Karve 2026
How current the bike is — newer chassis, motor and battery score higher. 10 = brand-new, 0 = legacy.
What it is: The Whyte Karve is a British-designed 160/160 mm full-power trail/enduro eMTB, launched May 2026 around the DJI-built Avinox M2S motor — 150 Nm peak torque, 1300 W peak power, 250 W nominal — fed by an 800 Wh fixed internal battery. It runs 29in wheels (MX-ready), Whyte's Quad-Link 4 suspension and a flip-chip giving ±0.6° head angle / 8 mm BB adjustment. Two builds share the same frame platform, motor, battery and geometry — the difference is purely spec. Whyte sells a longer-travel Karve EVO (180 mm, mullet) above it for gravity/bike-park use.
- Drive: Avinox M2S, 150 Nm / 1300 W peak, 800 Wh battery, Avinox DPC100 OLED top-tube display + wireless bar controller. This is the same DJI Avinox unit that powers the Amflow PR — currently the highest-torque mainstream eMTB motor.
- Geometry (S/M/L/XL): reach 444 / 469 / 494 / 519 mm; 64° / 63.4° head angle (high/low); 77.9–79° effective seat angle; 350.8 mm BB height; wheelbase 1220–1333 mm; size-specific rear centre 445–465 mm (longer on L/XL). Genuinely modern, balanced enduro numbers with proportional chainstays.
- Charging: the RSX ships a 12 A fast charger (0→80% ≈ 1 hr 45) vs the RS's 4 A unit (≈ 4 hr 54) — a real difference if you ride most days.
RS (£5,650) vs RSX (£7,799) — where the £2,149 goes: The RS pairs a carbon-mainframe / 6061-alloy-rear frame with RockShox Lyrik Select + Super Deluxe Select, mechanical SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type shifting and Maven Base brakes on Whyte's own alloy wheels, with the slower 4 A charger. The RSX steps up to a full-carbon frame (RideWrap protection fitted as standard), Fox Factory suspension (36 Factory GRIP X2 fork + Float X Factory shock, both custom-tuned for Whyte), wireless SRAM AXS (S1000 AXS mech, GX T-Type chain), Maven Silver brakes, DT Swiss Hybrid H1900 wheels and the 12 A fast charger. Both share 155 mm Whyte cranks, Maxxis Assegai (EXO+, MaxxGrip) front / Minion DHR II (Double Down, MaxxTerra) rear tyres, and a size-specific TranzX +RAD dropper (150 / 170 / 200 mm).
Who it's for & value: a full-power, mid-travel all-rounder for riders who want big-battery range and the M2S's class-leading torque without committing to a 180 mm gravity sled. The RSX is the standout-value build of the two — a full-carbon frame with Fox Factory and wireless AXS at £7,799 undercuts a lot of comparably-specced Avinox bikes — while the RS is the sensible pick if you're happy with mechanical shifting and a slower charge. Both come trail-ready with an aggressive, correct tyre choice (MaxxGrip front / Double Down rear) rather than the under-gunned rubber many brands fit.
Worth knowing (launch-day caveats): the Karve was announced in May 2026 as “coming this summer” and is currently listed sold-out-online / dealer-only, so there is no long-term reliability or owner-ride data yet — this verdict is grounded in Whyte's published spec and geometry, not ownership experience. Claimed weights are still TBC from Whyte, and as an Avinox Smart-System-style bike the custom motor covers aren't compatible with the aftermarket Bosch alarm/tracking module. We'll refresh this once forum members start logging real miles.
Geometry · hover a row to highlight the measurement on the bike
| S | M | L | XL | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reach | 444 mm | 469 mm | 494 mm | 519 mm |
| Stack | 615.2 mm | 626 mm | 636.7 mm | 651.1 mm |
| Seattube | 395 mm | 420 mm | 445 mm | 470 mm |
| Chainstay | 445 mm | 445 mm | 455 mm | 465 mm |
| Headtube Angle | 64° | 64° | 64° | 64° |
| Seattube Angle (eff) | 79° | 78.6° | 78.3° | 77.9° |
| Wheelbase | 1220.2 mm | 1250.5 mm | 1290.8 mm | 1333 mm |
| Headtube | 97 mm | 109 mm | 121 mm | 137 mm |
| BB Height | 350.8 mm | 350.8 mm | 350.8 mm | 350.8 mm |
| Standover | 795 mm | 795 mm | 795 mm | 795 mm |
| Front Centre | 775.2 mm* | 805.5 mm* | 835.8 mm* | 868 mm* |
Trims · 2
RS £5,650 | RSX £7,799 | |
|---|---|---|
| Motor | Avinox M2S · 150 Nm · all trims | |
| Battery | Avinox FP800 · 800 Wh · all trims | |
| Travel F/R | 160/160 mm · all trims | |
| Frame | Carbon mainframe, aluminium (6061 alloy) rear | Full carbon (uni-directional carbon mainframe + carbon rear triangle) |
| Fork | RockShox Lyrik Select, 160mm, 44mm offset, Delta RC damper, Fast Black, tapered, 110x15mm Boost, Maxle Stealth | Fox Float 36 Factory, 160mm, 44mm offset, Grip X2 damper custom tuned for Whyte, tapered, 110x15mm Boost |
| Shock | RockShox Super Deluxe Select, DebonAir, 230x57.5mm, custom tuned for Whyte, adjustable rebound | Fox Float X Factory DPS, EVOL LV, 230x57.5mm, custom tuned for Whyte |
| Headset | FSA custom, ZS56 upper/lower, sealed bearings · all trims | |
| Stem | Whyte, 35mm extension, 35mm bore · all trims | |
| Handlebar | Whyte Custom 7050 alloy, 40mm rise, 35mm bore, 800mm · all trims | |
| Grips | Whyte Enduro lock-on · all trims | |
| Saddle | Whyte Custom · all trims | |
| Seatpost | TranzX +RAD dropper, 34.9mm (S 150mm / M 170mm / L–XL 200mm) · all trims | |
| Brakes | SRAM Maven Base, 4-piston, 220mm front / 200mm rear Centreline rotors | SRAM Maven Silver, 4-piston, 220mm front / 200mm rear HS2 rotors |
| Rear derailleur | SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type mechanical, 12-speed | SRAM S1000 AXS Eagle, 12-speed |
| Crank | Whyte 155mm ISIS, SRAM direct-mount 36T, T-Type · all trims | |
| Shifters | SRAM Eagle 70, 12-speed | SRAM AXS rocker pod (MMX), 12-speed |
| Cassette | SRAM XS-1270 T-Type, 10-52T, 12-speed | SRAM XS-1275 T-Type, 10-52T, 12-speed |
| Chain | SRAM Eagle 70, 12-speed | SRAM GX T-Type, 12-speed |
| Drivetrain | SRAM Eagle 90 T-Type mechanical, 12-speed; Whyte 155mm ISIS, SRAM direct-mount 36T, T-Type; SRAM Eagle 70, 12-speed; SRAM XS-1270 T-Type, 10-52T, 12-speed; SRAM Eagle 70, 12-speed | SRAM S1000 AXS Eagle, 12-speed; Whyte 155mm ISIS, SRAM direct-mount 36T, T-Type; SRAM AXS rocker pod (MMX), 12-speed; SRAM XS-1275 T-Type, 10-52T, 12-speed; SRAM GX T-Type, 12-speed |
| Wheels | Whyte eMTB sleeved rims, 30mm internal width, tubeless ready, 29in front and rear, on alloy e-bike-specific double-sealed cartridge-bearing hubs (12x100mm front, 12x148mm Boost rear, HG freehub), 14g stainless spokes | DT Swiss Hybrid H1900, 29in front and rear, MX ready (front hub 110x15mm Boost six-bolt; rear hub 12x148mm Boost, SRAM XD steel driver, six-bolt) |
| Tyres | Maxxis Assegai WT 29x2.5 EXO+ 3C MaxxGrip (front); Maxxis Minion DHR II WT 29x2.5 Double Down 3C MaxxTerra (rear) · all trims | |
| Weight | 23 kg | — |
| Price | £5,650 | £7,799 |
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