Orbea's New Rise LT Keeps the Faith — With a Bigger Motor Punch

James Moore · 2026-11-05

All the assistance you need and as much mountain bike as possible. That's still the brief for the third-generation 2027 Orbea Rise LT. And with Shimano's new EP810 RS motor pushing up to 100 Nm and 600 W of peak power — plus revised suspension and Orbea's own batteries — the question is simple: does a familiar formula give the Rise a fresh sense of purpose? ### The Short Version - Orbea Rise LT M-LTD RS: Shimano EP810 RS / 420 Wh battery - Travel: 160 mm front / 150 mm rear - Weight: 18.8 kg (about 41.4 lbs) in size L - Price: €10,999 (roughly $11,900 USD) ### Why the Rise Exists at All The 2027 Rise is built for a different reason than the bike it replaces. As the Basque brand sees it, the eMTB market isn't converging — it's pulling apart. Full-power bikes keep getting stronger, but plenty of riders still want less assistance, as long as it's delivered intelligently. Selling the first Rise was easy. It weighed considerably less than a full-power bike, yet its torque came close to what those bikes offered at the time. Peak power trailed behind, but the assistance was ample and the package agile. On the trail, that combination was hard to beat. That was then. Full-power bikes now make far more power and torque while also getting lighter, which makes low weight a much harder selling point. So is there still room for the Rise between categories? Orbea clearly thinks so. ### Two Flavors, One Philosophy The new Rise comes in two variants: the SL, with 140/140 mm of travel, and the LT with 160/150 mm. Both use the new Shimano EP810 RS motor and batteries developed in-house by Orbea. The RS profile delivers up to 85 Nm and 400 watts of peak power, with as much as 100 Nm and 600 watts available when you need it. For Orbea, though, the real focus remains the tune. Assistance should complement your own effort and preserve the active riding experience that has always defined the Rise. Orbea quotes starting weights of around 37.5 lbs for the Rise SL and 39.7 lbs for the LT, depending on spec. Test bikes came in at 39.9 and 41.4 lbs respectively, EXO+ tires and bottle cages included — still undercutting many current full-power bikes by a comfortable margin. With Orbea's MyO configurator, you can pick not only the paint finish and components but also battery capacity and the cable routing system. All that choice costs money: the Rise LT M-LTD RS lists at €10,999 (about $11,900), and that's with the smaller 420 Wh battery. ### The Details That Matter The look is unmistakably Orbea: clean, angular lines, a slender main frame, and nothing that doesn't need to be there. Cables enter through neatly clamped ports, unused openings get proper covers, and a chain guide comes as standard. A large stick-on chainstay protector prevents chain slap, while a small flap between the main frame and swing arm stops dirt from building up in the gap. The charging port cover is sturdy and easy to use, even with gloves on. For trailside fixes, there's a small multitool tucked into the suspension linkage, plus a 6 mm Allen key in the rear axle. > Another welcome touch: Orbea marks every bolt on the Rise with its tightening torque. That saves you hunting for the correct figures whenever you pick up a tool — and it shows real attention to detail. ### The Shimano EP810 RS Motor, Explained On the climbs, the Rise relies on Shimano's new EP810 motor running Orbea's own RS tune. RS stands for Rider Synergy, and the thinking behind it is simple: you, not the motor, should shape the ride. That's why Orbea's software goes well beyond capping maximum output. The tune also governs how quickly assistance kicks in and how smoothly it fades out — the kind of nuance that separates a bike that feels natural from one that just feels fast. For event organizers and riders chasing a lively, efficient eMTB rather than a rocket ship, that distinction matters. The Rise LT isn't trying to win a power war. It's trying to keep the mountain bike in the mountain bike experience.