset and Shimano XTR groupset. This build weighs in at a claimed 21.8kg with the 720Wh battery or 22.75kg with the 900Wh battery (size not specified). 

Also check out our best trail bikes guide, best eMTB guide and best budget electric mountain bikes guide.

Canyon Spectral:ON range and availability

There are five builds available in the new Spectral:ON range, comprising three CF builds and two CFR builds. 

Canyon Spectral:ON CF 7

• Price: TBC
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight (claimed, size M): 23,04 kg (720Wh) / 23,95 kg (900Wh)
• Motor and battery: Shimano EP800 motor with Canyon BT0001-01 (720Wh) & Canyon BT0002-01 (900Wh)
• Fork: Rock Shox Lyric Select 150mm
• Shock: Rock Shox Deluxe Select
• Groupset: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano Deore MT6100, 4 Piston
• Wheelset: RaceFace AR30 / AR35 w/ Shimano MT400 / MT510 Hub 
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3CMT EXO 29×2,5 WT front, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 27,5×2,6 TR MT rear

Canyon Spectral:ON CF 8

• Price: TBC
• Sizes:  S, M, L, XL
• Weight (claimed, size M): 23,04 kg (720Wh) / 23,95 kg (900Wh)
• Motor and battery: Shimano EP800 with Canyon BT0001-01 (720Wh) & Canyon BT0002-01 (900Wh)
• Fork: Fox 36 Rhythm Grip
• Shock: Fox DPS Performance 
• Groupset: Shimano XT
• Brakes: Shimano M7120 4 Piston
• Wheelset: Sunringle Duroc
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3CMT EXO 29×2,5 WT front, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 27,5×2,6 TR MT rear

Canyon Spectral:ON CF 9

• Price: TBC
• Sizes:  S, M, L, XL
• Weight (claimed, size M): 22,84 kg (720Wh) / 23,75 kg (900Wh)
• Motor and battery:  Shimano EP800 with Canyon BT0001-01 (720Wh) & Canyon BT0002-01 (900Wh)
• Fork: Fox 36 Performance Elite
• Shock: Fox Float X Performance 
• Groupset: Sram GX Eagle AXS
• Brakes: Sram Code RS
• Wheelset:  DT Swiss H1900
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3CMT EXO 29×2,5 WT front, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 27,5×2,6 TR MT rear

Canyon Spectral:ON CFR 

Studio photo of the Canyon Spectral:ON CFR eMTB

• Price: TBC
• Sizes:  S, M, L, XL
• Weight (claimed, size M):
• Motor and battery: 
• Fork: FOX 36 Factory Grip2
• Shock: Fox Float X Factory
• Groupset: Shimano XTR
• Brakes: Shimano BR-M9120 4 Piston
• Wheelset: Reynolds TRE309 / 367
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3CMT EXO 29×2,5 WT front, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 27,5×2,6 TR MT rear

Canyon Spectral:ON CFR LTD

• Price: TBC
• Sizes:  S, M, L, XL
• Weight (claimed, size M): 21,94 kg (720Wh) / 22,85 kg (900Wh)
• Motor and battery: Shimano EP800 with Canyon BT0001-01 (720Wh) & Canyon BT0002-01 (900Wh)
• Fork: Rock Shox Lyric Ultimate Flight Attendant
• Shock: Rock Shox Super Deluxe Ultra Flight Attendant
• Groupset: Sram XX1 Eagle AXS
• Brakes: Sram Code RSC
• Wheelset: DT Swiss HXC 1501
• Tyres: Maxxis Assegai 3CMT EXO 29×2,5 WT front, Maxxis Minion DHR II EXO+ 27,5×2,6 TR MT rear