Aventon Current EXP Review | Extreme Value; Awesome Power

The Current’s display and app are among the best I’ve used, even if the overall system does come with one of my few complaints about the bike.

Let’s start there. I found the controller for adjusting PAS levels and scrolling through the display to be surprisingly stiff. It may loosen up over time, but I had a few moments where I thought I’d clicked it and hadn’t.

Beyond that, the setup is excellent. I really like the top-tube-integrated display. I’m a sucker for touchscreens (they make the experience feel more premium) even if I’ll mostly use it while stationary. You can scroll through ride metrics either with the controller or by swiping left and right on the screen. It shows the usual essentials like speed, odometer, and trip distance, but also useful extras like rider-versus-motor power split and more.

Swiping down on the screen brings up quick controls for screen lock, brightness, and lights, while swiping up gives you access to more advanced settings like app connection and password entry, if you choose to enable those features.

Once connected to the Aventon app, you get a clean, easy-to-understand dashboard with a smooth layout. The bike can receive over-the-air updates, which should help keep the system current over time. You can also jump into ride tuning and adjust torque, power, and pedal engagement across the three standard assist modes—Eco, Trail, and Sport—though there currently aren’t tuning options for Auto or Boost.

The app also includes maintenance reminders, diagnostics for the controller, battery, and motor, a dealer locator, and other handy tools that make it easier to keep tabs on the bike’s health.

Finally, Aventon brought its ACU, or Aventon Control Unit, over from its lifestyle models, and it’s a welcome addition here. The system includes 4G connectivity with GPS tracking, plus features like geofencing, alarms for unusual activity, and bike-sharing tools if you want to lend the bike to someone else without them running into those same security features.

I didn’t expect ACU to make its way to the Current, but I’m glad it did. eMTBs are a serious investment, so the extra security and peace of mind go a long way. If the worst-case scenario ever plays out and someone tries to walk off with your bike, you’re better protected here than you would be on most other rides.

Aventon claims up to 105 miles of range on the Current. I’m usually skeptical of any triple-digit claim, but there’s at least some reason for optimism here. The Ramblas,Aventon’s hardtail, claimed 90 miles and then exceeded 100 in our bike path testing. Obviously that’s easier to achieve when not on mountain bike trails, but still a promising sign. With the Current’s larger 800Wh battery compared to the Ramblas’ 708Wh pack, the claim doesn’t feel completely out of reach in the right conditions.

That said, the Current wasn’t built for smooth bike paths. It was built to get rowdy off-road, so we put it through our local loop to see what kind of floor it could deliver when run in high power.

On our test ride, we got 30.9 miles while climbing 3,010 vertical feet. That’s really strong mileage.

That result now puts the Current fourth on our all-time eMTB range test ranking among full-power models, and it finished only about a mile and a half behind the top spot. That’s a seriously solid showing.

As we always remind people, this test is intentionally demanding. Our course mixes green, blue, and black singletrack, and we run bikes in high power the whole way, which is overkill for most riders. Mid and low assist levels are usually more than enough, and mixing your power modes will stretch range much farther. If you’re looking at the Current for all-day trail rides, it seems more than capable of delivering that with varied usage. And even in this lowest-mileage-case-style test, 31 miles in full power is still more ride time than most people will log in a day.

The Current is a full-power eMTB, and that showed clearly at both of our test locations.

At our first stop, Devil’s Backbone where we test all bikes, it climbed the half-mile hill with an 8% grade in 1:46, averaging 17.1 mph. That beats the average eMTB result on this climb by 12 seconds, and it did that without even tapping into Boost mode. We did try a run with both Boost enabled and a 28 mph top speed instead, and it shaved off another seven seconds.

At the Water Tower climb, which is a more trail-appropriate setting for an eMTB, we tested the bike exclusively in Boost mode. With a 20 mph top speed, it reached the top in 3:02 for a 17.1 mph average. Raising the threshold to 28 mph helped a little more, trimming another four seconds for a 2:58 finish and a 17.5 mph average. For context, the average high-power eMTB motor finishes this climb in 3:21, so the Current is clearly operating above the norm.

I was a little surprised that Boost didn’t create a more dramatic gap between runs. To me, that suggests the standard settings are already strong enough for most climbing situations and are probably the better place to live most of the time if you want to be a little less demanding on the motor. Boost still makes sense as that extra gear when you want just a little more.

However you slice it, the motor climbs extremely well. It also builds speed quickly, which is great if you like carrying momentum, clearing trail features, or ramping up for jumps.

The Current feels designed for broad appeal, and it’s set up well to deliver on that. The geometry, suspension travel, and overall trail feel make it a strong trail / all-mountain option that can handle a pretty wide range of terrain and riding stylesfrom tight and twisty trails, to steep climbs, or fast, fun descents.

Part of that all-around appeal comes from the full 29” wheel setup and the 140/150mm suspension platform.
The 29ers bring good stability and rollover capability. They’re usually not quite as agile as bikes with a 27.5” rear wheel, but the Current still has a playful side thanks in part to its 455mm chainstays. I never felt like it was lacking in the handling department, and it still moved through tighter, windier flow sections really well.

Our team also found it easy to get the bike off the ground. Standing still, you can sense a little more rearward heft from the aluminum rear triangle compared to the carbon front when you lift it up, but that weight mostly disappears once you’re on the trail. In practice, it never felt like it was holding the bike back. We found ourselves actively looking for trail features to pop off, and it was a blast doing so.

The 140/150mm RockShox suspension package performs well. The Lyrik Select fork and Super Deluxe Select+ shock strike a nice balance between plushness and support on the trails we tested in both Arizona and Utah, where chunky rock gardens are the norm. The main limitation showed up at the highest speeds, where trail chatter became a little more noticeable. Riders who really like to push hard may eventually want a Zeb up front, but for most people, the Lyrik will be more than good enough.

Situationally, the bike is just a really strong performer. It handled both climbing and descending better than we expected. The geometry plays a big role there, with a 64.6-degree head tube angle and a 76.6-degree seat tube angle. It leans trail-oriented overall, but the head angle starts to edge toward slacker enduro territory. The result is a bike that feels comfortable on the climbs and more than capable when pointed downhill.

The SRAM drivetrain and brakes are another major highlight. Wireless SRAM shifting on a bike around this price point feels like a real luxury. Shifting was reliable on a nice 12-speed groupset, and the motor system does a nice job of helping smooth out less-than-perfect shift timing.

The brakes are extremely powerful. I used to be a little mixed on them because they take some adjustment (they felt too powerful to me at first), but I’ve come around in a big way. Now I think they’re excellent, and I’m even considering them for my own eMTB. Again, getting that kind of brake setup on a bike at this price is a huge win.

The tires and dropper feel more in line with what you’d expect at this price. The Maxxis Minion DHF and DHR combo is a proven setup, and the tubeless-ready design is always appreciated. The tires are grippy enough and roll well. The EXO casings aren’t the toughest option out there (especially if you ride in rocky, thorn-heavy desert terrain like we do) so that’s one area some riders may want to upgrade.

The X-Fusion Manic dropper post worked well, with 150mm or 170mm of travel depending on frame size.

The rest of the touchpoints are solid. We appreciate the wider 780/800mm handlebar choice fo balanced steering control. The bar could have used a bit more rise, but we could chalk that up to personal preference.

The Selle Royal SRX saddle occasionally felt like it grabbed at our shorts a bit because of its texture, but saddles, grips, and pedals are also in that personal preference category anyway, and those are easy swaps if needed.

For riders not needing the carbon front, you can also look at the Current ADV. This bike is fully aluminum with a most of the other parts a step below on the spec tier if you’re not looking to ride as aggressively and would rather save the $1400 or so in cost difference.

Overall, the Current exceeded expectations in the handling department at nearly every turn. And when you combine that ride quality with a parts package that mixes premium and genuinely luxurious features at this price point, the value starts to feel elite. If there’s any hesitation because this is Aventon’s first full-suspension eMTB, I wouldn’t stress too much about that either. Aventon for years has been one of the fastest-growing names in cycling, it has a proven track record, and its service network is already well established, which gives the Current a pretty reassuring long-term outlook.

The Current is genuinely one of the most impressive e-bike debuts we’ve seen. Aventon’s first entry into the full-suspension eMTB category comes out swinging with a bike that should appeal to a lot of riders, pairing an approachable build with some legitimately impressive features.

The Ultro X motor holds its own in the broader mid-drive landscape, showing off strong power and solid efficiency from the 800Wh battery. Boost mode is a nice bonus for riders who want every bit of power and torque on tap, while the tuning features also give you enough control to keep things from feeling overcooked.

We found the mixed carbon/aluminum frame worked better than expected across a wide range of situations, and the RockShox suspension package complements it well with a ride that feels both comfortable and supportive when it needs to, with a livelier feel we enjoyed that had us popping off all the trail features.

Then there’s the component spec. SRAM electronic shifting and Maven brakes are more than we would have expected to see on a bike priced thousands below some competing models with similar parts. Moves like that are exactly what will make the value-focused crowd take notice.

The Current EXP feels like a hit. It should be an easy recommendation for riders who want a capable, full-power mountain e-bike, whether they’re newer to the category or have been riding for years.

Happy Riding! Make sure to let us know if you have any questions or if you think we left anything out in this review of the Aventon Current down in our comments section.