TThe Madonna V3 is the most capable, customizable and durable bike we’ve ever built. It tackles the roughest trails and the longest rides, never shying away from a climb. While we haven’t lost our focus on durability, we’ve added adjustability to make it even more versatile. The fourth edition of the Madonna will have your back no matter what.
The Madonna V3 is extremely capable and finely balanced on everything from tight natural singletrack to flat bike park trails. It’s ready when you are, and you’ll never throw in the towel before you do. 160 mm of travel at the rear wheel is combined with a 170 mm fork and the 29-inch front wheel can be combined with either a 29-inch or 27.5-inch wheel at the rear. With the Madonna V3 it is now possible to tune and tune your bike exactly to your liking. The geometry of the bike can be adjusted through adjustable options for bottom bracket height, chainstay length and head angle. The suspension also has progression adjustment options and two rocker links tailored to the rider’s weight. But don’t worry if crafting isn’t your thing, we recommend all the default medium settings.
We believe bikes should be ridden hard and stored away dirty. The Madonna V3 features double-sealed pivot points, durable hardware and external cable routing. But when the time comes, you don’t need two degrees and four pairs of hands to give your bike some love back.
geometry
The Madonna V3 is available in five sizes from S to XXL and is suitable for riders between 158cm and 208cm tall. Lengths and chainstay lengths as well as head and seat tubes grow with frame size to achieve balanced and predictable handling regardless of frame size.
Suspension design
When developing the suspension for the Madonna V3, we had the clear goal of consistent further development. The force required to compress the suspension increases evenly throughout the travel, resulting in a very predictable rear end. Wherever you go, the suspension will feel defined and it won’t go its own way and leave you wondering what it might do next. A significant improvement in the Madonna V3 is the ability to start compression at zero travel. Every time you lightly get on your bike and the suspension has to start moving, it is now buttery smooth but still retains support and composure. When pedaling the Madonna V3 while seated or standing, we have maintained a high level of chassis support, ensuring the bike remains efficient and predictable, allowing you to tackle technical, slippery climbs with ease. And when you hit the brakes, the bike uses a higher level of chassis support while maintaining grip and feel for what’s going on at the rear wheel.
Rocker 60 and Rocker 65
The Madonna V3 uses a four-link rocker link suspension with two different rocker links. The 160 mm of rear wheel travel comes from a 205 x 60 mm shock absorber on the Rocker 60 or a 205 x 65 mm shock absorber on the Rocker 65. The higher suspension leverage ratios on the Rocker 60 are more suitable for riders under 90 kg due to the lower leverage ratios The Rocker 65 is best suited for riders over 90 kg.
adjustability
Countless hours of riding and tinkering over the years have resulted in the geometry numbers and suspension design we offer with the Madonna V3. But we also learned that terrain, conditions and personal preferences may require different setups. With two full Downhill World Cup seasons on board the Yalla! Under our belts we have proven our toolbox concept, which is now making its way into the Madonna V3. From base to standard geometry, we offer a variety of lower shock mounts, the same mounts as our Yalla!, to adjust the bottom bracket height up or down by 3mm – subtle changes that have a big impact on the overall character of the bike . Rear suspension progression can also be adjusted via the same modular lower shock mounts, offering 3% more or less progression versus the stock 26%. It is also possible to combine the BB and progression adjustments.
For all frame sizes, the rear wheel axle is in the middle position. For sizes S and M it is 445 mm, for sizes L 450 mm and for sizes XL and XXL 455 mm. From there, the chainstay length can be adjusted to 5mm shorter or longer using separate rear axle kits. The 56mm diameter straight head tube opens the door for easier head angle adjustments with headsets from Works Components or other brands that offer 56mm angle headsets. Precise markings on the head tube make aligning the headset cups child’s play.
Hardware
The Madonna V3 features an all-new but very familiar main and rocker pivot design. Both now feature wider and stronger bearings and axles that pass directly through the inner races of the bearings, reducing the complexity and accumulation of tolerances that can result in creaking noises in these high-stress areas. The bottom bracket of the Madonna V3 now features a removable ISCG05 mount, giving the rider the option to use a chain guide and bump guard.
SRAM UDH & gearbox
The Madonna V3 comes with our RAAW axle system, which locks the two seatstays together while providing adjustable chainstay lengths. But now we also offer SRAM UDH and transmission compatible seatstays that work with regular X12 axles. With UDH seatstays, the chainstay length is always in the middle position for this frame size.
Cable routing
What seems so simple is often overlooked – cable routing. From the beginning of the development process, we strived for the smoothest and easiest possible external cable routing. Not only is assembly very easy with the Madonna V3, mechanical shifting is also guaranteed to be a feast for the thumb thanks to the lack of tight bends and kinks in the shift cable. Given the current trend of running cables through headsets, stems and the frame, we were keen to show what a standard Sram GX or Shimano XT mechanical drivetrain can do in terms of shifting performance. But our screwed cable guides also ensure a very clean aesthetic if you decide to go wireless.
Pipe and frame protection
The new down tube is the backbone of the Madonna V3. Its straight lines and carefully designed transitions to the bottom bracket and head tube ensure improved clearance for all shock absorbers in all frame settings. The frame comes with a set of protective parts made of a soft rubber compound. The downtube protector covers the full width of the downtube and provides 5mm of damping buffers to absorb shock before the frame has to. The chainstay protector now integrates the shift cable guide and also protects against heel abrasion on the frame. Completing the frame protection is a seat stay and chainstay cover, as well as a set of pre-cut clear protective films that cover most exposed frame surfaces and keep your Madonna V3 looking fresh for years to come.
design
There’s not a lot of forced “design” with the Madonna V3. We want our bikes to look like everything makes sense, like nothing is out of place and everything just fits together visually and everything follows a performance-oriented ideal. We’ve given the Madonna V3 a more aggressive, flatter look. And it’s no surprise that our Yalla! was the catalyst. But the lower top tube, smaller rocker switch and more stowed down tube are due to the rider having more room to move around the frame and the bike having more clearance as the ground comes towards them. We’ve also worked to achieve the same clean and aggressive look across all sizes, from S to XXL.
Compatibility with double crown forks
Although a 170mm single-crown fork is our top choice for the Madonna, we’ve now added dual-crown forks into the equation. The Madonna V3 fits the Yalla fork bumpers! to absorb impacts from the fork supports on the frame. The maximum axle-to-crown dimension of 598 mm should not be exceeded, but this corresponds to a fork with 180 mm of travel and in our opinion is the best solution when it comes to DC forks and the Madonna V3.
Water bottle and storage
All frame sizes offer space for a bottle holder. In sizes S and M a 500 ml bottle fits in and from size L onwards a 750 ml bottle fits easily. The top tube also has mounting points for a belt, pump, or other accessory that uses this mounting system.
Five year guarantee
To underline what we stand for, we offer a five-year warranty for both first and second owners, and also continue our five-year crash replacement program in case something doesn’t go your way.
Prices and availability
- Prices start at €2,790 incl. VAT for frame kits (USD 2,520, CAD 3,470, AUD 3,930, CHF 2,260 or GBP 2,050)
- Rolling chassis with Fox and Öhlins are available
- The Madonna V3 can be ordered and will be delivered in February 2024
Technical data
For more information, see www.raawmtb.com.
