The Brose team doesn’t just offer manufacturers a freely configurable system with batteries and remotes to go with its Drive S Mag motor, but also allows the motor characteristics to be extensively tuned. Can Brose outdo the competition with their customisable motor concept?

This motor is part of our big e-mountain bike motor test. Click here for background information and the criteria of this test.

The housing of the Brose Drive S Mag is made of magnesium, allowing Brose to squeeze the unit’s weight down to 2.98 kg. Inside, a belt drive and two sprag clutches transmit the power of the motor. The clutches are completely silent, engaging quickly as well as providing resistance free pedalling when the motor isn’t assisting you. Producing 90 Nm torque, the Drive S Mag is only beaten by the beefier TQ motor. At peak output in Flex Power mode, it offers up to 410 % support, taking the fear out of steep climbs, but it does so with a vigorous hum.

Brose have always felt that, “The bike, not the motor is the star in the show.” That means bike manufacturers are able to use either Brose’s standard firmware, or tune the motor to their own requirements. The resulting diversity of the Drive S Mag, means it’s impossible to definitively describe its characteristics. For example, Specialized have put a lot of know-how and manpower into the development of the motor tune to offer the most natural handling possible while maintaining powerful assistance on both the Kenevo and latest generation of the Levo. In addition, Specialized have developed a complete ecosystem around the drive unit including an app, allowing assistance modes to be customised and allowing you to activate the extra powerful Shuttle mode, a variant of Brose’s Flex Power Mode.

The flexibility that Brose allow manufacturers in tuning motor characteristics is reflected in the varied handling of the same motor on different bikes. Depending on the specific motor tune and assistance mode, the support can range from unruly and hard to control to incredibly natural, progressive and intuitive.

A favourite for manufacturers
The Brose Drive S Mag might not be the smallest motor in our test, but thanks to two housings with different mounting points, frame designers have more flexibility when designing the frame.

Since 2019, Brose have offered bike manufacturers a complete system consisting of a 630 Wh battery, display, various remotes, a speed sensor and of course the Drive S Mag motor itself. Apart from the now ageing battery that is difficult to integrate due to its bulk, Brose’s selection of components makes various configurations possible. For the display and remote, the choice ranges from a minimalistic LED display to a large, centrally mounted option with an additional thumb-operated remote. Even the housing of the motor is available in two different mounts to offer bike manufacturers as much flexibility as possible for integrating it into their frames.

Not always the same
It’s not just the apps, but also the components used with the Drive S Mag that vary depending on the manufacturer. Specialized are the paragon which others should follow.
Safe and hidden
When there are few restrictions, it’s also possible to optimise the small details such as integrating speed sensors in the frame.

But Brose also allow custom and third party components to be used and these come fitted to numerous bikes. Again it’s Specialized that edge ahead in the level of customisation and integration that they achieve. The perfectly integrated Mastermind-Display unit and the Mission Control app give customers access to individual motor and cockpit setups. ROTWILD have also integrated the Drive S Mag nicely into the frame of the R.X750 and paired it with a massive 750 Wh battery, offering a huge range. For displays that aren’t part of Brose’s standard lineup, most manufacturer’s turn to the compact, but outdated BLOKS 14d remote and display combination. This offers both great legibility and ergonomics, though the delicate surface is easily damaged in crashes. The Marquardt Just Drive 3 display is also used on several bikes. Similar to the Bosch Purion, it’s relatively clunky given the limited functionality that it offers.

Our conclusion

Brose isn’t always Brose. No other motor in our test offers manufacturers the same level of freedom as regards the motor tune, integration and app development as the Drive S Mag. As a result, the quality of the system is very dependent on how well the bike manufacturer has implemented it. The motor delivers a lot of power and grunt on all bikes. However, not all manufacturers have achieved the natural and intuitive feel the motor is capable of.

Tops

  • powerful with generous torque
  • lots of options for integration
  • no pedalling resistance

Flops

  • not all manufacturers achieve the best motor tune
  • loud at full power
  • bulky standard battery

For more information head to brose-ebike.com

Click here for background information and the criteria of this test.

Brose Drive S Mag | Bosch Performance Line CX | FAZUA Ride 50 Evation Firmware 2.0 | SACHS RS | Yamaha PW-X2 | Shimano STEPS E8000 | Shimano EP8 | TQ HPR 120S | Specialized SL 1.1


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Words: Photos: E-MOUNTAINBIKE team