AVENTON CURRENT EXP SPECS OVERVIEW
For their first entry to the full suspension eMTB market, Aventon produced the Current – a 140mm travel, 29” wheeled all mountain machine. With either a carbon fiber front triangle and 6061 aluminum rear end or a full 6061 aluminum frame housing their own Ultro X drive unit, Aventon has provided a capable and comfortable eBike for all rider abilities.
ULTRO X EBIKE SYSTEM SPECS
Unique to Aventon, the Ultro X drive unit produces 110Nm torque and 750W Peak Power as standard, with 120Nm and 850W delivered in BOOST mode. These deliver 400% and 500% rider input multiplication, respectively. Weighing in at 2.85kg (6.28lbs), Aventon has hit the mid-drive market with a competitive offering.
Powering the Ultro X drive unit in the Aventon Current EXP is an 800Wh battery weighing 9.2lbs (4.17kg), which can be removed easily for transport and off-bike charging. Currently there is no range extender available. This is charged by a 4A charger, giving a full charge in around 6 hours from empty.
The Ultro X drive unit comes equipped with a top tube-mounted touchscreen display housing their ACU technology, which can be customized by the user to display the metrics they desire. With 4G and GPS connectivity and inbuilt security features for theft deterrence, Aventon has delivered an eBike system that is fully up to date. On the handlebar, a three-button wireless remote allows for the modes to be selected and Walk mode function to be used. By connecting to the app or using the display, the RideTune feature can be used to tailor each of the power modes to the rider’s preference.
AVENTON CURRENT EXP GEOMETRY
The Aventon Current features a well-rounded geometry package, with familiar numbers for a bike in its travel category. With a size range from Small to XL and even 25mm reach gaps, most riders should be able to find a comfortable fit.
Our test crew with riders from 5’10” to 6’2” (178cm to 189cm) opted to test the size large, and were happy with the fit it provided.
AVENTON CURRENT BUILD OPTIONS
Aventon offers the Current in a choice of two builds: the Alloy-framed Current ADV at $3,999 or the Current EXP tested at $5,999 with carbon fiber front triangle and high quality spec.
The Aventon Current EXP featured an impressive build kit for the price. With the RockShox Lyrik Select and Super Deluxe Select+ suspension package, the comfort and capability was stellar. The SRAM S1000 wireless T-Type drivetrain was a solid performer, as were the SRAM Maven Base brakes with 200mm rotors.
The finishing kit is where the cost-saving measures were made, with a non-brand alloy wheelset, bars and stem. An X-Fusion Manic dropper post is topped with a Selle Royal SRX saddle.
Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR 2 tires are fitted as standard, though with the flimsy EXO casing. As with all of the bikes in our 2026 eMTB Shootout, these were replaced with a Schwalbe Tacky Chan Gravity Pro and Magic Mary Gravity Pro tire combination.
The Aventon Current EXP in size large weighed 53.8lbs with our Schwalbe control tires.
ULTRO X DRIVE UNIT PERFORMANCE
- Pure Power: Compared to all of the drive units in this year’s Shootout, the Ultro X is competitive in terms of power. With 110Nm and 720 Watts, it’s plenty capable to handle sustained climbs, and the ability to Boost up to 120Nm and 850 Watts for 30 second grunts ensure our crew felt competitive when it came time to climb the Current.
- Control: Some riders struggled with the sensitivity and high fidelity system, and how power came on and off during varied pedaling efforts. When cadence regularly fluctuates and torque quickly changes for undulating, technical climb challenges, the system required tuning to deliver the performance we desired. That said, the tuning made through the App provided notable changes in the performance, which we appreciated.
- Perceived Efficiency: Our riders felt the efficiency on the unit was on-par with other units, but as with any system, tuning can make a big difference.
- Noise Up and Down: Climbing the Ultro-X didn’t upset anyone in terms of noise. The tone was comfortable and it wasn’t a distraction from the ride. On certain types of descents, some riders noticed a little bit of a rattle, similar to the sound from a Shimano EP801 but not quite as loud.
- Ecosystem: Overall the Ultro X system ranks in the middle, it’s not amazing, but it’s not behind the curve either. Some aspects are executed very well and put it near the top of the list, however other aspects like the bar controller and larger size of its drive unit weren’t our favorites. It averaged out to be a solid system that we’d be happy with on our bike as a whole.
AVENTON CURRENT EXP CLIMBING PERFORMANCE
Hitting the trail on the Aventon Current EXP was a fun experience. It’s always enjoyable riding something new, learning how different technology works and what each brand wants their bike to feel like.
As a whole, our crew thought the Aventon Current was a comfortable bike, and the suspension tune was a big reason why. The suspension offered a solid platform for pedaling, but was supple enough to keep traction on the steep and loose climbs of the Glorieta trails.
Pedaling power was consistent across the board for most testers, however some noticed a very on/off feel in certain modes or tunes. Drew likened the feeling to trying to drift a modern car in the snow. While you may be sending all signals to pitch the car sideways and let the tires spin, the computers interrupt your attempts and give moments of freedom mixed with power modulation measures. This was a similar experience on climbs with lots of undulations and varied cadence and rider torque loads.
We were able to tune sensitivity way down to get it to a spot where it was less On/Off in feel, but if you’re a rider who’s regularly jumping from a cadence of 50 to explosive efforts up to 95RPM, it may require a bit of time to adjust to the power delivery.
Other riders had no such issues however and thoroughly enjoyed taking the Aventon Current out on everything from casual cruises to hot laps before sunset.
AVENTON CURRENT EXP DESCENDING PERFORMANCE
Much like the drive unit performance in techy punches, the descending performance had our delivering mixed votes. Two testers really enjoyed the bike a lot, another tester and one of our camera-guys were happy to ride it, however Drew (5’11) and Kyle (5’9) felt unsettled and “over the front” when it came time to push hard. The other riders were at six foot and up to 6’2” tall, and we could only extrapolate that either weight distribution do to longer limbs or Kyle and Drew’s lower and over the front riding position were contributing to the wide disparity of feel. While the combination is likely true, we’d place more of a bias on the riding position being a bigger factor, because when we experimented with taller bars and over-pressuring the fork to maintain a taller ride height, things improved slightly.
In line with this sentiment is our crew’s thoughts on the suspension tune. For aggressive riders, we felt that the suspension, both front and rear, was under-damped and resulted in fully closed compression circuits, additional air and volume reducers. Perhaps Aventon designed the Current to be the gateway eMTB for more of their urban consumers who are looking to get off-road, in which case, the suspension will be very forgiving, soft and offer a sense of calm for more casual riders.
We were still very much able to push this bike hard and took it on some properly gnarly trails at speed. It just let us know that we were regularly hitting the end of travel, which to be fair, is easy to do on a 140mm eMTB.
Cole absolutely loved this bike and said that some of the Aventon employees have upforked their personal bikes and put longer shocks on them, or even gone coil to increase the capabilities of this machine. Both are things we would love to experiment with, as the bike has some good bones and is a solid value.
HOW DID IT COMPARE?
Compared to other bikes in our Sub-$6,000 category this year (4 of the 15 bikes), the Aventon settled right in. For a first attempt, Aventon have done a good job and we believe they’ve created a bike that will please the general riding public, so long as they’re willing to do a little motor tuning in the App.
The value is solid when you look at the spec, the geometry is versatile, and while some testers had mixed feelings comparing the bike to other contenders like the Norco Sight PX or Amflow PR, it was on Cole’s top 5 bikes of the entire shootout, regardless of price category.
The Wolf’s Last Word
If you’re not a pro-level rider looking to push hard on steep and chunky terrain day in and day out, the Aventon Current is likely to be a solid option for you. And if you are that type of rider, we think you could still have a great time on this bike and with the money saved, you’ll be able to get those suspension upgrades and make this thing even more capable for your terrain. Just be sure you spend some time tuning in that motor if you’re someone who likes to really have a predictable and consistent application of power in varied, undulating climb scenarios.
WHO SHOULD BUY THE AVENTON CURRENT?
It seems that out of the box the Aventon Current is designed for a newer eMTB rider, someone who already owns an Aventon urban bike (PS we LOVE our Abound LR) or a rider who is looking to try something new and different. It’s got a soft and supple suspension feel, offers good value and is ready to ride.
Price: $5,999
Weight: 53.8 lbs / 24.4 kg (As Tested)
Website: Aventon.com
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2026 eMTB SHOOTOUT SPONSORS
Without the support from the City of Santa Fe, Santa Fe County Tourism and Economi Development, Fox Racing, Schwalbe Tires and Glorieta Adventure Camps, this year’s shootout would not have been possible. If you’re in the market for new gear, new tires, a place to visit or a way to get your bikes to the trail, consider showing these guys some love.
