Pinion MGU E1.12 test: The Pinion MGU drivetrain is now also available with automatic transmission

Update: This article was first published in June 2023 and last updated in July 2024.

Motor-Gearbox-Unit, or MGU for short, is the name of the new e-drive from German gearbox specialist Pinion. And if the system delivers what it promises, the Denkendorf-based company has found something like the Holy Grail of the e-bike industry. Instead of heavy, wear- and defect-prone derailleurs and sprocket sets on the rear wheel, the gear changes in the encapsulated gearbox run directly in the motor. The big question: Can the complex technology be convincing in off-road use? If so, annoying issues such as chain and sprocket wear could soon be history for good. The best thing is that four production-ready e-mountainbikes from Bulls, Flyer, Rotwild and Simplon are ready for the launch of the new Pinion drive.

>> How the MGU is made: We were able to take a look behind the scenes at gearbox specialist Pinion. You can read the whole report here

UPDATE July 2024: Pinion has now presented its complete automatic shifting system for the MGU at Eurobike 2024. In addition, the MGU now has an optimised caster for technically demanding uphills. Here is what you already need to know.

The facts about the Pinion MGU E1.12

• Weight: 4112 g (measured in the EMTB laboratory)
• Max. Torque: 85 Newton metres (manufacturer's specification)
• Max. Power: 600 watts (manufacturer's specification)
• 48-volt technology
• 12 gears (spur gearing with two gear sets connected in series, 3 x 4 steps)
• Bandwidth 600 per cent
• Semi-automatic downhill shifting, fully automatic announced
• Q-factor: 174 mm
• Magnesium housing
• Maintenance interval: Oil change every 10,000 km or once a year
• With an empty battery, there is a reserve for 1000 switching operations
• Intelligent push assistance with customisable speed
• Four support levels Eco, Flow, Flex and Fly - individually customisable via app
• Control elements, batteries and app from FIT, various versions

Design and weight of the Pinion MGU

Five years of development have gone into the Pinion MGU E1.12, as the unit consisting of a powerful motor and twelve-speed gearbox is called. The result is a compact package in a magnesium housing that is relatively small. It is slightly larger towards the down tube, but it is not far removed from the design of classic mid-drive motors in this power class. In the EMTB lab, the MGU weighs 4112 grams. That's around 1.2 to 1.4 kilos more than a conventional Bosch or Shimano motor. Of course, you save on the rear derailleur and cassette, which weigh around 700 to 800 grams. But in total, the Pinion solution adds at least 500 grams to the weight.

The advantages of the Pinion MGU

• Gearstick and motor in one unit: 4100 grams, 12 gears, 600 % range, 85 Newton metres, 600 watts maximum power
• Low wear: Significantly minimised wear on chain and sprocket
• Low maintenance: oil change every 10,000 km or once a year
• Fewer defects: No rear derailleur that can break off, no thin chain that has to run diagonally over the sprocket set
• Shifting possible at standstill and when rolling
• Permanently constant switching operations without readjustment
• No chain rattling and rear derailleur slap with belt drive
• Lower unsprung mass improves the function of the rear suspension
• Ideal weight distribution, low centre of gravity
• Automatic switching functions possible

Batteries and operating elements of the Pinion motor-gearbox unit

While Pinion relies entirely on its own capacities for the design of the motor and gearbox, the German manufacturer uses the portfolio of the Swiss system provider FIT for the battery, display, remote and app. Bike manufacturers can choose from various display-remote combinations and different battery variants, including an optional range extender. With up to 960 watt hours in the Ultracore battery, sufficient energy is provided. Pinion also relies on the FIT network for service, which is well positioned with over 4700 dealers in Europe.

The 12-speed gearbox from Pinion

Twelve gears and a spread of 600 per cent: the Pinion gearbox beats the competition from Shimano and Sram - at least on paper. But how does the gear system perform off-road? Before we find out, let's take a closer look at how the system works. Two gear sets connected in series with three and four gears provide the shifting spectrum. According to Pinion, the jumps between the individual gears are always identical, namely 17.7 per cent. The bandwidth, i.e. the difference between the smallest and largest gear, is 600 per cent. The 12-speed competition from Shimano and Sram delivers 510 and 520 per cent respectively. This also means that the gear steps with the Pinion MGU are somewhat larger.

The first contact with the gearstick is super high-quality and smooth. The TE1 electronic gear lever feels really good on the thumb. The shift logic is based on classic manual triggers. This means that gear changes are quick and intuitive. Ergonomics, feel and feedback are excellent, the pressure is pleasantly crisp. The gear steps are slightly larger compared to classic 12-speed systems.

The big crux of a gearbox is changing gears under load. And this applies all the more to E-MTBs, as the motor power comes on top. Our test impression is twofold. Basically, most gear changes are surprisingly smooth, even under full load. In particular, shifting into heavier gears is really smooth and fast - better than with classic derailleur gears. However, there are two exceptions, namely when jumping from fourth to fifth and from eighth to ninth gear - and vice versa. Here, the 3x4 gearbox has to shift both gear stages simultaneously to change gear. This leads to a significant interruption in propulsion. It feels as if the gearstick is choking a little. The gear change takes significantly longer than you are used to. This interrupts the pedalling rhythm and brings unrest to the ride.

How often you experience these annoying gear changes depends on the terrain and is to a certain extent a matter of luck. During our test drives, however, we often found ourselves around the unfavourable shift jump from four to five. The riding flow then suffers noticeably. This can limit riding performance, especially on technical uphill sections. On the other hand, there are also advantages in difficult terrain. For example, you can easily engage the right gear when starting off on steep slopes. The integrated start-up aid at the push of a button also works well and is particularly helpful because the motor does not react so directly to pedal pressure.

Update: Pinion MGU with automatic transmission

Motor and gearstick in one system - that brings another advantage. This is because both parts can communicate and interact perfectly with each other. This makes automatic shifting functions possible with Pinion, as Shimano did recently with the EP801 and the XT Di2 or Sram with the Powertrain system have presented.

In April 2024, Pinion will follow suit and announce a fully automatic transmission shifting system in the MGU. The new software for this can simply be installed at the dealer; no new hardware is required. Pinion is thus drastically expanding the range of functions of the MGU without any additional costs for existing users.

However, expectations of the automatic system are also being tempered in Denkendorf. Pinion founder Christoph Lermen, for example, spoke to our Pinion house call openly stated the limits of the automatic system, but promised a system on a par with the competition.

Even with the best sensor technology, the bike can only analyse what needs to be done in the situation. Looking ahead is technically very difficult and currently doesn't even work in the automotive sector. [...] With the means available, however, we will come very close to the perfect state [with the automatic system]. - Christoph Lermen, Pinion founder

The main new feature of the fully automatic Pinion is automatic shifting under load, i.e. when pedalling. Other functions, such as an automatic system that shifts gears when rolling downhill, have been available from Pinion for some time. However, with their automatic system, the Swabians have taken a completely different approach to Sram, Bosch or Shimano. There will be two automatic modes for the MGU. In auto-shift mode, the cadence targeted by the automatic system can be adjusted directly via the shift trigger. In auto-shift modePro-mode, the rider can also preselect the gears manually via the gear lever and thus intervene in the automatic shifting function. The special thing about Pinion: in Pro mode, the algorithm learns from the rider's manual shifting decisions and thus adapts to the rider's individual preferences in the best possible way. Of course, the automatic system can also be fine-tuned via the app.

Motor overrun and push assistance

The new firmware update also includes an extended motor overrun for technically demanding uphills with the E-MTB. This feature was long overdue. A special feature of the MGU is the push assist. As the system is always aware of the gear and speed, you can use the Pinion shifter to select the speed of the push mode between two and six kilometres per hour. No other drive system does this so effectively and quickly. This is a really practical feature for pushing sections, as the ideal pushing speed varies greatly depending on the terrain.

The e-bike motor of the Pinion MGU

Pinion specifies 85 Newton metres and 600 watts for the MGU. These are the data of a classic e-bike motor in the Bosch, Brose and Shimano league. But what does the EMTB lab test say? And how does the e-motor perform in practice? In the ride test, the first appearance of our pre-series model of the Pinion motor is striking and powerful. With a very direct power delivery, the drive feels powerful and almost aggressive. This will appeal to fans of powerful e-bike drives who prefer a pithy drive feeling to a restrained, natural thrust.

The modulation is a little behind, and the on-off character of the support doesn't seem quite sophisticated in some situations. The engagement and disengagement of the motor thrust is slightly delayed compared to the rider's input, and overall the modulation is not yet very sensitive compared to the industry giants from Bosch, Brose and Shimano. In a similar direction the drive noisewhich varies greatly from gear to gear. With an unfavourable gear ratio and high engine power, the MGU howls unmistakably and clearly drowns out the competition from Bosch and Shimano. The noise has two levels: On the one hand, a bright, rather quiet whistle can be heard during operation. At high power and cadence, this is overlaid by a harsh motor noise.

The Power - Pinion MGU in the EMTB lab test

In terms of power, there is little to criticise the engine for. Here, too, there are differences depending on which gear you are driving in. This is also shown by our Laboratory test on the roller test bench at PT Labs. The maximum output in gear five is 519 watts, which is slightly less than a Bosch Performance Line CX, Brose Drive SMag or Shimano EP801 - but significantly more than Shimano's EP8. We had a similar feeling in the practical test. With slight compromises, the Pinion MGU was able to keep up with a Brose Drive SMag and the new, now more powerful EP801. In gear four, the Pinion motor pushed significantly harder in the lab test at very high cadences - and even outperformed the Performance Line CX from Bosch here. However, cadences above 100 rpm only occur in exceptional cases in practice. At medium and low cadences, the performance in both gears is slightly below that of the competition. We measured the maximum torque at 79 or 80 Nm depending on the gear. Comparable values to those delivered by a Bosch Performance CX and a Shimano EP8.

And what about the Efficiency of the system? In addition to the extensive practical tests and measurements in the laboratory, we were able to subject our test bike with the latest pre-production software to our standardised range test. With 1625 metres in altitude with full support (average speed of 15.1 km/h) and another 76 metres in altitude in emergency mode with significantly reduced power, the bike (with standard tyres) ended up at the lower end of what other systems with comparably sized batteries deliver. However, it was also quite fast in the test scenario. During our standardised test rides on an asphalt climb with a gradient of 12.2 percent, we rode with the highest support level, 150 watts of pedal power for the rider and a rider weight of 89 kg including equipment. We'll stay tuned and are excited to see how the range of the standard bikes develops.

The Pinion MGU on the downhill

The Pinion MGU even offers advantages on descents when neither the motor nor the gears are active: The weight, which is otherwise distributed in different places on the bike, is ideally positioned with this solution. Namely in the centre and low on the bike. This reduces the unsprung mass on the rear wheel, which in theory should improve the function of any rear suspension. On our Simplon test bike, the rear suspension actually works particularly well and provides a lot of traction. We also measured a particularly low centre of gravity in the EMTB lab. We also noticed something positive: the background noise. The belt drive eliminates all the noise of the gear shifting unit, such as beating chains or derailleurs. It's a relief how quietly an e-bike can whizz over root carpets. The Pinion MGU itself is also rattle-free, which can only be said of very few current e-drives.

Conclusion Florentin Vesenbeckh

Rarely has the opportunity been so favourable to quote Faust in an EMTB article. So here we go! Two souls live, alas, in my breast... The revolutionary MGU from Pinion leaves a mixed impression. On the one hand, we want to cheer, because the motor-gearbox unit takes system integration for e-MTBs to a new level and makes the hearts of e-mountain bikers beat faster in many respects: low maintenance, minimised wear, ideal weight distribution and whisper-quiet on the descent! This makes the unit an absolute cracker at Eurobike 2023 and could become a milestone for frequent riders and fans of carefree e-bikes. On the other hand, with the current state of development, you have to put up with a sometimes loud drive noise and unpleasant pedalling interruptions during some gear changes. These are still a few issues. However, Pinion has already improved other issues such as power delivery and the lack of coasting with a firmware update. One thing is clear: the combined motor-gearbox unit is definitely already an exciting alternative. If Pinion can improve on the main points of criticism, there is even more to come!

UPDATE: The Pinion MGU from series production

When Pinion presented its revolutionary innovation, the gearbox/electric motor unit, to the press in May 2023, it was clear that the test products were not yet 100 per cent finalised for series production. Pinion had promised improvements to some of the key points of criticism for the series units. In the meantime, production of the MGU at the Pinion plant in Denkendorf is running at full speed and large numbers of units have arrived at the bike manufacturers. We have already been able to test several bikes with such an MGU and had a Rotwild test bike in our editorial office for several weeks.

The most noticeable change that we have now noticed with the final production MGU in the R.X 1000 is the tuning of the engine thrust. Even in the highest mode, the engine is smooth and easy to control. The thrust is transmitted directly to the ground, but never too harshly. In previous tests, we had criticised the somewhat impetuous "on-off character" at the highest power level. We have high praise for the software update!

Only the lack of caster made the bike feel a little out of round in some situations - but Pinion claims to have improved this in the meantime with a firmware update. We have not yet been able to test this feature. However, one thing is clear: an extended trail should give the MGU even more control on technical uphill sections, especially when negotiating terrain.

A much-discussed disadvantage of the Pinion drive is the motor noise when the drive is working powerfully. In this respect, we could not recognise any serious difference in the series products. In some gears, particularly the slight uphill ratio from gear four downwards, the standard product is also significantly louder than the competition from Bosch and Shimano. Every test rider criticised the harsh, noticeable motor noise. To Pinion's credit, the motor becomes significantly quieter in higher gears and is then no longer noticeable. Depending on the riding situation, completely different impressions of the background noise can arise. Due to the internal gearbox, the differences here are greater than with conventional motors.

On flat terrain, when travelling in medium to high gears and at speeds of around 20 km/h, the MGU is not noticeably loud. The noise is only noticeable on steeper climbs, especially in gears 1 to 4. And there's another positive aspect to the sound: unlike the competition, the engine doesn't rattle on downhills - that's really pleasant. Unfortunately, this advantage is cancelled out by a loud rattling chain on our Rotwild test bike. However, the test bikes with belt drive were always remarkably quiet on the downhill.

The shifting behaviour of the standard product has not changed significantly either. Basically, the Pinion gearbox changes gears very smoothly, even under load. This happens faster and more smoothly than with a derailleur system, especially when jumping to a higher gear ratio. However, the two-stage gearbox (3 x 4 gears) must shift both gears simultaneously when jumping from fourth to fifth and from eighth to ninth gear. If you pedal hard, these gear changes can noticeably interrupt the driving flow, as they take a little longer and the propulsion stops briefly. Whether this actually bothers you when riding is up to you to decide. One thing is clear: the Pinion MGU definitely feels different to the combination of a classic motor and derailleur gears.

All in all, the disadvantages of the system are rather subjective in nature, while the factual advantages are clearly on the table. If you are looking for a system that is as low-wear and low-maintenance as possible, a Pinion bike is the right choice. We advise anyone interested to take an individual test ride. This is even more essential for bikes with Pinion-MGU than for classic E-MTBs.

>> Read here how the Rotwild R.X 1000 performs off-road! <<

The e-bikes with Pinion MGU

In addition to some urban bikes, four production-ready e-mountainbikes are also available for the launch of the new drive. The major brands are also taking part Bulls, Flyer, Rotwild and Simplon. This makes the Pinion MGU the first motor-gear unit to occupy a serious position on the market and to be available in large numbers in German-speaking countries. A milestone for frequent riders and friends of carefree bikes.

Simplon Rapcon Pmax Pinion

• Motor: Pinion MGU E1.12
• Battery: Choice of 960 (size L and XL only) or 720 watt hours + optional range extender (only fits without reservoir on the shock)
• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Suspension travel: EN version with 170/165 mm or AM version with 150 mm
• Full carbon frame
• Belt drive
• Weight: from approx. 23 kilos
• from 8999 Euro

>> Click here for the detailed presentation with first riding impressions of the Simplon Rapcon PMax Pinion <<

Bulls Vuca Evo AM

• Motor: Pinion MGU E1.12
• Battery: either 960 or 720 Wh
• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Suspension travel: 150 mm
• Carbon main frame, aluminium rear triangle
• max. permissible total weight: 150 kg
• Belt drive
• Price: from 7499 euros
• In addition to two AM fullys, there are also two hardtail models (from 6299 euros)

>> Click here for the detailed presentation of the Bulls Vuca Evo AM <<

Flyer Goroc TR:X

• Motor: Pinion MGU E1.12
• Battery: 700 Wh + optional range extender
• Wheel size: 29 inch
• Suspension travel: 130 mm
• Carbon main frame, aluminium rear triangle
• Crossover bike, also available with full equipment
• Belt drive
• max. permissible total weight: 150 kg
• Price: from 8699 Euro

>> Click here for the complete presentation of the Flyer Goroc TR:X <<

Red Deer R.X 1000

• Motor: Pinion MGU E1.12
• Battery: Supercore 1000 with 960 watt hours
• Wheel size: Mullet (29/27.5 inch)
• Suspension travel: 150 mm
• Full carbon frame
• Drive with robust single chain
• Weight: from 24.5 kg
• Two equipment variants (Pro and Ultra) from 9999 euros

>> Click here for the detailed test of the Rotwild R.X 1000 <<