DJI Avinox Motor Review

The DJI Avinox E-Bike motor heated up the competition with established motor manufacturers like Bosch and Shimano at Eurobike 2024. But how much fun is really behind the hype of DJI’s market entry? Our practical test of the first DJI EMTB motor reveals the truth.

The combination of the power of 800, even peaking at 1000 watts and the compact size of the motor, begs the question: Does this combination push the motor into derating too quickly?

Motorderating occurs when the motor reduces its power due to overheating to prevent damage to the hardware. The phenomenon of derating is particularly known in light eMTB motors. Motors like the TQ HPR 50, but also the Bosch SX, quickly throttle down under extreme conditions. But even Shimano EP801 and other full-power motors are not immune to this.

Extreme conditions arise primarily when the maximum current flows through the system. So, it’s less about torturing the motor for as long as possible and more about demanding maximum power from it. Therefore, we prepared a test backpack with 40 kilograms of extra weight. Together with the bike and rider, we approached the maximum permissible system weight of 135 kilograms and tackled a 20% incline.

To stress the system to its limits, we repeatedly engaged the boost function provided by the DJI Avinox system. In Boost mode, the motor delivers 1000 watts or more for a limited period of 30 seconds. Once the 30 seconds are up, you can immediately engage the boost function again. So the time limit is more or less a formality. How long can the motor endure this?

We conducted the test with other systems as well, and performance typically dropped after around 75 vertical meters. We expected something similar from the DJI Avinox system. But that wasn’t the case. We repeatedly engaged the boost function, and the motor delivered.

Overall, we were able to engage the boost function 7 times in a row before our test climb, which featured nearly 150 vertical meters, came to an end. Despite the system weight of 135 kilos and the extreme 20% and more gradient, there was no noticeable reduction in motor performance. We pedaled up the nearly 150 vertical meters on gravel or loose forest floor in just over 4 minutes.

An amazing performance. In practice, a scenario like our test will occur very rarely. Because to extract the motor’s full power over the test period, riders need to seriously pedal hard. And to reach the maximum system weight, you need 115 kilograms ready to ride. It’s conceivable that these two scenarios might meet on a 20% incline in the wild. But who then activates the Boost mode 7 times in a row over 150 vertical meters? Probably no one. So, we are confident: DJI can’t be outdone when it comes to durability. The question remains about range and riding behavior.

DJI itself claims that the motor and the entire drivetrain system include 10 different sensors to detect the specific riding situation. In comparison, Bosch mentions on its website that its drivetrain system uses only 3 sensors.

When you take a close look at the bike, you’ll notice that it’s not just the sheer number of sensors that matters, but also the sensing technology. While many manufacturers still rely on magnets attached to the spokes, brake rotor, or valve, which pass the pickup point only once per wheel revolution, here a significantly more sensitive measuring system is used.

The sensor disc additionally mounted on the brake rotor provides 42 measurement points per wheel revolution, which are read electromagnetically. The appearance of this disc is known from Bosch’s ABS braking system. Therefore, the system doesn’t need to wait for a full wheel revolution to detect a change in speed. It can already identify it when the wheel moves only 8.6 degrees. This gives the software a completely different foundation to work from.

More astonishing, however, is that a newcomer like DJI also masters the art of generating solid riding characteristics from this data basis. Because the power that DJI advertises is not the big gamechanger in practice. The 105 NM torque and over 1000 watts peak output are nice, but you can have a lot of fun on the trails with much less. What is more decisive is how the power is translated into propulsion.

So far, it has mainly been the Bosch CX and Shimano EP801 setting the benchmark in motor control. But after our test, we are now certain: the DJI not only responds more sensitively here but also develops its power more harmoniously than its competitors.

The often mentioned motor supply is no longer a divine decree with this system but can be easily adjusted to personal preferences via an app. Overall, the app integration, system connectivity, and data display on a screen are on a completely new level.

The top tube integrated OLED display with touch functionality sets a new benchmark in the eMTB sector. While TQ’s display resolution harks back to the ’90s, Bosch displays are either too small, placed awkwardly, or so large that no one wants them on a sporty eMTB. Shimano’s classic handlebar display shows only the essential information on a tiny screen, which is at least well-protected.

In contrast, the totally free and above all easily configurable display of the DJI Avinox system feels like the next level. Not only does it impress with its intuitive touch operation (which works even with gloves) and its resolution, but it also displays more data than any other eMTB display.

This way, not only can you display the ridden mileage, but the display also provides the elevation gain. You can view your own power output in watts and the additional power contributed by the motor. You can display the grade. According to DJI, they are already working on an interface with Komoot, so navigation with this display could also be easily possible in the future. This could finally solve the problem of the second screen that you see on so many eMTBs in the form of a phone or GPS speedometer.

What’s already possible is that you can effortlessly mirror all data to your phone or reconfigure the display with the help of your phone. The bike also has built-in theft protection, which alerts you if the bike is moved when it should be resting in the basement. Additionally, two wireless Bluetooth remotes can be mounted on the left and right of the handlebars to control the system. We think one is actually enough to switch the riding modes, so you can save yourself the second.

One of the most annoying things about many eMTBs is the gear rattle when going downhill. Bosch has this issue with their 4th Generation CX models. Shimano also struggles with the same problem in the EP8 and EP801 models.

This rattle just disrupts the harmony when you’re ripping through nature with your bike. The DJI motor has this problem to a much lesser extent. While our test bike did make some noise, most of it came from a creaky headset and rattling cables. More about this in our test of the Amflow PL Bike. We didn’t notice any persistent and loud gear noise.

When climbing, the motor operates at a similar level to Bosch but is somewhat quieter than Shimano units. Especially when you demand full power at low cadence, it becomes quite audible. When you pedal with a high cadence and let the motor do less work, the riding noise is still there but becomes significantly quieter.

The Amflow bike weighs in at 19.34 kilos without pedals in its lightest configuration (600 Wh battery). And that’s something to brag about. The weights of the other versions, at 20.3 and 21.3 kilos with an 800 Wh battery, are also impressive. For comparison: The lightest full-power e-MTB we’ve tested so far was the new Orbea Rise, which weighed in at 19.85 kilos with a 630 Wh battery and Double Down rear tire. Where does Amflow or DJI shave off the weight?

For more information on the Amflow PL Carbon Bikes with all their ride characteristics and details, check out our separate, in-depth review.

Weighing in at 2514 grams, the DJI Avinox motor is approximately 100 grams lighter than the Shimano EP801 motor and even 400 grams lighter than Bosch’s CX motor of the 4th generation.

DJI also competes in the top league when it comes to battery weight. With 2.9 kilos for the 600 battery and 3.7 kilos for the 800 battery, these weights are truly impressive. Compared to the current Bosch Powertube batteries, DJI’s offerings are significantly lighter. The 625 Bosch Powertube battery weighs about the same as DJI’s 800 battery here.

The battery weight is not absolutely outstanding. Shimano has an open battery system where each manufacturer can use their own batteries. And the batteries Orbea uses for its Rise are in the same weight league. The 630 battery weighs 2.9 kilos and, with 4.6 grams per watt-hour, is even slightly lighter than the DJI Avinox batteries.

DJI also puts competitors in the shade with their charger. While Bosch considers a 6-amp charger fast charging, DJI standardly uses 12 amps. What’s surprising is that this 12-amp charger operates without a fan, which you’d expect to see for cooling with such current flow.

This is made possible through new GaN technology. The technical details might not interest everyone. The important thing is: How fast does the bike actually charge? According to DJI, the 800-watt battery can be charged from 0 to 75% in 1.5 hours. After that, even with the new charger, it becomes slow again. It takes about 2.5 hours for the bike to be fully charged. This is because balancing the cells in the final charging phase takes a long time. The bike’s display shows the remaining duration during the charging process until it’s fully charged (something not seen before).

The comparison to other systems is naturally a bit difficult here because, of course, where there is more power, more energy is consumed. In this aspect, the Avinox’s brute torque and also its high peak power somewhat work against it. But with the 800 battery, it is also lavishly equipped.

In our test, we were mostly riding in Turbo mode at full power. We always do this when we try to determine the range. We can kill Bosch’s SX system with the 400 batteries, which are usually installed, after about 1000 meters of elevation gain.

The Bosch CX motor, with the usually installed 625 batteries, manages about 1300-1400 meters of elevation gain.

Bikes with Shimano’s EP801 motor and 600 Wh battery or 630 Wh battery like the Cannondale Moterra SL or the Orbea Rise, I have drained them in Turbo mode on roughly 1600 vertical meters.

With DJI’s Avinox system, we tackled uphills on gravel and trails, and even some seriously steep trails, reaching 1800 meters with the 800 Wh battery. This was with a rider weight of 70 kg. When you dial down the power to match the competition, you could say the DJI Avinox is slightly more efficient than its biggest competitors, but overall, it performs on par with them.

More information about the Amflow PL Carbon Bikes, including all their ride characteristics and details, can be found in our separate, comprehensive review.