Ducati, known the world over for its high-end race-oriented motorbikes, is continuing its diversification into the mountain bike market with the limited edition Powerstage RR eMTB. In brief, it is geared towards E-Enduro, boasting 170mm of rear wheel travel paired with a 180mm fork. Housed inside the downtube is a 630 Wh battery, powering a Shimano EP801 motor. This boutique-looking machine is a limited edition affair; only 230 units will be produced, with sizing limited (for now) to Medium, Large and XL.
Before taking a closer look, I want to point out that Ducati is not designing and manufacturing its own eBikes. It relies on a partnership with THOK, a relatively young eBike brand that was founded in 2017. Stefano Migliorini, the former BMX and Downhill MTB athlete who saw success in the early nineties, is one of two co-founders. The other is Livio Suppo, a man who, in the world of Moto GP at least, needs no introduction. To those not familiar, Livio is widely considered the most successful Moto GP team manager of all time, overseeing some of the success of household names, Casey Stoner and Marc Marquez.
History aside, let’s take a closer look at the bike itself… we sat down with Giorgio Favaretto at the Summer Bike Connection Event in Andalo, Italy, to learn more about the Ducati Powerstage RR.
Limited Edition Ducati Powerstage RR eMTB
Ducati makes no bones about it: the new Powerstage RR eMTB is aimed squarely at MTB-curious motor bike riders. This much is clear when you take a look at the components it is bedecked with; Ohlins suspension, Pirelli tires, and Braking brakes, brands that all originally made a name for themselves in the world of motorbikes.
The equivalent eBike in the THOK range is the GRAM-RC – it sees components geared to appeal to the regular mountain bike contingent, with suspension from Fox, tires from Maxxis and brakes from SRAM. What’s more relevant is that the GRAM-RC is available in a size small; the Powerstage RR is limited to M-XL sizes, only, catering to riders from 168 cm to 200 cm tall.
In the context of Ducati’s other eMTB offerings, the Powerstage RR arrives as the longest travel eBike, intended as a race machine for E-Enduro. It rolls on an MX wheelset (29″ up front, 27.5″ rear), and delivers its 170mm rear wheel travel via a four-bar linkage named the THOK Progressive System-2.
Across the M-XL size range, chainstay length is consistent at 450mm, with reach coming in at 455mm, 475mm and 495mm, respectively. The head angle is 64°, fairly standard for modern enduro bikes, with the seat tube angle of the steeper side of things at an effective 78°.
One number that does seem a little out of place is the BB height, at 361mm. That’s pretty high in the grand scheme, with many eMTBs of this travel bracket coming in much lower than that, around the 345mm mark.
Pricing & Specification
There are only 230 units of the Ducati Powerstage RR, all of which sport the same moto-inspired components seen throughout. To call one of these your own, you’ll need to part with £11,690 // $11,990 USD // € 11,990. Specification below.
- UD Carbon Fiber THOK frame, 170mm travel
- Shimano EP801 motor, 85 Nm Maximum Torque
- 630 Wh Shimano Battery
- Ohlins RXF38 M2 Air Fork
- Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Shock (230mm x 65mm)
- Braking FIRST Brakes with 203mm rotors
- Crankbrothers Synthesis Carbon Wheels
- Pirelli Scorpion Enduro & eMTB Tires
- SRAM GX Eagle AXS Drivetrain
- TranzX RAD+ travel-adjustable dropper seat post
- Renthal Carbon Bar (35mm), 20mm rise
