Marin Rift Zone EL in the test: Practice beats theory

Test / E-MTB: The Marin Rift Zone EL is the first light E-MTB from the Californian company - equipped with a Bosch SX motor and 400 Wh battery, the trail bike appears at first glance to be like many others on the market. But its advantages lie in the details - the aluminum frame shines with well thought-out features, the geometry is pleasing and the equipment offers some highlights. The downside: At just under 21 kg, the bike is not one of the lightweights on the market.

As one of the still existing MTB veterans on the market, the Californians from Marin recognized the potential of e-MTBs quite early on and their extensive portfolio includes a wide variety of bikes with motor support. Up until now, however, this has always been in the area of ​​full-power drives with large batteries, which applies to the Alpine Trail E with Bosch as well as the version with a Shimano motor. In this respect, the new Rift Zone EL is remarkable from two perspectives: With its Bosch SX motor and 400 Wh battery, it is not only the first light e-MTB in the range, but it is also the electrified version of perhaps the most popular and successful MTB from Marin ever: the trail bike Rift Zone, or Rifty.

Of course, the Rift Zone EL has not only inherited the name from its non-motorized sister model, the area of ​​application is also the same: with 150 mm of suspension travel at the front and 140 mm at the rear, the Rift Zone EL is also a real trail bike. This is also matched by the 29-inch wheels at the front and rear and the equipment package of the three models, which start at a very fair price of 5.399 euros. The basis is an aluminum frame with the tried-and-tested 4-link Multi-Trac rear triangle, which, along with the robust components, certainly plays a part in the relatively high weight. Our test bike, the top model Marin Rift Zone EL XR, weighed an impressive 21,0 kg in frame size L and without pedals, which is significantly more than most other Bosch SX E-MTBs in this suspension travel range.

Bosch SX drive with removable battery

The Bosch SX drive is probably well known by now. With its maximum torque of 55 Nm and a maximum output of up to 600 watts, it still enjoys exotic status, as the high output is comparable to that of many full-power motors. However, to access this, both a high cadence and a certain amount of personal effort are necessary. You can find details on the characteristics of the motor in our detailed test. The motor is supported by the CompactTube 400 battery with 400 Wh. This is located in the closed down tube of the aluminum frame, but unlike many other Bosch SX E-MTBs, it can be removed for charging.

How to remove the battery

To do this, the plastic cover on the bottom bracket must first be removed and then the battery can be removed after unlocking it via an opening on the down tube that is closed with a rubber plug. The solution is not quite as elegant as a conventional cover on the down tube, but it saves weight and allows for greater frame rigidity. You should pay attention to the screw that secures the plastic cover and the rubber plug: both are easily lost.

The removable battery means that it is easy to take a second 400 Wh battery in your backpack on a (longer) tour, for example. Thanks to its very compact dimensions and weight of just around two kilograms, the energy storage device is hardly noticeable on your back. Another option is the Bosch PowerMore 250 Range Extender, which can be attached to the bottle holder. Unfortunately, this means that you can no longer attach a water bottle to the bike and with its 250 Wh capacity at 1,6 kg, the range extender also has a significantly lower energy density than a second battery, which is why we would prefer it in most scenarios.

Screwdriver-friendly cable routing

In addition to the relatively easy removal of the battery by the rider, Marin has also thought about the tough everyday trail use in other areas of the frame design. The rear triangle is generously equipped with protectors to prevent unpleasant noises and scratches if the chain slaps. The cable and wire routing is also pleasing: For this purpose, screwed guides are located on the head tube, which hold all cables securely and can also be removed for easier maintenance. Great! This means that DIYers can also get their hands on it relatively easily and are spared the headache of routing through the headset. Last but not least, the payload of the Marin Rift Zone EL is also impressive: at 120 kg, this is more than what most other e-MTBs with the lightweight Bosch motor have to offer.

Sporty geometry on the Marin Rift Zone EL

On the one hand, the geometry of the Marin Rift Zone EL is clearly suited to being used as a trail bike - one reason for this is the steering angle, which is not too flat. At the same time, however, the numbers also make it clear that the bike is clearly aimed at sporty mountain bikers: the fairly generous reach in particular will require an active riding style off-road.

Well thought-out equipment

In the test we had the Marin Rift Zone EL in its top version, which is available for 7.699 euros. The bike has an all-round successful, well thought-out equipment, which shows in many small and large details that a lot of thought has been put into product management. But it is also clear that on paper other representatives of this bike genre put together a more expensive component package for a similar price - but whether this performs better in practice is another matter. A very good example of this pragmatic approach from Marin is the chassis: Here (as was the case with the Alpine Trail E Bosch) on Fox components in the Performance Elite version. This corresponds to the factory trim in all relevant points, but does not have the gold Kashima coating.

HC3 levers and grippy tires in series

The brakes also show attention to detail: The tried and tested Magura MT7 comes from the factory with the highly customizable HC3 brake levers, which are otherwise only available in the aftermarket and have to be retrofitted for around 100 euros. This makes it much easier to adjust the levers to your own needs. The GX Eagle Transmission group from Sram is used for gear shifting and the seat post with 170 mm stroke comes from US manufacturer PNW. Many of the other parts bear the Marin branding, but make a very good impression - from the stem to the handlebars to the wheels.

The bike also deserves praise for its tires. The Maxxis combination of the well-known DHF at the front and the easy-rolling Forekaster at the rear is unusual, but makes sense for an e-trail bike like the Rift Zone EL. It's nice that they use the soft MaxxGrip rubber compound at the front and the fairly puncture-proof Exo+ carcasses at the front and rear.

models starting at 5.399 euros

In addition, two further equipment variants are available for 5.399 euros and 6.499 euros. The cheapest entry-level model has some compromises, especially in the chassis, while the Rift Zone EL 2 for over 1.000 Euro less than the top model we tested, it's definitely worth a closer look. Provided you can manage with a Fox Performance suspension and a mechanical Sram GX Eagle drivetrain.

The Marin Rift Zone EL on the trail

In practice, exactly what was mentioned at the beginning of the article becomes apparent: Even if the Marin Rift Zone EL doesn't pull any trees down on paper, on the trail it is one of the most fun and versatile bikes with a Bosch SX motor that we have tested to date. It manages to find a very good middle ground between a nimble trail bike and a powerful speedster, the equipment is impressive and the slight excess weight is never really noticeable.

You can find detailed practical impressions in our test video of the new Marin Light E-MTB: