Limited availability of 50 bikes and first deliveries scheduled for April/May. Form an orderly queue.
The Atherton S.170E is built around the 170mm enduro platform, and is powered by the Avinox drive system. A range of twelve frame sizes.
Press Release in full…
Atherton Bikes open presales for the new S.170E EMTB
The Atherton S.170E: Best-in-class fit, with the handling and power to match. Hitting the trails in April 2026.
Today Atherton Bikes opens presales for the highly anticipated S.170E, a full-power EMTB developed with a clear priority: ride feel. From balanced handling and controlled suspension behaviour to uncompromised fit across twelve frame sizes, every decision was made to ensure the bike rides like an Atherton, not just an EMTB.
Rather than rushing to market, the S.170E has been shaped by years of EMTB riding and testing in the Dyfi Valley. The result is a full-power enduro EMTB built around balance, durability and proper fit, developed to the same standards as every analogue Atherton bike.
A Handling-First EMTB
From the outset, the S.170E was engineered around a simple goal: build the best-handling full-power EMTB Atherton can create.
Geometry, suspension kinematics, chassis stiffness, motor choice and battery packaging were developed together as a single system. Weight placement and balance were prioritised from day one, rather than sacrificed in pursuit of headline figures. The result is a bike that stays composed, predictable and easy to manage, lap after lap.
Suspension is handled by Dave Weagle’s proven DW4 platform, delivering 170 mm of travel tuned specifically for EMTB use. Supportive under power, through the rough, and straightforward to set up, it delivers the same confident ride feel we expect from our analogue bikes, with high-torque motor support to unlock more runs.
“I’ve never ridden a full power EMTB that rides like an analogue MTB. The way the S.170E feels on the trail is so close to the standard S.170. It’s unbelievable.” Dan Atherton
Full-Power Performance, Compact Packaging
Power comes from the Avinox drive system, chosen not just for its industry leading output, but for its compact size and refined power delivery. This allowed Atherton to keep geometry, kinematics and chassis proportions exactly where they wanted them, without compromise.
“After months (and years) of testing various motors in the Dyfi Valley and beyond, the Avinox stood out as a big step forward in EMTB drive unit performance. The choice was clear.” Dan Brown, Atherton Bikes CEO
Real World Range
The S.170E will run a full-sized battery which offers the range needed for a solid ride, without tying the bike down when it comes to handling and manoeuvrability.
The battery is housed inside the downtube for strength and protection. It is not designed for trailside swaps but can be removed in minutes for service or travel when required. Every frame size runs the same full-capacity battery, with no cut-down capacity for smaller riders. Exact Wh figures will be revealed at launch, but through testing in the Dyfi Valley it’s proven good for 1600-2000 M of vertical.
Proper Fit, Across An Unmatched Size Range
True to Atherton’s Perfect Fit principles, the S.170E is offered in 12 frame sizes, starting from 415mm reach.
Crucially, every size receives the same motor system and full-capacity battery. Smaller riders get the same performance, range, and ride feel as larger riders, not compromised alternatives.
Key geometry figures include a 64° head angle and 77° seat angle, delivering confidence on steep descents while keeping climbing position efficient and poised.
S-Range Aluminium Chassis
The S.170E is built on Atherton’s S-Range aluminium platform, using subtractive-manufactured lugs and bonded tubes, all constructed from ultra-tough 7075 aluminium.
This approach delivers the strength and durability required for a full-power, gravity focussed EMTB, while giving Atherton the flexibility to offer our industry-leading range of 12 sizes, higher production capacity, and a more accessible entry point compared to our additive-manufactured platforms.
It also proved the most effective solution for EMTB design, allowing the team to accommodate motor cradle dimensions cleanly while precisely tuning stiffness and compliance to optimise ride feel.
Build Options
The S.170E is available in three complete builds, each centred around durability and on trail performance:
Build 1 (£8,999.00)
- Fox Factory suspension (38 fork / X2 shock)
- SRAM X0 Eagle Transmission, integrated with the Avinox drive system
- FSA carbon Gradient handlebar
Build 2 (£7,999.00)
- RockShox Ultimate suspension (ZEB fork / Vivid Air shock)
- SRAM GX Eagle Transmission, integrated with the Avinox drive system
- FSA alloy Gradient handlebar
Build 3 (£6,999.00)
- RockShox Select suspension (ZEB fork / Vivid Air shock)
- SRAM Eagle 90 Transmission
- FSA alloy Gradient handlebar
All builds come equipped with Hayes Dominion A4 brakes, Mavic E-Deemax wheels, and Continental Kryptotal tyres.
Presale numbers are limited to just 50 models. Additional bikes will be available at official launch, subject to standard production lead times. In 2026 only UK and EU customers will be able to order EMTB’s from Atherton, with global distribution planned later.
According to my man-maths, expensive stuff doesn’t actually cost more. Honestly.
So, you decide to buy an up-to-date and desirable bike (emtb, mtb, road, whatever). You would hopefully get some sort of discount (although it doesn’t matter if you don’t*). You enjoy the bike for a few years and sell it whilst it still has the latest standards and things. With a good advert you get back more than half of what you originally paid… so the bike only really cost half of its rrp. Easy.
*It’s fine if you pay full rrp for a brand that never discounts as their second hand value will reflect that. Additionally, you may have took advantage of CtW and so the figures are even better. Or, you bought at a massive discount that wasn’t well publicised.
The only time an expensive bike is really expensive is the first time you buy one.
Right… think I’ve convinced myself to buy an Atherton 🙂
I have an Atherton. Very happy to support a UK manufacturer that has created a bike that doesn’t have a model year so should last a while whilst looking current, rides brilliantly and actually represents ‘relatively’ good value compared to mass produced Chinese carbon jelly moulds. I am personally very happy to see them keep on innovating and building a world class UK business that actually exports good rather than services from a country that has precious little manufacturing left.
I bought it on the CTW scheme. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. The CTW scheme exists, it offered me a discount and I already pay plenty of other tax so why not?! Are Atherton wrong to offer the scheme? Are their customers wrong to make use of it? According to my moral compass, nope to both. If it puts more riders on British made bikes that perhaps might not have otherwise bought them, then no tax has been lost. And the amount of tax we are talking about is a drop in the ocean compared to some of the waste that exists in the public sector. Now there’s a rabbit hole and can of worms……..and none of it anything to do with the original thread which focuses on a great product where demand appears to have exceeded supply with the initial limited run already having sold out. I am a few generations away from considering an expensive e-bike. Technology is just moving too quickly. I do think that the analogue Atherton’s are pretty much peak bike in terms of materials, geometry and suspension. I also think that dropping so much cash on an e-bike from any brand does not represent good value. With the 1st generation Amflow now being discounted, a gen 2 Avinox must surely be on the cards very soon as rumoured (which probably accounts for why the Atherton pictures don;t actually show the motor).
Well done to the Athertons. Keep it up!
Interesting point.
Most emtb’s are wort peanuts 2nd hand. I cant see the Atherton being any different.
The sheer fact its rumoured Avinox already have a version 2 motor coming out makes the value of your current bike less than 1 year old worth less 🙁 lets hope they are backwards compatible (which would bike a first for the bike industry)
Hence my tongue in cheek comment on this thread or the other. I would buy an Atherton because you know the frame would last (probably) but would the frame last the changes in technology?
This is where emtbs are silly expensive as they are obsolete so quickly
They are and they can be, however….
I bought my first ebike 2018/19? It’s still going, I went out on it this weekend, albeit I also have a newer top of the range Levo Gen 3. Upgraded weather sealing and a refresh on the motor from eBike Motor Centre and it serves as my spare/winter/really filthy conditons bike. It cost me £5.5k new – over 7 years that equates to £15/week barring upgrades. It struggled a little to keep up with my mates brand new Bosch CX powered bike uphill, but didn’t do terribly.
Obsolete, maybe – served it’s purpose for a not ridiculous outlay and still does what’s required of it, definitely.
How long I’ll keep the Levo, I don’t know, but I don’t feel the need to sell it at a big loss to have the latest and greatest. When the Kenevo eventually hangs it’s boots up, I’ll probably keep the Levo as a second bike and then get something newer.
Odd hill to die on, picking on a niche UK manufacturer of premium sports equipment to push some inverse snobbery rhetoric about wealth, success & privilege.
Other e-bikes are available. A 30 second google shows plenty of options from 33% of the cost of the Atherton for a decent FS ebike, and a load of other options at 50% of the cost, all of which would be perfectly good enough for those less wealthy, successful or privileged.
I could afford to buy one of these if I wanted, however I cannot afford to go out and buy a Ferrari 296 but I don’t walk around with a chip on my shoulder, grumbling about those who can and their ‘privilege’ 🤦♂️
I think the main thrust of my comments were intended to express not only my surprise at how quickly they sold but mostly my surprise that they are a subsidised non-essential purchase. Tax “breaks” that, yes, some of which goes to Wales, but benefits greatly the manufacturers of the motor and electronics. The large amounts of aluminium used are not produced in the UK either so more of “taxpayers” money going abroad. Instead of this system of subsidy surely that money could perhaps benefit a greater spread of society?
And, for those of you that think that I’m motivated by jealousy- I could afford to buy one of these bikes for cash.
We have become divided again..
We shouldn’t be hating on Atherton for making an ebike, the real question is why haven’t they made a gravel bike yet?
Apart from yourself lolz 😘
Yeah, I think we’ve been trolled.
I’ve sold 3 ebikes:
Vitus E-Sommet… Thrashed for 3 years and sold for £1200 (cost about £2800 iirc)
Vitus Mach-E… commuter bike. Sold after 18 months. lost just under £600
Orbea Rise H30… bought at a discount and with interest free credit for £2800. Sold after 30 months for just under £1500.
So not huge losses on any of them. Just bought a Norco Fluid VLT (Latest Bosch SX system) reduced from £8k to £3k!?! So can’t imagine I’ll ever lose much on that one!
I’d want to know a little more about DJI reliability, warranty and support beyond warranty before buying. Otherwise, I’m glad that a person can choose to buy a UK built bike that has the quality and reputation of an Atherton for not much more than a Chinese brand.
Cool story bro.
Ok, there’s some holes in my argument! I’ve made myself chuckle, that’s the problem with watching Homestead Rescue at the same time..
But, the lopsided subsidy scheme is still just that.
Just to address two earlier comments:
“Technology is just moving too quickly"
“This is where emtbs are silly expensive as they are obsolete so quickly"
All I can assume is that people think that the progress in ebikes over the last decade has been like the first decade of smartphones or home computers? I’m sorry to say that it’s been nothing like that. Electric motors are a very mature technology. Lithium ion batteries haven’t been around anywhere near as long, but as with all battery tech over the last 150 years, only very slow progress is made because it all comes down to chemistry. Hopefully solidstate batteries will make good progress because that would be good for the world but I wouldn’t worry about it making your bike “obsolete".
My ebike dates from 2018. The only thing that’s somewhat dated is the geometry because it’s a little shorter and steeper of head tube and slacker of seat tube than current bikes – but not by a vast amount. In terms of power, weight and battery life its only impediment is the result of buying the cheaper one with the 500Wh battery but even after 8 years of almost daily use I’ve not had any problems riding with other ebikers on much more modern bikes (including a DJI one a few weeks back).
My 2018 Esommet had a Shimano E8000 motor and I’ve just bought a bike with the Bosch gen 5 motor and I personally think that in some ways the Shimano is the better motor of the two.
Of all the things the government waste money on I’m not sure encouraging people to get outside and ride a bike is the worst tbh, tbf, imo? Plenty of low paid people have access to it as well btw.
I think to offset the expense of my e-bike (although it was a YT Decoy in their sale on C2W which helped) and it’s terrible secondhand resale value I am going to do what I always do with bikes which is ride it lots and lots and keep it for several years (last big purchase was an Orange Alpine 160 in 2012 and I only sold it in 2019 because I had twins and wasn’t going to get much time to actually ride it). I’m sure the motor and battery won’t last 7 years but hopefully I’ll get my money’s worth out of it. It’s not like I need to trade it in because a fancier motor has been released and the geometry and components are fine for what I ride.
There’s no doubt that ebikes are costly. My 2022 Orbea Rise that I bought in 2023 was significantly reduced. I could have got a lower spec model of the same bike with the same frame for a more reasonable but still fairly expensive price.
I’m probably not the best qualified person to speak as:
Historically I spent a lot of money on bikes and kept them for a long time.
My Orbea was cheaper in actual and real terms than my last full-suspension Transition Patrol that I bought in 2016 and my Stanton Switchback Ti that I bought in 2018.
Most importantly, my ebike lets the now disabled me – continue to go out with my riding buddies.
A bit off-topic. Lots in my life has changed – quality of life and life expectancy, but the support I have had from my friends is not one of those.