E-MTB motors in the test: Prefer light or with more power? 8 e-bike motors compared

The e-MTB motor market has developed into a two-tier society. With the entry of industry giant Bosch with the Performance SX, the lightweight e-bike segment has become firmly established. Really every manufacturer is coming around the corner with a light e-MTB.

The motors offer less thrust and a shorter range with small batteries. The compelling arguments in favour of the new category are different: The whisper-quiet TQ HPR 50, Fazua's Ride 60 or the lively Bosch Performance SX pave the way for lightweight e-mountainbikes with a wide range of orientations.

But how big are the differences between the small and lightweight engines and the power class? And what are the strengths and weaknesses of the individual engine models? As an end user, you are asking yourself more than ever: Which drive has the right character for me? This is what we found out in our detailed motor test with the eight leading drives in the laboratory and in practice.

Overview: The 8 e-bike motors in the test

Bosch Performance CX (Power category)

• Motor 2.9 kg | batteries 750 Wh (4.3 kg), 625 Wh (3.6 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 78 Newton metres | 557 watts
• The classic among electric motors. Reliable, long range and with strong modulation.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Bosch Performance CX

Giant Syncdrive Pro 2MG (Yamaha) (Power category)

• Motor 2.6 kg | Batteries 800 Wh (4.33 kg), 625 Wh (3.9 kg), 400 Wh - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 78 Newton metres | 457 watts
• Lightest power motor with sensitive modulation and very direct response.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Syncdrive Pro 2 MG

Pinion MGU E1.12 (Power category)

• Motor 4.1 kg (incl. gearbox!) | Batteries 962 Wh (4.7 kg), 720 Wh (3.7 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 80 Newton metres | 552 / 642 watts
• Innovative combination of mid-engine and twelve-speed manual gearbox. Very powerful.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Pinion MGU E1.12

Shimano EP801 (Power category)

• Motor 2.65 kg | Batteries: various, e.g. Darfon 726 Wh (3.8 kg), Canyon 900 Wh (4.8 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 79 Newton metres | 541 watts
• Strong compromise: lightweight with high power and high torque.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Shimano EP801

Sram Eagle Powertrain (Brose) (Power category)

• Motor 3.1 kg | batteries 720 Wh (4.1 kg), 630 Wh (3.1 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 87 Newton metres | 544 watts
• Very high-torque motor with smart auto shifting and networking in the Sram universe.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Sram Eagle Powertrain

Bosch Performance SX (Light category)

• Motor 2.1 kg | battery 400 Wh (2.1 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 49 Newton metres | 521 watts
• Lively light motor with very high performance at high pedalling frequencies, making it sporty.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Bosch Performance SX

Fazua Ride 60 (Light category)

• Motor 2.0 kg | battery 430 Wh (2.2 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 60 Newton metres | 347 (437) watts
• Relatively powerful light motor with small dimensions, low weight and quiet drive.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the Fazua Ride 60

TQ HPR 50 (Light category)

• Motor 1.9 kg | battery 360 Wh (1.8 kg) - weighed in the EMTB lab
• EMTB laboratory data: 38 Newton metres | 283 watts
• No other motor is smaller, lighter, quieter or more discreet. But it is also the weakest of the mini engines. Conspicuously inconspicuous minimalist.

>> Click here for the detailed test report of the TQ HPR 50

Picture gallery: Characteristics & brief summary

Light e-bikes - what's behind the trend

The motto for light bikes is: less E, more bike. Slimmer, quieter - and tailored to a sportier target group. We have not only known this since this test: The light class cannot be lumped together. The minimalist TQ HPR 50 and a Bosch Performance SX are worlds apart. In terms of power, but also in terms of volume and also in terms of size and therefore the visual appearance of the bikes. High-quality light eMTBs roughly weigh between 16 and 20 kilos. Comparable power eMTBs with a powerful motor and large battery tend to weigh between 22 and 26 kilos - depending on the concept and equipment.

One-size-fits-all? The power engines

The classic power category is much more homogeneous. The manufacturer's specifications for torque and power are within a narrow corridor. And our elaborate laboratory measurements come to a similar conclusion. At least at first glance. Only on closer inspection do decisive differences become clear. For example, that the lightweight Giant Syncdrive Pro MG, a Yamaha motor, can't quite keep up with the top performance of the competition. Or that Shimano's EP801, also a lightweight among the powerhouses, runs out of breath too early at very high cadences. At the other end of the spectrum, Brose's Drive S Mag, with 90 Newton metres of torque according to the manufacturer, actually sets itself clearly and measurably apart from the competition.

What e-bikers can guess in practice is clearly visible and comparable in our diagrams. Our test bench expert Veit Müller from PT Labs analysed a total of over 80,000 data points and painstakingly translated them into striking curves. The best thing about it: with the knowledge from the laboratory, the practical impressions can be interpreted much better. And the bottom line is clear: the machine doesn't lie. On the other hand, the test bench cannot adequately reproduce soft skills such as background noise and driving feel. This is where you can rely on the experience and feel of our test team.

The performance and laboratory data of the eight e-bike motors in direct comparison

The maximum power

Pinion's MGU clearly sets itself apart with the highest peak power - but this is not available in every gear and only at a very high cadence. We only measured the peak value of 642 watts (highest bar in the diagram) in fourth gear and at a cadence above 110 rpm. Otherwise, Pinion's power output is on a par with Bosch, Shimano and Sram. The lightweight Giant Syncdrive Pro MG falls slightly behind the power motors in terms of peak performance.

There are big differences in the light class. The quiet TQ is a real minimalist and accordingly delivers the lowest maximum power at 283 watts. The Fazua Ride 60 and Bosch SX deliver significantly more power and with their peak values are already halfway to the powerful drives. The Bosch SX can almost keep up with the big ones at maximum power. However, the power curve in the next diagram shows that these maximum values are only half the truth.

The performance curve

The power motors deliver around 550 watts at their peak, only the lightweight Giant Syncdrive is significantly lower. The three light drives push at a different level and are very different in character. The discreet TQ HPR 50 is the lightest and quietest motor in the test and delivers the lowest thrust. Bosch's SX has an enormous maximum power output, but only delivers this for a short time with above-average power output (dynamic) and very high pedalling frequencies. Then, with up to 521 watts, it easily outperforms even the Giant motor. In contrast, the Fazua Ride 60 is clearly the most powerful light drive when pedalling at a leisurely pace. In boost mode (at the push of a button), it also comes close to the Syncdrive.

A striking feature of the powerful motors: Sram's Eagle Powertrain stands out at low cadences with the strongest thrust. Shimano's EP801 runs out of power the earliest at very high cadences. The Pinion MGU behaves differently depending on the gear engaged due to the internal gearbox. In (loud) fourth gear, the power really cranks up again at very high revs. 638 watts is the absolute peak value on our roller dynamometer. But even in the other gears, the powerful MGU is more or less on a par with Bosch's Performance CX.

The maximum torque

A brief digression first: Why are there two specifications for the "strength" of a motor - power and torque? While an e-bike motor only reaches its maximum power at a higher cadence (usually from 55 to 75 revolutions), the maximum torque is ONLY available at lower speeds. In practice, the torque is always noticeable when the crank is only moved slowly. For example, when starting off or negotiating steps. A high-torque motor pushes the bike and rider over many an obstacle where a weaker motor has already run out of breath.

According to the manufacturer's specifications, Broses Drive SMag in the Sram Eagle Powertrain leads the field in terms of torque. Pinion, Shimano, Bosch and Giant/Yamaha follow at a comparable level. The gap to the light drives is clear. The Ride 60 from Fazua stands out here with 60 Newton metres, while Bosch's SX only achieves 49 Nm with dynamic control, not in constant operation. The small and quiet TQ is even weaker.

The volume of the eight e-bike motors in comparison

An e-mountainbike tour is balm for the soul. You can marvel at the landscape, chat with your mates or simply enjoy the tranquillity of nature, especially on the climbs. But hold on! When the engine really revs up, this peace and quiet is disturbed by an annoying whirring, humming or even whining noise. Whether you let this irritate you or not is highly individual. However, one thing is absolutely clear: the electric motors sound very different. The whisper king is by far the TQ HPR 50: no other mid-motor pushes so quietly and unobtrusively. In many situations, the drive noise is completely drowned out by the ambient noise. All testers agree on this.

The other candidates are much closer together. The Fazua Ride 60 can still stand out a little, it is also significantly quieter than the classics from Bosch and Shimano. The motor from Ottobrunn only becomes unpleasantly audible when a short boost is applied (an extra 100 watts is available for 12 seconds at the push of a button). The next point is where it gets tricky. Although Sram's Eagle Powertrain is only slightly quieter than Bosch and Shimano, its sonorous hum is much less intrusive. The testers praised the rather pleasant background noise across the board. However, the Sram drivetrain with Brose hardware has to share third place in the sound ranking with the Bosch Performance SX. The lightweight Bosch has a very uneven sound. When rolling out of the car park with a gentle motor push, it is pleasantly quiet, no louder than Fazua's Ride 60, but when the motor warms up and delivers its full power, it is one of the loudest motors and is not inferior to its big brother, the Performance CX.

The two classic Shimano EP801 and Bosch Performance CX bikes sound rather loud. Shimano a little lower, Bosch more high-pitched. The mechanical Bosch buzz is usually perceived as a little more unpleasant - but that's a matter of taste. The Giant Syncdrive is a little more discreet, but the differences are not great. Let's move on to the last candidate, a special case: the MGU from Pinion. Thanks to the internal 12-speed gearbox, the gear selected makes a significant difference to the noise level. The bad news first: In the easy climbing gears four to one, the motor-gearbox unit is the loudest of all motors. Many testers find this very negative. But there is also a good side. In the harder gears, the noise level decreases significantly - and in many cases ends up well below Bosch levels. Especially when travelling at 20 to 25 km/h, virtually nothing can be heard from the MGU.

All clunkers?

In addition to the volume of the motors on the climbs, the noise level of an e-mountainbike on the descents is unfortunately also a major issue. This is because many mid-drive motors rattle out of the gearbox when rolling over obstacles such as roots, rocks or even cobblestones. As a result, most e-MTBs on the market are noticeably noisy on the trail. The two most commonly installed motors, Bosch Performance CX and Shimano EP801, have this annoying characteristic most drastically. The small Bosch (Performance SX) also rattles, as do the Giant/Yamaha motors - albeit somewhat less obtrusively.

We were unable to elicit any annoying noises downhill from the TQ HPR 50, the Fazua Ride 60, the Pinion MGU and the Sram Eagle Powertrain. Bike manufacturers at least have the opportunity to build a quiet e-bike. But even that doesn't always work. In addition to the well-known chain slap, e-MTBs also have the stumbling block of the battery. Here too, annoying noises often occur if the heavy battery is not ideally fixed. The Pinion MGU has one advantage: the belt drive eliminates the rattle-prone problem of the chain.

Summary of the eight leading e-bike motors

Is there a perfect motor for an e-mountainbike? Definitely not! The differences in weight, performance, efficiency and volume are too great for that. As is so often the case, it's all about the perfect mix, and this is very individual. The good thing is that the market now offers complete coverage for every taste - from the minimalist TQ to the more powerful Bosch SX or Fazua Ride 60 light motors to the beefy Pinion drive. Our test provides all the information you need to make the right purchase decision - but we still recommend a test ride. - Florentin Vesenbeckh, EMTB Magazine