The Velduro Rogue is a new DJI-powered e-bike with a mid-pivot suspension design – available in the UK from September it’ll generate 160mm travel and gets the biggest 800Wh Avinox battery, with prices from around £6,000.

Based in New Zealand and with an idler suspension layout that has been developed with I-Track in Australia, this Antipodean enduro bike was spotted at the China Cycle Show in Shanghai.

And despite looking like it’s been carved from wax thanks to its 3D printed frame mockup, the production bike will be full carbon and available to buy this summer, despite carbon test bikes only starting production in June.

The production Rogue will be matt black with gold decals

Velduro Rogue need to know

• New DJI-powered e-bike with mid-pivot suspension design and idler
• New disrupter to mix it up with the established best electric mountain bikes
• 160mm travel with 160-170mm fork at the front end
• 800Wh battery and a claimed weight of 22kg
• Two models in the range, plus a frame and motor-only option
• No spec details as yet, but prices start from £6,000 and top out at around £7,500
• Matt black colour scheme with gold decal finish
• Availability from September in the UK

The DJI motor and screen is what most brands must be hankering for in 2025

Mountain bikers wanting the most powerful DJI Avinox motor in their next e-bike have been spoilt for choice over the last 12 months. What started as a trickle with just the Amflow PL Carbon sporting the 1,000W output motor has now turned into a small river, as multiple brands have announced partnerships with the Chinese motor brand.

Last month I wrote about how Forbidden’s new Druid CorE would be the first to get the DJI Avinox motor, but now it seems it might be pipped to the post by the Velduro Rogue here. What’s more, they’ll both be targeting the same customer, with a Druid CorE based around a high pivot suspension design and gravity-based geometry.

Forbidden’s Druid CorE has got to be one of the most desirable e-bikes this year, can Velduro lure away some of its customers?

Velduro Rogue details

Let’s cut to the chase then and figure out what the Velduro Rogue is. The Rogue’s suspension kinematics haven’t been revealed yet but we do know it will have 160mm travel on the rear, and customers can run 160-170mm forks. That’s 10mm more at both ends than the Druid CorE.

From the looks of the mock up frame, the Rogue could get a suspension adjustment flip chip, and a geo adjust on the seatstay

The suspension design itself is a four-bar, with its telltale pivot on the chainstay. Then there’s a mid- (not high) main pivot point to give that rear wheel a backwards axle path, and finally an idler to control pedal kickback.

The Rogue gets a full carbon frame and either 29in or mullet wheels, with the latter probably more sensible for the amount of travel on offer here. Look closely at the frame and you’ll also see signs of a flip chip on the end of the seatstays, presumably to adjust the geometry for two different wheel sizes. More interestingly, it also looks like there’s a progression flip chip on the bottom shock mount, potentially letting riders tune the progression.

And of course it’ll be using DJI’s first e-bike motor, the Avinox – you’ve all heard the details by now; up to 120Nm and 1,000W of power makes it the punchiest unit out there. The EU is considering legislating to limit motor power, but DJI said in a statement it wants a more nuanced approach… and for now you’ll get the full gas.

Velduro’s plonked the charging port on top of the downtube, I’m guessing there’ll be some kind of cover when the bike’s in production though

Velduro also told us the bike will be powered by an 800Wh battery, and feature a solid build spec and a weight of around 22kg. In my experience that weight seems a bit optimistic given we’ve had both the Amflow and the Teewing on the scales, and neither came in less than 22kg despite sporting lightweight tyres and 36mm diameter forks. The Forbidden CoreE claims a weight of 22.6kg, and it gets the same 800wh battery, plus a chunky RockShox Zeb fork and Vivid shock.

That said, with high end carbon and lightweight and expensive carbon parts, perhaps it’s possible, as on the new Unno Mith e-bike.

The Rogue has been built up with a RockShox Seb and Vivid air, it wouldn’t be totally out of place then if that featured on the production bikes too

Sizes and geometry

Well done Velduro, it’s going for a good spread of four frame sizes, with S-XL on offer. Reach will be 440mm in S, 466mm in medium, 485 in Large and 515mm in XL, which covers a huge spread of riders. My only worry is some riders might fall through the gaps, particularly between L and XL (OK, I mean me here!).

The Rogue doesn’t get proportional chainstays for each size though, something Forbidden has managed on all its bikes, and remains fixed at 440mm across the range. That means if you go for a size S then the reach will mirror the chainstay length.

Most importantly though, with a dead straight seat post, the Rogue gets a massive 240mm dropper and what looks like ample standover height. That means riders could potentially opt for a size based on their preferred bike length and reach, rather than it being dictated by which one they can actually swing a leg over.

The head angle is a slack 63.5° – comparable with the new gravity-oriented Santa Cruz Bullit AXS RSV but slacker than the Amflow or Teewing Turbo Force, which both come out around 64.5°

The adiler cover should help fend off mud, which can reduce efficiency quite markedly on some higher pivot and idler bikes

Builds and pricing

There are two build options coming, but we’ve no idea how the bikes will be specced yet. The top end bike will cost around £7,500 though, with the base model at £6,000.

There are also plans to launch the bike as a frame and motor only option, for £4,000. This is a really cool concept and one no other e-bike brand – except Specialized with the Turbo Levo – seems to embrace. It would let you spec the perfect parts for your new Velduro Rogue or, more likely, transfer some old parts over and save some money.

You next e-bike?

Velduro the brand

Velduro started just last year out of New Zealand, its first product was a full carbon gravel bike with DJI Avinox motor called Phantom. It says its company ethos is to offer bikes for riders by riders, with each model to be offered in two complete builds. velduro.com