DJI Avinox in the test: Facts at last! What the e-bike motor from DJI can do
Florentin Vesenbeckh
· 16.04.2025
Rarely have I been asked so vehemently about one and the same topic. Whether colleagues, press representatives from bike companies or acquaintances who are only remotely involved in biking. Everyone wanted to know: "What about this DJI motor? Are you already driven the Amflow?" Or: "Is this thing really that good?"
In fact, there has hardly been a product in the last decade that has caused such an uproar in the bike industry as the DJI Avinox M1 motor, which saw the light of day at Eurobike 2025. We in the editorial team were also very excited about this test.
The key data are outstanding. The Chinese tech giant promises up to 1000 watts of power with a weight of 2.57 kilos. These values outclass those of the competition by far. In recent years, it seemed as if the technical maximum had slowly been reached in terms of motor power per kilo. How can this work?
For this article, we tested the Avinox extensively, checked it in the lab, rode it through the terrain and tested its range and derating with watt-measuring pedals. Let's get this out of the way: The figures are not marketing blah-blah. The DJI Avinox delivers what it promises.
The B grade is also convincing
In other areas, it is less surprising that DJI scores points. Display, app, operation: this is where the Chinese can draw on their expertise and components from the drone business. And they do this with flying colours.
Brilliant display, convincing touch function and, above all, intuitive operation. No other manufacturer does this better. Only the operation and the eco system of the brand new Specialized Turbo Levo can keep up here and even surpass the Avinox accessories in terms of look and feel.
The facts about the DJI Avinox M1 e-bike motor
- Lighter than the competition from Bosch, Brose and Shimano: 2.57 kilos (measured in the BIKE lab)
- The most powerful motor we have ever tested: 987 watts peak power (BIKE measurement)
- Four support levels Auto, Eco, Trail and Turbo, customisable via app
- Short-term boost function releases peak power for 30 seconds
- Touch display and wireless remote with intuitive operation
- Two battery variants with 600 and 800 watt hours
What's next for the DJI Avinox?
The biggest weakness of the DJI Avinox in recent months has been that it was only available in one bike. Even though the Amflow PL Carbon in test leaves a good impression, the question of further players with the DJI drive is being raised.
In the meantime, several brands have already presented their projects with DJI Avinox to the public. The With the Reason and Reason Air, the Spaniards from Megamo present an E-MTB-Fully that is relatively affordable.
Also from Spain the exclusive luxury enduro Unno Mith. And from the Canadian Gravity-Brand Forbidden come with the Druid CorE and Druid LitE two special bikes for downhill experts.
Even if the bikes are not yet available to buy: It won't be long before alternatives to the original DJI bike are in the shops.
Performance: this is how powerful the DJI e-bike motor really is
Is the DJI Avinox M1 really as powerful as the manufacturer claims? We were sceptical beforehand. But the first time we used it in practice, it became clear just how much more powerful the Avinox is compared to Bosch, Shimano and the like. A different league!
On the roller test bench in the PT Labs test laboratory, we measured 861 watts in turbo mode and even 987 watts peak power with the boost function. This corresponds pretty much exactly to the manufacturer's specifications. Bosch, Shimano and Brose land at just under 550 watts at the peak. These data show the enormous performance advantage of the DJI Avinox in a completely objective and directly comparable way. What's more, the Avinox motor is the lightest motor in this triumvirate. At just under 300 grams, the difference to the Performance CX is particularly remarkable.
In practice, it looks like this: The Amflow conquers the 412 metre ascent with a 12.2 percent gradient in our standardised range test in turbo mode at an average speed of 21.2 km/h in under 10 minutes. DJI thus sets the best mark of all the systems we have ever tested there by a clear margin. Bosch and Shimano need around 13:30 to 14 minutes at an average speed of 15 km/h.
This superior power also quickly becomes clear in the terrain. Steep stretches and key sections are reached with significantly more momentum. Where other motors are already working at the limit, the Avinox can accelerate again. The significantly higher torque is also noticeable. When the cadence drops, the DJI motor pulls away unperturbed and really powerfully. In terms of power, it is clearly superior to the other drives and the limits of what can be ridden are pushed upwards.
DJI with disadvantages in pedalling resistance
We also tested the pedalling resistance with the motor switched off in the laboratory - and discovered one of the few disciplines in which the motor shows weaknesses. We measured 14.8 watts on the Avinox M1. Bosch's Performance CX was able to reduce the resistance of the new edition from 13.8 watts (Gen4) to 9.1 watts (Gen5). DJI lags somewhat behind here.
Range and charging: How far can the DJI Avinox go?
In our standardised range test, the DJI Avinox reached the summit at record speed with an 800 watt-hour battery. A lot of power needs a lot of electricity, so the fun ended quite early after a good 1600 metres of altitude.
For comparison: A Bosch Performance CX with Powetube 800 reaches well over 2000 metres in altitude, albeit at a much slower speed. The results are shown in the following graph under "Full throttle range altitude".
In order to categorise this more precisely, we have carried out an extra test run elsewhere and matched the Avinox to the performance of the Performance CX. Both systems start with a nominal 800 Wh.
We monitored and kept the rider's performance constant using Garmin watt measurement technology and equalised the system weight. In this way, the two drives climb the mountain in synchronisation. This scenario is shown in the graphic above under "Levelling up".
First realisation: The battery level on the display initially melts at the same rate. If the charge level falls below 50 per cent, however, the DJI system loses power somewhat faster. With five per cent of the battery remaining, the Avinox goes into emergency mode and only pushes with around 100 watts. At this point, there are a good 1900 metres of altitude on the clock. At the same time, the CX is still at 10 per cent and continues to push with constant power. In this way, it collects another 190 metres of altitude in turbo mode.
Although the DJI bike can still manage some height with minimal thrust, this comes largely from the rider's muscles and not from the battery. This range performance of the DJI Avinox is remarkable, as it is not far short of the Bosch drive, which sets the benchmark in our tests. What's more, the 800 mm DJI battery is a good 150 grams lighter than its Bosch counterpart.
DJI also has the advantage of a fast charger. In the test, the 800 battery was fully charged in 2:33 hours, the Bosch Powertube 800 in 6:08 hours. Even more relevant in practice on tour: In one hour, the DJI charger feeds the battery by 48 per cent, with Bosch we got 25 per cent back into the tank in 60 minutes.
How far does the 600 battery last
We have already been able to test the Amflow PL Carbon extensively with the smaller 600 series battery. And here, too, we carried out an extensive range test. In comparison with the lightweight power bikes Cannondale Moterra SL and BH iLynx+ SL the Amflow proved to be the most efficient. At an equalised speed and motor power, the Amflow climbed slightly further with 600 Wh than its competitors with Shimano motors and a nominal 600 and 630 Wh respectively.
Derating test: heat-resistant or not?
Massive power in a compact installation space with low weight. Can that work? Hardly anyone believed the Avinox could withstand the heat. With autumn temperatures and snow at high altitudes, a real endurance test was not possible. But we did our best to put the Avinox's stability to the test.
With an outside temperature of around 6 degrees, we pushed the Amflow up a steep climb near Bolzano in turbo mode. System weight incl. bike 120 kilos, 200 watts rider power. On particularly steep ramps, we occasionally activated the boost function to call up the full peak power and put additional stress on the motor. After 22 minutes, seven kilometres and 840 metres in altitude were on the clock - without any noticeable loss of power.
This was followed shortly afterwards by a steep section where firing up the boost function had no effect. Instead of rocketing up to 1000 watts, the display remained at around 800 - 850 watts. Tickled by this small "weakness", we continued to push the Avinox at full throttle towards the summit.
After a total of 35 minutes and around 1300 metres of altitude in continuous turbo, the motor significantly reduced its performance and spat out a warning: "Motor performance limited. Battery overheated".
Around 200 watts of motor power was still flickering on the display. After a break of a few minutes, the full power was back again. This cannot be described as a weakness. We were more impressed by how consistently the Avinox was able to maintain its incredible performance.
It remains to be seen how the engine will perform in hot summer temperatures. To put this in context: with other engines that we have criticised for their low stability, we have also experienced a noticeable drop in performance at temperatures of around ten degrees and even with significantly shorter loads of less than 15 minutes.
The Avinox in the field
TQ HPR 120, Sachs RS, Panasonic GX Ultimate - there are several motors on the market that outperform the classics from Shimano and Bosch in terms of power. But none of them have really caught on. In addition to their high weight, they all have a more or less rough riding behaviour. Is it even possible to control brute power in such a way that the power reaches the ground and the bike is convincing off-road?
Even if the acceleration of the DJI Avinox in turbo mode is radical, the newcomer cannot be accused of being uncouth. On the contrary. The drive responds finely to the driver's pedalling impulse and uses its power in a well-dosed manner. If you reduce the thrust a little, the driving experience stands out as natural and the engine pushes harmoniously.
Turbo mode, on the other hand, is often too much of a good thing on technical climbs. Especially in combination with the long trail (even in the delivery state/centre position!), you can hardly control the bike as precisely as technical passages at low speed require. The Avinox sometimes pushes impetuously out of corners.
The progressive trail mode is much better here because it reacts more strongly to the rider's input and therefore doesn't push too hard. In terms of performance, there are also significantly more reserves in this mode than with a Bosch or Shimano motor.
To master difficult uphills, you have to get used to the Avinox and sometimes ride different lines. After this learning process, however, you can even climb climbs that were previously out of the question.
The background noise of the motor is surprisingly pleasant. Despite the significantly stronger thrust, the Avinox sounds only slightly louder than the new and very quiet new Bosch Performance CX. Caution: While the motor seems extremely quiet at the start of the ride when cool, the sound increases significantly as the load increases. You shouldn't be fooled by a short car park test. This is the case with many e-bike motors on the market.
The BIKE conclusion
Out of nowhere, the DJI Avinox puts the competition in the shade. The combination of low weight, massive power and good efficiency is definitely the new benchmark. The soft skills are also impressive. Whether an e-bike motor really needs such brute power is another matter. - Florentin Vesenbeckh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief BIKE Magazine
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
