It’s one of the most eagerly-awaited e-bike drive system updates the industry has ever seen. And the Avinox M2 and M2S motors do not disappoint…if big numbers is your jam. The brand has launched two motors today: the M2 and the premium M2S. More powerful than anything else on the market, including Avinox’s first generation of motors. But is now the time to revel in such numbers, or is it worth taking a step back and looking at the bigger picture and how this may impact not only the eMTB market but legislation and wider views on e-bikes?
60 brands have adopted the Avinox drive system, according to Bike Europe. Yes, a large proportion will be for electric mountain bike use, but the second generation of motors are so light that they could easily be fitted to urban e-bikes or bikes from other categories. It is also interesting to see how the wider cycling industry responds to the launch. Yes, brands are fighting to have their bikes equipped with the most powerful, most desired drive system. But what about the rest of the competition – will Bosch, Mahle, Fazua etc. be able to compete on power figures or will the new Avinox systems render other motors less desirable?
Motor stats:
- M2S: 1,300W & 130Nm continuous, 1,500W & 150Nm in 30-second bursts
- M2: 1,100W & 110Nm continuous, 1,100W & 125Nm in 30-second bursts
- New 700 Wh integrated battery
- Removable 600Wh & 800Wh options
- Motor weights: 2.59 kg (M2S), 2.65 kg (M2)
- Modes: Eco, Auto, Trail, Turbo & Boost (30-seconds)
- Touchscreen display with navigation via third-party apps
- Claimed higher efficiency, less noise and less drag than M1
With over 60 brands committing to the new Avinox drive systems, it would be pointless to list every single new bike being launched today. Simply head to any bike news outlet and you’ll see there are plenty of launches and information provided on each bike. But what’s interesting is the variety of e-bikes being fitted with the new systems.
The Atherton EMTB, for example, is the first e-bike from the Welsh brand. Bearing in mind brands are made aware of product releases years ahead, this implies that Atherton decided to wait for the ultimate motor for its first e-bike. Halifax-based Orange is also jumping on board. The brand has typically used Bosch motors in previous e-bikes, but the new Phase Avinox bikes look set to bring Orange back up to date with new offerings, and plenty of power.
Some brands have gone big and designed big travel enduro bikes around the new systems, others have gone for less travel, more trail-focussed bikes. But what is certain is there’s a new generation of eMTBs in 2026, whether we like the direction e-bikes are going or not.
