2022 EUNORAU Spectre-ST Review

Video Review

Written Review

The Eunorau Specter-ST is an absolute monster of an electric mountain bike. We’re talking air suspension in the front, air suspension in the back, g-force inducing hydraulic disc brakes, a Sram NX 11 speed derailleur, and of course let’s not forget about the trail destroying 1,000 watt Bafang mid-drive motor. Like I said, the Specter-ST is a monster.

Now, the Specter-ST has a starting price of $3,799 USD, which is almost as steep as some of the thills this e-bike can climb, but if you opt for the main battery upgrade, second battery upgrade, rack and fender kit and two year extended warranty, well, we’re looking at a grand total of $5,289 USD. Is it worth it? Let’s find out.

To kick things off here, let’t take a look at this motor. The Specter-ST is outfitted with a Bafang G510 mid-drive motor that churns out 1,000 watts of continuous power and a hill crushing 160 Newton meters of torque, with a top speed of 30 mph, which can be reached using the torque sensing pedal assist or the thumb throttle. 

Ok, so, mid-drives are kind of magical. And they imbue your e-bike with certain powers that hub drives just can’t have. Because the Specter-ST is equipped with a mid-drive motor, it can leverage the gearing from the Sram NX 11-speed derailleur to maximize not just hill climbing capabilities, but also top speed. 

It works kind of like a car with multiple gears. You can put your car in first gear when you need more torque for getting started from a dead stop, and then when you’re on the freeway you throw it in top gear for high speeds. The Specter-ST can do the same thing, and it’s awesome.

Slapping the throttle in the lowest gear feels like launching off an aircraft carrier. Ok, fine, it’s not THAT extreme, but it’s a powerhouse to be sure. The acceleration is so strong it can catch you off guard. 

Flicking through the cassette as you gain speed feels great. The Sram NX is a super tough, and yet also super smooth derailleur, and because the Specter-ST features shift detection, you don’t have to worry about snapping chains and marring the components.

The other huge benefit with the Bafang G510 motor is the torque sensor, which helps to deliver the perfect amount of power based on how hard you’re pedaling. So if you’re cruising down the flats at low speeds, it’s going to feel the like the motor is barely working, because the muscles in your legs are barely working. But when you put on the pressure to accelerate or climb a hill, the motor comes alive and precisely matches your power. Very groovy.

Honestly, I could probably talk about this motor all day, but let’s move on.

Right! 

So, the Specter-ST comes stock with a 48 volt, 14 amp hour, internally housed, locking and removable battery. But remember, we’ve got those battery upgrade options! With the optional 17 amp hour main battery and 17 amp hour secondary battery, the Specter-ST has a max estimated range of 80 miles in ideal conditions. If you plan on keeping the Specter-ST in the lowest pedal assist setting and only occasionally ripping it at full power, you’ll probably be fine with the standard 14 amp hour battery. But, if you plan on taking on some grueling trails with challenging climbs, the battery upgrades are going to really start making sense. The biggest downside to the 1,000 watt motor? It’s an electron guzzler.

With the primary battery and the mid-drive motor being positioned smack in the middle of the frame, the Specter-ST is remarkably well-balanced. An important feature for a true electric mountain bike. 

While the step-through frame on the Specter-ST makes mounting the saddle easy breezy, the real benefit here comes when navigating tricky terrain. 

The Eunorau-branded front air suspension and the DNM rear shock take the Specter-ST’s off-road abilities to the next level, and I was actually surprised at just how responsive they were. 

On the other hand, they do add to the overall weight of the Specter-ST, which weighs in at roughly 79 pounds in the stock configuration. 

Thankfully, the Specter-ST makes up for it’s relatively high curb weight by offering a max payload capacity of 440 pounds. That’s huge. And it drastically increases the functionality of the Specter-ST. With that kind of weight capacity, and with the 1,000 watt motor and dual battery and rear rack options, who knows what kind of trouble one could get up to with this ride?

I also love that Eunorau opted for 27.5” by 2.8” Chao Yang tires here. They’re wide enough to offer an increased tire patch for better grip, but not so wide that it’ll make a transatlantic barge question everything. 

To bring the Specter-ST to a stop we’ve got Eunorau-branded dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes with 180 mm rotors in the front and rear wheels. Whatever Eunorau did with these brakes, they did a good job, because they are some of the most effective dual-piston hydraulic disc brakes we’ve tested to date. And with a top speed of 30 mph, that’s something we at Electrified Reviews greatly appreciate.

At the front of the Specter-ST we’ve got an integrated LED headlight and at the rear we’ve got an independent tail light. 

I’m impressed with the wire management on the Specter-ST and I love that everything is routed internally. 

On the left side of the handlebars we’ve got the independent button pad and thumb throttle, and on the right side we’ve got the trigger shifters. And in the middle we’ve got the super bright Bafang TFT display. 

Overall, the Eunorau Specter-ST is one of those e-bikes where you get what you pay for. This is a costly ride, even at the base price, but for those that are looking for a truly capable off-road electric mountain bike that will make hills tremble so hard it might cause a landslide, well, the Specter-ST is worth a look.