Introducing the 2026 Giant Reign Advanced E+, Giant has given its top enduro electric bike a big upgrade. The new model features a fresh carbon frame that’s lighter and stronger. They also packed in a more powerful motor.
And get this: they boldly say it is the best descending electric mountain bike ever made. That’s a serious claim, but Giant is clearly confident in what they’ve built.
The Reign Advanced E+ now has 170 mm of rear wheel travel using the Maestro suspension system, and a 180 mm travel fork at the front.
The main battery has a capacity of 560 watt-hours, which is a bit smaller than before. However, the new 48-volt SyncDrive Pro 3 motor made with Yamaha is much more efficient than the previous motor. This means it can last longer and perform better, even with the slightly reduced battery size.
Frame and Motor Overview
The Reign E+ has more travel than ever before. It now has 170 mm of rear suspension and a 180 mm fork at the front, which is 10 mm more than the older model. It’s also much lighter, weighing about 22.7 kg or 50 pounds, mainly because it now has a carbon frame.
The resin in the frame is said to absorb vibrations and help spread out shocks, but I don’t have many details on that. The smaller 560 Wh battery helps with the weight reduction, along with a slightly lighter motor.
Compared to the Amflow PL Carbon, which weighs about 20 kg or 44 pounds and has an 800 Wh battery, the Reign E+ is heavier. Even though the suspension travel isn’t exactly the same, it’s worth noting that it’s on the heavier side.
Despite having a smaller battery, the SyncDrive Pro 3 motor in the Giant Reign Advanced E+ delivers better performance. It produces a peak power of 800 watts and a slightly higher maximum torque of 90 Nm. Developed with Yamaha, the motor now uses a 48-volt system instead of the old 36-volt one. This upgrade lets it run more efficiently by using less current.
Using less current reduces heat buildup and lowers the risk of the system overheating. This means the motor can maintain strong, consistent power without stressing the system as much. Overall, it’s a more reliable and efficient setup for your ride.
For some context, most popular motors from Shimano and Bosch run on 36-volt systems. There are also 48-volt mid-drive motors like the Bafang M820 and the Avinox. The Avinox is much more powerful than the SyncDrive Pro 3 used on the Giant.
But Giant says they didn’t want to focus on just bigger numbers. They felt doing that would take away from their goal of making the best descending electric mountain bike ever.
You can adjust the motor’s power and how quickly it accelerates right from the app. There’s a cool feature called Launch Control that helps with low-traction situations. It lets the motor take up to 2.5 seconds to reach full torque, so you get a smoother start.
The top model comes with a one-piece bar and stem that lets you adjust the reach and how the bars roll. These integrated setups are usually lighter than regular stem and bar combos, but the downside is you can’t roll the bars to get the perfect rise and backsweep angle.
The Giant Contact SLR integrated bar solves this with shims that let you choose between 40, 45, or 50 mm reach, and backsweep options of 7, 8, or 9 degrees. It has a 20 mm rise (the other models get 35 mm) and weighs about 255 grams.
To me, this seems like a lot of extra complexity and cost just to save a couple hundred grams. But Giant says the one-piece design also makes the bar more comfortable by allowing it to flex better, so there might be some benefits there too.
You can buy it aftermarket for a steep price of $450 to $550 USD. It’s definitely eye-watering, but maybe a bit easier to swallow when you consider it’s basically three stems in one.
Geometry
This geometry chart is pretty packed because of the 3-position flip chip that lets you choose from three different geometry setups. No matter which one you pick, the bike leans towards a more aggressive style, with a head angle between 63.9 and 63.1 degrees. The reach comes in four sizes: 430, 460, 480, and 510 mm, but the flip chip shifts these reach numbers up or down by 4 or 5 mm depending on the position.
On top of that, you can fine-tune the frame reach even more at the headset with two interchangeable inserts. These inserts let you pick a middle setting or adjust the reach by plus or minus 5 mm.
All sizes have the same generous rear-centre length of 450 mm. The seat tube angle changes a bit with the flip-chip, ranging from 77.1 to 77.9 degrees.
Every bike comes with Giant’s own cable-operated adjustable dropper seat post. The travel lengths vary by size: 110-140 mm for small, 140-170 mm for medium, and 170-200 mm for large and extra-large.
Suspension
The Reign E+ uses the Maestro suspension system to deliver 170 mm of rear wheel travel. This setup features a dual-link design with a 205 mm by 65 mm Trunnion mount air shock. The suspension has a progressive leverage ratio, starting around 3.3 and finishing at about 2.2.
The bike has almost 100% anti-squat around the sag point, which means it resists squatting when you pedal. Its anti-rise stays steady between 60 and 70% through most of the suspension travel. This balance helps the bike feel stable and predictable when you brake.
- Also Read: Aventon Abound Review
Specifications and Availability
There are three versions of the 2026 Reign Advanced E+, and the prices here include the 280 Wh range extender. The top model, the E+ 0, costs £9,999 or $13,750 USD.
It comes with the Factory-level Fox 38 fork and X2 shock. It also features Giant TRX carbon wheels with MaxxGrip Maxxis Assegai and DHR II tires, SRAM XX Eagle transmission, and Maven Ultimate brakes. A medium-sized bike weighs about 22.7 kg.
The E+ 1 costs £7,499 or $10,100 USD and weighs about 23.2 kg. It comes with the Performance Elite 38 fork and Float X shock. It also has a mechanical Eagle 90 transmission, TRP DH-R EVO brakes with 220 mm rotors, and Giant’s aluminum enduro wheels.
The E+ 2 costs £6,499 or $8,900 USD and weighs about 23.3 kg. It comes with a Rockshox Zeb Select fork that has a Charger RC damper, and a Fox Float X Performance shock. The drivetrain is a 12-speed Shimano Deore, and the brakes are Shimano SLX with 220 mm rotors.
All models also have real-time tire pressure sensors. You can set your preferred pressures, and the system will notify you on the 2.4″ display if the pressure drops outside that range. These sensors work with both tubeless and tube tires.
The motor comes with a 2-year warranty. The frame is covered by Giant’s limited lifetime warranty.