Dreadnought E 2026
High-pivot enduro e-bike with 170/180mm travel and DJI Avinox punch
The Forbidden Dreadnought E 2026 is a full-power, gravity-first enduro eMTB built around 170mm of rear travel, a 180mm fork and a mullet wheel package, all hung off Forbidden's high-pivot Trifecta V2 four-bar with an 18-tooth steel idler. Headline numbers are serious: 150 Nm peak torque from the DJI Avinox M2S, an 800Wh integrated battery on the top three trims, a 63 degree head angle and a claimed 23.43 kg in T4 trim. Hob Nob summed it up best after his shakedown: a Druid Core on all of the steroids, wanting to be ridden faster and harder than you'd dare on the analogue.
Drive system and range. T1 and T2 get the Avinox M2S (150 Nm boost, 1500 W manufacturer peak, 2.63 kg), while T3 and T4 step down to the M2 at 110/125 Nm and 1100 W peak. Highland Wheels flagged early that the new screen and motor are backwards compatible with existing Avinox kit, so firmware-led changes will keep filtering through. Pilot_Dave's maiden voyage nails the real-world trade-off: the M2S eats the 800Wh battery in Auto, but dropped into Eco it gave him plenty of range across a sporty six-mile loop. The 2-inch OLED touchscreen with wireless handlebar remote is class-leading kit, and battery choice (600Wh for T4, 800Wh elsewhere) lets you trade roughly 0.9 kg for around 33 percent more capacity.
Geometry and handling. One Ride proportional sizing means the bike grows everywhere, not just up front. Reach climbs 425/445/461/481mm across S1 to S4, but the headline is the rear centre: chainstays stretch from 434mm to 478mm, with wheelbase ballooning from 1215mm to 1339mm. The 63 degree head angle sits at the slack end of the enduro eMTB norm and is closer to Forbidden's Supernought DH bike than to most rivals. Pilot_Dave's S2 feedback is instructive: at 175cm the S2 looks big when he throws a leg over but rides like a medium, with a stack height almost identical to his M Canyon Sender DH bike. DanielM3 at 6ft reports the S3 sizing feels perfect. Size down if you want to flick it, size up if you want a self-shuttle DH rig.
Build and value. Four trims, all carbon, all with 200mm rotors:
- T4 — £6,799, 23.43 kg, M2 600Wh: RockShox ZEB, Super Deluxe air, SRAM DB4 brakes, Eagle 70 T-Type. The lightest and most lively build; the entry point to a high-pivot full-power Forbidden.
- T3 — £7,699, 24.3 kg, M2 800Wh: ZEB Select+, Vivid Air Select+, Maven Base four-pots, Eagle 90 T-Type. The value pick for big-day riders.
- T2 — £9,099, 24.3 kg, M2S 800Wh: Fox 38 Factory, Float X2 Factory, Maven Silver, GX T-Type AXS. First trim with the 150 Nm motor.
- T1 — £10,099, 24.3 kg, M2S 800Wh: ZEB Ultimate, Vivid Coil Ultimate, Maven Ultimate, X0 T-Type AXS. The coil shock and full AXS routing make this the proper enduro race spec.
The £1,400 jump from T3 to T2 buys you the M2S motor and Fox Factory suspension, which is where the spec ladder really earns its keep.
Community-verified strengths. Three things come up repeatedly. First, ride character: Pilot_Dave describes it as faaaast over terrain, rolling like a DH bike, very plush and planted. Second, the high-pivot doing what it's meant to — owners coming from analogue Forbiddens find the feel translates straight across. Third, the integration: full bottle mount on every size, tidy cable routing and that OLED screen lift it above most full-power rivals.
Caveats and known gripes. The battery is integrated and not removable, so swap-on-the-fly day-long missions are out. Hob Nob's earlier flag about cracked V1 Dreadnought frames and V2 Druid seat stay issues is worth keeping on the radar, even if the Dreadnought E is a clean-sheet Trifecta V2 chassis with a lifetime carbon warranty. The Dreadnought is not the bike if you want to throw shapes: JankyMcJankface moved to a Vala because the Dreadnought's speed bias felt too one-note compared to a poppier, easier-to-turn frame. Auto-mode battery drain on the M2S is real, and the 478mm S4 rear centre will feel like a barge on tight singletrack.
Verdict. The Dreadnought E 2026 is the closest thing to a pedal-up DH bike Forbidden has built. Buy it if your trails are steep, rough and fast, if you ride bike park laps on weekends, and if 150 Nm with a high-pivot rearward axle path sounds like a cheat code rather than overkill. Look elsewhere — probably at the lighter, shorter-travel Druid E — if you ride mellow flow trails, want a removable battery, or value pop over plough. Production status is current, first customer bikes are landing now, and the £6,799 T4 is genuinely competitive for what's on offer.
Frame
The Dreadnought E is Forbidden's long-travel mullet enduro on electrons, taking the brand's signature Trifecta V2 high-pivot four-bar and pairing it with the DJI Avinox M2S drive. The carbon frame carries 170mm rear and 180mm front travel, a 63 degree head angle and Forbidden's One Ride proportional geometry, so chainstays grow from 434mm on S1 to 478mm on S4 to keep weight balance consistent across the size run. The 18-tooth steel idler gives the rearward axle path that defines the rest of the Forbidden range, smoothing square edges and big compressions without robbing pedal feel. Frame protection, full bottle mount and Avinox's OLED touchscreen are integrated throughout.
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S1 | S2 | S3 | S4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toptube | 575 mm | 598 mm | 619 mm | 642 mm |
| Reach | 425 mm | 445 mm | 461 mm | 481 mm |
| Stack | 635 mm | 648 mm | 669 mm | 682 mm |
| Seattube | 400 mm | 420 mm | 440 mm | 470 mm |
| Chainstay | 434 mm | 449 mm | 463 mm | 478 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 63° | 63° | 63° | 63° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 76.75° | 76.75° | 76.75° | 76.75° |
| BB Drop | -20 mm | -20 mm | -20 mm | -20 mm |
| Wheelbase | 1215.5 mm | 1256.9 mm | 1298.2 mm | 1339.5 mm |
| BB Height | 340.8 mm | 340.8 mm | 340.8 mm | 340.8 mm |
| Standover | 720 mm | 720 mm | 720 mm | 720 mm |
| Front Centre | 781.5 mm* | 807.9 mm* | 835.2 mm* | 861.5 mm* |
Trims · 4
T4 (M2 600Wh) £6,799 | T3 (M2 800Wh) £7,699 | T2 (M2S 800Wh) £9,099 | T1 (M2S 800Wh) £10,099 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor | Avinox M2S · 150 Nm · all trims | |||
| Battery | Avinox FP800 · 800 Wh · all trims | |||
| Travel F/R | 180/170 mm · all trims | |||
| Frame | Carbon · all trims | |||
| Fork | RockShox ZEB 180mm | RockShox ZEB Select+ 180mm | Fox 38 Factory 180mm | RockShox ZEB Ultimate 180mm |
| Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe 230x65mm | RockShox Vivid Air Select+ 230x65mm | Fox Float X2 Factory 230x65mm | RockShox Vivid Coil Ultimate 230x65mm |
| Headset | FSA Orbit ZS · all trims | |||
| Stem | Forbidden Forged, 40 mm | Forbidden Forged, 40 mm | OneUp Forged, 42 mm | OneUp Forged, 42 mm |
| Handlebar | Forbidden Alloy, 800 mm, 35 mm rise | Forbidden Alloy, 800 mm, 35 mm rise | OneUp Alloy, 800 mm, 20 mm rise | OneUp Alloy, 800 mm, 20 mm rise |
| Grips | Forbidden, 128 mm · all trims | |||
| Saddle | Forbidden, 143 mm | Forbidden, 143 mm | Fizik Terra Aidon X5 | Fizik Terra Aidon X5 |
| Seatpost | TranzX Reverse Dropper, 31.6 mm, 240 mm | TranzX Reverse Dropper, 31.6 mm, 210 mm | TranzX Reverse Dropper, 31.6 mm, 180 mm | OneUp V3 Dropper, 31.6 mm, 150 mm |
| Brakes | SRAM DB4, 200mm Centerline rotors | SRAM Maven Base, 200mm Centerline rotors | SRAM Maven Silver, 200mm HS2 rotors | SRAM Maven Ultimate, 200mm HS2 rotors |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type | SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type AXS | SRAM X0 Eagle T-Type AXS |
| Crank | Praxis Type 7 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T | Praxis Type 2 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T | Praxis Type 2 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T | SRAM X0 Eagle E, 150 mm, 34T |
| Shifters | SRAM Eagle 70 Trigger, 22.2 mm clamp | SRAM Eagle 90 Trigger, MMX clamp | SRAM AXS Pod Controller (Pod Rocker) | SRAM AXS Pod Controller (Pod Rocker) |
| Cassette | SRAM XS-1270 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, HG | SRAM XS-1270 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, HG | SRAM XS-1275 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, XD | SRAM XS-1295 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, XD |
| Chain | SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 12-speed |
| Drivetrain | SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type; Praxis Type 7 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T; SRAM Eagle 70 Trigger, 22.2 mm clamp; SRAM XS-1270 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, HG; SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type; Praxis Type 2 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T; SRAM Eagle 90 Trigger, MMX clamp; SRAM XS-1270 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, HG; SRAM Eagle 70 T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM GX Eagle T-Type AXS; Praxis Type 2 Alloy E-Cranks, 150 mm, 34T; SRAM AXS Pod Controller (Pod Rocker); SRAM XS-1275 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, XD; SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 12-speed | SRAM X0 Eagle T-Type AXS; SRAM X0 Eagle E, 150 mm, 34T; SRAM AXS Pod Controller (Pod Rocker); SRAM XS-1295 Eagle Transmission, 12-speed, XD; SRAM GX Eagle T-Type, 12-speed |
| Wheels | Crankbrothers Alloy 1.0, Crankbrothers Synthesis hubs 110x15 / 148x12 | Crankbrothers Alloy 1.0, Crankbrothers Synthesis hubs 110x15 / 148x12 | Crankbrothers Alloy 2.0, Synthesis hubs 110x15 / 148x12 | Crankbrothers Synthesis Carbon Enduro, Synthesis hubs 110x15 / 148x12 |
| Tyres | Maxxis High Roller 3 29x2.4 DH 3C MaxxGrip front, Maxxis DHRII 27.5x2.5 DH 3C MaxxGrip rear · all trims | |||
| Weight | 23.43 kg | 24.3 kg | 24.3 kg | 24.3 kg |
| Price | £6,799 | £7,699 | £9,099 | £10,099 |
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