Pole Sonni Downduro Review - '24

[@aggropa]

Thank you for still including this bike in your shootout, and I think the review is more professional this time around as well. I’m glad to see that you liked it,as I like my Voima a lot, and so do a lot of other people. We are really hoping that POLE can get back on their feet.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks very much and hopefully they will make a come back!

[@emtbtrailrider539]

@@TheLoamWolfu guys did a great review, I have a similar feel with the Voima, not very playful esp compared to my SC Bullit at 180/180 travel

[@MastaFRO1]

Man this bike looks sick! Hope Pole Bicycles keeps it going! As always, great review guys!

[@TheLoamWolf]

We hope so too! And thank you.

[@canieto1]

It's kind of the Cybertruck of EMTB's.

[@dumwee]

😂

[@crixxbrain6372]

Great of you to review the bike in spite of the troubles at Pole. As usually, great review, too. I ride a non-electric Pole bike, and while I understand why the looks of these bikes are divisive, when it comes to performance on the trail, that is simply stellar. Hope Pole makes a comeback!

[@closertech]

Looks to be the a full 29 configuration tested? I have the mullet configuration and the agility/playfulness is tighter if that's what you are after. Pole must be resurrected because this bike is off the chain and at the moment this bike is very rare animal that should be shared by more riders. Though the reviewers didn't mention it, all plush, planted assuredness makes the bike extremely fast.

[@carllindemann-yh3rj]

Yes! I have the mullet version with the coil rear and dual crown rock shock ultimate plus the Bosch race motor. An amazing agile bike even more so than my YT decoy. Wish they would’ve tested the ultimate of the pole Sonni as they’ve done with all the other bikes. Full spec. I am certain they would’ve been blown away as I am with my Sonni.

[@apatriotofhopedanjohn4781]

I have been on my VOIMA since they first came out….. Absolutely Amazing bike. I will grab this bike every time, for every thing. I really enjoy this bike 😊

Hope Pole be back soon...the Sonni is the only aluminum bike I would definitely buy and the fact you can change the travel is brilliant

[@justsayin3600]

I'm glad to see a lot of brands go this route. I love my Specialized Evo because of the adjustability.

[@JockeSelin]

Fingers crossed Pole will return! We got some of the last Voimas and would love to see the company revived. 🤞🏻😬🤞🏻

[@tooFATtoRIDE]

I did not expect to see THE Unimog converter guy riding Voima :)

[@JockeSelin]

@@tooFATtoRIDE 😁👍🏻Thanks for the compliments! Building the Unimog has taken its toll on my back amongst other things, so it was time to do something about it. Hopefully razzin’ about in the vegetation with “the best of the best of the best” will make a difference. 🤞🏻🤣🤞🏻

[@paulmaag6958]

Awesome bike for our granite, toothy, big babyhead trails here in Colorado. Sorry they are gone!

[@BSE75]

so unique & beauty

[@TheLoamWolf]

It’s certainly unique… and beauty is in the eye of the beholder we suppose. Hahaha

[@BSE75]

@@TheLoamWolf the tumor association ruined my view of this bike. now i muss always think of that instead hahaha🤣

[@josephcapps7325]

Have seen a gold one in hot springs AR racing an enduro. Sweet looking bike in person!

[@brokenbrian1]

I love my 190mm Vioma, its an absolute beast on everything. I really enjoyed your review of the Sonni.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks for watching! And hopefully they’ll be back to sell more bikes!

[@finroddd]

if it is not bought very recently, start checking the swingarms - older versions started to crack.

[@JockeSelin]

@@finrodddswing arm issues are with an old design on the Voima. AFAIK, the Sonni/Onni do not suffer from this issue.

[@finroddd]

@@JockeSelin just today I saw cracked swing arm of Vikkela also.

[@JockeSelin]

@@finroddd yeah, I should have included Vikkelä as it’s got the same swing arms as the Voima. If Pole returns, they can continue the manufacturing of the latest swing arms and the problem should be solved. 🤞🏻

[@pablojmcglynn2863]

I've had the pole voima since it's launch , gen 1 , it's still miles ahead of most ebikes out now , I want this sonni more than anything else , really sad that pole are going the ringer just now , I hope leo can make a comeback , I'd invest in a sonni for sure. Great watch thx

[@mustclime5311]

I love the pole, sorry to see them gone.

[@TheLoamWolf]

We're sorry to see it too, though they're not for everyone, they're pretty sweet.

[@Jeffbomke]

Sweet bike. Pulling for them to get back to manufacturing. I love my Voima. Definitely an engineers bike like the Cybertruck!

[@bfranco1519]

So many bumps in the road for Pole. Hope someone resurrects the company. Love these big bikes!

[@TheLoamWolf]

Hope so

[@drujenssen5444]

I have a Sonni with a Boxxer. Same spec as the one you have. I love it. Jumps amazing, rallies the berms, and it’s really fast. I ordered it with a MRP chain guide bashguard that Pole was gonna customize to fit the Sonni. It was on back order. I never got it. I’ve only lost my chain once so far but I was attempting to pedal into a jump at the time. Not cool. You fellas got a suggestion for a chain guide?

[@lasseeriksenarnes2870]

According to Leo Kokkonen, E-THIRTEEN CG3UPA-100 shall fit the Pole Sonni, mounting onto Bosch motor.

[@drujenssen5444]

@@lasseeriksenarnes2870 thanks for the info! I was looking forward to the MRP chain guide bashguard as I’m a fan of MRP but I’m stoked to get this E-thirteen guide mounted on my bike. I appreciate you letting me know.

[@HarryPotterFan777Wizard]

That price isn’t bad, considering the manufacturing cost of that frame. CNC out a big block of aluminum isn’t cheap.

[@justsayin3600]

I read the CNC machine they use is crazy expensive. Also, that the machine broke and to fix it was crazy expensive, and parts are not readily available.

[@Jannik_99]

tomorrow ekano 2 cf review, got it a month ago, such a beast

[@TheLoamWolf]

Counting down!!

[@chrisgeorgewainwright1846]

I have 2 pole voimas, a K2 and K3, I absolutely loved them, until the rear triangle/arm cracked on both bikes! I now have 2 lovely ornaments😂 I purchased them 6 months apart and both have a crack right though the cassette side arm.. you can only see this when changing the pivot bearings, but you can feel it once the crack gets to a substantial size, which is why I thought it was the bearings! I imagine it’s a design fault and it’s coming for every voima owner… such a shame.

[@timcarroll6952]

Id love to see a carbon cover or something to cover up the motor "sack"😂😂 its definitely a cool concept though

[@EvanShowsMTB]

Were the other bikes not up to the task to the hit the new drop on howlin wolf? That seems a little odd

[@TheLoamWolf]

No, they definitely were. It was just the first bike that Sean felt extra froggy on and went for it first.

[@closertech]

Numerous Cybertruck analogies posted here. A thought - if somebody has an inside track to Elon, he could rescue Pole in a heartbeat. Same design aesthetic in the looks and engineering department, similar leadership personality. Slap a Cyber logo on it, and the will go like hotcakes.

[@justsayin3600]

Didn't Pole' go out of business? Edit: Never mind, you brought their situation up.

[@Kaisersozze]

Man seatpost angles are almost at 90degrees

[@emtbtrailrider539]

I have the Voima and it’s not very playful, great DH eBike but that’s about it

[@equi]

Its kinda cool.. the motor does look strange and a bit like a tumor.. i think it would grow on me............. :)

[@yoei2683]

Is this bike for sale?

[@ShredQuest]

So sick, I bet someone on the team got to keep that Sonni. No need to return it to a non-existent company. RIP Pole. Your innovation will be missed.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Sean will certainly be enjoying it until Pole asks for it back!

[@Echoes-]

Pretty sure the lawyers who run the bankrupt company want it back, they are liquidating everything to get as much money out as possible to pay back taxes and creditors.

[@emtbwulf9215]

That is a bad ass bike! With the travel options, awesome! I hope that Pole can be resurrected.

[@TheLoamWolf]

Great, happy to help. Can you send us the lawyer's email so we can get ahold of them?

[@eugenux]

I really do hope the k2 was the only size available because if you guys specifically asked for it...there is absolutely no point in taking your consideration your review of this specific bike; Poles, as Nicolais, are *!specifically!* designed to be ridden with a larger reach; basically, you want a porsche gt3 to be a mustang, to make a plastic comparison. Please, do tell when you guys will start riding bikes in your actual size?!(because the last 3 or 4 were all 20-30 mm shorter in reach than your actual should ride), asking it directly because it seems to become a habit instead of an accident.

[@drujenssen5444]

That’s weird how the owner of the company was also riding a k2.

[@carterschichtel9678]

People are out thousands on these with broken bikes and no support.

[@fzr1000981]

Bankrupt....will they be bailed out or disappear forever?

[@TheLoamWolf]

TBD... We're hoping bail out and a return?

[@pek7629]

Love how you made it sound so exotic! The way it's pronounced is about flat and boring as usual

[@alfy364]

The company is no more so why feature it?

[@TheLoamWolf]

It wouldn't be the first bike to go away and then come back! AND, because it’s an interesting bike and we already had it.

[@alfy364]

Yes, after watching and digesting your feature I must say it is a real shame. Hope they do bounce back 😢

[@lasseeriksenarnes2870]

Suitable chain guide for the Sonni: E-THIRTEEN e*spec Plus Chainguide CG3UPA-100

[@blakekennard7700]

Ha ha… gross

[@PepeTheFren]

As I heard this company gone bankrupt, and people who pre-ordered the bike now run for their money. Sad story.

[@tooFATtoRIDE]

This must have been recorded a long, long time ago. Pole is no more for at least a month.

[@TheLoamWolf]

It was recorded at the start of May. They were still potentially in line to be saved at this point...and who knows, maybe they'll rise from the ashes.

[@Marinmtb415]

You want to sell that bike if you still have it?

[@AbigailMontgomery-tw8xk]

I was a click away from buying the Voima 4 months ago. What made me turn on the decision was the hassle of figuring out the shipping cost to my home in the USA. Vat, etc, etc, what about insurance??? I'da felt MUCH more comfortable ordering from a US dealer. I suggested for Pole to have a shipping calculator on their site to ease this hassle. Literally days later I saw that the Co was failing. I'm happy I bought my Orbea Wild instead since I already have a Husqvarna Extreme Cross. Wolf, it was your 2023 shootout that made me want the Wild so thanks for these tests.

[@fzr1000981]

​@AbigailMontgomery-tw8xk I bought a Crestline last year, it was actually a little cheaper than top shelf Wild with Bosch Race motor and best of everything

[@TheLoamWolf]

Thanks for sharing your story and we hope you love your Wild! Thanks for placing some trust in our testing process and reviews.