After its launch in April 2022, the FAZUA Ride 60 motor suffered from teething issues, which resulted in problems with several of our test bikes. A few weeks ago, we had the opportunity to test the updated Ride 60 system in Riva del Garda for the first time, so we can show you how to carry out the update yourself. Here are our refreshed thoughts on FAZUA’s light motor and our first riding impressions, which hopefully provide some clarity!

FAZUA Ride 60 | 1.96 kg (Motor) 2.3 kg (Battery, removable) | Manufacturer’s-website

How to – Updating your FAZUA Ride 60 motor

The new FAZUA Ride 60 motor

The motor and gearbox are permanently installed in the bottom bracket, providing a maximum power output of 60 Nm, which FAZUA claim should make for a natural ride feel. The output is on par with that of the down-regulated Shimano EP8 RS, as you’ll find on the Orbea Rise and Rise H. The FAZUA motor weighs 1.96 kg, which makes it around 700 g lighter than the Shimano EP8. In terms of the complete system weight, FAZUA undercut the Shimano EP8 and small 504 Wh battery by just under one kilogram. The FAZUA system has a push-assist function and three support modes: Breeze, River and Rocket. While Breeze and Rocket are constant, offering the least and most support respectively, River mode is linked to the rider’s pedalling input and adapts the output accordingly. In addition, a fourth mode is planned specifically for eMTBs, which also adapts the output dynamically to the pedalling input and is specially tuned to meet the demands of mountain bikers.

In future, FAZUA won’t separate the motor from the gearbox. As such, you can no longer remove the motor with the battery to reduce the added weight to a minimum and give your bike that natural analogue feel.
The cooling fins require a cut-out around the bottom bracket, but FAZUA claim that the motor can be protected with a suitable cover. We’re looking forward to the first frame designs featuring the new system.

The battery – For here or to go?

The FAZUA Energy battery has a capacity of 430 Wh and the removable version weighs 2.3 kg. It has an integrated handle and can only be removed downwards due to the position of the plug. The battery snaps into place audibly, giving a high-quality sound and feel. The grip by which you remove the battery is covered with a rubber membrane. Instead of a secondary button or latch on the battery, the rubber membrane lets you push directly on the tab of the stainless steel rail which holds the battery firmly in place. Doing this reduces complexity and thus the potential for things to break.

Compared to the Ride 50, FAZUA have opted against using a fixed cover, leaving that to the bike manufacturers. They can connect the cover to the battery if they wish, but doing so would bar consumers from going on a ride without the battery, which they could do with the old system. By letting the manufacturers come up with their own solution, it gives the frame designers even more freedom and allows them to make the opening as small as possible. If the bike brand decide not to make the battery removable, they can save about 100 g on the battery and even more on the frame since they don’t need the reinforcing required for a cutout. The previous FAZUA system didn’t have this option, where you could always remove the battery (including the motor).

Removable battery with a plug connection that snaps firmly into the bike – ideal for those who can only charge indoors.
Non-removable battery with permanent cable connection. This allows bike manufacturers to design a clean bike with a slender silhouette.

Like its predecessor, the Ride 60 system doesn’t have an on/off switch as it activates automatically as soon as the bike gets moved. This is a convenient feature, but it discharges the battery unnecessarily when transporting the bike.

The FAZUA LED Hub – Calling it a display is an exaggeration

The LED Hub is a display of sorts that sits in the top tube and uses five LEDs to indicate the battery level and support mode via different colours. If you want more information and to fine-tune the support modes, you can link the system to the FAZUA app on your smartphone via Bluetooth or ANT+ connectivity. They’ve tried to optimise the user experience here: after an extensive questionnaire, the app will recommend the best support mode settings, tailored specifically to the rider’s needs. This is great for ebike beginners and all those who couldn’t be bothered passing their time by playing with the settings! If you don’t trust computers or don’t always ride in the same kind of terrain, you can also configure your own support modes and save them as presets. For example, you could have one preset configured for your quick solo ride in the morning, one for your commute with the kids in the trailer, and one for a leisurely afternoon ride, each of which you can call up in the app on demand. To top it off, the LED Hub can be flipped up to reveal a USB-C port, allowing you to charge your phone or bike computer on the go – cool!

Flipped up, the FAZUA LED Hub gives you access to a USB-C port with a 430 Wh powerbank.

The FAZUA Ride 60 handlebar remote – Gripshift re-interpreted

The handlebar remote is called the Ring Control and resembles a twist grip shifter. You can use it to toggle between support modes, switch on the headlight or activate the push-assist. All these functions are made possible by the control’s multi-directional capabilities: it can be pressed up, down or inwards, towards the stem. When pressed in the latter direction, you can switch on the headlight, for example, if you’ve got one installed. The remote is designed to be placed close to the grip, making it easy and ergonomic to operate. However, the quality of the twist grip doesn’t feel great and it hasn’t got a clearly defined actuation point. There’s room for improvement here. Alternatively, manufacturers can spec the Control Hub, which combines the functions of the Ring Control with 5 LEDs as a display and all the connectivity features of the LED Hub.

The Ring Control lets you select all the functions of the FAZUA Ride 60 but requires the LED hub on the top tube.
In contrast, the Control Hub is self-sufficient and combines all functions (including display and USB-C port) on the handlebar – the frame remains clean and without an additional display.

The Control Hub replaces the LED Hub in the top tube, in which case the ebike will hardly be recognisable as such. By the way, both remotes have a boost function, which activates the full 450 W regardless of the support mode, giving you a quick power boost when needed.

The charging port is mandatory for all bikes with a built-in battery.
The rubber cap closes securely with the help of a magnet.

How to – Updating your FAZUA Ride 60 motor

Updating the system is easy and can be done at home. What do you need? A bike with a FAZUA Ride 60 drive, a USB-C cable, a laptop with the FAZUA Toolbox software and, preferably, a stable WiFi connection.

You can also carry out the update offline by downloading the latest firmware and saving it onto your computer, but FAZUA recommend the online update.

  1. Make sure your FAZUA Ride 60 e-bike is fully charged
  2. Connect to a stable WiFi network or open the offline update on your computer
  3. Turn your ebike on
  4. Launch the FAZUA Toolbox software
  5. Connect the USB-C cable to the LED hub and your laptop
  6. Select “Firmware Update” from the menu on the left
  7. Click on “RIDE 60 Bundle Update” at the top right-hand corner

→ Now the installation wizard will guide you through the update process

Wait five minutes and your FAZUA Ride 60 ebike is fully updated.

According to FAZUA, the update achieves the following:

  • Faster responsiveness of the motor
  • Improved walk mode
  • Refined Boost mode
  • ANT+ LEV Integration
  • Actualisation of the LED animations (see here)

FAZUA Ride 60 1.8 on the trail – How does the updated Ride 60 motor behave in real life?

After the update, walk assist pushes more willingly and no longer takes ages to get up to speed. However, activating the mode is still weird: first you’ll have to switch to the white support mode (no support) and then hold the Ring Remote inwards towards the stem. Thanks to the now existing ANT+ LEV connection, you can read the battery level easily from a bike computer on the handlebars, instead of relying on the small lights in the LED hub. In addition, Boost mode (hold the Ring Remote up until the LEDs flash) can be activated infinitely after the update, even while you’re still using it. The motor’s background noise has remained unchanged with the update, and is strongly dependent on the frame construction and the manufacturer’s integration concept . However, regardless of the bike the FAZUA 60 is installed in, you can clearly hear it engaging.
In the most powerful “Rocket” mode, it engages abruptly, jolting forward eagerly at the first crank spin. In this regard, the update has significantly reduced the FAZUA’s original engagement lag. While with the previous software, the motor would take a fair bit of time to engage and then kick in abruptly, version 1.8 delivers the power more directly as soon as you put pressure on the cranks. On the other hand, the disengagement of the motor when reaching the 25 km/h limit feels very natural and is hardly noticeable.

Even at low cadences, the Ride 60’s Rocket mode is capable of putting out a noticeable amount of torque, providing a pleasant tailwind without shifting into an easier gear. Except for the surge you get in Rocket mode, all modes offer a very natural ride feel. The lowest mode, Breeze, almost feels like no support at all. And if you really want to ride without support, which was the unique selling point of the old system, you can still do so without any problems or noticeable drag… You’ll just have to haul around the additional weight of the motor and battery (if the latter isn’t removable).

Our conclusions about the updated FAZUA Ride 60 version 1.8

FAZUA respond to the bike industry’s zeitgeist, providing a compact motor for light-footed eMTBs with a slim frame silhouette. With the latest version 1.8, the German manufacturer has addressed the FAZUA Ride 60’s teething issues, ensuring a more direct response and finally delivering the connectivity options that were promised prematurely at the launch. If you haven’t installed the update yet, you should do it immediately!


For more information visit fazua.com


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Words: Julian Schwede Photos: Julian Schwede, Manne Schmitt, FAZUA

About the author

Julian Schwede

Juli is used to dealing with big rigs. Besides working on his bike, he also tinkered and worked on buses after completing his training as a vehicle mechatronics engineer. Since the development of large-scale electric motors was too slow for him, he went on to study technical business administration while building carbon fibre tables on the side. Though his DJ bike is welded from thick aluminium tubes, his full-susser is made of carbon and it's already taken him to the top of numerous summits. Apart from biking, he likes climbing via ferratas or vertically on the wall. Nowadays, his personal bike gets ridden less as he tests the bikes that get sent to us, pushing them to their limits to see what they're capable of. In addition to bike reviews, Juli also takes care of the daily news and thinks of himself as the Daily Planet reporter Clark Kent.