The mountain bike world has been abuzz with talk of next-generation Avinox motors since their introduction in April, and now Megamo has announced the launch of a new e-road platform called the Upon that’s “designed to deliver a true road cycling experience while harnessing the power and efficiency of the Avinox motor system”.
> The Avinox M2 is here! 18 e-mountain bikes we know that come with Avinox’s newest e-MTB motor
The Avinox e-bike drive system was originally launched as “DJI Avinox”, but DJI has spun off its e-bike tech into an independent company, with the M2S and M2 introduced a couple of months ago. The M2S offers 130Nm torque (150Nm peak) and up to 1,500W of power (although that depends on which battery your bike is running), while the M2 provides up to 125Nm of torque and 1,100W at peak power.
Gravel bikes equipped with the DJI Avinox motor are rare, although we told you about the Paprika 53 Model 25 last month.
> The Paprika 53 Model 25 is the first e-gravel bike powered by DJI’s Avinox motor
Megamo says, “Developed from the ground up specifically for road riders, the Upon combines a lightweight Carbon SL frame, road-focused geometry, integrated carbon cockpit and a fully integrated 600Wh battery to create an e-road bike that prioritises ride feel, handling and performance above all else. Rather than adapting an existing gravel or endurance platform, Megamo has engineered the Upon as a dedicated road bike that happens to have a motor.”
The Megamo Upon is available in three builds:
- Upon 05 – £6,499 – Avinox M2S motor with Shimano Ultegra Di2 (electronic) groupset
- Upon 15 CW – £5,999 – Avinox M2S motor with Shimano 105 Di2 (electronic) groupset
- Upon 20 – £3,999 – Avinox M2 motor with Shimano 105 (mechanical) groupset
Megamo says, “With motor outputs of up to 1,500W peak power and 150Nm of torque, class-leading battery capacity, and a road-specific riding position, the Upon has been designed for cyclists who want to ride further, climb more and maintain their place in fast group rides without sacrificing the characteristics that define great road cycling.”
The Avinox M2S can only deliver its headline 1,500W output with certain battery configurations. The new 700Wh battery is the one that unlocks the full 1,500W/150Nm figures. With the more common integrated 600Wh battery that features on the Megamo Upon, peak power is generally limited to around 1,300W.
In a white paper to accompany the launch, Megamo says, “The Avinox M2 or M2S drive units are tuned specifically for road use, a calibration that differs meaningfully from the MTB-optimised tune used on the Reason.
“The road-specific motor tune prioritises smooth, progressive power delivery suited to sustained effort and consistent cadence. Rather than the immediate high-torque response required for technical trail riding, the Upon’s tune is designed to feel natural in a peloton context, assistance that amplifies the rider’s effort without creating an abrupt change in ride character.
- Avinox M2: 110 Nm regular / 125 Nm boost · 1100 W peak · 2.65 kg
- Avinox M2S: 130 Nm regular / 150 Nm boost · 1500 W peak · 2.6 kg
“The power available is significantly higher than competing systems: Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 peaks at 800W; Specialized 3.1 at 810W. This difference translates to meaningful real-world performance, particularly on long climbs or sustained efforts at group pace.”
The battery is fully integrated into the frame.
Megamo says, “The fixed integration allows the frame to maintain the visual and structural profile of a road bike – no external battery housing, no compromise in tube section design. For the target rider, who predominantly charges at home between rides, a fixed battery represents no practical limitation and significant visual gains.
“600 Wh provides a realistic range of 70–120 km [43–75 miles] depending on assist level, terrain and rider output – sufficient for the majority of road riding scenarios, including sportives, long club rides and multi-hour training sessions.”
Megamo sees the Upon as unapologetically a road bike rather than being intended for versatility.
It says, “The Upon is designed specifically for road use: road geometry, road cockpit, road tyre profile, and a motor tune calibrated for sustained effort on tarmac rather than short bursts on variable terrain. The objective is to give the classic road rider who wants Avinox power for longer days, bigger climbs or sustained group riding. A bike that does not ask them to change how they ride.”
That said, it does come with clearance for 42mm tyres, which is well beyond what you’ll find on most road bikes.
Megamo says, “The Upon is [our] answer to what a rider-focused platform in this category should look like: a bike that feels natural on the road, responds to rider input, and provides motor support that enhances rather than dominates the experience.”
As for the geometry, we’ll take the medium-sized model as an example. Here, you get a 142mm head tube, a stack (vertical distance from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the head tube) of 578mm and a reach (horizontal distance between those points) of 398mm. The stack/reach is 1.45, suggesting a low and efficient ride position, but nothing too extreme.
As mentioned above, the Megamo range starts at just under £4,000.
5 thoughts on “Megamo launches dedicated e-road bike powered by super-powerful Avinox motor”
I’m not all that comfortable with a motor this powerful being on a dedicated road bike where I can only see the use being to achieve motor assisted speeds well in excess of 25kph. I appreciate the use for weak, injured riders to have assistance on climbs in social situations but 25kph at should be adequate for that (which doesn’t need huge amounts of power) and beyond that starts to become a safety issue due to lack of competence.
I would much rather see this Avinox motor being used on ecargo bikes where the extra power and torque is used to handle the much higher weight involved rather than achieving speeds well in excess of 25kph.
It’s probably me because I’m totally not into this electrically assisted road or gravel riding thing but I fail to see a use case here. Electric assist is supposed to cut out at 25 km/h or else you’re riding a speed pedelec and other rules apply. What’s 25/hour during a road ride?
Why on earth are power levels of over 1kW required to give a little assist? That’s enormous, more than most unassisted riders would be able to handle for anything more than a short period.
It’s not for me to say what others should do but I can definitely decide for myself and never will I go ride with people who are basically using an electric moped.
@Tones0000 The bike is still limited to 25 kmh, just with that peak power the rider will be able to do 25 kmh on a 12% incline, it won’t be any faster than other legal ebikes.
I’d like to have a go on one of these.
For those living in really hilly areas who want a 2 hour blast without spending 90% of their time slowly grinding up the hills in the lowest gear, this would be a great solution – turning a 20 mile ride into a 30 mile or more ride.
Малко като опит за доказване е излязло… Никой няма нужда от толкова голям въртящ момент и мощност на шосеен велосипед с тънки гуми, които дори трудно ще предават тази мощност върху пътя. А ако има и ограничение от 25 км/час е още по-безмислено.