2023 Privateer

E161

This bike is heavy on the scales but rides light on the trails. How often have you heard that said about an e-bike? I’ve certainly written something like that on more than one occasion, and I’ll use it again here to describe the Privateer E161. Indeed, some of the best electric mountain bikes out there do weigh plenty and still ride light. But what does that actually mean? For clarity, here goes. I mean that it’s heavier than an average e-bike (23-25kg) and you can feel that when lifting it into a workstand, sliding it into your car, or kicking it off you when you’re lying upside down in the bushes. (Hopefully not the latter too often.) That weighty feel drops off when you’re riding the bike though, you can use the weight to compress the suspension, the damping is light enough to allow this, and the rebound is fast enough to help you out of the hole again. Basically, judo by mountain bike. The Privateer E161 is exactly this kind of pugilist, it weighs in over 26kg and it’s one of the heaviest bikes I’ve ridden, but it’s still decent fun. Need to know E161 generates 161mm travel, uses a 170mm fork and comes in an MX-only wheel format New Shimano EP801 delivers power more smoothly, and gets a 630Wh battery, and removable display Burly enduro build, with machined motor guard, part-external cable routing and dual-sealed oversized bearings Spec highligths include Fox Performance Elite suspension, Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, Shimano SLX drivetrain Generous reach and wheelbase, four frame sizes and just one model On sale right now for £4,999 Frame Before we get too deep into the ride feel though, the details are almost as interesting. The E161 is made from 6061 T6 aluminium, not the higher specced 6066 alloy found on the regular 161 bike. This is because the downtube on the bike is an off the shelf design, which comes in the cheaper and heavier alloy. No one is ever going to mistake the E161 for a regular bike, Privateer hasn’t managed to pull off the oblique downtube design of Canyon that appears slim from the side. The natural polished look, chunky frame and unashamedly flowing welds, and mostly external cable routing just add to the industrial feel. Most e-bikes, nay all e-bikes, I can think of, use a plastic bashguard around and under the motor shell, but Privateer’s CNCd an alloy one instead. Which must surely be stronger and more resilient. This clangs like a ship’s bell whenever you flick a rock into it (fairly regularly, it turns out) or sump out the bike. It’s a nice design feature, but as I’ve never had a problem with a plastic guard here I’m wondering if Privateer has solved a problem that didn’t exist. I also had to loosen it to feed more dropper cable through when adjusting the post’s height in the frame. Horst Link Suspension The suspension design makes it instantly recognisable as a Privateer with …Continue reading »

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Privateer release e161 enduro eBike priced at £5,999 with race-worthy components and size-specific chainstays across the P1-P4 size range

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The ready-to-rally enduro bike has an updated Shimano EP801 motor system and geometry based on the Privateer 161.

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