The Best Ebike Motors 2022 | BikeRadar’s 4 Motor Mega Test!

This video contains product placement for Freewheel.

Which electric mountain bike motor is best is a question we get asked regularly at BikeRadar. Of course, the answer isn’t clear cut, but Alex sheds light on where each motor, from the four main manufacturers, performs best and where they falter.

First is Shimano’s EP8, officially the DU-EP800, fitted to a host of bikes including Santa Cruz, Yeti, Marin, YT Industries, and Nukeproof.

Next is Bosch’s Performance Line CX fitted, among others, to bikes from Mondraker, Trek, Whyte and Scott.

Then there’s Brose’s Drive S Mag, also known as Specialized’s Turbo Full Power System 2.2 Motor. This system is fitted to Specialaized’s most powerful ebikes, and models from German brand Rotwild and Spanish brand BH Bikes.

Finally we’ve got the Giant and Yamaha developed SyncDrive Pro, also known as the PW-X3. Most famously fitted to Giant bikes, it’s also available on some Haibike and Raymon models. This isn’t an exhaustive list of ebike motors, however.

Fazua’s Evation – a modular lightweight, lower power motor – fitted to bikes from Kinesis and Lapierre, goes head-to-head with Specialized’s SL Mahle-made lightweight motor on their Turbo Kenevo SL and Turbo Levo SL bikes.

Canadian brand Rocky Mountain’s ebikes are fitted with a full-fat motor called the Dyname drive system, and is only exclusively available on Rocky bikes.

Panasonic also makes motors, and there’s Shimano’s de-tuned EP8 RS found on the Orbea Rise to consider. There are a host of rear hub motors, too, but these are less relevant for mountain bikes.

To avoid over complication, We’ve decided to compare the four most common motors you’re most likely to encounter when considering an ebike purchase.

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Contents:
00:00 Introduction
00:54 Shimano EP8
02:37 Bosch Performance Line CX
04:40 Brose Drive S Mag
06:45 SyncDrive Pro
08:30 Ride Impressions
09:37 Which is the most powerful?
12:17 Which is the easiest to control?
14:24 Which motor is the most efficient?
16:44 Living with each motor
17:54 Which is the best ebike motor?

#Ebike #EMTB #ElectricBike

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[bikeradar]

What's your favourite electric mountain bike motor? Let us know in the comments! 👇

[vibelight]

Done 12, 000Ks of NZ bush tracks on my 2019 TREK bosch POWERFLY FS-5, and the only work needed > replaced tyres, chains sprokets & brake-pads. Im not a materialistic consumer but.... this is the best fun & reliable product this 50yr old (lower stamina chemo recovery) man has ever owned.

[SwazersC]

I have a Giant explore GTS e+4 e-bike. Had it for nearly 2 years & have done just over 11000 miles. Sync-drive sport motor. 75 nm of torque. 400W battery. I can honestly say I have NEVER had a single issue with it. (battery, motor, controller, wiring) I have hammered this bike & ride it in all conditions. I have had the bike serviced multiple times & replaced wheels, tyres, chains, cassettes, brakes etc but the motor is bulletproof. I live in Lancashire where it rains nonstop for half of the year. The reliability of the bike & its electronic components has been world-class. Say what you want about the range. I get around 60 miles max if I'm careful. Trust me 60 miles on a bike & you are done in for the day. I can only go off my own bike. I wouldn't opt for another brand. Giant are so well made. I know my bike is not a mountain bike it's a hybrid but I take it on some decent gravel trails.

[livingpixxels]

Bosch cx gen FTW!
Absolut amazing.
Modulation is outstanding!!

[rboz]

Glad you asked! Bought emtb in 2019 april with shimano e8000, lasted 1500 mi.. That's when I discovered the actual bike maker pretty much tosses you to the dustbin for motor warranty. Shimano said replacement in summer of 2022, haha really makes me a fan. Bike mfg did step up and take a motor off a new bike and sent to my bike shop for replacement. 2500mi. later that motor went south and only replacement was a shimano e7000. Still waiting for warranty satisfaction and I cannot believe shimano is going to make any more e8000. Shopping for a bike with
Bosch motor. Shimano is dead to me.

[SamsBikes]

Great review but I would have to strongly disagree with you on the range on the ep8. I have tested everything as well abs the ep8 is seriously lacking on range and confirmed by many of my subscribers and friends. Also nothing mentioned on the rattle from the ep8 and bosch? Anyway good work

[thecount]

i have the Giant E1. it's an all around fantastic bike. the lowest setting and highest are useless, so it's all the middle 3. setting 2 is perfect most the time an very easy to control, very natural. no wheelspin.

[Anchello]

Spezialiced‘s Brose in conjunction with BLEvo is unbeatable!

[btfox]

Great video, thanks. I had a Focus Jam2 running Bosch CX4 which is a fantastic motor, the Jam2 itself was a good sturdy bike, but not very nimble. After 5500km on the Jam2, I recently upgraded to a Levo Expert with the Brose TCU. I did notice that the power delivery of the Brose was not as punchy as the Bosch, but not enough to cause any issues and as I have gotten used to it, now the motor feels really good as well. I would definitely recommend the Bosch to someone, but the main issues are the choice of controllers. I had the Purion controller, which was very basic and did not offer lots features. If I were to get another bike with the Bosch, I would choose this controller again or downgrade to it. The amount of handlebar space taken up by the newer Bosch controller and the screen with the wiring, don't seem very well thought out for an off road mountain bike. As for the Brose motor, a great system also and am very happy with it, but lot more expensive.

[craigcraigster]

I'm curious as to which motor is the quietest? Great video

[The.JZA.]

It’s nice to see someone giving the Shimano some love but I do wonder if it is deserved. My EP8 stopped working randomly after 850km. Some software error and they couldn’t fix it so they had to replace the motor. The new one is still going strong with about 800km on the clock but it’s a bit of a worry. Hopefully the 1st one was just an early unit and the 2nd one was a revised unit that’ll be more reliable. Also my range isn’t anything to brag about but then again I weigh 100+kg and my bike is a super enduro Commencal Meta Power SX Race with 180/165mm travel and weighs over 25kg so I suppose my range is always going to suffer.

[eightlivesdownmtb]

Of the seven friends I ride with who have e-bikes four have Bosch motors, two Shimano and one Brose.
The oldest (20/21), and hardest ridden, bikes are Bosch.
The newest are Shimano.
Of the two Shimano bikes one (MegaWatt) has had a new motor (fewer than 600 miles) the other (Heckler) is having one fitted today (fewer than 500 miles!)
The other bikes have, touch wood, required nothing by way of repair or
replacement.
We’re not The Wild Bunch, either, just middle-aged blokes scudding about the Surrey Hills.

[dalelakusta]

No mention of the Shimano clunking noise?

[azmazmazm]

Why do they never include Bafang Mid drive 610 E bikes that have a rated torque of 160 Nm ?

[robhaskins]

The very best Emtb is the one that is the most Reliable and the Quietest. Silence is golden. The latest Bosch is definitely the best option at the moment but what did Brose know in 2018 with the silent, powerful 90nm aluminium 1.3 motor that they all don't know now. Downhill the Shimano and Bosch rattle like 3 loose bricks in a steel box trailer on a corrugated dirt road and they all now sound to various degrees like a coffee grinder under power.
Seriously if Specialized revamped the 2018 1.3 aluminium brose motors with upgrades ie : X ring crank water resistance sealing, latest belt, sprag bearing and firmware their reliability nightmare could be resolved and they would have the best, powerful, quietest, smoothest, most natural feeling Emtb ever.
Rember the "it's you but younger, faster and more fun, fun, fun"
Emtbs are a Time Machine.
BUT WHAT WOULD I KNOW.🤔🤫🤪🤞 E=Mtb²

[RobJohnsonJr]

Hey, on the Specialized, you didn't appear to try adjusting motor assist in those 10% increments - which could have given more support at lower or higher end of peddling Cadence.

Wouldn't that change the motors performance in your view???

Also, can't the EP8 do the same, using the App?

[Thatguymedia]

I'm surprised on the love shown towards the EP8. I have 1800 miles on my ep8(SC bullit). The first motor died at 520 miles. I came from a Egenius with the 625wh Bosch motor. The first few days with the ep8 were horrible, I loved the new bike but hated the motor. I weight 135lbs and was averaging 17-22miles with 3500-4300ft of elevation gain. The bosch on mulitple occasions gave me 19-26miles with 4500-4900ft of elevation. Both had DH casings, and the Egenius was about 5lbs heavier. The ep8 tappers off so bad after 14mph, that little yellow power indicator is just frustrating!, I WANT FULL POWER, and it just spits little power surges at me. I bought a levo yesterday after riding my buddies, excited to see how much elevation I can get... One other thing to consider, yes the ep8 is on more bikes, but the warranty, when i blew mine up, was a 6-month wait... So have fun with that. Specialized may have a crapy track record, but their warranty turnaround is much quicker.

[victorbooth]

I managed to climb The Tourmalet on a single charge after traveling10 miles to get there on on my giant ebike with Yamaha motor and 625 watt battery and I’m 110 kgs, plus getting on a bit . Thank the Lord, just made it to the top as battery battery was about to die! Think the climb is over 6000 feet.

[timeforabeer]

Hi...where was the descending review of each bike?...the clunk / rattle comparision is quite important when reviewing an e bike..can be a deal breaker on some bikes.

[siriosstar]

Bosch cx is my favorite For all around performance but the Sachs rs with 112 nm is the champ on hills . i have both and have compared the two motors on the same hill and the sachs destroyed the Bosch