Today, the Southern California eBike brand Aventon launches a new e-MTB, adding to its extensive line of eBikes. The new Current (as in electricity) EXP full-suspension eMTB sits next to the Ramblas as the brand’s second eMTB. And it’s a lot o’ bike for not a lot o’ scratch (that means money, kids).
As you may already know, I’m a big fan of Aventon, and I’m really excited about the direction the brand is taking. They make affordable, reliable, well-designed, and spec’d bikes. And at $6,000 for the top-tier Current, this new bike is no exception.
We were invited to Phoenix, Arizona, in early February to give the Current EXP a good beating. It was a full day of riding, on some pretty chonky terrain. I had a great time and got to ride with old friends, while making some new ones. It was a good trip with good people, and we all got to ride a very nice bicycle.
The Aventon Current EXP
We will cover some of the techy stuff right from the start here. I will touch on the Current EXP which features a carbon front triangle and aluminum rear triangle, because that is the bike that I rode in Phoenix, and am currently testing here at home.
Current EXP Spec Highlights:
- Motor: Aventon UltroX (110Nm, 120Nm, BOOST)
- Display: Touchscreen Integrated Top Tube Display
- Brakes: SRAM Maven Base
- Weight: 52 lbs.
- Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 Transmission
- Frame Type: Carbon Front Triangle, 6061 Alloy Rear Triangle
- Suspension: Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+ (210×55)
- Fork: RockShox Lyrik Select (150mm)
- Wheels: 29-inch Rims, Tubeless Compatible
- Tires: Maxxis DHF/DHR 29×2.6
- Seatpost: X-Fusion Manic Dropper Seatpost
- Connectivity: ACU with GPS Tracking and Anti-theft features
- eBike Class: Class 1, convertible to Class 3
Current EXP Geometry
Aventon’s New UltroX Motor
Aventon is using a new motor for the Current EXP. It’s called the UltroX, and Aventon says that they designed everything in-house, including the software. Once they dialed the design in, it was sent out to be manufactured. The proprietary UltroX is a different motor from the proprietary A100 they used on the Ramblas.
It is customizable with personalized Ride Tune capabilities through the Aventon App. With 110Nm (120Nm in Boost mode), the motor is very powerful, and felt responsive with the pedal assist being smooth and predictable. Aventon claims that in the Boost Mode, the motor delivers 850W peak power.
It offers 5 different pedal assist modes: Auto, Eco, Trail, Turbo, and Boost. Aventon claims that the motor is a lot quieter than the A100 Motor that the Ramblas uses. I can attest to that. For how much power this thing lays down, I can’t believe how quiet it is. It also boasts an IP67 waterproof rating for use in all conditions.
Beautiful Color Touchscreen Display
The display is very user-friendly. It can tell you so many different ride metrics. For instance, you can get your range per assist level, your current MPH, or even how much power you are inputting compared to the amount of assist you’re getting. There’s a compass page that also tells you what grade you’re currently climbing. Plus many more.
The display is very easy to navigate, and the touch aspect of the screen works very well–even with gloves on. But, if your gloves aren’t doing it for you, there is a small button, next to the up and down assist buttons, on the handlebar controller that scrolls through the different pages.
The Current also has a walk assist feature, which gives you a nice, large 30-second countdown while you’re walking or pushing the Current up a hill.
Wait! There’s More… the Current ADV
There is another Current that will be released as well. It’s the Current ADV. The geo and suspension are still the same as the Current EXP, but the ADV comes with a full aluminum frame, different colors, and a lower spec. This model retails for only $4,599 and comes in Blue Onyx and Camouflage
Current ADV Spec Highlights:
- Motor: Aventon UltroX (110Nm, 120Nm, BOOST)
- Display: Touchscreen Integrated Top Tube Display
- Brakes: SRAM DB8 Stealth
- Weight: 56 lbs.
- Drivetrain: SRAM Eagle 70 Transmission
- Frame Type: 6061 Alloy
- Suspension: Rockshox Super Select+ (210×55)
- Fork: RockShox Psylo Gold (150mm)
- Wheels: 29-inch Rims, Tubeless Compatible
- Tires: Maxxis DHF/DHR 29×2.6
- Seatpost: X-Fusion Manic Dropper Seatpost
- Connectivity: ACU with GPS Tracking and Anti-theft features
- eBike Class: Class 1 only
My Current EXP Thoughts, So Far…
The Current EXP is a very handsome-looking bike with a fit n’ finish that’s as good as any mountain bike I’ve seen. It has dialed geometry, and really rode like a dream. When I first started riding the Current EXP in AZ, the suspension design worked very well out of the box and had no problem handling all of the big hits that the Arizona desert dished out.
I got to ride the Current for about 3.5 hours one day in Arizona, which was enough to get an idea if the bike rides well or not. I also just took delivery of my Current EXP test bike a few days ago. It was delayed due to the snow storms, but I did get to ride one of my favorite trails, and it slayed it.
The suspension kinematics work well, and it offers the rider a plush platform to crush their favorite trail, no matter how rough the terrain may seem.
I found the bike very capable and extremely fun to ride. The ride I did was a bout 24 miles, though only about 1,600′ of elevation gain. I tried to ride it hard and push it through its paces, and it handled anything I could throw at it.
The SRAM AXS Drivetrain
The drivetrain on the Current EXP uses SRAM’s new “OE-only” S1000 AXS T-Type rear derailleur. In SRAM’s hierarchy, the S1000 sits in the middle of the GX and the XO, and the derailleur is only a little bit heavier than the XO version. I’m not a fan of the AXS pods, but it works well. The S1000 rear derailleur is robust and offers nice, crisp, and snappy shifts.
The best part? The rear derailleur runs off the bike’s battery, so you won’t have to worry about charging it.
“Trail” Boost Level is my Favorite
For this ride, I wanted to play with the range a bit. So, I left the Current in the “Trail” mode to see how fast the juice would deplete. After the ride, I saw that I averaged around 13-14 miles per hour for the 24-mile loop.
I used the “Turbo” and “Boost” modes occasionally, a few times, but mainly left it in the “Trail” mode. At the end of the ride, I was surprised that I still had 58% of the battery left. I could’ve easily done another 20+ miles. And if my math is correct, 60+ miles worth of usable range, without babying the battery, is pretty damn impressive.
Aventon claims a range of 105 miles, which seems optimistic to me. If the rider were pretty light, and they only rode it in ECO, maybe…
More to Come…
My Current EXP will be ridden a lot this Summer, and I will report back here when I’ve gathered some more intel. The Current EXP is a steal at $5,999 and well worth a try. I will say this: I think I’m really going to like this bike a lot. I mean, I already do. But I think it could change the way I ride and how often I can get out.
The Aventon Current EXP is an affordable, full-suspension, full-power eMTB that is completely trail-ready. For more details or to get one for yourself, or check out all of the other bikes that Aventon has to offer, hit the link below.
