Drone Manufacturer DJI Debuts Light & Powerful eMTB Motor - Eurobike 2024
Drone manufacturer, DJI, has developed a very powerful, very lightweight eMTB motor called the Avinox. It makes its debut today on the Amflow PL eMTB, a 150mm travel trail bike from a brand that has come to the market specifically in partnership with DJI. The Avinox Drive Unit has a maximum torque of 120 Nm and a peak power output of 1000 W, packaged into a drive unit that weighs just 2.52 kg. That's an industry leading power to weight ratio, and an impressive torque density 47.6 Nm per kg.
DJI Avinox Drive Unit Details
• Claimed Weight: 2.52 kg
• Maximum Torque: 120 Nm (105 Nm)
• Peak Power: 1000 W (850 W)
• Continuous Power: 250 W
• Batteries: 600 Wh, 800 Wh
• ISIS Crank Interface
• Motor Warranty: 2 Years
• dji.com
• Claimed Weight: 2.52 kg
• Maximum Torque: 120 Nm (105 Nm)
• Peak Power: 1000 W (850 W)
• Continuous Power: 250 W
• Batteries: 600 Wh, 800 Wh
• ISIS Crank Interface
• Motor Warranty: 2 Years
• dji.com
DJI have produced a full-powered drive unit with the footprint of an SL drive unit
DJI Avinox Motor System and Batteries
Motor technology is at the heart of DJI's business. Thus it's not completely wild for them to move into the production of e-bike motors. What is wild is just how much torque and power they have been able to package into a drive unit that weighs just 2.52 kg, and one with such a small footprint, too (width of 137mm). To put that into context, the Shimano EP801 with 85 Nm torque and 600 W peak power weighs 2.7 kg. The Bosch Performance Line CX with the same outputs weighs 2.9 kg. The DJI Avinox manages to be lighter, smaller and more powerful than either of those.
The DJI Avinox has a stepless clutch system for instant engagement
It uses compound planetary gears to achieve the necessary reduction ratio in such a compact package
Whether 120 Nm and 1000 W is needed on an eMTB is another matter entirely (and a topic for another time). More important here is that DJI are showing us what they are capable of. It's very impressive, and I'm sure competing e-bike motor manufacturers will be paying close attention, to say the least. Those numbers are accessed in Boost mode only, with the normal assistance modes offering a more modest 105 Nm torque and 850 W peak power.
I guess it comes as no real surprise that DJI are able to produce such a small, lightweight and powerful motor, given their history of producing very lightweight motors for drones for over 10 years. It is their bread and butter, so to speak. In contrast to the round shape that TQ's concentric Harmonic Pin Ring drive unit permits, the DJI Avinox relies on compound planetary gears, giving it the more common oval shape. That gearing system that delivers the drive unit's reduction steps is key to allowing the motor to be so compact overall.
DJI really are firing on all cylinders; their batteries are very lightweight, too.
They have made their own batteries to work with the Avinox, with cells produced by LG Electronics; there is a 600 Wh and an 800 Wh option. The 600 Wh battery weighs a claimed 2.78 kg - that compares to the Shimano 504 Wh battery that weighs 2.95 kg, and the 400 Wh PowerTube from Bosch that weighs 2.9 kg. The batteries are charged using GaN 3x Fast Charging technology. A compact charger can be used to charge the 600 Wh battery from 0% to 75% within 1.5 hours. The 800 Wh battery weighs a claimed 3.74 kg.
The battery on the Amflow PL is not removable, and must be charged on the bike
The rotor-based speed sensors samples 42 times per revolution of the wheel; it is compatible with all 6-bolt hubs
Amflow PL eMTB with DJI Avinox
The DJI Avinox finds its home on a 150mm travel eMTB with a 160mm fork. The Amflow PL is a full carbon affair with a four-bar linkage delivering that rear wheel travel. The top-end PL Carbon Pro model weighs a claimed 19.2 kg, as spec'd here. There is no launch date to speak of yet, though we were told the bikes will be available "some time this fall".
Cadence demand from the motor is fairly standard; pedaling at 60-80 rpm will get you 105 Nm torque in most assist modes (except Boost which will give you 120 Nm)
The DJI Avinox is by far and away the most interesting feature of the Amflow PL - there is really nothing terribly notable about the bike itself. When it does come, it will be available in four sizes; M-XXL, with reach figures of 452mm, 475mm, 500mm and 525mm, respectively, with a 445mm rear-center. The head angle is 64.5° and the seat tube an effective 77°.
The top tube-mounted display is touch screen. You can swipe between screens to see different data sets about your ride; distance, support mode, speed, cadence etc., but also things like HR and calories if you connect it with a 3rd party HR monitor. As you can see, the display can also show you gradient; the DJI system has a pitch sensor, the data from which is fed into the DJI Smart-Assist Algorithm to help determine how much support the motor should deliver in the Auto mode.
Above the display is a USB-C charging port, to which you can connect your phone or bike computer to charge it as you ride. Underneath the display is a port for a sim card. That can be used to help locate the bike in the event it gets stolen, but it can also be used to directly upload data to Strava and other platforms.
There are five customizable assist modes; Auto, Eco, Trail, Turbo and Boost, and a Walk mode, too. A small wireless remote on the bar switches between the modes, but it isn't essential. The ON button on the top tube display can also be used to switch between modes should you wish to keep the cockpit clutter-free.
I had a zoom about on the Amflow PL to get a quick impression of the motor. While it is impossible to say anything meaningful about the power delivery from such a short ride around on flat tarmac, I did pick up on an easily audible rattle from the clutch (something that almost every motor suffers from, a notable exception being the TQ-HPR50). The motor itself isn't quiet, either, but I wouldn't say it was any louder than the commonly available full-powered motors on the market.
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At best we'd just see a sea of constant-changing "standards" (remember your bottom bracket, headset, seat tube, bar/stem diameter, rotor attachment, linkage bearings, shock eyelets, and hub widths/axle diameters are all built to a "standard" and here we are having to remember that our bike is pf92, IS44/56, 30.9, 35mm bar, center-lock, 2x 6902 + 2x 6903 + 4x 3802 + 2x 6900 bearings, 22.8mm + 30mm-bearing eyelets and boost)
At worst we'd have a single standard for motor, charger and batteries, meaning a company would be discouraged from building a smaller/lighter motor or battery, a fast charge system, or improving a number of things deemed "standard"
Just my opinion though, cheers.
I'd wager that when there are more than just a handful of SL e-mtb's in market, "Standards" will more than likely narrow in on a few systems set the bar for usability, reliability and performance. .
Bike specific e-bike parts are terrible and the industry needs to stop with them and just use manufacturers off the shelf components.
Charging for sure needs to be standardised though, we have a charging point at the top of one of our trail centers, but i have never seen anyone use it, cause who wants to bring a charger all the way up the hill, you change that to a standardised charger then you can leave it there, have lunch and get enough charge for an extra lap
think more, I have a bike with "boost" hubs, so any "boost" hub will fit. Thats the point of the "standard".
Not to limit innovation on what manufactures can dream up.......
So that a tapered steer tube, fits a tapered headtube/headset,
So that a 29" tire fits a 29" wheel
So that an IS brake adapter can bolt to a frame with IS mounts
Not a set of rules in place so that engineers, and designers are limited in their ability to develop, innovate, and bring products to market
for both road
and mountain, designer,
is..this..quaternary education "?"
It was the first e-bike which appealed to me, and that was almost entirely due to the innovative TQ motor, which wouldn’t exist if e-bikes all had standardised motor mounts.
622mm standard, great, so you can use a 32mm road tire or a 2.0 mtb tire on a gravel bike, its the perfect example.
So many on here have a poor understanding of why "standards" exist
Let the butthurt feelings out and it will set you free!!
This DJI bike has a crazy full power 1000W / 120NM / 800WH
e-bikes for commuting (where it gets people out of cars) I can appreciate.
e-bikes for MTB leisure activities I dislike.
e-bikes for racing I hate.
Just don't call them mountain bikes. Ebikes are a different thing and should be regulated differently.
Kamler: For the mass retailers, it's possible to build a good quality e-bike at affordable prices but the big challenge is after-market service. We're tiptoeing in this market now as we really hate the state of the e-bike industry in the U.S. E-bikes should be pedal-assist only with a maximum motor of 350 watts. Anything more than that and anything with a throttle should be classified as a motorcycle.
Drives to trail head, attaches Garmin to handlebars, texts friend using latest iPhone.
Mountain Mopeds
Motorcycles with pretend pedals (foot actuated throttle)
Motorized Recreational Vehicles
@tomjanas: as Trump said to Biden: " I didn't understand a word of that and I don't he did either"
Mountain bikes don't have motors. Never have, never will. But by all means, enjoy your moped ride.
A lot of us down here also ride hard enduro dirt bikes, but it's two completely different sports, I'm guessing you haven't tried them or have a very narrow mind and it's your way of the highway, as we don't treat everyone with distain for choosing to use epedal assist bikes up to the trail heads instead of analog bikes, or a hypocrite for using gondola, chairlift or car shuttles.
Quite simply the power in this instance is done by determining a power output where the heat shed is equal to the heat created at the power. To get that number up is done by active cooling or copper/system mass and area. They will never be super light motors.
DJI are very good at making reliable systems, I will be excited to hear a full review
Both ride very like much like a regular bike the heavier models were fun climbing but descending not so much Im not a fan of how they handle.
So yes , don’t try one if you scared to be pulled over to the dark side. It’s very real
Stoked that DJI has entered the market. Maybe they can become more “affordable” with some more competition in the market. Right now they are overpriced like all bikes are IMO
Definitely a huge problem on the streets though, especially those 28mph "RAD" deathtraps
There were more ACC (accident compensation corporation) claims by cyclists but then there is a higher proportion of cyclists, also 4-5 times more cyclist claims than ebikers.
apparently e bike claims have risen 5 fold in the last 5 years with the majority being 60-75.
in '23 there were 29644 claims with 4156 being mountain bikes and 1823 being ebikes. though they don't break down mtb with powered or non.
These numbers though are from claims alone, who knows how many are not claimed.
I'm not anti-ebike, if that matters.
I could see it when you guys get older . you can stand at the end of the 18th hole and tell people using a golf cart that they should be carrying their clubs. you big bad peddler you.
Your bike is now a phone.
Good news for theft tracking, assuming that SIM slot is secured somehow. More convenient for Strava nerding. And from the tin-foil hat, also a step towards subscription-based mountain biking.
That is a nonsense statement. 3x faster than what? GaN doesn't necessarily mean fast, it means small for the speed. Why not just give numbers? How many watts peak charging? Seems like about 250... They could have used USB-PD!
Many of the trails around here involve 400-600m of climbing before the decent, and 4-6 laps isn't uncommon. Ebikes have replaced a lot of shuttle truck laps.
I'm just waiting for the tech to settle out a bit so I don't get stuck with a $10k+ paperweight, while my buddies blow by on lighter, faster, longer lasting ebikes.
Cell phones have essentially had their form factor, batteries and basic features figured out for over a decade now. Ie iPhone is similar to a Galaxy is similar to a Pixel.
eMTBs are still in a state of rapid evolution, sort of like cell phones were back then. Your Nokia was junk as soon as the Blackberry debuted, the Blackberry was junk once iPhone launched. And then everyone sort of settled into the idea that the iPhone style platform (flat rectangle with a touch screen and cameras) was the form of a smart phone that was best suited to most people.
I guess what I'm saying is that I'm waiting for the first iPhone of eMTBs. The gamechanger and standard-bearer that forces all brands to more or less establish a "norm".
P.S checkout Matt Wragg's perspective here different bike - same idea though....https://www.pinkbike.com/news/staff-rides-matt-wraggs-2021-yt-decoy.html
Try enjoying what you like and letting others do the same?!
I feel like you are over thinking it
Could it be a myth?
Lol the pink bike hate on e bikes is so dumb.
However, the majority of ebike riders (just like mtb and anything in general) are novice muppets.
Personally, even though I own and use my e for dh training and find it a very useful tool, similar to social media / modern technology in general, I would happily kill it all with fire.
My utopia would be a requirement of normal mtb for several years before being allowed to buy an E. I know it’s insane, but I’d love that!
I just really hate that anyone I’ve met at work etc who is considering getting into the sport is going straight to an E. It makes me cringe at my core. I guess call me an elitist prick, but I want my fellow mtbers on the trails to be a certain type of personality, and E has opened it up more…and not in a good way.
It's a shame that these things find a home on bicycling pages. And that people are ready to buy these mopeds: pollution be damned, give me anything to avoid physical effort on the trail.
^^^
This
Proceeds to click on story anyway.. And then comment on the story to remind the rest of us that some people have no impulse control..
Do you know if in core enough to still be here?