New 2023 Orbea Wild FS – Beyond Power
New 2023 Orbea Wild FS – Beyond Power
Orbea have re-designed their Wild FS electric bike for 2023. It comes with a new frame, new motor, new battery and new geometry. The Orbea Wild FS is Orbea’s electric enduro bike and has been designed with input from the Orbea FOX Enduro Team.
It’s already getting some very positive reviews with Singletrack World saying that “Orbea are arguably way ahead of most other brands when it comes to addressing what ebike riders actually want.”
51% stiffer and 32.5% lighter
The biggest change on the 2023 Wild is the frame. Orbea have got rid of the removable battery that came on earlier versions of the Wild. By making the battery fully integrated into the frame Orbea have been able to remove lots of parts and complexity. At the same time that makes the frame stiffer, lighter and improves the ride characteristics. It does mean that you can’t remove the battery from the bike for charging. But for most people that will simply mean moving the bike or running an extension cable.
The new frame comes in both carbon and aluminium versions and can take a 625wh or 750wh battery so you have masses of range. All models in the Wild range use the Bosch CX Performance Line motor. However, Orbea is one of the few brands that also offers the Bosch CX Performance Line Race motor. This motor is designed for high-level competition and will be available on the Wild M LTD model.
Ebike-Optimized Suspension
Orbea say that in contrast to the numb and uninspiring ride of many ebikes the new Wild feels more ‘energetic and involving’. With the bike being lighter and stiffer they have been able to custom tune the suspension to give more support in the middle part of the travel, where you spend more time, and more support at the end for big hits.
As standard the Wild FS ships with 160mm of travel front and rear with the option to upgrade to a 170mm travel fork through MyO.
Slacker, Longer Geometry
The new Wild is slacker and longer. Its 64 degree head angle and 450mm reach (size M) is 25mm longer than its previous version. This translates into extra stability and control, as well as more space to move on the bike. Short chainstays also improving the Orbea Wild´s handling and agility.
More sizing options
The old Wild only came in three sizes.. The new version comes in 4 size options (Small, Medium, Large and Xlarge). It also uses ‘Steep 'N' Deep’. This is the ability to run long-travel dropper seatposts on all sizes of the bike. The combination means that, a bit like with Specialized’s S-Sizing system you can now pick what size bike you want partly on your height and partly on how you like to ride. With the use of a long travel dropper post you can go down a size for a bike that’s easier to throw around, or up a size for a bike that’s more stable at speed.
When Can I Get a 2023 Orbea Wild?
As we write this in mid-November 2022 there are no confirmed dates from Orbea. However, we expect to have the first bikes arriving early in the New Year. So, they should be available to buy from January 2023. Just speak to your local Cycles UK store.
