The best eMTB motor you can buy

Bosch Performance Line CX 2020

After a long excruciating wait, both bike manufacturers and consumers can breathe a sigh of relief: the new Bosch Performance Line CX has finally been released. But have the problems of the previous model been fixed?

In a nutshell, the latest incarnation of the Bosch Performance Line CX does everything better than its predecessor – well, almost! On the trail, the new 75 Nm motor impresses with top-class modulation and delivers enough power to comfortably steam past its older brother, as well as the Shimano STEPS. If that wasn’t enough, on steep climbs the new Bosch keeps up with our test winner, the Brose Drive S Mag, without any problems. The absolute highlight of the new Performance CX is the newly tuned eMTB mode: the progressive mode modulates dynamically between the Tour and Turbo modes and adjusts the support according to the riding scenario and the amount of pressure you put on the pedals. The new mode is incredibly accurate, smooth and easy to control and always delivers enough power. In other words, no other motor in the test field feels as effortless and controlled on technical uphills as the Bosch Performance Line CX 2020! Bosch have also revised the Turbo mode, which is now easier to control and is a lot more sensitive on startup. The transition at the 25 km/h threshold is smooth and silky. But what about the notorious pedal resistance though? Well, there isn’t any! However, the new Bosch does have a bit of a noise problem – not the typical noise of the motor humming under full load, but the coarse-toothed freewheel-clutch that produces a clunky metallic sound when it engages and sounds almost like a clattering chain on rough downhills. As a result, eMTBs with a 2020 Bosch CX will be louder than most Shimano or Brose bikes, on the downhill. And that sucks, because we all know how good a quiet bike feels!

The new Bosch delivers an outstanding ride. While other motors are either very sensitive but weak or too brutish and powerful, the new Bosch always hits the nail on the head.

In typical Bosch fashion, the Performance CX comes as a closed system and requires bike manufacturers to use the Bosch’s in-house remotes, displays, motor software and rechargeable batteries. In addition to the usual 500 Wh battery, there are now two new integrated versions with 400 Wh and 625 Wh capacities. As far as displays go, the Purion and Kiox display are the only reasonable options for sporty eMTBing. However, the latter still has some major issues: the display is hard to read on the trail and the buttons are poorly integrated into the cockpit and difficult to operate. Sadly, there are no new minimalist display/remote units on the horizon yet. Except for wireless software updates, the eBike Connect App only offers basic functions like data transfer of recorded rides.
As far as weight and size go, the new Performance CX is top notch. Light and compact, Bosch’s new eMTB motor hits the nail on the head. While the new shape gives bike manufacturers lots of freedom for new rear-end designs, its distinctive bend in the front creates new challenges in terms of optical integration, at least on designs without a cover. Unfortunately, the new Bosch motor still features the same flimsy spoke magnet.

Conclusion

In terms of performance, the Bosch Performance Line CX 2020 plays in the top league of eMTB drives! The new eMTB mode is the best progressive mode on the market and always delivers enough power. Unfortunately, the closed system,, doesn’t allow for custom options and not even bike manufacturers are given the freedom to implement their own solutions. Furthermore, the noisy freewheel as well as poor display and remote options are still a major concern… A pity, because the Bosch Performance Line CX 2020 almost made it to the top of our test-field.

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More information at bosch-ebike.com