E-bikes with Pinion MGU: Large market overview, advantages and disadvantages

The so-called Motor Gearbox Unit (MGU for short) from Pinion is a great thing for many people because it offers advantages that are not available elsewhere in this form. It makes derailleur gears unnecessary.

With the Pinion MGU, the motor and transmission circuit form a unit and are housed together in one housing. This means you don’t run the risk of damaging your front derailleur off-road or on a house wall. In many cases the MGU is combined with a belt drive. This results in numerous advantages. The most important:

Advantages of the Pinion MGU

• 10,000 kilometers without maintenance: An oil change is due every 10,000 kilometers – that’s it. Because the internal gearshift is never exposed to the elements, it always works with the same precision. There is no grinding, no rattling, no snagging. In combination with a belt, there is no need to oil the chain. There is no other e-bike category that requires less maintenance.
• Good distribution of the masses: Since e-bikes with Pinion-MGU have neither a rear derailleur nor a cassette on the rear wheel, the masses are united low and in the middle of the frame. This leads to good balance and road holding.
• Electronic shifting: The gears are changed electronically. You have the choice between 9 or 12 switching levels. You can shift multiple gears at once. This even works under load or when stationary – an impossibility with derailleur gears.
• Automatic: From summer 2024, automatic switching will be possible thanks to an update. Details about this here.

Disadvantages of the Pinion MGU

• High price: The Pinion MGU offers many advantages compared to the classic layout. The biggest disadvantage: E-bikes equipped with Pinion MGU are all expensive. The Pegasus Estremo Evo 9 Lite is the cheapest option to own such a Pedelec at the time of publication of this article. It costs 4,999 euros with a discount.
• Lower efficiency, high weight: Critics also complain about the slightly lower efficiency compared to a well-adjusted and optimally maintained derailleur gear, especially when the Pinion MGU is used in conjunction with a belt. We don’t consider this fact to be relevant for an e-bike, as the motor makes up for this efficiency deficit. The higher weight could be a disadvantage for you if it is foreseeable that you will have to carry your e-bike often.

Differentiation: There are also e-bikes with Pinion gearboxes and rear motors, such as the Möve Voyager V10 or the Stromer ST5. These are not taken into account in this overview, but are sometimes available cheaper. We will inform you about cross-class e-bike innovations here.

These are current e-bikes with Pinion MGU

Below we will introduce you to the current e-bikes with Pinion MGU available in Germany. This overview does not claim to be complete, but is regularly checked by the editorial team and updated if necessary.

Pegasus Extremo

As mentioned, the Pegasus Estremo Evo 9 Lite is currently the cheapest entry into the world of Pinion MGU bikes. The recommended retail price is 5,499 euros, but Pegasus offers the Pedelec right from the start with a discount of 500 euros, so that the 5,000 euro mark is just undercut.

The Estremo Evo 9 Lite is also available with a low entry frame and in different colors. The battery capacity is comparatively large at 700 watt hours. We will introduce you to the new product in detail here.

I:SY P12 ZR: The compact one

Most Pinion MGU models can be found in the category of e-mountain bikes and e-trekking bikes. But there are also compact bikes that can be quickly stowed away in the trunk or motorhome.

The manufacturer i:SY has the P12 ZR with belt drive in its range. Despite the maneuverable geometry and small wheels, it is fully suitable for everyday use and is equipped with luggage racks, lights and mudguards. We will introduce you to the interesting e-bike in detail here.

On the next page: Flyer Goroc TR:X and Kettler Pinniato