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Which is the best e-bike motor?
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Which is the best e-bike motor? Power, punch and reliability compared
Brose, Bosch, Shimano, Fazua, Panasonic, Giant e-bike systems… which has more power, which has more battery punch, which is more reliable? Our guide to e-bike motors has the answers. While the motor isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to the very best electric mountain bikes, the best motors are often found on the best overall bike models.To get more news about e bike, you can visit magicyclebike.com official website.
Buying a bike based just on its motor
E-Bikes are attracting a completely different customer, one brought up on brand names from the household and automotive sectors. E-bike buyers on the continent are walking into stores asking for a Bosch bike or Brose bike, rather than a Specialized or a Trek – the sticker on the down tube carrying less currency than the one on the motor. But, in our view the motor is the least important aspect of choosing the best electric mountain bike. Much more important are geometry, suspension performance and overall handling. Most e-bike systems are perfectly good off-road, all delivering enough power, torque and range to satisfy most riders. The bikes that really impress us when we ride them are the ones that have got the fundamentals right; a bad bike doesn’t become a good bike just because it has a great motor bolted to it.
In this brave new world of motors and batteries, watts and amps, which of the three main suppliers in the e-mtb market is the ultimate super power? We pitted the Brose, Bosch and a couple of Shimano motors against each other…
Power
This is an easy win for the Brose Drive S-Mag. On paper it produces up to 90Nm of torque and supports your effort by up to 410 per cent. In the saddle that power is equally impressive, even when you’re revving the cranks, and the torque really packs a punch when accelerating and tackling steep technical climbs.
Next, and not far behind, is the new Bosch Performance Line CX. It can’t quite match the Brose for either power or support (340 per cent and 85Nm) but in most situations it feels strong as an ox with stacks of power to lean on.
Lagging a little behind is the Shimano STEPS E8000. It lacks a bit of torque compared to the competition (70Nm) and you’ll notice that if you’re riding with people equipped with Bosch or Brose. In isolation, it’s not normally an issue, unless you weigh a lot or like drag races and seeking out the gnarliest climbing challenges around.
However the Shimano EP8 motor, on paper at least, brings the torque figure up to 85Nm and makes that power a lot more accessible to the rider through brand new software. The new Trail mode lets you tap into all that power and tune the characteristics to your heart’s content with the new e-Tube app. So far we’ve been impressed with the new motor’s light weight, low noise, compact size and improved engagement, but it doesn’t quite feel as powerful as its two main rivals.
Response
Tying for top spot here are Bosch and Brose. Need to get going again on a climb or out of a corner and both of these motors deliver a near instantaneous reaction. The Shimano system is by no means dim-witted, but it’s not quite as responsive as the two German systems.
Battery capacity
The bigger the battery, the further the range; it’s as simple as that. And in case you weren’t sure, more range equals more money and more weight. At the moment there’s no clear winner here.
For Brose system, Specialized offers a 700Wh battery on most models, but you can also buy a 500Wh battery as a spare that will fit in the same space if you want to save some weight. Bosch’s revamped Performance Line CX has several battery options, from the widely-used 625Wh to larger 750Wh battery option that provides a decent range in a single internal unit that doesn’t impede the handling of the bike. Now Shimano has also updated its battery line-up to include a high capacity 630Wh unit, but we’ve found that the range is poor with the Shimano batteries compared to similar capacity systems from other brands. Luckily Shimano allows bike brands to spec batteries from third party vendors (although read the warranty small print) and these have proven significantly more efficient in our experience. Canyon now offers its new Spectral:ON with a huge 900Wh battery that lets you ride around in Boost mode all day without a care in the world. And better still, the bike is still incredibly agile and fin to ride.