Canyon’s new Grail gravel motorcycle will get an entire racing overhaul with extra actual dealing with, a cleanly built-in however standard cockpit, loads of built-in garage, and a significant aerodynamic improve. Whilst it’s decidedly a sooner, stiffer gravel race motorcycle, the ones aero and built-in upgrades might be welcome for just about any rider taking a look to journey rapid on and off-road.
I’ve been driving the brand new Grail for the previous month, and its stiffer race motorcycle vibe has grown on me…
2023 Canyon Grail CFR & CF carbon gravel race motorcycles
Within the years since Canyon first debuted their do-it-all carbon Grail gravel motorcycle, the self-discipline has now not best advanced, however segmented itself extra into more than one classes. Now you’ll choose between mild gravel/all-road, rapid gravel/gravel racing, and journey gravel. And each and every with its personal particular motorcycle.
That segmentation has allowed Canyon to refine their new Grail for a extra slim target market, growing a motorcycle that I’d say higher serves the ones gravel riders taking a look to move rapid. And if all-road is your bag, select the Endurace; or if you happen to desire journey & bikepacking, opt for the Grizl.
The extra slim center of attention has surely benefited the brand new Grail from a race standpoint. Hidden below a camouflaged paint activity, it’s been ridden to a lot of professional wins this season – capped off with a Gravel International Championship this previous weekend below Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma.
We stuck up with that very same distinctive razzle dazzle prototype paint activity at FNLD GRVL this summer season, for a detailed sneak peek. And the cool factor is, it’s in reality to be had from nowadays in an overly restricted version run if you happen to act rapid!
(Scroll down fast to the Pricing, Choices & Availability segment on the finish if you wish to snap one up sooner than they disappear.)
So What’s New?
This new Grail drops the divisive double-decker Hover handlebar for a extra standard built-in cockpit. With hidden built-in inside cable routing in the course of the headset as is the manner of the days, but now not throughout the bar for a little extra manageable at-home consumer-direct setup. However it nonetheless is reasonably ingenious in its new 1-piece handlebar+stem combo, a great deal bettering ergonomics and development in direct mount compatibility for the whole thing from cell phones & GPS computer systems to aerobars tailored from triathlon.
Canyon says a large driving force was once actually to cut back the frontal space and aero drag from the tall Hover bar. However it’s onerous to not consider {that a} extra standard setup is more uncomplicated for extra possible gravel riders to shop for in.
The brand new “Double Drop Bar” cockpit will get mild downsweep & 5° backsweep at the tops, flared drops that attitude out a little on the levers (5°) then a little additional on the drops (to 16°), and a flatter place at the back of the hoods in your palms to leisure. There it appears may be a pro-specific model with additional downsweep to get the hoods and drops decrease, whilst holding the ‘stem’ point with the bottom. There you’ll discover a new “Equipment Groove” direct mount interface within the peak and backside of the ‘stem portion’ that permits a changed mono-riser to be put in for aerobar extensions taken from Canyon’s triathlon SpeedMax. Or you’ll mount extra standard built-in out-front GPS mounts (like I’ve) in the similar place.
Aero upgrades
Frameset-wise, the brand new Grail is just about all-new in comparison to the unique Grail that debuted in 2018. The body will get an unsurprising aerodynamic overhaul from tip to tail. In keeping with Canyon, “examined back-to-back within the wind tunnel with the first-generation GRAIL, the brand new technology saves an important 9.1 watts at 45kph, examined motorcycle best with equivalent specifications“.
Up entrance, that suggests a transfer to deeper aero fork legs that building up front-end stiffness. However there’s additionally an extended axle-to-crown period to each clean airflow over the entrance tire, and construct within the risk to mount a brief commute gravel suspension fork, if this is the case desired. The fork legs additionally get indentations molded into the carbon that permits for a protected Fork Load Sleeve adapter so as to add fork bag or water bottle mounting, with out the will for standard threaded mounts. The speculation here’s that almost all riders of this ‘race motorcycle’ gained’t ever mount anything else to their fork, however it’s nonetheless conceivable.
Garage upgrades
The largest trade within the body itself is the creation of inside in-frame garage, and exterior built-in garage. For within, the tip 2 carbon body specifications upload a glovebox door that Canyon calls the Load Downtube Garage. It’s just about what we’ve observed on a large number of fresh mountain motorcycles, however right here positioned above the water bottles. Inside of a skinny snake-like neoprene bag can raise a spare tube, CO2, inflator, and tire levers. And fixed without delay to the Load glovebox door you’ll protected the incorporated multi-tool, plus an not obligatory mini pump.
As for outdoor, Canyon has created a sleekly built-in Load Fidlock Quickloader partial body bag. It appears to be like so much just like the Aero Pack Gadget that Apidura advanced with Ridley for his or her gravel race motorcycle. This one is all Canyon, although. A separate length bag to compare each and every body, the Quickloader snaps securely into position with magnetic Fidlock studs, and can also be got rid of by means of pulling a liberate strap on its again. Canyon says it saves 1.5W vs. no bag, whilst having sufficient room within to hold an additional layer like a jacket or some additional journey snacks.
To smartly combine with the aero bag, the tip of the downtube is reasonably boxy, whilst it transitions to a extra standard truncated aerofoil form down by means of the water bottle.
Mixed the Load machine way you must be capable of raise maximum of your journey spares at the motorcycle, low, and out of the wind. No use for a saddle bag for many racing. And stay the ones shipment shorts wallet loose for cell phones and bananas.
Much less convenience?
Total, many of the person body tubes also are deeper and extra aero in profile, with the exception of for the toptube which is simply now extra instantly than sooner than. The seat cluster appears to be like very similar to the outdated motorcycle, however now suits a D-shaped seatpost. It’s the similar form as at the Final and guarantees 3W of aero financial savings (at a gravel unrealistic 45kph). However Canyon created a a lot more forgiving submit than on their mild street race motorcycle – despite the fact that nonetheless a lot much less forgiving than the leaf-spring VCLS posts.
Tech main points
A real key function of the brand new Grail is its 42mm max tire clearance, with a number of area for dust. Sure, it’s good to most definitely squeeze a 45mm tire in there, but when you wish to have larger than a 40/42mm tire, perhaps a Grizl can be a greater have compatibility for you. It is a gravel race motorcycle, finally.
That tire prohibit additionally way the motorcycle continues to be 1x or 2x suitable as many racers coming from the street desire standard street gearing mixtures. Even a mid compact 52/36T chainring combo will have compatibility. That still way you’ll run a right away mount chain retention software for unmarried chainring setups.
Accent mounting comprises 2 full-size bottles on all body sizes, plus a right away toptube bag mounts and cage mount below the downtube. There’s 3 additional threaded mounts throughout the entrance triangle for the built-in Quickloader bag (on all body ranges). Plus, hidden non-standard mounting issues for a Canyon customized set of full-coverage fenders.
A lighter CFR body spec, too
All-new for the Grail is CFR-level ultralight carbon tech. Like they’ve performed from street to DH to cyclocross in between, now gravel will get a Canyon Manufacturing facility Racing point carbon layup. Ultralight CFR carbon fiber makes the Grail CFR body & fork 118g lighter than the brand new CF SLX. Plus, it way 10% extra stiffness within the backside bracket and headset, and a 4.5% stiffer fork each laterally and entrance to again. As a result of lighter and stiffer is healthier, if you happen to’re into that more or less factor.
Delicate Gravel Race Geometry
The brand new motorcycle does function all-new geometry, however it’s actually now not to this point other from the OG long-wheelbase Grail if you happen to excuse the loss of a Hover bar. The headtube is a little slacker at a nonetheless fairly steep 71.5°. And the wheelbase is in reality even longer, and additional 27mm around the board. However the actual trick turns out to were enjoying with fork offset to stay the similar 69mm fork Path throughout maximum sizes (the core S-L) for a balanced solid however maneuverable journey over tough or clean surfaces.
2023 Canyon Grail CFR & CF – Pricing, Choices & Availability
The brand new carbon Canyon Grail is available in 8 construct kits at 3 other carbon spec ranges – the top-tier CFR, CF SLX & CF SL. Each the CFR & CF SLX motorcycles come with all of the peak cockpit and built-in garage options. The extra reasonably priced CF SL then again features a handlebar with standard accent mounting bolts below the stem, and does now not come with the Load inside downtube garage.
Grail CF SL
The entry-level for the brand new carbon gravel race motorcycle is the $2700 / 2700€ Canyon Grail CF SL 7 with a Shimano GRX 2×11 mechanical groupset and alloy DT wheels, at 9.22kg (all weights claimed).
Subsequent up is a $3500 / 3500€ Canyon Grail CF SL 7 AXS that will get an improve to wi-fi digital transferring with a 1x SRAM Rival AXS Xplr crew, at 9.82kg.
Then, a $3000 / 3000€ Grail CF SL 8 will get a lighter construct with GRX 1×12 and a higher-spec DT G1800 alloy wheelset, at 8.74kg.
Grail CF SLX
Stepping as much as the upper spec CF SLX frameset, there’s both the $5000 / 5000€ Canyon Grail CF SLX 8 Di2 with digital GRX & carbon DT Swiss GRC1400 wheels, or the $5500 / 5300€ Grail CF SLX 8 AXS with wi-fi SRAM Power AXS Xplr & carbon Zipp 303 wheels.
Grail CFR
Then, on the peak tier, there’s the 7000€ Canyon Grail CFR Di2 with GRX Di2 & peak DT GRC1100 carbon wheels, at 8.3kg. Or select the lightest entire gravel race motorcycle construct with the $8000 / 8000€ Grail CFR AXS that includes Purple AXS Xplr, a Quarq powermeter & those self same GRC1100 wheels, at 8.04kg.
And perhaps maximum intriguing of all of them, simply 70 person motorcycles might be made to be had international of the $9000 / 10,000€ Canyon Grail CFR LTD. You once more get the SRAM Purple AXS Xplr groupset and peak DT wheels, however in the similar crowd pleasing GRVL DZZL paint activity of the pre-production motorcycles that the professionals were successful on all yr.
All the new motorcycles are to be had from nowadays in Europe. USA availability is a little restricted in the beginning. In the United States, you’ll get a CF SLX 8 Di2 or the small batch CFR Professional LTD nowadays. The others must be to be had by means of the tip of 2023. Except for for the CF SL 7 which can best arrive early in 2024.
First Using Impressions
I’ve been driving the brand new Grail off and on for the previous month – an 8.5kg construct within the CF SLX 8 AXS construct. That comes with some aggressive driving, a number of gnarly “gravel” bordering on enduro, and a few fast however extra informal driving. The brand new gravel race motorcycles actually fills actual and extra responsive, and makes me wish to move rapid. I no doubt were given the 1st influence that the entrance finish feels a lot stiffer than I keep in mind the former Grail.
A part of that was once going onerous on some actually technical tracks on 40mm tires with a couple of psi greater drive than I most definitely must. Coming off a extra adventure-ready gravel motorcycle with 50mm tires, it was once a handy guide a rough shift. Even right down to a sore wrist after 3 intense days of hammering the brand new motorcycle.
However the brand new Grail is rising on me. Perhaps the race-ready XPLR gearing is a little steep for me coming off Eagle-equipped motorcycles. However it indubitably is sensible from a race standpoint. Then, I tailored after per week or so as to how highest to journey this motorcycle. And that’s to journey it rapid. Ruin up the climbs, and fly down the opposite aspect. If I sought after to move motorcycle journey bikepacking, I’d for sure select a Grizl for the additional convenience. But if I wish to move rapid, it’s onerous to overcome the rapid really feel of this new Grail.
