Basso bikes is back with the new Volta – what they are calling their “most advanced performance e-bike”, designed to take your road, all-road & gravel rides further powered by a hi-torque Polini mid-drive motor. With looks, handling & capabilities directly inspired by their fast Palta II gravel bike, this new carbon Volta gravel ebike will likely be just as versatile for riders looking for some assist on the climbs…
Basso Volta carbon gravel ebike
Developed to provide powerful pedal-assist for rides over any surface, Basso’s new Volta is meant to be lightweight, tough, and versatile. With a powerful Polini motor, a big battery & a relatively mid-range spec, Basso still claims a weight of just 15.2kg for their fast gravel ebike. The hi-mod Torayca carbon ebike certainly shares a lot of its looks with the well-rounded Palta II gravel bike that I reviewed two years ago.
But it also shares very similar geometry that should ensure a similarly snappy ride. The Volta gets the same 71° head angle & 73.5° seat angle but likely will shift the rider a bit back and up for more comfort with very slightly shorter frame Reach, generously taller Stack, and 15mm longer chainstays to fit the drive system in.
All in those seem like good choices for geometry tweaks tailored to a slightly less aggressive fit on an ebike that will likely serve a more relaxed rider – but while still preserving a fast, quick handling ride.
Tech specs
The new Volta is powered by an Italian Polini E-P3+ ebike powertrain that we’ve not ridden before, but can also be found in the latest Cipollini gravel ebike.
It’s a pretty standard 250W mid-drive motor affair topping out with 75Nm of torque, and powered by a 500Wh battery that Basso has tucked into the oversized downtube. Claimed range is a whopping 220km, plus there’s an optional external 250Wh bottle battery range extender for those who want to ride with pedal-assist even further.
The whole ebike system is managed via a Polini 2.5″ TFT display that looks like a regular cycling head unit. Its out-front location does bring up the question of where a rider might put their regular GPS without losing the ebike monitoring functions?
The new ebike gets all the modern tech amenities with fully integrated hidden internal cables, semi-aero seatpost with Basso’s secure 3-bolt clamp. flat mount disc brakes, and 12mm thru-axles. It also is built for utility & adventure with 45mm tire clearance, plus mounts for a toptube bag, two bottle cages inside the frame (one specially mounted to the battery cover), front & rear racks, full-coverage fenders, and even dynamo routing.
Basso Volta – Pricing, Availability & Options
The new Basso Volta drop bar ebike comes in four stock sizes (S-XL), two colors gray or green, and in two different build options. The most affordable complete build at 6000€ includes a classic SRAM Apex 1×11 44T x 11-42T setup for a more gravel-oriented ride.
The more all-road build sells for 6600€ with a more modern SRAM Rival AXS 2×12 groupset with 48/35T chainrings & a 10-36T cassette. Both get the same tubeless-ready Microtech MX25 alloy wheels with 40mm Maxxis Receptor semi-slick gravel tires.
Both builds are available now from your local Basso dealer.
