E-Enduro Pole Voima: Testing the Voima trail milling machine from Finland
Christian Schleker
· 31.05.2023
E-cyclists with social phobia should steer clear of the Pole Voima. The bike simply attracts too much attention. If you stop next to other bikers, you immediately have a conversation on your hands. There's nothing discreet about this Pole. Milling art on two wheels. The wet dream of every mechanical engineering student. The pedalable equivalent of a Lamborghini Diablo, so to speak. Our test model is even the quieter colour version in Storm Grey. The CNC wonder is also available in shimmering gold. "A bike that Donald Trump would ride," was the fitting comment in a forum when the Pole Voima was presented to the public for the first time.
Contents:
The frame, together with the single-sided swingarm rear triangle and huge double joints, is made entirely of milled aluminium. There are no welded seams. The milled half-shells of all components are bonded almost invisibly to form hollow sections. The surfaces show the characteristic milled grooves - the whole thing looks like a work of art for a technical museum and not like a tool for rough work. But this is exactly what the Voima is designed for. Because the boa-ey factor doesn't end with the look.
The Pole Voima offers up to 200 mm of suspension travel
With 190 millimetres of travel at the front and rear (double-bridge fork with 200 millimetres of travel is possible), it is a crusher in the ranks of particularly downhill-heavy E-Enduros. The long suspension travel is paired with what is probably the most progressive geometry on the market: the seat angle of 80 degrees is unrivalled, the reach is long and the steering angle is mega-slack. At the same time, the bottom bracket is quite high - at the hub height of the 29-inch wheels - and the rear triangle stretches to 455 millimetres. And because, thanks to the Bosch CX and 750 watt-hour battery, there is theoretically no stopping uphill, this bike is a kind of statement in metal:
Fetta! Krassa! Voima! - Exclamation of an unnamed tester
Pole Voima available with various superstructures
The bike is delivered in two rather small boxes. The first contains the frame and all the necessary add-on parts. The second contains the wheels. You can order the Voima in various configurations or as a frame kit to assemble yourself. Only very few manufacturers offer this option, and it makes a lot of sense for this bike in particular, as the range of use is wide and whether a single crown plus air shock or a double bridge with steel spring shock makes more sense for you is up to you. The Voima chassis definitely has potential for a full-blown downhiller with a built-in shuttle, or for an explorer bike that is supposed to climb the most remote peaks on exposed trails.
The enormous dimensions of the bearings, joints and the frame as a whole lead to the highest category level 5 in the EFBE load test, which means full usability in the freeride and downhill sector. The Finnish manufacturer also offers a five-year guarantee for this application.
Finest finish in aluminium, grey or gold on the Voima
In addition to storm grey and gold, a raw aluminium finish is also available as a colour option. The material is coloured using what is known as electrophoretic dip coating, so it is neither classically painted nor anodised. The process is actually used in the automotive sector or for jewellery, is very even, but wafer-thin and yet scratch-resistant. Nevertheless, the e-bikes are delivered with an additional, complete plastic film coating on all components to protect the elegant surface in the long term.
You don't get so much attention to detail and high-tech manufacturing in Europe at a bargain price: Our test bike with Rockshox Ultimate suspension, Sram Eagle X01 drivetrain, Cushcore tyre inserts, Code RSC brakes and Bashguard costs exactly €10,028.65. The price can be increased even further with additional equipment gimmicks and optimised for the toughest applications with steel spring dampers and reinforced bearing axles ex works. Due to the extremely short seat tubes, Pole has come up with its own size recommendation: depending on whether you want a more playful or more stable riding experience, two sizes are suitable for each rider.
Own frame size designation at Pole Voima - we ride: K2
For a person 175 cm tall, the K2 frame with a reach of 480 millimetres (manufacturer's specification) should be the smoothest option, while the K1 frame with a reach of 450 millimetres should be the most playful. We were given a bike in size K2. For a sufficient seat height, testers over 180 cm would have needed a longer seat post.
If you judge the Pole Voima by the data on paper alone, you might fear an unwieldy bike with a lot of bobbing on the climbs. Long suspension travel, long wheelbase, long reach. But with the Voima, nothing is as expected. When seated, the super steep seat angle puts you in an upright and far-forward riding position. This is unusual at first because you're almost sitting in front of the motor and pedalling heavily from above. Without motor support, this would probably be very inefficient and hardly pleasant to ride on long tours. Here, however, there is always enough pressure on the front wheel, and even on super steep sections you don't have to slide forwards or do push-ups on the handlebars.
The Voima likes to climb and rushes downhill like hell
At the same time, the kinematics of the rear triangle at the sag point ensure stable anti-squat across the entire sprocket range. As a result, the rear suspension is unexpectedly smooth and always high in its travel. Together with the high bottom bracket, this makes it easy to master steep scree climbs. The Bosch CX with the progressive and ingeniously sensitive Tour+ and E-MTB modes does the rest to push the rider over climbs that previously seemed almost impossible to ride. The Voima sets the benchmark on demanding climbs! And downhill, the aforementioned scree field becomes a fluffy carpet when the 190 millimetres of travel at the front and rear softly swallow up even thick stones and steps. The rear wheel doesn't hang up on edges, but glides forward without any loss of speed.
The Pole Voima has addictive potential
Despite the massive suspension travel, the chassis remains very defined. The rear suspension is noticeably progressive and never hits hard, even on really nasty landings on flat terrain. However, our air-sprung rear suspension wasn't quite up to the hoover level of a Specialized Kenevo SL - the Cane Creek coil shock would probably be the better choice for maximum plush performance at high speeds, but would push the overall weight even higher. It was also surprising that the long Voima corners quite well and that quick direction changes are relatively easy to master. Amazing for a bike with these dimensions. However, the Voima is really in its element when you open the brakes on rough straights and can make yourself comfortable behind the high front end. But beware: the speed rush has addictive potential!
Conclusion on the Pole Voima by Christian Schleker, EMTB tester:
Regardless of whether I like the look of the Voima, I was hugely impressed by its performance. Thanks to the excellent kinematics and progressive geo, it climbs even the steepest, exposed trails superbly and is extremely safe and very fast downhill with its monster suspension travel and long wheelbase. It works just as well as a downhill bike with shuttle function as it does as an explorer bike for uphill fans and touring bikers. I say: good, better, Voima!
Technical data and notes Pole Voima
Manufacturer information
- Price: 10,029 euros
- Sizes / frame material: K1 / K2 (tested size) / K3 / K4 / Aluminium
Measured values²
- Reach altitude¹: 1928 (+0)hm
- Average speed: 13.8 km/h
- Weight²: 25.54 kg
- Centre of gravity height: 536 mm
- Handlebar width: 800 mm
- Crank length / Q-factor: 170 mm / 188 mm
- Ground clearance⁴: 487 mm
Equipment
- Motor: Bosch Performance CX
- Max. Torque³: 85 Nm
- Battery³ / weight² / price Replacement battery: Bosch Powertube, 750 Wh / 4617 g / 999 Euro
- Gear system: Sram Eagle XO1 (12-speed)
- Translation (v. / h.): 34; 10-52
- Display / Size: Bosch LED-Remote
- Permissible total weight³: 150 kg
- Front / rear suspension travel: 190 / 190 mm
- Fork / Shock: Rockshox ZEB Ultimate / Super Deluxe RL Ultimate
- Telescopic support: SDG Tellis 150 mm
- Brake / Disc Ø (front / rear): Sram Code RSC / 220 mm / 200 mm
- Wheels: Mavic E-Deemax 30
- Tyres: Maxxis Assegai / DHR II Doubledown MaxxGrip, 29 x 2.5 / 2.4"
¹ The reach height was determined during standardised test rides on an asphalt climb with a gradient of 12.2 percent. Highest support level, 150 watts pedalling power of the rider, rider weight incl. equipment 90 kg. The altitude metres in clearly reduced emergency mode are shown in brackets. The average speed refers to the journey with full assistance.
² Determined on the test benches in the EMTB test laboratory, weight without pedals. Battery weight incl. screwed-on cover where applicable.
³ Manufacturer's specification
⁴ Step test, measured with 36 centimetre raised rear wheel
⁵ The judgement reflects the subjective impression of the testers and the results of the reach measurement and laboratory tests. The EMTB judgement is independent of price. EMTB judgements: super (from 9.0), very good (from 8.0), good (from 7.0), satisfactory (from 6.0), with weaknesses (from 5.0), below insufficient.
Interview with Leo Kokkonen, founder and mastermind of Pole
The mastermind behind the Voima is the Finn Leo Kokkonen. For him, the special manufacturing method is not only beautiful, but simply the best way to construct a sustainable and durable e-bike.
EMTB: Milling a bike completely out of solid material seems extremely complex. Is that just to be different? Or does it have real advantages?
Leo KokkonenManufacturing the frame entirely by CNC milling allows a level of precision and control that is not always possible with conventional round tubes and welding. With CNC machining, we have complete control over the shape of the frame, both inside and out, resulting in a tolerance of 0.2 mm on the entire frame and 0.01 mm on the bearing seats. This means that all our frames are the same. There are no warped or misaligned frames and an exact geometry that matches the one advertised on our website. Our bearing bores are also perfectly aligned on both sides, resulting in longer lasting bearings.
How complicated is the process compared to manufacturing a carbon frame or a welded model?
Our process is relatively simple, as only six steps are required. In addition, our process is 80 per cent automated, while welding and carbon fibre laying are 99 per cent manual. Our biggest challenge was getting the technology up and running and making the process profitable, but it worked. We currently produce 100 frames per month and plan to expand our production to a maximum of 500 per month with more machines and automation. It currently takes 24 hours to produce a frame from the raw aluminium block to ready for dispatch.
What about the Voima's carbon footprint?
Pretty good compared to carbon! Carbon fibre frames mainly come from low-wage countries and have a considerable waste rate during production. Recycling methods are not yet widespread. We build in Europe and try to minimise CO ²-neutral and recycle 100 per cent of our waste. Our factory runs on geothermal and hydro energy, and our local waste management company ensures high efficiency, with only five per cent of waste going to landfill. Sustainability is becoming increasingly important today and Voima is at the forefront of this.
