If the rumours are true, a DJI Avinox motor-powered Forbidden eMTB is in the works, and I reckon it’ll be the best electric mountain bike ever made.
Hyperbole? Perhaps, but I’m going to stand by my words here.
Spotted on the Instagram feed of Forbidden owner and founder Owen Pemberton, the bike is expected to launch at Sea Otter. It would blend the best-performing motor (although I’ll caveat that later) with some of the best suspension on the market.
Perfectly powered
The Avinox motor came from nowhere – DJI is known for its class-leading cameras and drones, but electric bike motors? This wasn’t something we expected to see.
Seemingly, the bike industry didn't expect it either, because nobody other than DJI’s Amflow brand has fitted the Avinox unit into its bikes.
We (and I include the broader MTB industry here) also weren’t quite ready for its performance.
When testing the motor for a video, our very own Rob Weaver – a man who has ridden essentially every motor system out there – said riding the Avinox was "like looking into the future".
In its time-limited ‘Boost’ mode, the 1,000W of power and 120Nm of torque give the motor mind-bending performance.
But even in the lower-powered Turbo mode, the 850W and 105Nm of torque produce performance above any other ebike motor system.
In fact, on the trail, the 1,000W Boost mode is little more than an attention-seeking gimmick in my opinion – your bike simply never needs that much power. But it’s still immensely impressive.
Time to play catch-up
In 2025, I’d expect to see the main motor manufacturers – Bosch, Shimano and Specialized – scramble to catch up with the Avinox’s impressive stats.
However, it’ll take more than some impressive torque and power numbers for that to happen.
The pedal feel, power curve, interface and charging speed of the Avinox motor are all market-leading, and the others will have to re-jig their mechanics to match it.
With more sensors analysing your power input, and some software magic, the Avinox is simply better at converting your pedal power to usable, useful pedal assistance.
Time to build a bike
But why is the potential partnership with Forbidden so exciting?
The Amflow chassis – DJI’s first mountain bike, for what it’s worth – is a decent enough bike. But it feels more of a showcase for the Avinox motor, rather than a bike brand that’s about to take over the world.
Forbidden has proved it can build a class-leading mountain bike.
When Luke Marshall reviewed the Druid V2 for BikeRadar, he called it “a true downhill rider’s trail bike”.
Its suspension shines when tackling messy roots and sharp-edged rock gardens, thanks to its high-pivot suspension design.
This gives the rear wheel a rearward axle path earlier on in its stroke, helping smooth bumps and ensure it’s stuck to the ground for comfort, grip and control.
It's a confident bike to ride, pushing you to develop skills and confidence on technical terrain.
Clearly, when gravity is in your favour, Forbidden has you covered.
Equally, the Druid shines when pointed uphill, with acres of traction and a surprisingly bob-free suspension platform. As such, it climbs far better than you might have anticipated.
However, Luke found the addition of an idler wheel added chain drag, which was noticeable on the climbs.
The best is yet to come
So, we have two distinct elements here – the best-performing ebike motor on the market, and the potential for it to be mounted into a chassis that’s remarkably capable, both up and downhill.
The ample power delivery of the Avinox motor easily cancels out the drag from the high-pivot idler.
Can you see why we’re so excited about a Forbidden paired with DJI’s motor system?
On paper, you’ll have a bike that combines motor power with grip, comfort and bob-free climbing, making it likely an exceptional climber that won’t give you any excuses for not getting to the top of the hill.
On the way down, I’d wager Forbidden would make a bike that descends with aplomb.
Its bikes are already super-planted, so can you imagine what a little extra motor and battery weight will add to the equation?
There's just one thing…
Earlier, I mentioned a little caveat about the Avinox motor.
It’s something of an unknown regarding reliability, serviceability and backup.
Time will tell whether DJI has also engineered reliability – often an electric mountain bike’s Achilles heel – into its Avinox system.
If it has, and Forbidden does squeeze its motor into a high-pivot chassis, it’ll take some beating.
Of course, I reached out to Forbidden for comment... but the brand wouldn't confirm or deny if the rumours were true.
Fingers crossed Sea Otter delivers the goods.
