Best known for drones and action cameras, Chinese brand DJI enters the e-bike market with an exciting new motor that combines lightweight with big power. This potentially game-changing DJI motor can be found powering a range of high end bikes from newcomer Amflow, boasting claimed weights as low as 19.2kg and as much as 1,000W/120Nm! Is this the start of a new wave of Chinese tech companies disrupting the established e-bike brands? Can it unseat the likes of the Specialized Turbo Levo from the top of our rundown of best e-bikes? We’ll have to see, but it’s certainly an exciting development with the potential to shift the e-bike goalposts, and we’re intrigued to ride the new bike and motor.

The DJI Avinox motor boasts 108Nm and 850W peak power with two battery options – 600Wh and 800Wh.

Amflow PL e-bike and DJI Avinox motor need to know

• New DJI Avinox motor boasts 108Nm and 850W peak power with a weight of 2.52kg
• Boost mode raises this to 120Nm peak torque and 1,000W peak power for limited time
• 600Wh (2.87kg) and 800Wh (3.74kg) battery options available with high capacity cells (209Wh/kg energy density for the 600Wh battery)
• Fast charging can renew the battery to 75% from empty in just 1.5 hours
• Amflow PL Carbon and PL Carbon Pro models get 150mm travel with 160mm fork
• Claimed weight of 19.2kg for the Amflow Carbon Pro
• Bikes feature 2in OLED touchscreen integrated into the frame, onboard GPS, and Strava support
• Four power modes plus ‘intelligent’ auto mode that monitors power depending on terrain
• Prices for the Amflow PL Carbon range starts at €7,000

So a new motor from DJI, a new e-bike brand and two new models in the Amflow Carbon Pro and Carbon – that’s a lot to take in. So let’s examine the two products individually and see how they marry up.

DJI’s motor packs a serious punch, but weighs a svelte 2.52kg and is claimed to be quiet, thanks to the polymer planetary gears (the bronze ones).

DJI Avinox motor – eye-popping power at a system weight that trumps all its rivals

At the heart of the Amflow PL Carbon and Carbon Pro is the new DJI motor. Taking this Chinese company’s wealth of knowledge and experience developing electric motors for its consumer drones, DJI has made the short flight from airborne products to two-wheel assistance. And it has not minced about. The new Avinox motor claims some spectacular numbers: 108Nm peak torque and 850W peak power. That’s significantly up on the likes of the Shimano EP801 (85Nm/600W) and Bosch CX (85Nm/600W), and more on par with the likes of Rocky Mountain’s Dyname 4.0 (108Nm/700W). But at 2.52kg (claimed) the weight is in between the new crop of lightweight motors, led by the TQ HPR50 (1.85kg) and full power units such as the Bosch CX (2.9kg). Which gives it the best power-to-weight ratio of any of the top e-bike motors.

A two-inch full colour OLED touchscreen display is integrated into the top tube.

But that’s not the full story. While the four standard modes (Auto, Eco, Trail, Turbo) ramp up the power to hit those figures, a Boost override unleashes some truly eye-popping numbers: 120Nm and 1,000W of peak power! That’s significantly more powerful than any of its rivals. Will it be too much for the trails? We’ll have to ride it to find out. DJI also claims the motor is quiet, thanks to polymer planetary gears, while DJI’s electronics and algorithm is claimed to meter out that power effectively and controllably. Two features which sound intriguing are the Auto Hold – to prevent the bike rolling back down slopes – and Hill Start Assist, which should make it easier to get pedalling again on a climb if you have to stop or dab. The DJI unit also offers stationary gear shifting – which we take to mean shifting while the cranks are not spinning – but we’re not sure if this has to be used in conjunction with SRAM’s T-type AXS and/or Shimano’s Di2 drivetrain.

DJI uses wireless Bluetooth remotes for controlling power modes and accessing walk mode or Boost mode.

The other half of the DJI Avinox package is the battery, and there are two capacities available: 600Wh and 800Wh. With a claimed weight of 2.87kg, the 600Wh unit has one of the best energy densities of any e-bike system, coming in at 209Wh/kg. This indicates that DJI has used the latest cells to pack in as much power and range as possible. It’ll need it too, as even without using Boost, you could burn through the bigger battery in under an hour using Turbo mode (depending on rider and terrain).

The DJI app allows further connectivity.

Fortunately, fast charging means you can be up and running with the DJI system in the blink of an eye. Well, not quite, but 0-75% charged in just an hour and a half is seriously quick. DJI claims the battery will have at least 80% of maximum capacity after 500 charge cycles.

DJI’s motor looks like a sleek unit.

DJI has not forgotten the human interface, either, developing a 2inch touchscreen display which is integrated into the top tube and wireless Bluetooth handlebar remote. From here riders can access a huge range of data, including speed, range, cadence, power, torque, gradient, altitude and more, and customise aspects of the motor, such as power, torque, and cadence. There’s also GPS providing real-time location feed to loved ones, or should the bike get stolen, and Bluetooth, for connecting to your phone.

Amflow is offering two models, the PL Carbon Pro (left) and PL Carbon (right).

Amflow PL Carbon and Carbon Pro – lightweight trail e-bike with a potent assist

DJI’s fierce new motor is integrated into two models from new Chinese e-bike brand Amflow. With a silhouette that strongly resembles a Specialized Levo SL, it adds further weight to our recent opinion piece that all e-bikes will eventually end up looking the same. A four-bar linkage, with the shock under the top tube and driven by a swinglink attached to the seat stays, its a surprisingly conventional design for brand with no experience in the bike industry. Using this layout helps minimise weight and keep the heaviest components (the motor and battery) as low and central as possible within the chassis and ensure dynamic, lively handling.

The Amflow PL Carbon is the base model fitted with Fox Performance Elite level components.

Travel is 150mm with a 160mm fork, and the bike has MX wheels (29in front/27.5in rear), again for maximum agility, but can also be configured with 29in wheels front and rear thanks to a flip chip. Amflow claims the carbon frame used across both models weighs 2.27kg (no indication of which frame size), while the complete PL Carbon Pro with 600Wh battery weighs a claimed 19.2kg – extremely competitive given the battery capacity and motor output.

The four-bar linkage and frame configuration echoes the likes of the Specialized Levo SL, Whyte E-Lyte, Cannondale Moterra SL and others.

Pricing and availability

Pricing has not yet been confirmed, but we’ve been told the three models will range from €7,000 to €12,000. Presumably the cheapest model will be the Almflow PL Carbon with 600Wh battery, while the most expensive will be the Amflow PL Carbon Pro with 800Wh unit. Availability is slated for Q4 (October-December) 2024 through authorised dealers in Germany, the UK, and Australia among others. We’ll post more details here as soon as we have them.