The New Forbidden Druid CorE and LitE E-Bikes are Here!

With a good few years of experience behind them designing and racing their iconic high pivot bikes on the world stage, it was only a matter of time before Forbidden took the next step and added an E-Bike to their range. Not only have they now stepped up and produced what looks to be a real ripper of a bike, but their choice of motor system is also going to open some eyes.

Unless you’ve been on a journey round the moon for the last year, if you follow E-Bike tech at all you’ll know that the big news right now is the new DJI Avinox motor, debuted on their AMFlow bike. 

A new entry into the E-Bike motor market, the global drone company's Avinox motor system immediately caused quite a stir when it was released. Able to churn out a massive 105Nm of torque and 850W sustained power, with even more available in its ‘burst’ Boost mode it can outsprint every other motor on the market by a massive margin. That would be impressive enough on its own but it’s also relatively small and light, creating the option to build bikes which come close to SL models in weight and profile with no compromise in power whatsoever. It’s quiet in operation and considering the enormous amounts of raw power available, surprisingly easy to moderate and control. Battery charge times are unusually quick too, with 75% recharge possible in just 90 minutes. All in all, it's a very, very impressive E-Bike system and one which has definitely made every other motor manufacturer sit up and take notice. Up till now though, the DJI motor has not been available except on their own AMFlow bike, so riders looking for a hard charging platform haven’t been able to access it. 

That all changes now, with Forbidden adding the Avinox motor to their well regarded high pivot design to create a set of bikes that will rival anything out there both up and down the hill. Enter the Forbidden Druid LitE and CorE bikes. 

Like all their bikes, the new Druid E uses Forbidden’s proportional geometry which sees chainstay length grow meaningfully across the sizes (from 427mm on the S1 to 470mm on the S4 bike) to maintain a similar weight balance for every rider. Reach and wheelbase are fairly normal for an aggressive modern bike at around 455mm and 1235mm for an S2 (Medium) and a 30mm BB drop is low without being excessive. Head angles sit at around 64’ and longer head tubes on the larger sizes are also nice to see. 

One obvious visual change is the move to a vertically oriented shock rather than the ‘through tunnel’ layout on the regular Forbidden mountain bikes. That’s been done with seatpost insertion in mind as placing the shock tunnel above the motor would have limited insertion drastically. As it is, the new design allows a full 180mm dropper to be slammed to the collar in even the smallest size, while maintaining the rearward axle path that defines a Forbidden. Leverage rates are decently progressive at around 25% and pedal kickback is kept low thanks to the idler position. 

With DJI offering the system with two sizes of battery, their system creates scope to build different styles of bike and that flexibility is something Forbidden have cleverly leaned into with these new machines. Using one frame to produce two distinctly different bikes, the Druid LitE and CorE are perhaps slightly mis-named as both actually split the difference between a Druid and a Dreadnought rather than simply being a Druid with a motor. 

The Druid LitE is the closer of the two to a motor powered version of the Druid, just faster and even more capable. Combining a 600W battery with a sensible but light build kit and 150mm/140mm travel it will be a blazingly fast all round trail bike. At under 20kg in stock trim it’s extremely light, fitting into the same weight bracket as the best hard riding SL motor powered options, but absurdly more powerful and with a bigger battery.

Having ridden the regular Druid extensively last year and really fallen for it, even the LitE is going to be able to be ridden super hard with 10mm more travel at each end and the extra stability all E-Bikes bring, on top of what was already a very competent bike. For an all round rider looking for an E-Bike which maximises agility it’s going to be an exceptional package; quick handling, easy to move around and super versatile. Given the Druid was also one of the best technical climbers we’ve ever ridden, we can only imagine what this thing will claw its way up.

Meanwhile, for the more gravity focused riders, the CorE is closer to a mini Dreadnought in reality at 160mm/150mm travel, and built with a burlier parts kit. With not a single corner cut in the name of weight saving, the CorE goes all in with an 800W battery, Zeb and Vivid suspension package, Maven brakes and strong tires to build a bike that will ride absolutely as hard as you dare to go. That might conjure up images of a bit of a tank, but even with all that tougher kit, the Druid CorE is still just 22.5kg placing it among the lighter full power bikes out there. For a high pivot bike with an 800W battery, that is quite something. With the regular Dreadnought riding well beyond its travel numbers, this one also looks like it will be a real monster on the descents, with the only speed limit likely to be down to the bravery of the pilot.

Both bikes are offered in three Tiers of build kit, starting with the excellent value Tier 3 bikes which pair a mechanical SRAM 90 T-Type build with Select+ suspension, and top out at the upgrade proof XO AXS and Ultimate setup on the Tier 1 bikes. While the Tier 1 bikes are always going to be the most exciting option, it’s very good to see that Forbidden have specced even the base models with quality suspension, drivetrain and brakes so that every bike will perform out on the trails. Good effort Forbidden. 

We’ve a selection sizes and models incoming now, but with very limited stock coming into the UK for this launch run we expect it to run out out all too quickly. If you’re looking to get your hands on one of these exclusive machines, then get in touch to place a pre-order and make sure you don’t miss out.

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