Privateer Bikes has released its first ever eBike in the form of the e161, designed for the rigors of E-Enduro racing, and as a training tool for the brand’s sponsored enduro athletes – like Fergus Ryan, featured. Rocking a Horst-Link suspension platform delivering, you guessed it, 161mm of rear wheel travel, this Shimano EP801-powered eMTB is a dedicated mullet. The four frame sizes on offer (P1-P4) each have a unique chainstay length implemented as part of Privateer’s proportional approach to geometry. It is pretty impressive to see this attention to detail on a well-spec’d eBike with a retail price of £5,999.
The good value proposition makes the Privateer e161 worthy of consideration for anyone in the market for an enduro-worthy eMTB. Here’s a quick overview.
Photo Credits: @jamesvincent
Privateer e161
- Intention: E-Enduro Racing
- Fork Travel: 170mm
- Rear Wheel Travel: 161mm
- Wheel Size: Mixed-Wheel (29″ Front, 27.5″ Rear)
- Frame Material: 6061-T6 Aluminum
- Motor: Shimano EP801
- Battery: 630 Wh
- Price: £5,999 / 7,499 €
Frame Construction
Like all of Privateer’s mountain bike frames, the e161 is fabricated from 6061-T6 aluminum tubes that are welded in Taiwan. The brand certainly place more more focus on durability than weight in the design of their frames. That said, given the bike’s length, it isn’t a total juggernaut; claimed weight for the e161 in P3 (490mm reach) is 25.5 kg (56.2 lbs) with the 630 Wh battery.
The rocker driving the 65mm stroke Fox Float X2 is forged and cnc-machined one-piece affair. We are told the forging process maintains the alloy’s grain structure, enhancing overall strength while eliminating the need for welding and heat treating. Privateer say the construction method ensures accurate alignment of the bearings for long-lasting performance and ease of maintenance.
The frame’s 630 Wh battery is removable via a doorway in the downtube. Underneath that are the guides for the internal cable routing, said to make maintenance an easy affair, and noise levels to a minimum.
Extra protection is conferred to the Shimano EP801 motor with the addition of a UK-made 4mm hard-anodized bash guard. Then, on the drive-side, rubberized protection is added to the chainstay to reduce noise produced by chain slap.
Privateer e161 Geometry
As you might imagine, the geometry of the e161 is roughly based upon the geometry of the Privateer 161 enduro bike. That’s a 64° head tube angle and generous reach figures spanning a 445mm to 515mm range, with equally generous chainstay lengths specific to each frame size; that range spans 446mm in P1 to 466mm in P4. Indeed, this is lengthy eBike, with a wheelbase of 1332mm in P4.
Importantly, the e161 sees a slacker seat tube angle of 78.7° (versus the 80° of the 161). That is still relatively steep, but should go some way to improving rear wheel traction in steep climbing scenarios by biasing weight a little more rearward.
e161 Kinematic
Pricing & Availability
The Privateer e161 is available in the following build only, retailing at £5,999 / 7,499 €. It is available to pre-order in Black or Raw now, with shipping expected in the first week of August.
- Frame: Privateer E161 6061 T6
- Fork: 170mm Fox 38 Performance Elite E-Bike+
- Motor: Shimano EP801
- Battery: Shimano 630Wh
- Display: Shimano SC-EM800
- Shock: Fox Float X2 Performance
- Handlebar: Custom Privateer 35mm diameter. 30mm rise, 800mm wide
- Stem: Privateer 40mm
- Grips: Propalm 130mm Lock-On
- Saddle: DDK Privateer Custom PK
- Seatpost: OneUp 31.6mm P1 = 150mm, P2-P4 + 180mm
- Brakes: Hayes Dominion A4
- Rotors: 203mm front and rear
- Shifter: Shimano 12-speed
- Rear Derailleur: Shimano SLX, 12-speed
- Cassette: Shimano SLX 12-speed, 10-51t
- Chain: Shimano M6100 12-speed
- Crankset: Shimano FC-EM600, 165mm
- Wheels: HUNT E All-Mountain, 29” front, 27.5” rear
- Front Tyre: Maxxis Assegai 29 x 2.5”, MaxxGrip, 3CG/TR/DH
- Rear Tyre: Maxxis Minion DHRII 27.5 x 2.4”, MaxxGrip, 3CG/TR/DH
