Electric Bikes with Bosch motor
With an e-bike equipped with a powerful Bosch motor, you benefit from a unique, new kind of riding experience whilst reaching new performance targets.
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E-bike batteries are expensive to replace, so you need to take good care of them. By following our advice, you’ll get the longest life out of your e-bike’s battery.
What distinguishes the Bosch e-bike drives
A Bosch e-bike motor combines a variety of positive features taken from numerous other bicycles. With its different support levels, the Bosch e-bike motor delivers smooth yet powerful performance. The system provides a relentless wave of torque for effortless pedalling on the steepest of climbs.
Bosch electric bikemotors are combined with large-capacity batteries, which ensure you can enjoy long rides without fear of running out of power. Another advantage of Bosch motors is the central installation position in the e-bike.
The Bosch motor is mounted around the bottom bracket at the lowest point of the bike. This puts the centre of gravity of the e-bike as low as possible, and centred fore and aft, providing excellent, balanced handling characteristics.
The interaction of three Bosch e-bike motor sensors is particularly intelligent. Pedalling force, cadence, and speed, are all measured over 1,000 times per second to provide a unique riding experience.
The light weight of the Bosch powered e-bikes further improves handling. And on the rare occasion that you might have to push, the Bosch ‘Push Assist’ takes on much of the work.
Which components make up the Bosch e-bike system?
The Bosch e-bike motor system essentially consists of three to four components. The heart of the system is, of course, the Bosch e-bike motor. This is combined with a powerful Bosch battery, which is mounted either on or within the down tube of the frame. The handlebar mounted Bosch display provides the rider with essential information.
These three Bosch e-bike components can be combined with supporting apps to add additional functionality and connectivity. Compatible smartphone apps for Bosch motors include eBike Connect, COBI.Bike and the eBike Flow App.
What support levels are available with a Bosch e-bike motor?
Bosch motors for e-bikes usually offer four different support levels. These are as follows:
- Bosch support level ECO
- Bosch support level TOUR
- Bosch support level SPORT
- Bosch support level TURBO
What is a push assist and does it exist on an e-bike with a Bosch motor?
The Bosch motor offers push assistance. This means that the motor accelerates up to a maximum speed of 6 km/h without any assistance from your own power. Depending on the Bosch motor, a special button can be pressed or a button combination entered to activate the Bosch push assist. So if you ever have to push your e-bike, the Bosch push assist provides a welcome boost.
Which Bosch mid-motor is the best?
The best or most powerful Bosch motor is the Performance Line CX. The electric motor designed for e-mountain bikers provides you with a powerful drive and high-end sensor technology that takes your riding experience to the next level. With up to 85 Newton meters of torque, you can master even the steepest climbs on the trail. Technically demanding trails become child’s play thanks to the Extended Boost function and roots and stones are rolled over effortlessly. The specially developed E-MTB mode reacts particularly sensitively to pedal power and thus allows sensitive starting. With the new ‘Tour Plus’ mode, the Bosch Performance Line CX motor uses the battery power more frugally to extend your range.
New 2022 Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System motor in review
Strictly speaking, the new 2022 Bosch motor isn’t exactly new. However, everything around it is. Confused? In a nutshell, the new Smart System is based on Bosch’s current Performance Line CX motor and features a massive 750 Wh PowerTube battery, new display and remotes as well as a new speed sensor. Compared to its predecessor, the latest generation of Bosch’s motor offers more and better connectivity features and anti-theft protection. We’ve already tested the new Bosch Smart System for you.
The motor hardware of the new Bosch system remains (mostly) unchanged
Needless to say, the motor of an eMTB is a lot more than just an electrical machine that converts electricity into kinetic energy. While it’s true that without a motor you’d be fighting your way up the mountain solely with the power of your legs, there are several other components that have a great impact on the overall performance of an eMTB motor system: the battery, display, remote, wiring harness, countless sensors and, last but not least, the motor software. With the new Smart System implemented in the 2022 Bosch Performance Line CX, Bosch have carried over some of the core hardware components of the previous model, like the electric motor and internal gearbox that are enclosed inside the magnesium housing. All other parts, such as remotes, displays, the cable harness and its connectors, have been redesigned from the ground up – and the software has undergone major changes too. But is the new system compatible with its predecessor? Sadly, no. Bosch have fundamentally revised the system, heralding a new and Smart era in the history of their Performance Line CX motor. That’s why we call it the “new” Performance Line CX Smart System even though it’s based on the same motor.
The new 750 Wh Bosch PowerTube 750 battery
With a capacity of 750 Wh, the new PowerTube 750 is currently the biggest energy storage unit in Bosch’s portfolio, except for the Dual Battery system, which has been around for some time and combines two PowerTube 625 batteries for a total of 1250 Wh. However, the heavy Dual Battery system isn’t a sensible option for sporty eMTBs, which makes the new PowerTube 750 battery a welcome addition to Bosch’s portfolio. While a 20% capacity increase over the PowerTube 625 model is great news, the extra Watts don’t come for free, both in terms of money and weight. Here’s why: the PowerTube 750 employs the same cells as the 625 version, only more of them. As a result, the larger battery is approximately 7 cm longer and almost 20% heavier, weighing in at exactly 4.38 kg. For bike designers, however, this also entails a whole new set of challenges with respect to handling, stiffness and down tube construction. On the other hand, Bosch also redesigned and moved the connector and at the same time revised the wiring harness. This allows bike manufacturers to integrate the new battery deeper into the frame and closer to the motor while ensuring a lower center of gravity.
With the new connector also comes a new charger that according to Bosch charges the PowerTube 750 up to 50% in around 2 hours and 100% in about 6 hours using 4 A charging current. The PowerTube batteries and the system are neither forward nor backward compatible, making the PowerTube 750 the only battery compatible with the Smart System – at least for now. As a result, bikes like the Lapierre Overvolt GLP2 and Rotwild R.X375, which were deliberately equipped with a smaller battery, won’t be available with the new Bosch system any time soon.
For now, the new PoweTube 750 is the only battery compatible with the Smart System. As a result, bikes with the smaller battery will be missing out on the new Bosch system, at least for now
New displays and remotes for the Bosch Performance Line CX
With the release of the Nyon navigation display at the end of 2020, Bosch have proved that they really know a thing or two about connectivity and displays. In our navigation system group test the Nyon secured Best in Test as the ideal companion for tour and trekking riders. The small Kiox display, on the other hand, offers poor readability and sits right on top of the handlebars, where it’s exposed to impacts. As a result, it’s suitable for trail riding, but only to a certain extent. Here, the robust (and bulky) Purion display would be a more sensible option, but unfortunately has just as many connectivity features as a church clock: none! Luckily, the new Smart System puts an end to this! The new system is modular and allows for different display/remote configurations and to connect them to external third-party devices – awesome! As for now, the Kiox 300 display and LED Remote function as the control unit of all eMTBs with the Bosch Smart System, but we’re sure that more options will be available in the future: what would be the point of introducing a new modular system otherwise?
The new Bosch LED Remote
The Bosch LED Remote is the control unit of the new Smart System. The compact remote ensures good ergonomics and lets you operate the entire system intuitively with your left thumb. Both the position and haptic feedback of the remote make it easy to switch between support modes on the trail without having to take your hands off the handlebars. Unlike the Purion display, the LED Remote made it easy to adapt the ergonomics of the cockpit of our Centurion test bike with Shimano XT brakes and matching dropper remote to the needs and preferences of our test riders: finally! The remote shows the battery charge status via LEDs in (relatively) fine-graded 10% increments, while a colour-coded circle around the Bosch logo tells you which support level you’re using – more than enough for purists! If you want more riding data, you can use either the Kiox display or the free eBike Flow app, which pairs with the remote via Bluetooth and connects your eMTB to the Internet.
The new Bosch Kiox 300 display
Fancy counting pixels? Not really? If the stem-mounted Nyon navigation system is too much for you, the Kiox 300 high-quality display is a great alternative. Unlike its predecessor, the new Kiox 300 has no buttons at all, but then the new LED Remote has you covered with all the basic controls. With the latest Kiox generation, Bosch rely on a robust and adjustable display holder that allows you to change the position of the display on the handlebar. With the old Kiox mount, the display was exposed to impacts and could easily get damaged in a crash. This should be a problem of the past with the latest Kiox 300 because the display is tucked away between the handlebar and stem. Furthermore, Bosch improved display readability and menu navigation. One of the most practical features is the range indicator, which gives you an estimate of the remaining range in all support modes.
Modular, individual and with improved wiring
While the modular system gives riders the freedom to use their eMTB with or without a Kiox 300 display, smaller modular connectors make it easier for bike manufacturers to integrate the Smart System into their bikes, ensuring easier cable routing and a cleaner overall look. With the old Kiox display, the chunky data cable that connects the remote with the display winds around the handlebar like a wild vine. On our test bike, the data cable is routed through the handlebars – neat! Despite the additional headlight, the cockpit of our Centurion test bike looks extremely tidy. Not as tidy is the black plastic cover that conceals a slot in the top tube of our test bike. On the other hand, this suggests that Bosch have even more exciting features in the pipeline. Coincidentally, that’s exactly where the MasterMind display is integrated on many Specialized eMTBs. Could the German tech giant be working on a similar system?
The eBike Flow app – Customizable support levels and improved connectivity
We’ve had the exclusive opportunity to test the beta version of the new eBike Flow app even before its official release. Both pairing and re-establishing the connection between the smartphone and the eMTB is super fast and intuitive. Particularly exciting is how the speed sensor interacts with the GPS data of the smartphone, allowing the eBike Flow app to detect whether you’re riding your bike or covering a section of your route by car or train and then resume (or pause) tracking accordingly.
Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to test the most exciting feature yet, which allows you to adjust the support levels of the new Smart System motor individually. In a nutshell, the feature lets you adapt the modulation, maximum torque, support level and speed of the modes with a fixed support factor, like Eco and Turbo – of course within the framework of the legal regulations. The dynamic progressive eMTB and Tour modes can’t be customized.
Alongside countless route-stats, the eBike Flow app provides all the crucial information about service intervals and software updates, which can be uploaded from your smartphone directly to the Bosch motor system over-the-air. The eBike Flow app will be available for iOS and Android from autumn 2021 and is only compatible with the latest Smart System. When paired with the optional ConnectModule, which can be retrofitted to many eMTBs with the Smart System, the eBike Flow app also offers anti-theft protection and a bike-tracking feature, which are made possible by a chip integrated deep inside the motor system.
New Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System – Our first ride review
We’ve had the exclusive opportunity to test the new Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System over several weeks before its official launch. First things first: the riding behavior and riding dynamics of the “new” Bosch motor haven’t changed at all. The overall riding experience and usability, on the other hand, have changed significantly – and definitely for the better!
Using the factory settings and without customising the support levels from the eBike Flow app, the new Smart System offers pretty much the same characteristics and almost identical ride feeling as the previous Performance CX motor, which provides 340% assistance – and delivered an impressive performance in our motor group test, especially when negotiating technical climbs in the progressive eMTB mode. Unfortunately, the latest Smart System doesn’t allow this mode to be customized. Bosch throw in one more dynamic progressive mode, which is called Tour and adapts its support between Eco and Turbo depending on the riding situation. The support is significantly weaker and less abrupt than in the eMTB mode, allowing light riders to negotiate technical climbs without the rear wheel spinning out of control and everyone else to save battery on long rides. The Tour mode has already been available as a software update from July 2021 for the previous Performance Line CX motor. Unfortunately, the new Smart System motor has inherited the distinctive clunking noise from its predecessor, proudly announcing its presence every time the chain exerts force on the chainring, for example when the suspension compresses on rough descents with roots carpets and brake bumps. What a pity! On the other hand, the new Bosch LED Remote and Kiox 300 display make it extremely easy to operate the new motor. In terms of legibility, ergonomics, ease of use, logic and menu navigation, Bosch literally knocked it out of the park with the new Smart System and also managed to integrate the new eBike Flow app seamlessly into the motor system. Finally, the Bosch team caught up with some of their fiercest competitors and are able to offer a well-thought-out modular system that lets you choose to configure your cockpit with or without a display – very cool! At least that’s the case with future bike models because the displays and remotes of the Smart System as well as all its exciting software features, like the adjustable support levels, aren’t compatible with the current Bosch system. This is due to the new system architecture, which relies on smaller modular connectors to hook up the motor to the battery, display and remote. On the other hand, the new standard enables a whole new range of exciting features. In our opinion, however, it would make a lot more sense if the current (and excellent!) Nyon navigation display were compatible with the new Smart System, especially for touring and trekking bikes. Sporty riders who attach great importance to nimble handling will miss the lighter 625 Wh battery. That being said, we’re sure that Bosch are planning to release more exciting components and software updates in the near future.
The new PowerTube 750 could put an end to the “range anxiety” which seems to be spreading amongst eMTBers. Although a 20% increase in battery capacity doesn’t necessarily bump up the range by 20%, the new 750 Wh battery should allow for longer rides than its smaller 625 Wh counterpart. Whether and to what extent the weight and size of the battery affect the handling of the latest eMTBs with the new Smart System depends on how bike manufacturers integrate the battery into their bikes. We’re excited to see what solutions bike brands will come up with in the future.
Conclusions
While the riding performance of the Bosch Performance Line CX Smart System motor hasn’t changed, the whole new ecosystem around it has taken usability and ergonomics to a whole new level! With the modular system built around the remote, display and app, Bosch knocked it out of the park by managing to ensure intuitive operation while allowing end-users to customise the support levels of the motor to suit their needs and preferences. Regrettably, the annoying clunking noise is still clearly audible while the owners of ebikes with the current Bosch motor won’t be able to benefit from any of the exciting new features. Nevertheless, we’re curious to see how bike manufacturers will integrate the big battery into their frame designs and what updates and innovations Bosch have in the works.
information at: Bosch-ebike.com
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Words: Felix Stix Photos: Robin Schmitt, Jonas Müssig
The Best Electric Bike Motors
The type of motor powering your E-bike matters. Where will you be riding? Is smooth more important than power? How fast do you want to go? These are important questions to consider when purchasing an E-bike. This page will provide helpful information about the drive systems that power our E-bikes. We carry bikes powered by Bosch, Yamaha, and Shimano. We think these are the best our industry has to offer, and we hope you’ll agree.
Bosch electric bike motors
Bosch may be the biggest name in pedal-assist electric bike drive systems. There are a few different variations of this powerful and intuitive motor, and it’s broken down into variations of three main systems: the Active Line, the Cargo Line, and the Performance Line. Each has specific characteristics that help benefit riders whether they are commuting around the city, hauling gear, or riding aggressively on roads and mountain bike trails.
Active Line and Active Line Plus: Designed for city commuting and casual road riding with moderate hills.
Performance Line: Designed for on-road use where traveling greater distances at higher speeds is preferred.
Performance Line CX: Designed for off-road trail use that can be rocky, steep, and technical.
Each of these motors offers the rider the use of four assist levels: ECO, TOUR, SPORT (or EMTB on Performance CX), and TURBO. Each mode provides increasing amounts of assistance and battery consumption allowing riders to easily choose just the right amount of boost for any given activity.
The Performance Line CX is maily used on mountain bikes and comes with an intelligent EMTB mode that may replace SPORT mode. The EMTB mode offers better start-up behavior, up to 75 Nm of torque, and allows for better power transfer and traction by sensing how much pressure you apply and reacting accordingly.
Bosch motors denoted with the title ‘Speed’ (like the Performance Line Speed) can reach pedal-assisted speeds up to 28mph, whereas all other models top out at 20mph. The Bosch PowerTube batteries are easily removable and come in 400Wh, 500Wh, and 625Wh capacities.
Shimano electric bike motors
Shimano STEPS is another leader in E-bike drive systems. With long lasting batteries and powerful motors designed for both on and off road performance, Shimano makes E-biking great for every kind of rider. City commuters and cyclists who ride mostly paved roads benefit from the lightweight and quick E5000, E6000, and E6100 motors. Mountain bikers benefit from the high torque and durability of the E7000 and E8000.
Shimano STEPS (Shimano Total Electric Power System) motors come with three boost modes: Eco, Normal, and High. An easy to see LCD display paired with handlebar-mounted switch units makes controlling your ride support effortless. The 250W motors deliver enough torque (40-70Nm depending on the model) to get you up the hills with speed and control. Weighing in at under 7lbs, they are some of the lightest drive systems on the market.
Shimano touts the long life of their 400Wh and 500Wh batteries as well as their range and fast charge times. These batteries can take up to 1,000 charges without any significant loss in power, so you can rest assured that your E-bike will continue to perform well for a long time to come. Riders can feel confident in the battery’s ability to go the distance. Maximum ranges on city and trekking motors hover around 100 miles, and the mountain bike motors can even reach distances of over 60 miles. Plus, the batteries can be charged up to 80% capacity in only 2-2.5 hours.
Fazua electric bike motors
Fazua specializes in lightweight ebike motors with an impressively small profile and natural riding sensation. The German brand is now owned by Porsche, a nod to the high-performance technology inside each of their drive systems. The motors’ compact size and streamlined integration make them a popular choice for electric road bikes, as well as hybrids and lightweight eMTBs.
Fazua drive systems are among the sleekest on the market, allowing for narrower downtube widths and preventing bulkiness around the bottom bracket. The Fazua Drivepack houses the motor and battery and is longer than most, distributing the mass through the frame and connecting to its proprietary bottom bracket. Depending on the model, the Drivepack is fully removable so you can ride the ebike like a standard bike too.
Ride 50 Evation: Fazua’s original drive unit that weighs only 4.6 kg and delivers 55Nm and 250W of power.
Ride 50 Trail/Street: Upgraded motor with 10% more power, better cooling, and maximum power of 350W. Available in two versions with specifically adapted radiators optimized for either trail or road riding.
Ride 60: Fazua’s newest, most powerful motor that’s fully integrated into the frame. The slim unit has a 430Wh battery and 60Nm of torque, weighing a mere 4.2 kg.
Each Fazua motor offers 3 preset assistance modes: Breeze, River, and Rocket. There’s also a Boost function and all these levels can be customized in the Fazua App. Fazua-equipped bikes have one of three different touch-sensitive remotes to control the system mounted on the handlebar, drop bar, or integrated into the frame.
TQ electric bike motors
Another Germany-based manufacturer, TQ stands out from the pack with its unique motor design. The small engineering company made waves in the industry when Trek outfitted their new Fuel EXe electric mountain bike with TQ’s lightweight motor. The innovative TQ-HPR50 motor is now featured on high-end electric road models and other eMTBs.
TQ specializes in robotics and aerospace and leveraged its expertise to create the motor’s Harmonic Pin Ring (HPR) technology. The ring design uses a direct drive speed reduction instead of multiple gears that makes the motor lighter and virtually silent. The design also allows for the components to fit concentrically and achieve a more compact profile and narrow Q-Factor of only 135mm.
TQ-HPR50: TQ’s lightest and quietest motor with an ultra-compact profile. 300W of power and 50Nm of torque from a motor that weighs in at just 1,850 grams (3.9kg entire unit).
TQ-HPR 120S: Powerful motor that provides a whopping 120Nm of constant torque and serious acceleration. This beast of a motor comes in at 3.88kg, not including the battery.
The TQ-HPR50 motor hooks up to a 360Wh battery that’s just as lightweight, combining for a total of just 3.9 kg for the entire drive unit. TQ claims it is the lightest ebike system in its category, achieving the most natural-feeling handling possible. The handlebar-mounted remote lets users toggle between 3 assist levels and a Walk mode. The 2” display is neatly integrated into the frame and TQ also offers a 160Wh Range Extender that’s only the size of a water bottle.
Yamaha electric bike motors
Yamaha has been taking its legendary motor mechanical tech to the E-bike industry for years. The 2019 Yamaha models like the 250 watt 2019 PW-SE and 500W PW-X are powerful mid drive motors that offer riders calculated support to do more on bikes. For 2020, Yamaha makes 3 different pedal-assist motors for electric bikes. The PW series TE is great for commuters and recreational riding. The The PW series ST offers more power for a sportier ride that can be used on a quick commuter, road, or mountain E-bike. The PW-X2 is their higher end motor stocked on high end mountain bikes that ride more aggressively on rough terrain.
Yamaha motors come with Quad Sensor Technology. This simultaneously measures the gradient of the terrain, bike speed, crank rotation rate, and pedal torque. The result is beautifully smooth yet powerful assistance in all situations. Yamaha’s Automatic Support Mode can intuitively select the appropriate amount of boost and automatically toggle between Eco, Eco, Standard, and High modes depending on rider input and terrain.
PW-X2 motors come with an additional EXPW mode for up to 80 Nm of torque and more refined ride characteristics. Automatic Support Mode can be turned off if you desire to manually select your level of assist. Yamaha batteries come in 400Wh and 500Wh capacities and are easily removable. Every Yamaha battery includes an industry-leading 700 charge-cycle warranty.
Why a Bosch eBike system motor?
Bosch is a respected brand of German-manufacturer. They make lots of high-performance motors and electrical appliances. They recently entered the electric bike motor market in 2010. Several dealers of electric bikes in Salt Lake City, like High Country E Bikes, sell Bosch motors. With the reputation that Bosch has, you know they’d immediately enter the industry as class-leaders. And they’re continually improving.
Bosch Electric Motor for E Bikes on the 2017 XDURO FullSeven 6.0
The fact that Haibike Electric Bikes, the undisputed leaders in the e bike industry, chooses to use both Yamaha and Bosch motors, demonstrates the quality you’re going to get when you select a Bosch.
A lot of customers feel like the Bosch gives them more power than the Yamaha. Many of the new 2018 XDURO models of Haibike feature Bosch.
iZip, Felt, and the Yuba brands of e bike also use Bosch motors.
A lot of customers like the more extended range on the Yamaha motor, so depending on how you’ll be using the e bike, you’ll want to consider the two motor options carefully.
Torque Sensor
Bosch electric bike motors use a torque sensor, which is a more advanced type of pedal-assist than a lot of other manufacturers, which use cadence sensors. To understand the difference between cadence and torque sensors on pedal-assistCLICK HERE
On the Bosch power-systems for e bikes, three sensors measure the torque, speed, and acceleration more than 1000-times-per-second, ensuring perfect interaction between the rider and the electric bike.
ISIS Crank Axle and Drive Setup
The Bosch motor has an ISIS crank axle, which can be a preferred mounting method for the cranks to the motor axle. The Bosch motor uses the ISIS drive setup vs. the Yamaha electric motor, which uses the square taper type.
Smaller Electric Charger
The size of the Bosch battery-charger is smaller than Yamaha’s and is easier to carry around. If you commute with your ebike, or you take your charger on mountain biking trips, this charger can extend your range with greater convenience.
Maintenance Upgrades and Convenience
The Bosch charger has little rubber feet on the bottom, which stops it from sliding off the workbench, making the Bosche electric bike motor easier to repair.
Your Haibike dealer can update the Bosch system via the USB diagnostics socket. The socket is an exciting feature because it means future updates are always possible to your Bosch motor. The manufacturer is likely to bring new features in the coming years.
The Yamaha system is currently not updateable.
What Haibike Electric Bicycles Use Bosch Motors?
It can be challenging understanding the various models of e bikes offered by Haibike. It used to be that SDURO meant that it has a Yamaha motor and XDURO had Bosch. They’ve changed this definition in 2018. To understand, see this explanation: