Chinese brand Teewing appears to have a DJI-equipped e-bike finished and ready for sale, beating the likes of Forbidden and Unno.
The Chinese mobility brand, better known for its electric scooters, looks set to be the latest manufacturer to offer an e-bike powered by the much-hyped DJI Avinox motor. A single post on the brand’s totally new instagram account shows a carbon full-suspension bike fitted with what looks to be the motor from drone manufacturer DJI.
This would make it the second confirmed bike we’ve seen with this motor in production form to join DJI’s own Amflow PL Carbon model, since Forbidden and Unno have only released glimpses of a top tube embedded display at this point.
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Teewing has no previous experience in building mountain bikes, but does sell a range of electric scooters as well as a carbon folding bike. Jumping straight into the high-end electric mountain bike market, during a period of weak demand, would be a bold move, but Teewing does have a couple of advantages that could see it succeed. One is obviously the DJI Avinox motor, currently the hottest and most powerful unit fitted to any high performance e-mtb. Packing 850w peak power and 105Nm, this can be temporarily turbocharged to 1,000W and 120Nm with the Boost function. Throw in the DJI’s low motor weight, compact dimensions, hi-tech batteries, and superb integration with touchscreen interface, and it’s charged ahead of legacy brands like Bosch, Brose, TQ, Shimano, and Yamaha, in the battle to produce the best electric motor.
The other detail that could give Teewing an edge as a newcomer to the market is that the UK has just abolished tariffs on e-bikes from China, which could allow pricing to be set lower than competitors.
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Details are scarce on the model Teewing has produced, but it’s called the Turbo Force Team, and judging from the spec, it will be in the 120-140mm travel category, with a focus on light weight and efficiency. Teewing’s Instagram account also follows a number of e-bike XC race athletes, which also backs up that theory, as well as the assumption that it will field a team in the WES race series.
The full carbon frame looks pretty burly considering the lightweight XC spec Credit: Théo Charmes
From the image, the Turbo Force Team appears to have a full carbon frame, with a four-bar linkage driving an inline shock. Up front is a Fox 34 fork, which is only available with up to 140mm travel. There is the possibility that this is a special build for the race team, with lighter components and reduced travel, with Teewing also offering a trail-spec model with a longer stroke shock and longer travel fork. The bike in the image is also a full 29er, but there does appear to be a flip-chip at the lower shock eye, which could be enough to compensate for some of the geometry shift if a 27.5in rear wheel was used instead.
The team colours might not be to everyone’s taste, but beneath the paint, the bones look solid. Credit: Théo Charmes
Weight-wise, I’d guess the Turbo Force Team shown in the image to weigh around the 19kg mark, maybe less if it’s fitted with the lighter 600Wh battery instead of the longer range 800Wh unit. Judging by the images and the position of the motor, it doesn’t look like the battery is removable without detaching the motor first.
I’ve reached out to Teewing for further information on the Turbo Force Team, and will update this story if I learn more.