This electric bicycle, made of machined aluminum, equipped with an unusual motor and designed in Finland, costs almost as much as an electric car.
The Finnish team at Pole Bicycles is thrilled with their new Hiisi: an impressive frame entirely made from CNC-machined 7075 aluminum, a true work of craftsmanship that serves as the heart of this formidable eBike. It’s important to note that everything is crafted from CNC aluminum—look at the suspension pivots and bearing caps; they are truly spectacular.
To make this bike even more exclusive, they opted for an uncommon motor: the Maxon Air S. This unit stands out for offering full power while maintaining a lightweight design. We’ll discuss it in more detail later.
The Hiisi frame has multiple personalities
The riding position of a bicycle clearly determines its intended use: it’s essentially its soul. The Pole Hiisi offers multiple options, as we can choose from a wide range of suspension travel settings, which allows the geometry to adapt to different riding styles as well as the chosen wheel sets.
For example, we can opt for rear suspension travel starting at 152 mm (trail-oriented), which comes with a 160 mm front fork and 29'' wheels.
And higher up: 173, 180, and 200 mm of rear travel, corresponding to forks of 180 mm (for the 173 and 180 configurations) and 200 mm. The 173 option uses 29'' wheels, while the other two use “mullet” wheels. So the Hiisi can range from a capable trail bike to a full-fledged downhill bike.
The suspension options vary depending on the price we’re willing to spend, but if there’s one set that stands out (within the “Maxxed” equipment package, which raises the base price by 4,076 euros!), it’s the one from Intend: at the front, we can install an impressive 38 mm diameter Flash inverted fork, notable because its fork bridge is also made of CNC aluminum...what a coincidence!
At the back, an impressive Intend Hover suspension fork completes the suspension setup. That ‘Maxxed’ kit also includes premium features such as the RosckShox Reverb AXS electronic shock absorber, DT Swiss EXC1200 wheels (carbon fiber), and a carbon fiber handlebar designed by BikeYoke.
As mentioned, there’s a fairly basic ‘Base’ version starting at 14,479 euros, and an intermediate ‘Lightweight’ version that costs an additional 1,678 euros, offering upgraded components and slightly reduced weight.
Maxon Air S: a rare find among ‘full power’ models
If the frame is extremely exclusive, the motor installed in it is as well: this Maxon Air S would be classified as a ‘full power’ motor due to its performance figures, which are on par (well, slightly below) those of its competitors. For example, it has a maximum power output of 620 W and a motor torque of 90 Nm. Maxon itself describes this motor more as a lightweight power delivery unit, given its natural way of delivering power.
But the most notable feature of this unit that truly underscores its ‘light’ design is its weight: only 2 kg, which is far lower than that of other top models in this category such as the new Giant SyncDrive Pro 4 (2.4 kg), Mahle M40 (2.5 kg), or Avinox M2S (2.59 kg), and comparable to the TQ HPR60 (1.92 kg), although it is much more powerful.
Regarding batteries, there are two options available: one with 600 Wh (2.8 kg) and another with only 400 Wh (1.8 kg). The latter allows the Pole Hiisi to weigh at most 20 kg (specifically 19.1 kg), a remarkably impressive figure for a bike made of aluminum.
In short, it is an exclusive electric mountain bike that demonstrates the growing popularity of almost artisanal frames. The wide range (fortunately!) of motors available today, with such diverse solutions, means such frames are becoming more common than in previous years. Moreover, their high prices are not far from those of some high-end frames from mainstream brands. For more information: Pole Hiisi