Conclusion on the new Mondraker KAOZ dirt bike
With the new KAOZ, Mondraker brings its Forward Geometry signature to the dirt bike segment. The spec sheet is less exciting than the detail work on the frame: the split forged bottom bracket, the sliding dropouts with travelling brake mount, the extended brake line for tailwhips. That sounds like people who know what a dirt bike is built for. - Max Fuchs, BIKE test editor
Technical data at a glance
| Frame | Stealth Aluminium EVO, 6061-T6, hydroformed, sliding dropouts, single speed |
| Fork | RockShox Pike DJ, 100 mm, Charger damper, 15x100 mm, 40 mm offset |
| Crank handle | SRAM Truvativ Descendant 6K, 165 mm, Direct Mount |
| Chainring / sprocket | 30T / 12T (max. 30T possible) |
| Rear brake | SRAM DB8, 4-piston caliper |
| Impellers | DT Swiss D1900 Classic Singlespeed (ASTM 5, 120 kg system weight) |
| Hubs | DT Swiss 370 - front 15x100 mm, rear 10x135 mm, 36T Ratchet |
| Tyres | Maxxis DTH 26x2.3", tubeless-ready, folding (max. 2.40") |
| Cockpit | Onoff S6 handlebars (38 mm rise, 800 mm), S3 stem |
| Support / Saddle | Onoff S3 DH / Ergon SM10 DH |
| Sizes (Reach) | M: 415 mm / L: 440 mm |
| Steering / seat angle | 68,5° / 72° |
| Chain stay / wheelbase | 385 mm / 1057-1082 mm |
| Weight | 11.2 kg (size M) |
| Colour | Superblack |
| Price (DE/AT) | 2,199 € complete bike / 699 € frameset |
Two drivers, one arena
Mondraker is staging the KAOZ launch as a duel: Sam Hockenhull, who normally rides in gravity and freeride terrain, meets street and dirt man Sergio Layos. Two disciplines, one bike. There is a clear message behind this - the KAOZ joins Mondraker's gravity collection, alongside the Summum as a DH racer and the revised Anark for freeride. The new addition is aimed downwards: at dirt jumps, pump tracks and skate parks, where it's not suspension travel that counts, but pop, style and a frame that can cope with heavy compressions and hard landings.
Stealth frame with ulterior motives
The centrepiece - the frame - is called Stealth Aluminium EVO. Mondraker relies on 6061 T6 aluminium and hydroformed tubes with variable wall thickness - material where forces are applied, slim profiles where they are not. The eye-catching strut behind the head tube is not just a design play: it works as a stiffening strut and is intended to take unwanted flex out of the front. This keeps the steering direct.
Mondraker puts the greatest design effort into the bottom bracket. A two-piece forged "split-forged" housing is located where the heaviest loads come together during compressions. The highlight: it merges into the chainstays without an abrupt weld seam. Fewer stress peaks, more lateral stiffness, higher fatigue strength - on paper the insurance against hard landings. Added to this is the internal cable routing called Silent-Core with a clean entry on the head tube. No rattling, silent landings.
Sliding dropouts: tensioning without readjustment
The most exciting detail is at the rear near the dropouts. The sliding dropouts adjust the chainstay length and take the brake mount with them. This means that if you tighten the chain or adjust the geometry, you don't have to realign the brake calliper - the brake geometry remains the same. An oversized adjustment wheel is designed to turn fine adjustment into a finger exercise. Mondraker has also thought about the rear brake cable: it is deliberately too long so that barspins and tailwhips don't tear it off.
One gear, two sizes
There is no discussion when it comes to the drivetrain: the KAOZ comes as a single-speed, typical for dirt bikes. A rear derailleur cannot be fitted. A maximum of 30 teeth fit on the chainring (26, 28 or 30T), which ensures ground clearance on the pump track and in the bowl. A 30T chainring meets a 12T sprocket as standard.
The geometry is specific to dirt jumps and is available in two sizes. M and L are separated by exactly 25 mm reach (415 to 440 mm) and 25 mm wheelbase (1057 to 1082 mm) - all other dimensions are identical and the ride feel remains similar across all sizes. The head angle is 68.5 degrees, the seat angle is 72 degrees and the bottom bracket height is 315 mm. The chainstay measures a short 385 mm and can be varied using the sliding dropouts. The handlebar height can be adjusted in 5 or 10 mm increments via spacers - 20 mm of leeway in total.
The equipment
The front suspension is a RockShox Pike DJ with 100 mm travel and Charger damping, mounted on a 15x100 mm thru-axle with 40 mm offset. The power is transmitted by a 165 mm SRAM Truvativ Descendant crank with a direct mount blade. At the rear, a SRAM DB8 with 4-piston calliper brakes - plenty of reserve for a dirt bike.
The wheels come from DT Swiss: D1900 Classic in singlespeed version, rear with 36T ratchet freewheel. Mondraker specifies them with an ASTM 5 classification and a maximum system weight of 120 kg. It is fitted with Maxxis DTH tyres in 26x2.3 inch, tubeless-ready and foldable; there is enough tyre clearance up to 2.40 inch width. The cockpit is supplied by Onoff: S6 handlebars made of 7050 aluminium with 38 mm rise and 800 mm width, S3 stem, S3 DH seatpost. The finishing touch is an Ergon SM10 DH saddle. The complete KAOZ weighs 11.2 kg in size M.
Price and availability
The complete KAOZ costs 2,199 euros in Germany and Austria, the frameset alone 699 euros. It is available in the colour Superblack. The market launch is 4 June.
Conclusion from Max Fuchs, BIKE editor
On paper, the KAOZ does a lot of things right: well thought-out frame, sensible detail solutions, equipment without any obvious weak points. At € 2,199, Mondraker is asking a price that is no bargain in the dirt segment, but it's not out of line either. We'll find out how the split-forged bottom bracket and the variable dropouts perform in practice as soon as the KAOZ is in our yard.
Max Fuchs
Editor
