The Kilowatt is the latest e-MTB from Nukeproof, but it hardly comes as a surprise, as the brand has been teasing the model across various shows already and wasn’t shy to show that their latest motorised MTB would come with the latest iteration of Avinox motor.
With a frame that looks reminiscent of the original Reactor trail bike, the Kilowatt will be available in both alloy and carbon-framed options and will boast assistance from Avinox M2 and M2S motors. With a starting price of just £3,999, the Kilowatt doesn’t receive the latest generation Avinox removable batteries, but uses the 800Wh (600Wh battery on the size small) that was launched alongside the original M1 motor, meaning you’ll max out at 1,300 watts rather than the headline 1,500 watts (on the top-end M2S bikes that is). Still, that’s plenty of power on tap, and because the Kilowatt doesn’t have an easily removable battery, frame development and the cost of that development were likely cut and passed on to the rider.
Suspension travel is very much in that blurred line between trail and enduro, with 150mm on the rear and 160mm at the front, and while the Kilowatt range will happily accept 29in wheels front and rear, all models ship as a mullet, which we expect most riders will prefer anyway. The suspension layout is a refined version of the classic Nukeproof Horst link design with a single-piece rocker for improved stiffness, while the kinematic has been tuned to get the most from the Avinox power and torque that’s available while retaining small bump compliance and rider support.
Nukeproof has chosen specs carefully to ensure riders are getting the best balance of value and performance, and it’s good to see Schwalbe tyres across the range (Radial options on the carbon framed bikes) as well as powerful Maven brakes across all versions of the bike, but the entry-level alloy model, which gets more affordable DB4’s.
As for the geometry, well, Nukeproof doesn’t really make much of a point of it in the press release, but digging through their dealer book, we see that four sizes will be available from S-XL with both alloy and carbon UD frames getting a 64-degree head angle matched to a 77.5-degree effective seat tube angle (71-degree actual). Reach starts at 435mm for the small growing to 500mm on the XL, and every size gets the same length 450mm chainstays.
Pricing, as already mentioned, starts from just £3,999 (€4499) for the Kilowatt 297 Alloy Comp with the Avinox M2 motor, rising to £7,999 (€8999) for the carbon-framed Kilowatt 297 Carbon Factory with Fox Factory suspension and a mix of SRAM GX and X0 drivetrain. From the info we were sent, there doesn’t appear to be a frame-only option offered, which is a shame, as we’re sure there are many current Nukeproof customers who would love to upgrade their old bike to something with an Avinox and have no reason to buy new components or suspension.
While I’m happy to see Nukeproof is back in the saddle and has been able to jump on board the latest/trending tech quickly, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed overall. Sure, the Kilowatt looks great, as does the recently released Traker FS enduro bike, but where’s the fanfare and excitement that we used to get from Nukeproof? It seems all a little muted at the moment.
Can we have some of that core rider excitement back, please, Nukeproof? How about an updated ‘Scouting About’ video series featuring the new entry-level range of bikes?
