Aventon Current Review: Could This New eMTB From Aventon Beat Out Bikes Twice the Price?

Aventon Bikes is known for budget-friendly e-bikes, but when it started back in 2016, it had roots in performance, most notably track and fixed-gear cycling. Today, Aventon has announced what might be one of the best budget eMTBs of 2026. I use the term "budget" only when referring to the MSRP ($5,999 USD) of this bike, because the Aventon Current EXP punches closer to the performance of bikes that command a five-figure price tag.

Recently, Aventon has moved to the electric side of cycling, and while their performance looks a little different since they switched to e-bikes, this latest venture with the Aventon Current is something to celebrate. Not only is this an incredibly affordable full-power eMTB, but it’s also absurdly refined and rides as well as, if not better than, bikes three to four times the price.

This new offering from Aventon is important. The Current positions the brand in the rapidly expanding eMTB market as a valid choice for a vast majority of riders - both advanced and beginners. It presents a motor with not just good, but great numbers, a competitive weight, and geometry that facilitates confidence and predictability, all at a price that is almost too good to be true. But it’s true. This bike is making a statement. 

Aventon Current EXP Overview

• Motor and Battery: Aventon Ultro X (110Nm, 120NM BOOST) | 800Wh Battery
• Top-tube touch screen display and App connectivity
• Wheels: 29”
• Suspension: 140mm rear / 150mm front
  Rockshox Super Deluxe Select+ (210x55) | RockShox Lyrik Select (150mm)
• Brakes: SRAM Maven Base
• Drivetrain: SRAM S1000 Transmission
• Frame: Carbon Front Triangle, 6061 Alloy Rear Triangle
• Weight: 52 lbs.
• MSRP: $5,999

The Details

Aventon did their homework. This bike has been in development for a little while now, and it shows. Aventon designed this bike in collaboration with Kairn, a product design lab based in France that has a legacy in outdoor gear and bike design. What the team has created is pretty incredible, and with the top-spec model, the Current EXP, coming in at just under $6,000 USD, it’s hard to wrap your head around. This is a polished swing at the brand's first serious eMTB, and the swing hit the nail dead-on.

The Current is a modern trail bike with a modern eMTB motor and a top-end build with a parts package that leaves you wanting for very little. At its core, the Current is powered by the new Ultro X mid-drive motor, capable of 750w peak power and 110NM of torque (120NM, and 850w in Boost), a 150mm fork, 140mm of rear-wheel travel, and an impressive top-tube display.

The entire package is dialed from top to bottom and packed with features you wouldn't expect at this price point. An integrated touchscreen display sits tucked neatly into the top tube, the wireless remote has been obsessed over (along with everything else on the bike), and the geometry is well-considered to slide right in with the best trail bikes on the market.

Build Kits

Available in two builds
Current EXP for $5,999 USDCurrent ADV for $4,599.

The Current EXP with a carbon front triangle and alloy rear end, SRAM Maven Base brakes, RockShox 150mm Lyrik fork, Super Deluxe shock, and SRAM S1000 Eagle Transmission, all for under $6,000 USD. While not the top-tier gear, the kit on the Current EXP doesn’t really leave you wanting for much, and the things you might want to swap are things you’d likely swap on any bike anyways.

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The Maxxis tires are trail casing; the cockpit is nothing magical; the wheels are low-engagement, unbranded (but tubeless-ready); and the dropper is 150mm on medium and small, with 170mm on large and XL. I was initially nervous about the wheels and tires, but to my surprise, I managed to get away with some really questionable line choices without a flat or a major ding to the rim. And if I got away with that while riding South Mountain Preserve, then they’ll probably hold up pretty well in most other places. 

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The Current ADV has a full-aluminum front and rear triangle and a less-exciting build kit with a mechanical SRAM Eagle 70 drivetrain, SRAM DB8 brakes, and a RockShox Psylo fork and RockShox Deluxe Select+ shock, but it still uses the same motor and battery, just at a more attainable price point of $4,599, which is still pretty incredible.

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First Ride Impressions

I won’t lie and say I expected this to be an amazing example of an eMTB; after all, it is the brand's first swing at a competitive, full-power eMTB. But after seeing all the details and learning more about the R&D behind the Current, I quickly grew more excited to get the bike on the trail. At 52 lbs (+/- a couple), the Current EXP does not ride like a 50+ pound bike, and although I didn’t have my ideal dropper or cockpit setup, it didn’t take long to get familiar with the chassis and powertrain.

After the first few minutes pedalling around the parking lot at South Mountain Preserve in Phoenix, Arizona, I was impressed with what the team at Aventon had created. The motor feels incredibly responsive, and the bike overall felt really dialed. The geometry is what you’d expect and want from a bike like this. With a 64.6-degree head tube angle, a 445mm chainstay length, and a 76.6-degree seat tube angle, you sit in a comfortable position for pedaling, with great control on descents. None of the geometry numbers felt out of place or too revolutionary, which is a really good thing. It’s just a well-considered bike with a truly impressive powertrain for the price.

During the testing period at South Mountain Preserve outside Phoenix, Arizona, I got a good feel for the bike on some classic SW tech. Both climbing and descending, the Current feels mostly composed, with the only deviation from that trend coming when the overrun setting on the motor is left to do its thing. Overrun is something I typically turn off on all eMTBs, and after popping into the Aventon App, I was able to dial things back for a more intuitive ride. However, I didn’t keep it off all day, and ended up seeing the benefits of some of the gnarly tech found in this area.

Since the Current is rolling on full-29” wheels, it might ride slightly bigger than smaller riders would prefer, and since the chainstays are all the same length, some riders might find things to be a little bit short or long depending on the size extremes. That being said, I was able to ride the XL and never felt as though things were unwieldy or too far in one direction.

The build kit on the Current EXP is spot on and clearly a balance of value and performance where it matters, without feeling cheap. Aventon clearly did their research to spec this bike, and it shows on the trail and sitting still. What I mean by this is that the bike feels dialed and without compromise on the trail, but also looks super refined and premium, which does matter. 

Aventon Ultro X Motor 

For those of you who might be familiar with Aventon’s past life making track and fixed-gear bikes, you might recognize the Ultro name, but the new Ultro X motor isn’t a carbon-fiber track bike. This new motor has been in development for quite a while and finds itself right at home in the Current. This motor is capable of 850 watts of peak power in boost mode and 120nm of torque, but a steady 750 watts and 110nm when not in boost mode.

It offers 5 pedal-assist modes: Auto, Eco, Trail, Turbo, and Boost, and has an unlockable Class 3 mode that provides more assist at higher speeds, a divisive feature that is becoming more and more common. The motor can be tuned via the touchscreen display on the top tube or via the Aventon App, which lets riders dive a bit deeper into all the features packed into the Current. This includes GPS tracking, jump tracking, and ride recording. The unit is also capable of 4G communication to locate the bike, with the first year of service free and each subsequent year requiring a small subscription.

The Current and its Ultro X motor are up there in terms of torque and readily available power, and I seriously cannot overstate how great the system feels on a bike with such an attainable MSRP. 

For most of the ride, I left the bike in Eco or Trail assist mode, with a few dips into Auto mode for some longer, more technical ascents. No matter what setting I was in, the motor was right there with enough support to chug up climbs, and in the Trail mode, I was able to get up and over some pretty absurd ledges, and I think this is partially thanks to the geometry of the Current and its somewhat tall BB height. I figured this taller BB would be more noticeable on the trail, and it might be on different trails, but it really proved successful while riding in Arizona.

Geometry

In terms of adjustable geo, there’s nothing available. There are no flip-chips and no swappable yokes or shock mounts, but I see that as a good thing. When a bike is littered with adjustable chips and geo tweaks, it can get overwhelming to most riders. With the Current, you get what you get, and what you get is great, right out of the box.

This is not a bad thing, though. The team behind the design understood what they wanted to accomplish, and has done just that. There’s no aspect of the Current that lacks, and the omission of adjustable geometry is kind of a testament to that.

Final Thoughts

I’m impressed by what this bike represents, and it proves that eMTBs don’t need a five-figure price tag to be great. While my time on the Current was fairly short for the launch event, I’m looking forward to spending much more time on it and seeing how it holds up in the long term. I can imagine this as a turning point for the industry as eMTBs continue to grow in popularity, and not just in terms of cost.

Aventon has proved that really great eMTBs are possible, and premium for a price that doesn’t rival a decent moto. I also understand that $6,000 USD isn’t cheap by any means, but when you compare this ride feel, build quality, and aesthetics to bikes twice the price, it’s hard to ignore how sick it is.