BESV TR 2.1 Electric Bike Review

Written by: Chris Van Leuven | August 19, 2026 | Time to read: 7-8 min

The TR 2.1 (the TR stands for Trekking) reviewed here uses Shimano’s E6100 mid-drive motor, rated at 250W and 60 Nm of torque. That’s a good match for what this bike is meant to do. It gives you useful help pulling away from stops, pushing into a headwind, and keeping your pace when the road starts climbing.

Because the E6100 sits at the cranks, its assistance works through the drivetrain rather than driving a wheel directly. Drop into an easier gear on a climb, keep your cadence up, and you’re taking advantage of one of the reasons a mid-drive works so well on hills.

This version also uses a Shimano Altus 9-speed drivetrain with an 11–36T cassette. However, other TR 2.1 configurations have used different drivetrain components, which is one reason I’d pay attention to the individual bike when shopping used.

Power comes from an integrated 504Wh battery. Paired with the E6100, that’s useful capacity for the everyday mileage this bike is designed to cover. But keep in mind that actual e-Bike range will depend on hills, rider weight, wind, temperature, tire pressure, speed, and how much assistance you use.

The TR 2.1 has 50mm of front suspension, enough to take some of the rattle out of damaged pavement, potholes, rough bike paths, and the occasional hard-packed dirt section. But I wouldn’t make the fork the main reason to buy this bike.

The Schwalbe Energizer Plus 700x47c tires matter just as much. They put considerably more air between you and the pavement than narrow road tires, while GreenGuard puncture protection and reflective sidewalls are practical additions on a bike likely to rack up regular transportation miles. Then there’s the adjustable stem. Being able to move the bars where you want them may sound like a small detail, but it can make a noticeable difference once you’ve been riding for an hour or two.

BESV also includes most of the equipment you’d want for regular transportation: fenders, a rear carrier, chainguard, kickstand, front light, and Herrmans H-Cargo rear light. Add panniers if you need them, and you’re pretty much ready to go rather than spending the first week turning the bike into a commuter.

Hydraulic disc brakes handle stopping, with a 180mm rotor at the front and 160mm at the rear. Taken together, the TR 2.1 is built around comfort and everyday usefulness rather than low weight or outright speed.

This bike makes a lot of sense when your regular routes include hills, imperfect pavement, and enough distance to make comfort matter. I’d look at it for commuting, paved bike paths, errands, suburban routes, and longer recreational rides where shaving pounds off the bike isn’t the priority. The wide tires and short-travel fork also give you some flexibility when the pavement deteriorates, or a route includes a hard-packed section.

It isn’t a trail bike, and at roughly 60-plus pounds, it wouldn’t be my first choice if carrying an e-Bike up several flights of stairs were part of the daily routine. If you can roll it into a garage, apartment, or workplace instead, the trade-off becomes much easier.

BESV also offered the TR 2.1 LS, a low-step (step-through) version of the bike. The standard TR 2.1 uses a traditional high-step frame, while the LS lowers the frame considerably, making it easier to get on and off. That’s useful if you make frequent stops, have limited mobility, or regularly carry panniers or other cargo on the rear rack. I wouldn’t consider one inherently better than the other. This choice mostly comes down to fit and how you prefer to get on and off the bike.

And, if you’re comparing certified pre-owned models on Upway, pay close attention to frame size and style. A good deal isn’t much of a deal if the bike doesn’t fit.

Search for the BESV TR 2.1 online, and you’ll find conflicting specifications, since BESV has used the name on different configurations over time and across markets. The bike reviewed here uses the Shimano E6100 mid-drive with 60 Nm of torque and a 504Wh battery. Depending on the individual bike, you may also see differences in the drivetrain and other components. Newer TR 2.1 versions sold in other markets have used Shimano’s EP600 center-motor with 85Nm of torque, along with different drivetrain and tire specifications. So two legitimate TR 2.1 spec sheets can describe surprisingly different bikes.

That makes the individual bike more important than the model name. When shopping used, check the model year, motor, battery, drivetrain, frame size, tires, and other components on the bike you’re actually considering.

Those differences also make the individual Upway listing useful. You can check details such as model year, mileage, frame size, battery capacity, drivetrain, tires, overall condition, and inspection findings, rather than relying on a generic TR 2.1 spec sheet.

And remember that every e-Bike Upway sells goes through a professional 50-point inspection. The mechanical systems are checked, the battery, motor, and display are diagnosed, and components that don’t meet Upway’s standards are repaired or replaced. Software is updated when applicable, followed by a test ride and final quality-control check. That matters on a used e-Bike because mileage and photos only tell you so much about its condition.

Certified pre-owned e-Bikes from Upway also include a 1-year warranty and a 14-day test-ride policy, giving you time to make sure the frame size, riding position, and overall bike fit the way you plan to use it.