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With a big battery, big power, and low weight, Amflow's PL Carbon Pro blurs the lines between low-powered lightweight e-bikes and high-powered heavy rigs. The power on offer is like no other motor currently on the market and yet remains completely usable in a controlled package. The bike is very much a trail bike at home on fast and flowy trails. However, it's not quite as adept when things get really rough.

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Amflow PL Carbon Pro – Technical Details

The Amflow PL is built around the DJI Avinox Drive System, which puts out 105Nm of torque (120Nm in boost mode), however, the headline number is 1000W of peak power (with the May 2025 update on board). A 600Wh or 800Wh battery is fitted, depending on spec, and there is no option for a range extender with the DJI system. The battery is fully integrated into the downtube, so you can’t take it out to charge it away from the bike.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _13.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

Charging is taken care of with a 12-amp charger, which Amflow claims will charge the 800Wh battery from 0% - 75% in 1.5 hours.

A touch screen in the top-tube controls the system, providing a whole suite of stats for your ride, including battery percentage, which gear you’re in, assistance level, and predicted range. Controls on either side of the handlebars adjust the assistance level or flick between the screens in the top tube.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _9.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The Avinox Ride app is used to connect to the DJI motor – it provides a battery status along with predicted range and security in the form of a tracker for the bike. A wide range of preferences can be set customising display screens, data storage, and tuning assistance modes.

The are five assistance levels on offer: Auto, where the output is relative to the rider’s input, Eco, Trail, Turbo, and Boost. Before the May 2025 update, the 1000W peak power could only be accessed in Boost in 30-second bursts, however, post-update, the 1000 watts are now constantly available in turbo.  

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _4.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The carbon frame delivers 150mm rear travel through a four-bar linkage, very similar to a Specialized Levo 4. Amflow worked with Fox to develop a shock tune which offers the Goldilocks sensitivity at the start of the stroke with end stroke support to prevent bottom-outs. The Amflow comes as a full 29er, however, there is provision to run a 27.5” rear wheel with the use of flip-chips in the seat stays.

Frame storage is taken care of with a bottle mount on the downtube and a tool mount underneath the top tube. Internal cable routing keeps things tidy, and fortunately, Amflow doesn't use any internal headset routing. Plenty of rubber on the chain stay reduces chain slap noises whilst a rubber flap on the main pivot keeps mud and grit away from the bearings. UDH compatibility comes as standard, although all spec levels come with T-Type SRAM derailleurs.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _5.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The Amflow PL comes in four sizes, ranging from M-XXL, which is said to cover riders from 5’4” (162cm) up to 6’7” (201cm) and two colours (black or silver).

Geometry on the PL Carbon looks to strike a balance between stability and agility. Chain stays are on the longer side at 445mm, which’ll help put the power down on steeper climbs and give a more stable descending position.

A 64.5-degree head angle is right on the money to give a stable steering at speed whilst remaining lively enough on the technical stuff. An effective seat angle of 77 degrees is right up to date, however, the actual seat angle is a much slacker 70 degrees, so taller riders will have a more rearward seated position.

Reach numbers are a little on the conservative side, with the size large coming in at 475mm. With the stable head angle and longer chain stays, this shorter reach may help the bike feel more lively and manoeuvrable, but at the expense of some descending stability.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro – Componentry

Two spec levels are available, the base spec and the Pro. Whilst the base spec comes with an 800Wh battery, the Pro level has the choice of the smaller and lighter 600Wh battery or the full-fat 800Wh option. The PL Carbon starts at £6000 with the Pro spec (800Wh) coming in at £9000.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _2.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The PL Carbon Pro (on test) comes dripping in Fox Factory suspension and a Fox Transfer dropper post. SRAM takes care of shifting with the wireless XO T-Type drivetrain utilising a 34T chain ring and 10-52T range cassette. Short cranks are fitted with the M/L using 155mm.

An Amflow-branded stem and carbon handlebar make up the controls, along with some punchy Magura MT7 four-piston brakes.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _11.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

Amflow also covers the carbon rims, which are wrapped in Maxxis rubber. There's an Assagai up front in a thin Exo casing and Dissector out back in a slightly thicker Exo+ casing. Both tyres use the more durable but less sticky MaxxTerra compound.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _7.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

Amflow PL Carbon Pro – Performance

The set-up process for the Amflow P1 Carbon is very similar to other e-bikes. Downloading the Avinox Ride app will give access to a whole host of adjustments, so during set-up, I used the app to adjust the assistance levels to my preferences.

I needed to consult the user manual to work out how to adjust the seat post height as it’s a little more involved than usual. On top of the downtube, there are three bolts which clamp the internally routed cables; these need to be loosened a turn or two to allow the seat post cable to move. A little annoying, as you’ll need three different-sized hex keys to adjust seat post height.

Amflow has a handy set-up guide in the support section of their website to help with suspension, which’ll give you a baseline to start rolling with. At 95kg, I had 210psi in the rear and 100psi in the front as a baseline to work from.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _19.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

There is no getting away from the DJI motor and the level-up in power compared to all that came before it. The speeds achievable whilst climbing are a little silly, hitting the speed limiter on climbs where I haven’t on other e-bikes. It’s also a quiet motor with a subtle “hum” on the climbs, and I’m glad to report a rattle-free affair on the descents.

Battery life is surprisingly impressive considering the power on offer. As a test of the power and battery life, I achieved 1000m of elevation riding local trails in 45 mins with 40% battery remaining and an average speed of 24km/h. These numbers are a little mind-blowing and really show how powerful the DJI motor is. With a more careful use of the assistance modes, hitting elevation numbers of 1500-1800m shouldn’t be too hard with the 800Wh battery.

The assistance adjustability from the app is great for tuning each mode to be reactive to your input in a given range. This allows the rider to strike a balance between power and economy; for me, I turned down the trail mode as I found it too powerful for my usual rides with friends on other eBikes.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _16.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

Out on my local trails in the Forest of Dean, the Amflow PL is a hoot. It's an out-and-out trail bike which gives a lively and playful ride. The Fox Float X factory shock gives a “platform” feeling to the rear end, which offers support when popping off mid-trail gaps and bouncing between turns.

The slightly shorter reach number helps with this playfulness, making it easier to shift weight from one end of the bike to the other. Weighing around 20kg (with the 800Wh battery), Amflow has done a good job packaging that weight low in the bike. I would go as far as to say the weight is hardly noticeable out on the trails compared to riding my usual enduro bike.

The head angle gives a sensible front centre measurement, and the relatively long 445mm rear end means this bike is comfortable at speed. It gives enough stability to encourage confidence without being too much of a barge that it loses its stability. Amflow has achieved an excellent middle point with the geometry, particularly for trail riding.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _15.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

This bike is really at home on the smoother trails where things start to get rough, you’ll be reminded you’re not on a big-hitting e-bike or enduro bike. That “platform”, which was super supportive on mellower trails, becomes a problem on rougher trails where the travel blows through the “platform” and gives the feeling of the shock packing down on successive hits.

Running the rebound on the fast side to help the shock recover usually helps with this, but didn’t seem to help on the Amflow. This is particularly noticeable because the fork is so capable, and unfortunately, just makes the gap in performance between the front and rear end bigger.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _18.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The tyres are another nod to this bike being aimed more a trail riding. The thin casings (Exo front and Exo+ rear) are really not up to the job if you corner hard or ride rocky terrain. Even as a trail offering on a 20kg bike, they’re questionably thin, so definitely consider upgrading to thicker casings if you want to charge hard.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _17.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

Whilst we’re on the topic of componentry, aside from the tyre casings, the bike is incredibly well specified with some great choices. The MT7 brakes have all the power you could need, the Amflow-branded wheels are light but have stood up to some abuse with no issues, and the aforementioned fork is sublime.

When it comes to climbing, the Amflow is more than just its headline numbers from that DJI motors. Yes, it's powerful, but that power is managed in a natural way, which is easy to control. The torque will put you up hills even at a low cadence, which helps with control on steep, awkward climbs, especially when well-timed pedal strokes are required.

Pedal strikes are less likely thanks to the 155mm cranks, and I must admit they took a bit of getting used to. The seat position for climbing is excellent; a sensible seat angle and longer chainstay give plenty of traction whilst keeping the rider’s weight forward.

Amflow PL Carbon Pro _20.jpg, by Ty Rutherford

The integration is another great aspect of the DJI system. The touch screen gives plenty of feedback and details about the ride, the performance output and a whole host of other metrics. I particularly liked the integration into the SRAM drivetrain where the screen will tell you what gear you’re in and includes a handy autoshift feature. Autoshift allows you to change gear without pedalling – the motor will turn the chainring on your behalf to shift gears, very cool!

Amflow PL Carbon Pro – Verdict

At £9000, the PL Carbon Pro is some serious money, however, it is dripping with high-performance parts which would command similar money from other brands.

A similar ethos has been used with the Whyte ELyte Evo, which comes in around the 20Kg mark as well. This uses the Bosch CX motor with 85Nm and 600W, so it is a little under-gunned compared to the DJI motor. Whyte uses a 400Wh battery with the option for a 250Wh external extender, but this still falls short of the Amflow’s 800Wh capacity. The full-blown Stag Works ELyte Evo comes in at £10,000, however, the next model down is still incredibly capable and is a more palatable £7,250

With more travel (160mm) and also using a Bosch CX motor, the Pivot Shuttle LT is a “lightweight” eBike which still packs some punch. It’s very sure-footed and comes with a very solid spec for the money, however, retailing at £11,400, it shows how good the PL Carbon Pro’s price is.

The Amflow PL Carbon Pro is more than just the obscene power from the DJI motor. Whilst the headline numbers of power and torque are the new benchmark, DJI also provides a slick experience with some clever integration through the onboard touchscreen and app. The bike is a solid trail performer that is at home on fast and flowy trails with its playful and agile handling. It is less competent in the rough, where the rear end doesn’t handle large successive hits very well. This feeling is exaggerated by a very capable fork which stays calm and stable. The spec is excellent throughout with the exception of some thin casing tyres, and for the money, it’s a high-performing trail eBike.

• www.amflowbikes.com
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