However, where the Bosch Gen 4 feels like a diesel engine at low RPMs, the sporty EP8 drive unit still prefers spinning at a higher cadence. Designed specifically for SHIMANO's STEPS system, the BT-E8036 battery integrates smoothly into the down tube and features 630 Wh capacity. While there were limited options to tweak the levels of the old E8000 and E7000 motors, EP8 takes it to the next level, allowing riders to alter the motors torque, acceleration and general on-trail character, resulting in a more personalised experience for dialling your e-MTB in for your riding style and terrain. The new magnesium drive unit casing design delivers a 300g weight loss in a 10-percent smaller form factor. This is a Class 1 e-bike motor with a maximum assist level of 20 MPH. Overall its a vastly neater execution compared to the likes of Bosch and Yamaha with their Kinder Surprise-style switch units. PRODUCT Estimated range is 5125 feet for EP8 motor with 630wh So these results are shocking so this test needs to be repeated. I can concur with the range, it's not as good as I expected. The EP8 drive unit shape more smoothly integrates with new e-bike frames for improved ground clearance and a more compact overall package. @tomdesoals: I don't quite get it though. What makes me sad is seeing young people hop on the e bike train so that they can go on a longer ride or so that someone who is new to cycling can keep up with their friends who have been riding for years, all to perpetuate needless consumerism and a gross waste of resources. I found this beauty as an example: The reviewer weighs 55kgs. If youre sprinting at speed, the Levo feels sticky and lazy in comparison to the drag-free EP8 motor. Too hot to handle even. Designed specifically for SHIMANO's STEPS system, the BT-E8036 battery integrates smoothly into the down tube and features 630 Wh capacity. Concaved button-shape shifters make it easier to switch between Eco, Trail and Boost modes. The new magnesium drive unit casing design delivers a 300g weight loss in a 10-percent smaller form factor. SHIMANO STEPS Integrated Down Tube Battery Mount With Key Unit Mount, SHIMANO STEPS Integrated Down Tube Battery Mount Without Key Unit Mount, SHIMANO STEPS Integrated Down Tube Battery Mount, SHIMANO SERVICE CENTER Please visit our global website, Compact and lightweight for better handling (2.6 kg), More ground clearance for technical trails, Smooth, direct power to ensure youre always in complete control, Responsive, allowing for a smoother cut-off when pedaling above 25km/h, Quiet motor lets you enjoy the trails without distraction, Durable and weather-resistant for riding in all conditions, Customizable power and battery management with the E-TUBE PROJECT Cyclist Cyclist App, Streamlined mount position provides easy visibility, Connect wirelessly to the E-TUBE PROJECT Cyclist Cyclist or E-TUBE RIDE app, Retains 60% max capacity after 1000 full charge cycles, Quick charging to get you on the trails sooner, Internal mount options for sleek frame designs, LINKGLIDE drivetrains have been engineered to be more durable while delivering smooth shifting, Shorter cranks help prevent pedal strikes to maintain smooth cadence and motor assistance, Available crank lengths: 160mm, 165mm, 170mm or 175mm, Light and strong chainrings with DYNAMIC CHAIN ENGAGEMENT+ for improved chain retention on bumpy terrain, Chainring teeth options: 32T, 34T, 36T or 38T, Equipped on a wide variety of brands and models. The EP8 (EP800) drive unit delivers smooth, direct power to ensure you're always in complete control while experiencing a natural ride feeling. *When compared with a standard Shimano EP8/630Wh battery combo. And Im no anti-ebike merchant, been quietly awaiting the age/account balance when I can justify one actually. Filter. For the type of riding and trails I do, battery power is not an issue, in fact would look at a smaller battery and weight savings on my next rig. I tested a few Merida bikes with Shimano motor and they have some bugs in first versions,quite annoying stupid things force you to reset the bike sometimes. The versatile and powerful SHIMANO EP8 e-bike system can be found on a wide range of brands and models. That kind of thing can destroy a company's reputation even if it's not something serious . And you're clearly not pedaling, just pure flow. > You miss that obscure offering from Specialized? What's left is just a plain old mountain bike with a weight around 14kg. . I don't know anyone that likes a bike that rattles in any way or form. I weighed around 70kg and cadence was between 70-100rpm with mostly lowest gear and mostly asphalt. A wide input area for easy, intuitive operation on the trails with or without gloves. The 40 kg wieght difference will eat up the most battery because it constantly drags, no matter what cadence or assist mode. This is the new Focus Jam2 and Sam2. While I am at the age/account to have one, I couldn't imagine riding longer than my 630W battery lasted, i don't think i would be able to walk for a week. @tomdesoals: Ah, thanks I get it. I suppose pedal assist allows you to tackle the more fun/steep/tech climbs but to be effective it needs to be subtle too. Hopefully this option will open up to non-Garmin users in the future. JavaScript is disabled. 3. The 630Wh battery is physically larger than than the previous 504Wh battery, though Merida obviously knew the bigger battery was coming when it launched the eOne-Sixty last year. Weve ridden the latest Bosch Performance CX Gen 4 motor on a variety of e-MTBs, including the Cube Stereo Hybrid 160 and the Trek Rail. Learn what to expect. Maximum Support: 400% Q-factor: 177mm Battery Capacity: External: 418, 504, 630Wh/Integrated: 504,. The Purion controller is vastly simpler and easy to read, but it looks cheap and its bulky, making it an awkward fit with brake and dropper levers. Lapierre e-zesty. However, you do pay for all that refinement and integration. An e-Mtb allows me to ride farther, and more often and smile from beginning to end, not just the downhill sections! It doesn't feel good. Limiting the maximum torque is something youll notice more at low cadences in high-load applications rather than general trail riding. Component categories and series of GRAVEL, Component categories and series of LIFESTYLE, Component categories and series of E-BIKE, Your smartphone to cycling computer on the bike, SHIMANO bicycle ride data collection/analysis service, SHIMANO AGAINST THE TAMPERING WITH E-BIKES, * BT-E8036 for Japan (16.2 Ah, 583 Wh) ** By EC-E8004 (*** In case of 100 V AC) **** with SM-BTE80 or EW-CP100, BM-E8030-A BM-E8030-B BM-E8031-A BM-E8031-B, Durable battery retains max. But even then it is still quieter than my saddle bag bouncing around. It can now double the range compared to trail mode, becoming a very useful tool for maximizing ride time. SM-CRE80. Riders can customize multiple settings through the E-TUBE PROJECT app, giving greater control over how they want their bike to ride. It's a powerful unit with a huge reach, but it has a little problem: it rattles when riding downhill or, simply put, there is no power on the pedals. EP8 delivers up to 85 Nm of torque, a 21-percent increase over the STEPS E8000 motor platform. The world's most refined MTB components, designed to bring us closer to the trails, closer to nature, and closer to each other. SM-CRE80-B. For a mechanic, mechanical noise is a no-no by the end of the ride Id be destroyed mentally! I'm honestly flabbergasted that people complain about it tbh lol. Ebikes are great as a self shuttle, especially for time limited people. . Take note of how much elevation you achieve during those rides (elevation is more important than distance when determining range), and keep that number in mind when youre planning future all-day epics. Start with a full battery, select the Trail mode, and see how far you can go before you run out of juice. Make sense. Thats given us plenty of saddle time to compare and contrast the new motor not only with E8000, but also with the latest Bosch Gen 4 motor and the Brose-manufactured 2.2 motor in the new Specialized Levo. You can improve efficiency by limiting the maximum torque, though it is still possible to get maximum power out of the motor by pedalling at a higher cadence, so you wont necessarily get more range by limiting torque. As for the test on range, do one in Boost and one in Trail. I also have Commencal 2021 meta power sx. The lowest setting sees the motor responding slower to your pedalling inputs. Anyone knows what's are those white (ish) shoes the reviewer is using on some of the pics? After downloading the free E-Tube Project app, youll need to turn the bike on and pair it with your smartphone. It's around 300g lighter than the old E8000 it replaces, as well as being much smaller in volume . The new EP8 motor is specced on the Heckler, and the MX wheel size option features Reserve carbon wheels front and back. For 2021, Merida has added the EP8 a larger 630Wh Shimano battery and improved the wire and cable routing to make it a little neater. This reduced the tendency for the front wheel to lift on really steep tech climbs. No, but the best on the market IMO. The E-TUBE RIDE app, which turns a smart phone into a cycling computer, provides expanded information and adds ride recording and mapping features. I want to use the Shimano EP8 motor for a small production of solar bikes. So when the new version is so much better Refinement is all relative. Indeed Specialized actually built the new Levo around a mullet setup with a 27.5in rear wheel, in order to shorten the chainstays. In addition to those weve tested, youll be able to find Shimano EP8 on the Santa Cruz Bullit & Heckler, Marin Alpine Trail E2, the Commencal Meta Power, YT Decoy,Pivot Shuttle and Mondraker Dusk. Thanks to a magnesium casing, the powertrain is 380g lighter compared to that of its predecessor. IMO we're still in the pilot phase and have a lot of room for improvement. Plus the battery wasn't completely drained so 2400/2500hm seems to be possibly. Both the E-TUBE PROJECT app and the E-TUBE RIDE app are now available to download from iPhone or Android app stores and are fully compatible with Shimano EP8. Pickup is faster too, with less hesitation between pedalling and torque being delivered to the rear tyre. Good thing with Shimano is warranty,at least here in Madrid is almost instantaneous. Yeah but who needs all that power? We like to setup Profile 1 with softer settings for maximum range when riding solo, and Profile 2 with the punchier factory settings for faster e-MTB group rides. The MY21 model also features an updated build kit that. The way the 2.2 motor smooths out un-smooth rider input is very impressive, giving it the most natural feel on the trail of any full-power motor weve tested. The Bosch motor produces the same 85Nm peak torque output as Shimano EP8, and it offers a similarly drag-free ride quality beyond the 25km/h cutoff due to the motor decoupling from the cranks. As it stands, you have to use the small button at the base of the display to manually scroll through additional pages just to see your cadence, estimated range and the time. What this article says to me is no wonder people make fun of mountain bikers. No, you're running the latest EP8. The World's largest electric mountain bike community. You can display way more metrics on it too, and battery is usefully displayed as a percentage. EP8 EP800 Series: Color: Standard: Average weight * 0.31 (Power cable: 250 mm) * 0.32 (Power cable: 400 mm) Remarks By Ralf Hauser It is a feature bro, the sound of pure class. EP8 Technical Features Drive unit weight: 2.6 kg compared to 2.9 kg for DU-E8000 Case material: Magnesium 10-percent less volume compared to DU-E8000 Maximum torque output: 85 Nm Maximum power output: 500 W 36-percent reduction in drag Greatly reduced driving noise, quieter than DU-E7000 Really? I have ridden ebikes great fun,addictive, you gain some things , but lose some things as well, like all bikes a compromise. Mine gets very hot. In comparison, Shimano motors can be paired with third party batteries, and that opens up greater flexibility for bike designers (see the Orbea Rise and Pivot Shuttle for example). Maximum Torque This allows you to limit the maximum torque, with 10 levels of adjustment from 20 Nm to 85 Nm. Its mostly apparent when freewheeling down really rough trails, but weve been able to detect it when the motor is engaging and disengaging around the 25km/h cutoff on the road, and while cruising over washboard bumps on mundane fireroads. As to how the de-tuned EP8 motor performs? Going the right direction in weight reduction. I'm sure a dynamo can be integrated somehow with the hub rotations without causing a lot of drag. So despite being an engineer the non-linear noisy nature of the reporting makes it very difficult to plan rides and I almost always finish the last few km without assistance for bigger rides. - High quality display & controller Unlike Bosch, Shimano's EP8 motor can be paired with third-party batteries. Its the Orbea Rise that achieves the most discreet integration however, with a frame that was purpose-built around the smaller EP8 motor, rather than having been retrofitted from a previous E8000 drive unit. Wed much rather see battery life displayed as a percentage, and the option to customise the screen. So why has no one made a motorized gearbox yet? Thank you for the info, so still king of the long travels is Levo - 700 battery + Levo SL with range extender. Eco set to low and all climbing done slowly in good dry conditions with a light fit rider and low rolling resistance tyres? Screen display options show detailed riding metrics in ECO, TRAIL and BOOST modes plus new functions including ride history, live maps, and user-friendly graphical updates. Alongside the launch of the new EP8 motor, Shimano has increased the battery capacity to a mega 630 Wh. This means that if you ride in the default Trail and Boost settings, youll actually end up with a similar total range as the old E8000 motor, albeit with the benefit of more power and assistance throughout the ride. Here youll find three sliding scales for each of the three assist modes (thats Eco, Trail and Boost). It features the new Shimano EP8 motor and a 630wh battery. If you got it set to Eco and the motor is using half its power, you might get at least 4 hours if it sucks up only about 125W per hour. Is it possible 37-43miles + 6500 ft (eco mode) ? I haven't had the privelage to ride any bosch equiped bikes or other shimano bikes but this thing is so quiet I think it would be hard to find another ebike motor that is more silent. Yes, I have done today 97km today and I have 62% battery charge left. Heat dissipating materials, increased surface area in the case, and a refined heat management algorithm improve heat resistance, allowing more torque to be applied even as the conditions become more challenging. The newly shaped buttons on the EM800-L switch unit provide a nice tactile perch for your thumb to quickly flick between those settings. Weve found the first two settings to be too weak for e-MTB use, though conversely the highest setting can feel a little too peaky for some riders. All you guys "waiting" to get a ebike are blowing it..the bikes are refined trek rail no problems..going around the country slaying every trail I see chugging beer and laughing at all u haters.. believe me I guys will all be on one sooner than later. I have never posted a comment here on pinkbike, however this article in particular is hitting a nerve. SHIMANO STEPS Chainring 10/11-speed VIEW PRODUCT. As they say, power is nothing without control. In the higher settings, the motor will deliver maximum power without you having to pedal very hard at all. Only the Levos belt-driven Brose drive unit beats EP8 in terms of motor noise. So, when the sensor senses a negative elevation gain, the dynamo kicks in to recharge the battery. Shimanos experienced global mountain bike product development team made a ride-changing breakthrough with the new assist algorithm. Probably more than some rattle. Shimano The new DU-EP800 motor system is compatible with Shimano's electric mountain bike batteries including its. So far so good. Simply enjoy what you are riding and watch the world, I should say, e-bike world, pass you by, as they are here to stay and while they are not perfect they are probably the best and most exciting thing to happen to the bike industry in 50 years! - Range estimation is not reliable. - Lightweight and small form factor THIS WEBSITE USES COOKIES TO IMPROVE YOUR USER EXPERIENCE. I have not heard of a recall, so I did some digging. Robust and reliable, LINKGLIDE delivers smooth, seamless shifting under power with enhanced durability. The belt-driven design is also a touch quieter when pedalling, and theres no clacking noise either. Riders can save all of their settings as a profile in the E-TUBE PROJECT app and choose two of their favorite profiles to load onto the bike for easy access on the fly through the handlebar mounted display. . Assistance Start Here you can tweak how quickly the motor responds within the first pedal stroke. Shimano has its own 504Wh and 630Wh units, too. This adjustment has the biggest impact on the motors performance and your total range. quieter(+) smaller(+) lighter(+) more power(-) battery range(=). FEATURES Supports sleek frame design Same mount as current BT-E8035 Shimano tried to take the Apple approach to antennaegateyou're holding your phone wrongyou're coasting your bike wrong. Pretty clever! if you success increase speed. Another element of the weight saving equation is the new Shimano EP8 motor. That would be awesome to do laps on. Bunny hops were absolutely a blast on this bike. Canyon has released a lighter, longer-range Spectral:ON eMTB with downtube capacity for a 720Wh or a 900Wh battery. Along with the fault-free performance weve experienced so far, wed have no hesitation in recommending a bike built around Shimano EP8 this is a high quality and well-rounded e-MTB system. It's like a dirt bike with a 15 mile range. The touch points are all up to typical Shimano standards of quality, though we would like to see improvements to the functionality of the display unit, notably having battery life shown as a percentage. I chose this bike because it has the EP8 and from research, seems to be the most reliable platform out there, assuming it's as reliable as the E8000. Don't all e-bikes feature walk assist? If you aren't climbing steeps and requiring the torque, you would get way longer distance. Can't see the equivalent of a ribbed chainstay protector happening. All e-Bike assist mode gets disabled during the downhill slopes. Now well point out here that the Bosch Gen 4 motor exhibits a similar metallic clacking noise, since its internal gear system also employs a clutch. Dont be so lazy, put in the work and suffer a little bit! E5003 Cycling Computer - Available on a wide-range of different e-MTBs, - Clacking noise can be annoying Three battery options including 900Wh Wheel size: 29" only Travel: 160mm front, 150mm rear 64-degree head angle 78-degree effective seat angle 462mm chainstay Weight: 25.6 kg. Like their predecessors, all Shimano STEPS batteries are extremely long-lasting, taking up to 1000 full charge cycles while maintaining 60-percent of their original capacity, double the charge cycle capacity of other batteries, often outlasting the average e-mountain bike ownership.