I have to say, the whole Performance Upgrade 2.0 rollout is becoming quite disappointing.
I fully understand that the bike manufacturers have to approve or configure the exact values for each model. That part is fair. But at the same time, Bosch cannot completely hide behind the OEMs here. Bosch itself advertises the smart system as a connected ecosystem used by more than 100 eBike brands. If that is the selling point, then the integration quality across those brands is also part of the Bosch product experience.
Right now, the user experience feels anything but premium. App update, bike update, blue banner, no blue banner, wait 24 hours, wait 36 hours, remove the bike from the garage, add it again, reinstall the app, ask the bike brand, the bike brand asks Bosch. This is not exactly what I would expect from the market leader in 2026. It feels more like debugging a half-finished beta than activating an official software feature on a modern premium eMTB.
And it is not just about whether somebody “needs” 120 Nm. That is the wrong discussion in my opinion. The issue is trust, transparency and execution. If Bosch announces a major update, promotes it heavily, and presents it as something you can activate through the Flow app, then it should be clear, reliable and almost idiot-proof. At the moment it is not.
There are also some strategic questions around the update itself. The 600% support being limited to low speeds, the 750 W ceiling, the manufacturer-dependent torque limits, the delayed rollout of Extended Boost adjustment and Drivetrain Tensioner, and the new fast charger only coming later in the year all make the package feel a bit fragmented. Some of these things may have good technical or regulatory reasons, but from a customer perspective it still feels slow and overly complicated.
The comparison with newer systems such as Avinox is hard to ignore. Avinox is not perfect either, of course, and long-term reliability still has to be proven. But the direction is obvious: more integrated software, higher peak performance, app-driven features, and even drivetrain-related functions such as SRAM Eagle Transmission support. Whether one likes the power race or not, customers and OEMs are clearly watching this very closely.
That is why I think Bosch should take this rollout much more seriously. This is not only a Radon, Orbea, Cube, Canyon or Trek issue. It is a Bosch reputation issue. If major brands can already advertise the 120 Nm upgrade prominently while other owners with technically compatible Gen 5 motors are stuck waiting for banners, backend approvals or unclear manufacturer mappings, the whole ecosystem starts to look inconsistent.
For me personally, this has been a very frustrating experience. I bought into the Bosch smart system because I expected stability, maturity and professional support. Instead, I am now sitting here for days trying to get a supposedly simple software update to appear, while the manufacturer says they are in contact with Bosch and cannot give a timeline.
I still like the Bosch system in many ways. But this rollout does not inspire confidence. Bosch needs to communicate more clearly, support the OEMs better and make the activation process much more robust. Otherwise the market will not wait politely. It will simply move on.
