I was pointing this bike up a massive, 20% slickrock climb in Moab that I usually have to hike-a-bike, and I wasn’t even pedaling. I just twisted my right wrist, and the bike rocketed up the rock face like gravity was a mild suggestion. This is the Bonnell 775 MX, it costs $5,495, and while it looks like a burly downhill mountain bike, there is 1 undeniable reality about this machine that is going to make a lot of people furious. I will explain exactly who should avoid buying this at all costs after we talk about what makes it an absolute riot to ride.
Contents
- 1 FIRST IMPRESSIONS & DESIGN
- 2 FRAME & GEOMETRY: HOW IT FEELS
- 3 COMPONENTS
- 4 REAL-WORLD TESTING: THE RIDE
- 5 E-BIKE POWER DELIVERY & BATTERY
- 6 UNEXPECTED STRENGTHS
- 7 THE COMPETITION: REAL-WORLD ALTERNATIVES
- 8 THE HONEST ASSESSMENT: TRADE-OFFS AND COMPROMISES
- 9 WHO IT’S FOR / NOT FOR
- 10 FINAL VERDICT: BUY OR SKIP
FIRST IMPRESSIONS & DESIGN
The first time I picked up the Bonnell 775 MX, my lower back instantly knew this wasn’t a normal bicycle. At 75 lbs, it is a tank. It is significantly heavier than the heaviest e-MTBs from major brands, which usually top out around 55 lbs. But here is what surprised me: the frame isn’t trying to be an oversized carbon toy. It is built from 4130 Chromoly steel in the front triangle, covered in an anti-rust ED coating, with forged 6061 aluminum in the rear.
When you look closely at the massive CYC motor taking up the bottom bracket and the 1300Wh battery dominating the downtube, the design intent is clear. This isn’t a bike built for shaving seconds off a Strava climb; it is built to survive massive impacts and deliver dirt bike levels of abuse.
FRAME & GEOMETRY: HOW IT FEELS
Bonnell 775 MX gave this a 62.7-degree head angle with adjustable chainstays (440mm to 452mm). In practical terms, this means when I pointed it down a terrifyingly steep, loose rock chute, the front wheel felt planted 3 weeks into the future. It is a downhill sled through and through.
However, when I tried to navigate a flat, twisty section of woods with tight trees, the slack geometry and 75 lbs of mass made it feel like I was trying to steer a boat. This is where the geometry choice really matters: if you ride wide-open desert, steep fall-lines, or moto tracks, you will love the stability. If your local trails are tight, slow-speed switchbacks, you will be wrestling this thing all day.
COMPONENTS
DRIVETRAIN & SHIFTING
The Bonnell 775 MX ditches a traditional cassette entirely for a single-speed setup with a 38T CYC chainring up front and a 24T hardened steel sprocket in the rear, tensioned by a custom CNC chain tensioner.
In real-world terms, this is brilliant for an e-moto. I’ve snapped chains on high-powered e-bikes before because shifting a derailleur under 100 Nm of torque is violent. With the Bonnell, I could pin the throttle out of a corner without ever worrying about stripping a gear. The trade-off? If your battery dies, pedaling a 75-lb single-speed bike with a 38-24 gear ratio up a hill is physically impossible for mere mortals.
BRAKES & CONTROL
Stopping this beast is handled by Magura MT5 4-piston brakes paired with massive MDR-P floating rotors—220mm in the front and 203mm in the rear.
I tested these coming in hot to a 90-degree berm at 35 mph. The 4-piston Maguras bit hard and dumped speed instantly without fading. Crucially, Bonnell 775 MX sets these up moto-style out of the box (front brake on the right). If you are a lifelong mountain biker, this will absolutely mess with your brain on the first ride, but the levers have a flip-flop design so you can easily swap them back to MTB standard.
SUSPENSION PERFORMANCE
The front end features a Suntour Rux 38 RC+ dual-crown fork with 200mm of travel, paired with a 170mm Suntour coil shock in the rear.
I took a terrible line off a 4-foot drop to flat, fully expecting a harsh bottom-out. The dual-crown fork swallowed the impact whole and kept tracking straight. The coil rear end felt incredibly plush on small, high-speed chatter. But here is the catch: Suntour is generally seen as a budget brand in the MTB world compared to Fox or RockShox. While this fork is robust and handles the bike’s massive weight well, it lacks the hyper-refined high-speed compression tuning of a Fox 40.
WHEELS & TIRES
The bike rolls on a mullet setup: a 29-inch wheel up front to roll over big rocks, and a 27.5-inch wheel in the rear for agility and strength.
The custom sprag clutch rear hub is a masterpiece. When I let off the throttle to coast through a quiet section of trail, the bike was completely silent. There is zero ratcheting noise, and the engagement is instantaneous when you get back on the power. They used thicker 13G spokes to handle the torque, prioritizing absolute durability over weight.
COCKPIT & COMFORT
The cockpit is pure moto crossover. You get a 780mm wide Bonnell 775 MX handlebar with a massive 50mm rise, paired with a direct-mount 44mm stem. This upright, tall front end put me in a perfect attack position for descending.
The most polarizing part of the cockpit is the Lekkie Pacemaker full-twist throttle on the right grip. It feels extremely high-quality and smooth, but riding rough trails with a full-twist throttle requires serious wrist discipline to avoid whiskey-throttling over a berm.
REAL-WORLD TESTING: THE RIDE
CLIMBING PERFORMANCE
Calling it “climbing” feels wrong. With a twist of the throttle, I absolutely flew up a rocky 15% gradient at 25 mph. The torque sensor on the pedal assist is very smooth, but let’s be real—you aren’t really pedaling this bike for fitness. You are ghost-pedaling while the CYC motor does 95% of the work. The front end stays surprisingly planted on steep ascents, entirely because the 75-lb weight anchors the bike to the dirt.
DESCENDING CONFIDENCE
On a fast, rutted descent, this is where the Bonnell 775 MX came alive. The 62.7-degree head angle and 200mm of travel gave me downhill bike levels of confidence, but the added weight actually made the bike feel more planted than a standard MTB. It plows through rock gardens rather than bouncing over them.
HANDLING & AGILITY
You can jump this bike, but you cannot “pop” it. Trying to bunny-hop a 75-lb machine over a log requires a massive weight shift and raw strength. It loves to stay low, grip the dirt, and rail corners.
COMFORT & VIBRATION
Halfway through a 2-hour ride, I noticed my hands were completely fine. The combination of the heavy coil suspension, the steel front triangle, and the massive tires filtered out all the high-frequency trail buzz.
E-BIKE POWER DELIVERY & BATTERY
MOTOR FEEL & CHARACTER
This bike uses a CYC X1 Pro Gen 4 motor putting out 280 Nm of torque and a peak power of 6,000 watts. In real-world terms, this is 6 times more powerful than the top-tier e-MTBs from Trek or Specialized.
When you twist the throttle in Sport mode, it will try to rip your arms off. It hits a top speed of nearly 40 mph. The power delivery is exhilarating, but the motor has a distinct, high-pitched mechanical whine under full load. You will never sneak up on anyone when you are on the throttle.
BATTERY PERFORMANCE
The 1300Wh 65V battery is massive. Bonnell 775 MX claims a range of 12 to 37 miles. In my real-world testing, riding aggressively in full power mode with heavy throttle usage, I killed the battery in about 16 miles. If you actually use the pedal assist and keep it in Eco mode, you can push past 30 miles easily. The battery is fully removable, which is great because you can swap it out or charge it inside without hauling the 75-lb bike into your living room.
UNEXPECTED STRENGTHS
What surprised me most about this bike is the integration of the sprag clutch hub. Usually, high-powered e-bikes have massive drag when coasting. The Bonnell coasts just as freely as a normal mountain bike.
Another unexpected strength: the Tranz-X dropper post. Most electric dirt bikes skip this entirely, forcing you to ride with a fixed, tall moto seat. Having a 170mm dropper post allows you to get the saddle completely out of the way for steep, technical descents, giving it true mountain bike handling characteristics when pointed downhill.
THE COMPETITION: REAL-WORLD ALTERNATIVES
When I compare the Bonnell 775 MX to the Sur Ron Light Bee X and the Specialized Turbo Kenevo, the choices become crystal clear:
The Sur Ron Light Bee X offers a very similar 6,000W power output for around $4,400. However, the Bonnell wins on bicycle geometry and the inclusion of pedals and a dropper post, making it feel much more like a downhill bike, whereas the Sur Ron feels strictly like a small motorcycle.
The Specialized Turbo Kenevo costs around $7,000+ and offers incredible, refined suspension and true e-MTB trail legality. But it only puts out 90 Nm of torque compared to Bonnell’s 280 Nm.
You are essentially choosing between the Sur Ron for pure off-road moto riding, the Specialized for legal mountain bike trail access, or the Bonnell for the ultimate middle-ground hybrid.
THE HONEST ASSESSMENT: TRADE-OFFS AND COMPROMISES
WHAT IT DOES EXCEPTIONALLY WELL
This bike absolutely nails the gravity-defying thrill factor. The sheer violence of 6,000 watts paired with downhill mountain bike geometry creates an experience that traditional MTBs simply cannot replicate. For riders who want to self-shuttle downhill runs or explore deep off-road OHV (Off-Highway Vehicle) trails at high speeds, this is an incredible value at $5,495.
WHERE IT FALLS SHORT
Remember earlier when I said there is 1 reality that will make people furious? Here it is:
This is not an electric mountain bike, no matter what the pedals imply. With a 40 mph top speed and a twist throttle, it is legally classified as an electric motorcycle in almost every jurisdiction.
This means if you take this onto your local, non-motorized singletrack mountain bike trails, you are going to tear up the dirt with 280 Nm of torque, anger hikers, and ruin trail access for traditional mountain bikers.
For the responsible rider, this limits where you can legally and ethically ride it. To work around this, you have to stick to OHV trails, motocross parks, or private land, which severely limits its utility if you live in a dense urban area without access to motorized trails.
WHO IT’S FOR / NOT FOR
This bike is FOR:
- Downhill riders who are sick of paying for lift tickets and want a machine that can self-shuttle up a mountain at 30 mph.
- Dirt bike riders who want a quieter, lighter, more flickable machine for tight woods riding.
- Riders with access to legal OHV trails or private land who want maximum power without spending $10,000 on a full-size electric dirt bike.
This bike is NOT FOR:
- Traditional mountain bikers looking to ride their local Class 1 e-bike singletrack. You will get kicked off the trail.
- Riders who want a fitness workout. The extreme weight and single-speed drivetrain make unpowered pedaling miserable.
- Anyone who needs to carry their bike up flights of stairs to an apartment. At 75 lbs, it is a back-breaker.
FINAL VERDICT: BUY OR SKIP
Buy this bike if:
- You want the absolute maximum torque and speed you can get for $5,495.
- You ride fast, open OHV terrain where you won’t bother hikers or analog bikers.
- You value heavy-duty, durable components over saving weight.
Skip this bike if:
- Your local trail networks strictly prohibit electric motorcycles and throttle e-bikes.
- You want a refined, lightweight trail bike that you can throw around on tight jumps.
- You actually enjoy the physical exertion of pedaling up a mountain.
The Bonnell 775 MX is a machine that refuses to fit into a neat category. It is too powerful to be a bicycle, and too bicycle-focused to be a pure dirt bike. If you have the right trails to let it eat, it is one of the most exciting machines you can buy for $5,495. If you don’t, it is a 75-lb paperweight.