• The New Wheel
  • Electric Bike Basics
  • Electric Bike Motors

  • Bosch Performance Line Mid-Drive Motor

    • Bosch Performance Line

    Bosch Performance Line

    The Bosch Performance Line motor is a new class of high torque ebike drive systems that offers great performance, range and reliability. The Bosch drive is a middle motor, meaing the motor lives in the bottom bracket and drives the chain. This design allows the motor to give you peak torque in each of your gears, making for great hill climbing ability with low power usage. A middle motor is also great in that it allows the bike to remain a bicycle since all the electronics are housed in the drive unit in the middle of the bike. Finally, since the motor is low and in the middle of the bike, the balance and handling of the bike is not compromised.

    We've written fairly extensively about our experience with the Bosch drive. While the Bosch system is the most popular drive unit in Europe where it has around a 25% market share, up until recently it has not been available in the U.S. Starting in 2014 that has changed.

    The Bosch drive is made up of three distinct components: the drive unit, the battery, and the console.

    The PERFORMANCE LINE Drive


    The drive unit is the heart of the Bosch system. It is made up of a direct drive motor and gear box, the controller, and a number of sensors including a torque sensor, a cadence sensor, and speed sensor. The motor system can put out a whopping 60Nm of torque. The drive unit will help you climb up absolutely anything.

    POWERPACK 400 & Powerpack 500


    The Bosch PowerPack is a 36V battery pack that powers Bosch equipped electric bikes.

    New for 2017, Bosch offers two batteries of different capacities for the US market. The Bosch PowerPack 400 is a 400 Watt-hour battery pack, while the PowerPack 500 is a 500 Watt-hour battery pack.

    The PowerPack 500 offers 20% more capacity than the 400 Watt-hour pack and adds only 3.5 oz to the overall weight of the battery. While range is difficult to estimate - Bosch has made it easier to predict your useful range with their online range calculator.

    Need more range? Check out the new Bosch Dual Battery system, available on select bikes.

    All Powerpacks can be charged on or off the bike using one of two Bosch chargers. The standard Bosch charger will fully charge the PowerPack 500 in 4.5 hours and the PowerPack 400 in 3.5 hours. The compact Bosch charger weighs 1.3 lbs and is 40% smaller in size than the standard charger, but takes longer to charge the PowerPacks - 7.5 and 6.5 hours respectively for the PowerPack 500 and 400.

    PURION AND INTUVIA CONSOLES


    Also new for 2017, Bosch has introduced the Purion, a simple 2-in-1 electric bike controller and console - putting everything you need to monitor and control your bike in one simple package. Scroll through your current speed, assist level, range estimate, and more with the click of a button. A non-glare backlit display makes information easy to view. The Purion, combining controller and console, frees up valuable space on your handlebar for lights and other items.

    The Bosch Intuvia console consists of a thumb controller and a larger console mounted at the middle of your handlebar. At the console you can select between four levels of assist and no assist. You can also track your trip computer settings, see how much further, in miles, you have on a charge, and track your speed. The Intuvia console is operable when removed from your bike, and is programable here at the shop via USB.