This article was first published on 20/08/2025 and has now been updated.
Specialist for downhill freaks and bike park fans or a comfortable touring partner with reserves? E-enduro bikes are designed to serve the widest possible target group. Bike developers are therefore faced with a dilemma: Should the offspring be a specialised tool for tough terrain? Or should it be everybody's darling, willingly taking part in a leisurely ride around the lake? And we bikers also have to be careful, because where it says a lot of suspension travel, it doesn't necessarily mean it's a real trail expert.
inside. This test provides clarity! Even though we have focussed on the sportier side of E-Enduro bikes in our selection, our five test specimens show very different characters.
The E-Enduros in the individual test
- Centurion No Pogo R2000 / 25.7 kg / 170/170 mm / 29/27.5" / 6199 Euro / Aluminium
- Conway Xyron LT 9.0 / 23.7 kg / 170/160 mm / 29" / 6500 Euro / Carbon
- Focus Sam² 6.8 600 / 26.5 kg / 170/165 mm / 29/27.5" / 5699 Euro / aluminium
- Propain Ekano 2 CF / 24.1 kg / 180/170 mm / 29" / 6499 Euro / Carbon
- Radon Deft 9.0 800 / 24.6 kg / 170/170 mm / 29" / 6299 Euro / carbon/aluminium
Lots of suspension travel - good?
The test bikes deliver between 160 and 170 millimetres of travel at the rear, and 170 to 180 millimetres at the fork. It's hard to believe that the suspension travels are so close together, as the differences between the suspension systems are striking in the practical test. The bikes from Focus and Propain, both with coil shocks, are extremely plush. Even on tough bike park trails with big jumps, the bikes remain composed - and encourage you to step on the gas in downhill style.
In comparison, the bikes from Conway and Radon are more tame. We would describe the two candidates more as powerful all-mountain bikes with reserves for tougher descents. The large batteries with 800 watt hours and the moderate weights also fit in with this. The Centurion No Pogo hits the middle ground between the two extremes. It skilfully combines riding fun, capacity and touring suitability.
The product managers hardly make any mistakes when it comes to the equipment: powerful brakes with large discs, robust tyres with grippy rubber, good suspension elements. Even in serious off-road use, you can hit the ground running with these packages.
One engine brand dominates the test
Even though the e-motor market is currently flourishing, our test field is rather monotonous. Four of the five models come with the popular Bosch Performance Line CX, which has cemented its supremacy on the market in recent years. Newcomers such as the DJI Avinox (here in the test!) on the throne - but e-enduro bikes with the powerful Chinese motor are not yet available in series production. Instead, Propain is providing variety in the test field with the Sram Powertrain.
However, the Sram motor can hardly shake the Bosch dominance. After the performance update for the Performance CX, the Swabian motor is noticeably more powerful. It's almost cheeky how effortlessly you can manoeuvre up even the steepest climbs with this power. It's clear to us that the thrust of a Brose Drive S, which supplies the hardware for Sram's Powertrain, is theoretically more than enough. But in direct comparison, the power drops noticeably.
Despite the sporty claim and focus on the best downhill characteristics, all bikes come with an easily removable battery. This is somewhat surprising in this category, as more and more sporty e-MTBs with fixed integration have recently come onto the market. Good for all those who value a removable battery. Of course, the candidates do not achieve record weights. But we can reassure you: We've rarely felt so safe on crisp descents - and had a lot of fun to boot.
How far will the E-Enduros get? Reach height
Equipped with high-quality measurement technology from Garmin, we carry out extensive range comparisons with the e-mountainbikes. Our aim was to achieve ideal comparability between the different systems. Four of the five candidates ride with Bosch's Performance CX, traditionally the system with the longest range in the ring. Radon, Conway and Centurion reach over 2000 metres in altitude with the large 800 batteries in turbo mode, which is a lot. Important to know: The tests were run in the as-delivered state, i.e. with 85 Nm and 600 watts of peak power from the Bosch CX. The additional power from the update to 100 Nm must be explicitly increased by the rider via the app. With higher power, the bikes would ride faster and the batteries would not last as long.
The Powertube 600 in the Focus Sam² also offers a very decent range. A direct comparison with the Sram Powertrain in the Propain, also with 600 Wh, shows the super range performance of the Bosch system. The Propain Ekano is therefore clearly in last place in the ranking.
The question of weight
You won't find any real lightweights in the field. This is not surprising given the robust equipment and removable batteries. With its lightweight chassis, Conway achieves the lowest overall weight, despite the long-range Bosch battery, 38 mm fork and gravity tyres. That's strong. The aluminium bikes from Centurion and Focus are heavy, but both can score with really high weight ratings, which inspires confidence in the bike. Focus in particular focusses on heavy duty from head to toe. Despite the small 600 battery, the bike is damn heavy.
The BIKE conclusion
Propain and Focus clearly set themselves apart on the downhill. It's amazing how safely and fun both bikes iron out tough descents! Pleasingly, the budget is not overstretched. However, the Focus in particular has to be challenged to deliver. Centurion, Conway and Radon are better suited for moderate use. They also have a huge range thanks to the huge battery. - Florentin Vesenbeckh, Deputy Editor-in-Chief BIKE
The results at a glance
Our points table shows the strengths and weaknesses of the bikes in detail. In the practical evaluation, the Propain Ekano is clearly in the lead, followed by the reliable Focus Sam². The other candidates are not quite as confident and fast on rough terrain.
Gigantic driving power: the test winner
In the practical evaluation, the Propain Ekano 2 CF by far the most points. On rough terrain, it rides with somnambulistic confidence without becoming too ponderous. This brings the mail-order bike the test victory!
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Good and affordable: the price-performance winner
The Focus Sam² 6.8 with really strong downhill characteristics and a fair price, it gets the price/performance tip!
Oberammergau test area
The small bike park in Oberammergau has blossomed into a classic among our test areas. Most of the trails are natural and have an enduro character, interspersed with built stunts and a jump line. The ideal variety for an enduro test. The "Fichtenschreck" downhill trail mercilessly exposes weaknesses in the chassis, as root fields here distribute impacts in patter mode. A seasoned enduro bike has to be able to cope with this.
Florentin Vesenbeckh
Editor CvD
