E161 2025

The Privateer E161 is the brand's only e-bike to date: a deliberately burly, single-build alloy enduro machine that Privateer positioned as a training tool for Enduro World Cup riders who want to bank descending time. The 6061-T6 frame runs a Horst link layout giving 161mm rear travel paired with a 170mm Fox 38, and an MX (29in front, 27.5in rear) wheel setup.

Power comes from a Shimano EP801 motor rated at 85Nm with a 630Wh battery, removable from the downtube. There was just one build, launched at £5,999 and heavily discounted late in its life, finishing at a £3,999 run-out price before selling out; Privateer says a new model is in development. It is a sensibly specced, durability-led parts package rather than a weight-weenie one: Fox Performance Elite suspension front and rear, Hayes Dominion A4 four-piston brakes on 203mm rotors, a Shimano XT/SLX 12-speed drivetrain, DH-casing MaxxGrip Maxxis Assegai and Minion DHR II tyres, and a OneUp dropper, for a claimed weight of around 25.5kg.

Geometry is long and slack in the modern enduro idiom: a 64-degree head angle, a steep 79-degree effective seat angle, and generous reach figures from 445mm on the P1 to 515mm on the P4. Privateer fits size-specific chainstays that step up from 446mm on the P1 and P2 to 456mm on the P3 and 466mm on the P4 to keep the front-to-rear balance consistent across the range, an unusual move for a small brand at this price.