Earlier this summer, DJI introduced us to their first foray into ebikes with the light but powerful Avinox motor, set inside an all-new carbon Amflow PL eMTB. We’ve known and flown DJI cameras and drones for years, but Amflow is a completely new and unknown upstart to the world of bike manufacturing. So we wanted to take a closer look at their first-generation Amflow PL Carbon to see what we can expect from the first platform for the new DJI ebike powertrain…
So, who is Amflow, again?
The first important thing to note about Amflow, is that the new bike brand is not actually a part of DJI. And it’s not necessarily going to be exclusively an eMTB-only brand. Amflow was incubated by DJI. The drone, camera, and now ebike drive system manufacturer needed an eMTB platform to launch their new motor. So to keep development under wraps until they were ready to launch, DJI started with in-house technology experts who rode mountain bikes, and brought together a group bike design and carbon manufacturing experts to create that eMTB platform.
So yes, the bike products of Amflow began as a platform to test and showcase the DJI Avinox system within a customized and seamlessly matching design. But then, they quickly split off Amflow to develop bikes on their own. And going forward, Amflow is slated to grow increasingly independent in all business aspects, from product development to day-to-day operations.
So now the ebikes are designed by Amflow separate from DJI, with material and manufacturing support from existing specialists in the bike industry – think geometry & kinematics optimization and shock tuning. And Amflow make the PL Carbon frame in Asia, in cooperation with experienced carbon and bicycle manufacturers.