YDX-Moro 07 E-MTB Review | Launch report and test 2023

By Mike Cameron • 2 years ago

May
2023

Electrifying!

The YDX-Moro 07 has landed. We head to Wylde MTB park to test the YDX and check out what all the fuss is about. It's different, still has two wheels & should be fun! Photos: iKapture, Colin Chan.

Yamaha recently confirmed that they will be offering the $8999 R/A YDX-Moro 07 E-MTB to the Australian public from this month. Being the inventors of the Power Assist System 30-years ago, I was really eager to see how they apply their vast knowledge into the Moro 07.

A few lucky riders got to take a sneak peak of their first e-mountain bikes for Australia at the Western Sydney Parklands Wylde Mountain Bike Park…

It’s great to see Yamaha import into Australia for the first time a full bike package in the case of the YDX-Moro 07. They bring across some unique design cue’s from their MX experience in the design of the frame, that really makes this bike stand out from others in the 150mm – 160mm travel range. The Moro 07 will be retailed exclusively by Yamaha Mobility Dealers and comes with an attractive 3-Year warranty on the motor and frame and 2-Year warranty on the battery. The YDX Moro 07 sits in the popular enduro/trail segment.

Check out our other electric reviews here…

A few lucky riders got to take a sneak peak of their first e-mountain bikes for Australia at the Western Sydney Parklands Wylde Mountain Bike Park. Following a technical presentation at Yamaha HQ about the new bike, the latest PW-X3 85Nm motor and Yamaha’s 30 years of pedal assist electric motor history, we made a beeline to the trail head where we were greeted by the Yamaha team who had our bikes waiting fully charged and ready to ride.

We get a quick lesson on the intuitive Yamaha Interface X control unit, which allows the rider to select the different ride modes, plus battery level indicator and an overview of the bikes. The forks and rear shock air pressures have already been set up to our individual rider weight. The bikes are also given a tubeless set up, allowing the benefits of running lower pressures for some extra grip without the problem of pinch flats and a much lower risk of punctures.

“Allowing the benefits of running lower pressures for some extra grip without the problem of pinch flats and a much lower risk of punctures”…

Tyre pressures are pre-set, but for my personal preference and experience of the Wylde trail surface being bone dry loose over a hard pack clay, I opt to lower the tyre pressures to where I’m more accustomed with. Not much left to do now but swap out the flat pedals for some Shimano SPD clip in’s, with a full charge of the 500Wh battery it was time to have some fun and see what the bike can do.

Wheel size is 27.5+ across the three frame sizes that are available: small, medium and large. My height is 180cm which has me in that middle ground between a medium and large. I hop on the medium as the effective top tube and reach numbers were closer to my own personal MTB geometry.

The frame design is where the YDX-Moro 07 really sets itself apart from other e-mountain bikes of a similar class. It’s been developed using chassis inspired by Yamaha’s motocross and enduro bikes, featuring twin top and down tubes.

The frame design is where the YDX-Moro 07 really sets itself apart from other e-mountain bikes of a similar class. It’s been developed using chassis inspired by Yamaha’s MX motorcycles featuring twin top and down tubes.

This unique Dual Twin Alloy Frame layout is designed for a balance of flex and rigidity while helping to tune out trail vibrations. The frame has a low stand over height and a 28mm bottom bracket for the ideal e-MTB Q factor. (Q-factor is the distance between the outside of one crank arm and the other).

The Lithium Ion 500Wh, 36V, 13.4Ah battery weighs in at 3kg. It’s integrated neatly into the Dual Twin Alloy frame and positioned to achieve optimum mass centralisation and it’s also easily replaced. You can purchase an additional battery from Yamaha and swap them out trailside for those epic all day adventure rides. Charging time to 100 per cent is four hours and 80 per cent charge can be achieved in just one hour. The charging port is conveniently located at the top of the battery also.

The drive unit is Yamaha’s latest PW-X3 which produces 85Nm of torque with natural and agile pedal response. This is up 5Nm from the PW-X2. Yamaha also dropped the weight and slimmed the overall dimension compared to the older PW-X2 unit. The new drive unit has received improvements in the ratchet mechanism and reduction gears which contribute to a quicker, more direct pedalling response.

Interface X is Yamaha’s simple LED communication unit. It’s mounted on the handlebar and it allows control of the different modes plus has a range of other features. The available modes are ECO, Standard, High Performance, MTB mode and Extra Power mode. There is also a Walk Assist mode. They are all identified via different LED colours and bar levels.

Eco mode – For riding as far as possible (Yamaha claim a theoretical maximum range of 136km)
Standard mode – For flat roads and climbing gentle hills
High Performance mode – A bit more push for steeper hill climbs
MTB mode – For riding mixed terrain – delivers optimal assist by selecting from Eco, standard and High as conditions demand,
Extra Power mode – For climbing rough steep terrain

The interface features two small buttons, one for turning the bike on/off and another for controlling any lights you may have attached to your bike. There is also a USB port for system diagnosis and power supply. The interface supports LE Bluetooth and ANT+ so can connect to compatible bike computers or your smartphone! Located adjacent to the LED display is the corresponding control unit, it features two buttons used to toggle through the different riding modes.

Suspension is taken care of by RockShox, the front fork is the Lyrik Select Charger with 160mm of travel and 35mm stanchions. You get low speed compression and rebound adjustment. The rear shock is the Super Deluxe Select+ RT with 150mm of travel, 15 clicks of rebound adjustment and a dual level compression quick switch.

Stopping is taken care of by powerful Magura MT5 one-piece four-piston calipers and 203mm Storm CenterLock rotors, front and rear. They gives excellent modulation and powerful one finger braking at both ends. A good setup.

Stopping is taken care of with the powerful Magura MT5’s. Featuring a one piece four piston caliper, it gives excellent modulation and powerful one finger braking.

The drivetrain is the ever reliable and Shimano SL-M8100-R 12-speed. You have 12 gears out the back via a wide range 10-51 tooth cassette and a single 36T Praxis front chainring on their AL6000 crank arms. The tyres are Minion DHF New EXO+ /3C MaxxTerra (f), Rekon New EXO+ /3C MaxxTerra 2.

The dropper post is 30.9mm diameter alloy post with integrated cabling. Size small from gets 125mm, Medium 150mm and large 170mm of saddle drop via the handlebar mounted control.

The Ride
Coming from analogue bikes, you really need to reset the way you ride. I regularly find myself still getting out of the saddle when trailing up hill. Standing up ready to muscle the bike over the gradient just isn’t necessary, as you can stay seated and let the motor do most of the work.

When coming from analogue bikes, you really need to reset the way you ride when you hop onto an e-MTB…

It takes me a while to get the hang of this and just staying seated, shifting into a lighter gear and spinning the cranks over, leaving the PW-X3 motor to propel me forward. Old habits die hard, but once I start to get the hang of it, I’m left super impressed on how smooth and natural the pedal assist is. Once you hit 25km/h, the drive unit disengages and it’s up to you to either pedal harder to go faster or use the trail gradient to propel you forward.

“Standing up ready to muscle the bike over the gradient just isn’t necessary, as you can stay seated and let the motor do most of the work…”

“I find myself hitting some of the doubles and drop offs much more aggressively than I normally would”…

The handling of the bike is very neutral and balanced. It’s hard to fault the way the bike steers and it’s especially impressive when the trails get tight and twisty. It responds really well to quick, sharp direction changes and is a great steerer.

The bike holds a line extremely well on some fast bermed switchbacks. It’s also very easy to wheelie, which is testament to Yamaha’s R&D in the mass centralised dual tube chassis for ideal motor, battery and rear shock placement.

“It responds really well to quick, sharp direction changes. The bike holds its line well on some fast bermed switchbacks.”

I’m generally more of a cross-country trail rider and don’t go looking to send it off the biggest jumps I can find. After an hour or so of getting the feel for the bike, I start to get a bit more adventurous, hitting some of the jump lines at speed.

Maybe it’s the extra weight of the e-bike compared to my analogue 29er, but the Moro 07 really feels stable in the air! I find myself hitting some of the doubles and drop offs much more aggressively than I normally would.

The suspension performs admirably. I’m firmly a set and forget type rider when it comes to MTB suspension. I prefer to just ride and not think about it. Out of the box with the correct sag settings, the ride is very good, there is no obtrusive pedal bob.

“Maybe it’s the extra weight of the e-bike compared to my analogue 29er, but the Moro 07 really feels stable in the air!”

The Shimano XT shifting is faultless: Smooth, fast and crisp, nothing to fault here. The dropper post is something I really couldn’t do without on a MTB these days. I rode without one for many years and I couldn’t live without one now.

Being able to drop the saddle out of the way makes jumps and technical terrain more enjoyable. It took time to gel with the placement and ergonomics of the dropper switch, as I have my own ride positioned differently. This is something easily adjusted trailside with a multitool.

“The dropper post is something I really couldn’t do without on a MTB these days. Being able to drop the saddle out of the way makes jumps and technical terrain more enjoyable.”

Battery life has so many variables and it’s really hard to answer the question many will have on what the range of the bike is. I did 39km with a touch over 700 meters of elevation and 2.5 hours of trail riding in mostly MTB and High Performance modes and the battery still had 2 bars of power left (approx 30-50 per cent). Theoretically, Yamaha claim up to 136km out of the 500Wh battery but you would be using Eco mode and riding mostly flat terrain.

“I did 39km with a touch over 700 meters of elevation and 2.5 hours of trail riding in mostly MTB and High Performance modes and the battery still had 2 bars of power left”…

As a complete package, Yamaha have hit it out of the park with the Moro 07. The bike is playful and balanced. The PW-X3 motor delivers a punch and makes really light work of the hills. The extra weight from the bike with the motor and battery isn’t felt when you’re out riding. The weight distribution has been cleverly executed achieving a neutral ride feel.

“As a complete package, Yamaha have hit it out of the park with the Moro 07. The bike is playful and balanced.”

All up, I’m quite impressed by the bike after my 2.5-hour test ride. The one thing I wished for that the Moro 07 doesn’t have is a bottle cage. It’s personal preference, but I much prefer riding without a hydration pack and prefer to carry my fluids on the bike in a bottle cage.

Wylde MTB park is a fairly smooth flowing track with jumps and berms. It doesn’t feature many rock gardens or rough organic terrain to really test the suspension. We will have the bike in for an extended review over the winter and the BikeReview team will be testing the bike on some more varied terrain.

Mike Cameron (@mikecameron_) is a competitive bicycle racer who has taken part in multiple disciplines over the years. He also rides motorcycles and currently has a WR250R that has been featured in BikeReview.com.au

2023 Yamaha YDX-Moro 07 Specifications

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