Conclusion of the BIKE editorial team
With its extreme performance, the Avinox M2S turns everything that has gone before in the E-MTB drive segment on its head. In terms of power-to-weight ratio, this is definitely next level! The Chinese have also improved the modulation, making the motor hard to beat. However, whether the sheer power - and the associated hunger for energy - really helps in the search for the perfect e-mountainbike remains more than questionable.
In the development of mountain bikes and bike products, a product life cycle of around three years has become established. In the past, it was pretty easy to predict when a new generation was due. But the clocks tick differently in China. After only around 1.5 years, e-bike high-flyer DJI is launching the next development stage of its Avinox e-bike system. And with a bang! Instead of limiting itself to a subtle facelift or soft skills, the Avinox M2S comes with a blatant plus in power. You need to know that even the Predecessor Avinox M1 (here in the test) drove the established competition into the ground with his top performance.
The hard facts: At its peak, the Avinox M2S is said to deliver up to 1500 watts and 150 Newton metres of maximum torque. That's just about DOUBLE the power of a Bosch Performance CX (to the test) and an increase in performance of 50 per cent compared to the Avinox M1. The design remains almost identical and the weight increases only slightly by around 100 grams.
Full power only with special battery
When it comes to peak performance, the new motor only achieves its maximum power with particularly powerful batteries. Avinox has developed a new, super-slim battery with 700 watt hours, which is said to weigh 3.18 kilos. With this, 1500 watts and 130 Newton metres are continuously available in the data sheet, with the boost function releasing up to 150 Nm for short periods. With the new removable batteries (600 or 800 watt hours), the full 1500 watts are only available in short-term boost mode; in the regular modes, it stops at 1300 watts. And with the familiar, permanently installed batteries with 600 and 800 watt hours, which many manufacturers continue to install, the peak power is generally limited to 1300 watts.
The facts about the Avinox M2S
- Peak power: 1300 or 1500 watts (depending on battery)
- max. torque: 130 Nm
- Boost function with up to 150 Nm (max. 60 seconds)
- Motor weight: 2.65 kg
- Batteries: 600 (2.84 kg), 700 (3.18 kg) or 800 (3.74 kg) watt hours, usually permanently installed
- New exchangeable battery: 800 Wh (approx. 4 kg) and 600 Wh (2.96 kg)
- Compatible with bikes built for the DJI Avinox M1
- Touch display
- Four support levels Eco, Trail, Turbo, Auto - individually configurable in the app
How the Avinox M2S rides
Can a relatively compact e-bike motor really be more powerful than the Avinox M1? The first few metres in a back-to-back comparison of the two generations make it clear: Yes, it can. And how! The Avinox M2S pushes even harder than its already overly powerful predecessor. It feels almost unreal. To put this into perspective: This impression relates to the weaker version with an 800 watt battery and therefore "only" 1300 watts of peak power.
In terms of power delivery and driving feel, high performance remains the dominant theme, not particularly high torque. The engine certainly likes to be driven at a high cadence. This does not mean that it lacks torque or power when pedalling slowly. But it feels really comfortable at pedalling frequencies above 80 rpm.
This is not a flaw, but rather a blessing. Because this character gives the engine a sporty and dynamic character, despite all the excess power. Instead of being dull from the bottom, it reacts directly and lively to increased pedalling impulse - it always feels capable of going the extra mile. This is also due to the fact that Avinox has not increased the maximum support. As with the M1, the M2S also supports up to 800 per cent. This means that at higher power levels, the rider needs to be slightly more committed in order to utilise the full power of the motor. It goes without saying that the new Avinox is more than powerful enough even when pedalling at a leisurely pace.
Beyond the power, the Chinese have also tinkered with the driving feel of the engine. In fact, the M2S is even rounder and smoother than its predecessor. The response to pedalling impulses is delicate and sensitive. However, this cannot hide the fact that every bike we have ridden with the new motor so far has been overwhelmed by the sheer power of the M2S on tricky climbs. In many situations, the enormous acceleration inevitably leads to a rising front wheel or loss of control. This is much easier to control in Auto mode or with reduced power. The question of whether so much power is really needed off-road - or whether it is really helpful - inevitably arises. Of course, there are also certain situations in which the massive momentum and thrust make borderline climbs child's play.
Volume of the M2S
There is light and shade in the background noise. If you're cranking along the forest road at a leisurely pace, the engine sound remains pleasant and - depending on the situation - even disappears completely into the ambient noise. If you call up the full power of the engine, the unit howls quite clearly and the noise becomes present. In view of the extreme power, however, the noise is by no means excessively loud. On the contrary. We would say that the M2S is only slightly louder than a Bosch Performance CX in these situations.
The Avinox M1 had a clear flaw: it rattled downhill on the trail. Avinox claims to have eliminated this problem with the new M2S. In fact, our first test bikes with M2S were clearly quieter than the average M1 bike. However, we cannot attest to the complete silence of the M2S. As experience has shown that the background noise of e-MTB motors is subject to significant series variation and also varies from bike to bike depending on the performance of the unit, we will report further. We have a lot of tests with Avinox bikes coming up in the next few weeks and months.
Strengths and weaknesses Avinox M2S
Strengths
- incredible power
- Slim design
- Good, dynamic driving experience
- Intuitive operation
- Quick charger
Weaknesses
- Mostly permanently installed batteries
- Some slight rattling downhill
- slightly heavier than its predecessor
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
