Pinion Motor.Gearbox.Unit (MGU)

[Rás Cnoic]

One of the motor gearbox systems that has been developing for a number of years is the tiny Scottish firm Intradrive and their GD8 motor. They had a rideable prototype at Eurobike last year and are back this year apparently on some brand bikes, but nothing yet online from Eurobike, lost in the Avinox blitz. Also these new eCVT motors might be a death knell as, like Pinion, theirs is a mechanical gearbox.

But it has one aspect that i think could be amazing- it's designed to fit Shimano EP8/6 mountings. This raises the prospect of being able to buy a used bike with an old battered shimano motor, buy the GD8 and fit it to the bike! Hey presto a fairly cheap MGU bike! Chain of course no split frame for belt!And yeah yeah, there are loads of compatibility issues, frame dropouts, shimano battery and computer etc etc. So I've no idea if selling the motor off the shelf is part of their plan. But it might be attractive to brands who currently build frames around the EP8 system, which I guess is Intradrive's plan.

https://www.intradrive.co.uk/

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Reading all the - slightly hysterical - reporting about these new eCVT gearboxes at Eurobike, now is probably a good time to put up this vid, a restoration of a 1930s German Wanderer gearbox bike. Such remarkable engineering, clearly built to last given that bike is close to 100 years old now. The fella doing the restoring knows his trade and what's lovely is he doesn't try and 'doll it up' but carefully builds it back, paint missing and all.

I mean the bike, all steel parts, must have weighed as much as a small tank, but what a vehicle. So many beautiful parts, those slim cranks! And the lugged frame construction looks like a similar 'scaffolding' type joint that the Atherton's use on their 3d printed Downhill MTBs in 2026

If you don't fancy watching the painstaking progress, he starts opening the gearbox on 5 mins and starts building the gearbox back together around 15 mins in.

From what I've read, gearbox bikes where - I wouldn't say popular - but sold well from the 30s to the 50s until the Sturmey Archer 3 speed type hubs took over, being much cheaper to make and didn't need a special frame and by then derailleurs were also gaining traction. But in that period (outside WW2 obviously) gearbox bikes were made in Switzerland/Germany mostly and motors sold to brands in other countries, very popular in flat, cycling mad Holland of course, but there was even an English bike brand with a Swiss gearbox called, of course, the Bulldog!

They were expensive bikes and favoured by the professional classes, Doctors on their rounds liked them!

I think we easily forget our cycling history, always looking to the next big thing. Worth seeing the bikes that came before. The Safety bicycle was invented in 1885 so by the time gear box bikes emerged, bikes had been enormously popular for over 50 years.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

One of the motor gearbox systems that has been developing for a number of years is the tiny Scottish firm Intradrive and their GD8 motor. They had a rideable prototype at Eurobike last year and are back this year apparently on some brand bikes, but nothing yet online from Eurobike, lost in the Avinox blitz. Also these new eCVT motors might be a death knell as, like Pinion, theirs is a mechanical gearbox.

But it has one aspect that i think could be amazing- it's designed to fit Shimano EP8/6 mountings. This raises the prospect of being able to buy a used bike with an old battered shimano motor, buy the GD8 and fit it to the bike! Hey presto a fairly cheap MGU bike! Chain of course no split frame for belt!And yeah yeah, there are loads of compatibility issues, frame dropouts, shimano battery and computer etc etc. So I've no idea if selling the motor off the shelf is part of their plan. But it might be attractive to brands who currently build frames around the EP8 system, which I guess is Intradrive's plan.

https://www.intradrive.co.uk/

Here's a look at the Intradrive motor at Eurobike and a chat with Ed (the owner?) I put this clip in the Eurobike tread as well:

 

[scrambler]

Looking for details on the eCVT technology announced in the Avinox and Gobao motors, I found the french video below on the first integrated eCVT motor to come out, which was the e2drive owuru motor on the Decathlon ebikes in 2023.

The owuru motor definitely does not have as good specs power and gear range wise as the new announced model, nor did it have a manual mode.

Owuru propulsion module for eBike by E2 Drives

Discover OWURU, the first propulsion module for electric bikes with continuously variable transmission, now available from Decathlon.

owuru-ebike.com

Of course we have no idea how similar or different either of the Gobao or Avinox transmission are, but they would have to be unless they are stealing the patented technology...

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Looking for details on the eCVT technology announced in the Avinox and Gobao motors, I found the french video below on the first integrated eCVT motor to come out, which was the e2drive owuru motor on the Decathlon ebikes in 2023.

The owuru motor definitely does not have as good specs power and gear range wise as the new announced model, nor did it have a manual mode.

Owuru propulsion module for eBike by E2 Drives

Discover OWURU, the first propulsion module for electric bikes with continuously variable transmission, now available from Decathlon.

owuru-ebike.com

Of course we have no idea how similar or different either of the Gobao or Avinox transmission are, but they would have to be unless they are stealing the patented technology...

I posted about that Decathlon/Owuru motor on here at the time, but I didn't take in that it was a CVT motor or what that meant, just assumed it was a slightly different take on a mechanical gearbox with cogs etc. I saw an Italian rider review at the time on the 920 commuter bike, cycling in the countryside up to a castle on a hill, looked a lot of fun! And Decathlon's pricing is pretty competitive as well. Google says they have been a big success for Decathlon and they are expanding the range.

I have no Decathlon stores within a hundred miles or I'd go to take a look. It does show that eCVT motors can be robust and reliable as the 920 came out in 2023 and they've since added 2 other models.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

Interesting thoughts about eCVTs online right now. So Decathlon had to recall all three models with Owaru drives last December (25) due to a software issue that caused backwards ghost pedaling. Something to do with the dual motors not syncing properly. They acted promptly and a free firmware update which took ten mins at any Decathlon centre, sorted the issue. But it shows how complex this drive system is. And with both Avinox and Goboa systems being much more powerful and planning for use on EMTBs, operating in harsh conditions, they need to make sure the systems are robust before the roll out.

Decathlon recalls its high-end urban e-bikes due to software issues

The Decathlon e-bikes equipped with Owuru motors are affected by a firmware issue that has forced the brand to issue a recall for an update.

en.brujulabike.com

Goboa has apparently included a clutch system for this very reason.

Online forums are also speculating whether both Chinese systems are 'inspired' by the Owaru drive as you suggested Scrambler. Decathlon had the drive partly built in Chinese factories and Goboa as world leader in control systems for mobility industry apparently knows everything that goes on in all those Chinese factories. Apparently Decathlon patented the hardware but not the software wanting to keep that secret, this created a legal loophole that Goboa etc could build their own system and write their own unique code to make the hardware work. Avinox and Goboa have been busily stealing engineers from each other in a "spy v spy' scenario so easy to see them both figuring out the Owaru system.

Anyway all this will need to be tested when the bikes go on sale. They should give one to Chargeride here on EBR so he can cheerfully trash it in the Lake district and Scotland in winter mud and floods! That'll show if the eCVT can stand up to real world conditions. Especially without any slippage of gears which sounds awful and reminds me of the old battered farm bike with sturmey archer 3 speed hub gears that was wrecked, so the gears kept slipping, awful feeling through the pedals.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I missed this bike (due to EMTB blanket coverage of Avinox/Goboa) this is a new urban ebike with the Goboa eCVT system at Eurobike. It reminds me of the Vanmoof when it arrived with that enclosed chainguard rather than a belt drive. Not sure why no belt? Anyway, this has an interesting commuting idea. That horizontal block under the seat is the battery, but the diagonal black block under that is the charger! This means you just need a 'kettle' lead in your pocket and you can charge your bike from any wall socket. You could lean it by your desk at work and just plug it in. That's pretty nifty.

Here's a good discussion on the eCTV systems from UrbanBikeNews - so focusing on city bikes not EMTBs.

New Motor Gearbox Units: Is this the big breakthrough? - urbanbike.news

Eurobike 2026 will be remembered above all for its significantly reduced exhibition space. Compared with previous years, the trade fair seemed downright empty, and the future of what was once the leading international trade fair is more uncertain than ever. It is all the more remarkable...

urbanbike.news

A handy graph from that article looking at the big MU players so far:

 

[speedub.nate]

Many critical replies are coming from a "purist" perspective – "I want control of my shifting" – which is generally the camp I fall into.

I demoed the Also. (Rivian) bike at Sea Otter. I went in with very similar feelings – too complicated, lack of control, overweight.

The demo ride changed my mind. This is bike with serious mass market appeal. I'm confident the Gobao system will fall into the same camp. This is not some hacked together "a bolted-on motor unit shifts gears for you" like Enviolo's AutomatiQ system. The shifting is integrated into the system. It's seamless, it reacts instantaneously, it's natural, it does hills beautifully.

I'm not suggesting it's for everybody, not suggesting it's going to completely replace derailleurs or manual shifting. What I am saying is for anybody doubtful, you have to do yourself a solid and demo one is these systems. They are quite literally going to develop into a new segment and also take over a bunch of what we've taken for granted as a foundational element of cycling.

I think you'll be surprised.