Morewood Bicycles Makulu Frame
(discontinued)

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Discontinued
Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.

9 member reviews

Makulu, is it Zulu for "Wicked Ride"??
Rating:
The Good
Small company = Attention to detail
Low, Slack, spot on weight, predictable in the air and on the ground
Killer Looks
Innovative "Single Pivot" design
Loves to go sideways in the air
Will rail corners like a slot car
Can hug the ground in the snotty stuff like a cop holding his donut (with the correct shock set up)
The Bad
Weak stickers (more durable custom stickers being made to replicate originals)
Seat Clamp design - not a fan
Getting the right shock tune can be a little tricky
not enough dealers in Oz
Overall Review:

For someone who has not raced a DH bike in nearly a decade and a half, I brought mine "newish"in mid 2012 and is a 2012 model. The guy who brought it initially and built it up only owned the bike for a month, he wasn't a fan nd decided to sell it on. The price was almost criminal for the build spec he had on it. All reasonably high end parts, he just wanted a quick sale. Score for me. I have only had the pleasure of 1 race meet and a shuttle day on the bike, but the bike is super stable in the air, isnt afraid of being thrown sideways, is predicatable in corners and loves to hug the ground through the snotty stuff. Compared to what DH bikes I had previously, this bike has proved that the sport and discipline has come along in leaps and bounds in my time away from it. My only regret is that I cannot ride the bike as fast as it wants to go, it rails corners perfectly and there are not too many of them around where I live (although I race with 2 other Makulu owners with mine being the newer bike. One of my few gripes with the bike is that it can be tricky setting up the shock, an issue I have now sorted through speaking with another Makulu owner and tinkering with the LBS owner while on our shuttle day, now the things rips and I need to take a break from work to go riding!

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Serious case of stoke!
Rating:
The Good
neutral handling, excellent feed back from suspension, plush, stiff, inspiring
The Bad
Only goes as fast as I can but begs to go faster
Overall Review:
This bike hauls! I've never ridden a bike that instantly felt so comfortable going fast on. The suspension is plush but still gives you enough feedback to let you change direction and launch off of anything you see fit. At 220 pounds I can feel the flex in just about any frame and there is none to report out of this. The CCDB is a marvel! It does take some time to set up but is 100% worth it. With a Ti spring on it next year it'll be even better. If you can afford one of these don't bother looking anywhere else because this is it!

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Makulu translated is "Big Momma"
Rating:
The Good
Slack HA
Comes in varied lengths (S,M,Long)
Perfect leverage ratio
STIFF
Jumps amazingly
Tracks tracks and tracks some more
Low leverage advantage
etc...
The Bad
It doesn't come in carbon...yet
Overall Review:
I have ridden Commencials, Gamblers, M9's, V10's, Glory's, Kona's, Demo's...allot of bikes
and the first 10m I rode on a Makulu was when I diced to get one.
It was probably the easiest and best decision I have ever made.
Hand made in South Africa.
O and BTW it was a choice between a Makulu and a Car!...cant say much more

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WC Wet Dreams
Rating:
The Good
-Low Leverage Ratio
-Slack Head Angle
-Supple Suspension
-Tracks like a dream.
-Flickable
-Super Stiff
-Looks Sick
The Bad
-Doesn't come in Purple?
Overall Review:
I was loaned a Makulu for a Gravity East race. The bike I rode was a custom sized frame, with a full degree slacker HA than stock. The first thing I noticed was how confidence inspiring the bike was. I could immediately put the bike where I wanted and it tracked like a dream. Pedal feedback was virtually non-existent. It was extremely stable through the air and and really stuck to the ground. Fast, fast, and faster. It carries speed so effortlessly that you find yourself coming into sections a lot faster than normal.

The 2.1:1 leverage ratio is fantastic, coming off a Commencal Supreme DH with a much higher ratio the Makulu blows the Supreme away. Small bump sensitivity and big hit plushness makes it flow down the trail like its on rails. But its not so soft that you lose contact and feel with the trail. I must reiterate the fact that this bike just simply makes you go faster. I was riding sections of the track faster than i should've and was still comfortable enough to go faster. I could push this bike and keep pushing. The more time spent on it the faster it gets. I cant wait to build mine this weekend. WOOOOOOO!!!!!

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Morewood Makulu
Rating:
The Good
This bike is incredible. fast, stable, reactive, smooth, pedals well.
The Bad
sticker decals are sorta weak on a $3k frame
Overall Review:
I have ridden a lot of downhill bikes as a manager of a high end mountain bike shop, from all the big players (trek, specialized, commencal, yeti etc). the makulu is legitimately the cream of the crop. It corners perfectly, pedals like a 6" trail bike, is totally smooth in the heavy chop yet super reactive when you need it. truly an incredible bike. it does everything as well as you could ever guess. so so much fun.

folks always want the "latest and greatest" suspension designs, headtube angles, etc, and while the makulu does not re-invent the wheel with ultra progressive designs, its perforamance and all around high ride quality marginalize all of this. a 14.25" BB and 65deg head angle work. and if you want to change that, then drop an angleset in there. linkage driven single pivots that are this well designed simply work.

i would strongly suggest optting for the nicer shock. while the fox is totally fine, a custom valved shock like a cane creek or avalanche really maximize this bike's potential.

long story short this is without question the best riding, most dialer DH frame on the market, bar none. it is a pleasure to ride that will simply make DH riding more fun. simple as that.

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Morewood Makulu
Rating:
The Good
The bike tracks the ground better than anything else out there. It is great through berms, jumps, rock gardens, and corners. It absorbs small bumps and big drops with ease.
The Bad
Finding the proper spring can be a bit tough for lighter riders.
Overall Review:
Before picking up the 2011 Morewood Makulu, I was previously riding a 2008 Morewood Izimu. Even though the Makulu is considered a single-pivot, it is quite a different beast than the Izimu. Out of the box, the frame looks amazing. The sleek decals are perfect for this downhill race steed. The BB and head tube come faced, something that has come to be expected with a frame of this caliber, but it's still nice to see.

Setting the bike up is a breeze. It uses a 150mm rear axle and a 83mm bb which is standard for this type of frame. It also uses a tapered head tube. One issue I came across was the spring rate. On this frame, the spring rate you use is slightly greater than the rider weight. This makes finding the proper spring a bit difficult for lighter riders. DSP makes them in small batches so they aren't impossible to find, but there is a wait. However, I was told that lower spring rates are becoming more common and should catch on.

My maiden voyage on the Makulu was at Seven Springs Bike Park in Pennsylvania. The first thing I noticed on this bike is how well it tracks the ground. Even after spending some time on it, it still blows me away. The amazing traction helps you rail through berms and eat up rock gardens. I was a bit worried about how if would feel through the jumpy sections of trails, but it didn't disappoint.

In order to achieve the ideal suspension, Morewood recommends running 50% sag on the Makulu. This might concern some people at first, but the linkage really helps keep the Makulu from blowing through the travel. The bike handles drops and big hits really well. It gave me the confidence to land drops lower than I ever dared to on my Izimu. When it comes time to crank up the Makulu, it responds quite well. It pedals efficiently and is very stable at high speeds. Braking forces are also handled well by the Makulu.

I am the type of rider who always likes to tinker with my bikes. I am always changing parts and trying different frames. I must say that after riding the Makulu I am 100% satisfied with it. I am now considering selling my SX trail frame for the Makulu's little brother, the Kalula. The current Morewood dealer in the U.S. is a great guy to deal with. He shipped the frame quickly and answers my questions in a flash. I haven't had any issues with the frame yet, but should anything come up I know that the customer service is top notch. If you are looking for a top of the line downhill race frame, the Makulu might be the best decision you can make.

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SIMPLY RAD
Rating:
The Good
Suspension, Stability, Cornering, Speed
The Bad
Nothing...n/a
Overall Review:
Let me begin by stating that I have ridden/owned alot of bikes, always searching for the next best thing...the Makulu is it.

The suspension is incredible. The super low leverage allows the rear to feel unlike anything else I've ridden. Although this is a full-on dh race sled with about 40% sag, it doesn't feel mushy as many bikes often do, but at the same time it eats up terrain with ease. My riding style tends to be more jibby and slopestyle-esque, so I generally to do not like dh rigs that feel like plows or monster trucks. While the Makulu has no problem running over anything in your path, it is also nimble enough to allow quick line changes and great manueverability.

The bike accelerates incredibly quickly and holds a line with ease. It constantly begs to go faster. The rear is quite stiff, which only adds to the bike's ability to slay corners and retain amazing rear-end traction.

I'd also like to echo the previous poster's sentiments about the way the Makulu pedals...it is better than anything I've ever been on. No pedal bob, at all. This is one of the first things I noticed in the lot on the way to the lift.

The Makulu jumps well to boot. After some runs on the dh track, we popped over to a few more jumpy trails and I was stoked at the ease of getting the bike off the ground. This leads back to the greatness of the suspension...it seems to adjust to your needs without you having to ride differently for different types of terrain.

All in all, the Makulu is amazing. That said, I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Kalula early next week!

Cheers to the guys at Morewood for putting out some amazing products and continuing to improve bike design!

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Perfection
Rating:
The Good
Suspension, light yet durable
The Bad
None that comes to mind
Overall Review:
The perspective of a Joe Bloggs rider:

It's hard trying to give a unbiased review of the bike. I'm sure 99% of people who have spent a large amount of money will recommend what they bought to someone else, purely I guess to justify money spent.

I'll try and give you as many facts as possible.
After a year's worth of use, the bike is in absolute top notch condition. Linkages, bearings, pivots etc are all sweet.

The stickers and decals are peeling here and there, but that's it. It's super low maintenance and do not need for a service at all yet.
Given that I spent a few weeks in the Alps and rode it as much as I possibly could, there is still no sign of it looking and acting like a second hand bike.

I'm 5.9' and got the small, as it's quite a long bike to begin with.
As a point of reference, I always ride "Medium" bikes and this fits me perfectly. I'm heavier than what is classified I guess as a rider who rides a size small, so needed to get a heavier spring that came with it.
I weigh 80 Kilograms without gear on (178 Pounds ) - the spring I have is the 200lbs spring.

The ride is hard to put your finger on, as it's neither the skippy bike nor is it a plough that is the Commencal.
I wouldn't say that it's an inbetweener either.
It has a different feel to it which can has been best described by Dirt mag as "it seperates you, the rider, from the ground" What I mean and interpret Dirts words is that the suspension works so very efficiently and only gives you the travel you need for the current situation you find yourself in, it just doesnt over or under react at any point

The bike tracks the ground so well and the back wheel sticks to the ground like poop to a woollen blanket. Losing traction in your rear is just a worry of the past.

One thing that I can unequivocally say, is that this bike pedals better than any other downhill bike. This is the very first thing every single person who had a bit of a car park bounce on my bike said. There is Zero pedal bob, none.


All in all, there is no other bike would rather ride and I dont see myself gettin anything else any time soon.
I would recommend getting the BOS shock with it or the CCDB to get the most out of it (can't comment on the RC4). The low leverage is insane. the small bumps and the big bumps just completely get smoothed out and corners are minced meat with this badboy.


So in summary... it's light, it's strong, it's fun, it's low maintenance, it's rare and not many people around you will be on the same thing, the guys at Morewood are Ace to deal with.

I couldnt be happier with my Makulu purchase
... but like I said... im baised.

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Specifications

Product
Morewood Bicycles Makulu Frame
Riding Type
Downhill
Rider
Unisex
Sizes and Geometry
Small
Medium
Large
Wheel Size
26"
Frame Material
Other
Frame Material Details
Custom Drawn AL 6082 T6, (2.3:1) Leverage ratio linkage with full compliment Enduro Max bearings
Rear Travel
203mm (8")mm
Rear Shock
267mm x 89mm (10.5" x 3.5") Fox RC4 or Cane Creek Double Barrel
Head Tube Diameter
Tapered, Semi Integrated 44mm Top
Bottom Bracket
83mm
Rear Dropout / Hub Dimensions
12mm x 150mm
Front Derailleur Size
n/a
Seatpost Diameter
30.9mm
Max Tire Size
 
ISCG Tabs
ISCG 05
Bottle Cage Mounts
n/a
Colors
Black/White or Black/Red
Warranty
 
Weight
N/A
Miscellaneous
Syntace X12 Axle
Price
$3,100.00
What do you think?
Where To Buy
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
Free shipping on orders over $50 (continental U.S. only).
International shipping available. Some exclusions apply.
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