Article: We tested the upcoming Bosch SX 60 Nm update

[Fangs2k]

I think one aspect of the new update is lowering the cadence required t access the full power.

Yes, I find my SX notably more ‘punchy’ for the same cadence pre-update. I ride the same routes frequently, and it feels like a completely different bike at times.

It feels almost as powerful as my E8000 with its 70Nm, which I suppose it is, but I’ve dialed back the assist a bit now but like the overrun for more technical sections.

My riding is all about lower power really, I like my e-bike to feel like an actual pedal bicycle, I also love my 35Nm Gen 1 Levo SL .

I really don’t think I need more power than the SX offers now to be honest, but still want a Nicolai S16, for numerous other reasons!

 

[MTcycler]

I saw the firmware update was available on 11/4, but it failed to completely install initially. The next day, it installed promptly. There's a clear boost in torque and power, particularly riding uphill, and kicking in at lower cadence than before the update. I kept the maximum torque at 55 nM for the Tour+ mode (which I use about 80%), and have not noticed a drop in battery range yet.

 

[ehfour]

Looks like another publication has done a comparison of time and battery used

TL;DR Bosch SX post update is a battery hog but the most powerful..def need a range extender for this one
Fazua is not that far behind
What's odd to me is that the Pre update Bosch with the theoretical 600W of power is slower than bikes with less peak wattage

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[wb3jma]

What amount of time are you getting for uphill pedal assist? I just watched a Loam Wolf review of the Marin Rift Zone running this model of motor and they said your lucky to get more than an hour out of it. True Marins bike is heavier at 47 lbs in a size large than other bikes with an SL designation.

 

[Fangs2k]

What amount of time are you getting for uphill pedal assist? I just watched a Loam Wolf review of the Marin Rift Zone running this model of motor and they said your lucky to get more than an hour out of it. True Marins bike is heavier at 47 lbs in a size large than other bikes with an SL designation.

The ‘maths’ would support that, a 600w peak motor being fed from a 400Wh battery, so yes 1 hour of ‘up’ is believable.

My Marin easily does a ride of 2-3 hours from the frame battery, but my rides are not constantly uphill and I don’t ride in Turbo much.

If you want long rides with more support, then you need to be looking for something with a bigger battery.

 

[wb3jma]

The ‘maths’ would support that, a 600w peak motor being fed from a 400Wh battery, so yes 1 hour of ‘up’ is believable.

My Marin easily does a ride of 2-3 hours from the frame battery, but my rides are not constantly uphill and I don’t ride in Turbo much.

If you want long rides with more support, then you need to be looking for something with a bigger battery.

Well most rides are not constantly up hill, MTB trails tend to be up and down but say you doing some downhill that's not serviced by Lift or Shuttle but has a climb hill instead. Biggest motivation for touching an Ebike is pedal assist climbing, otherwise I would not be remotely interested given the still high costs of these bikes. I could build a mid range to high end regular bike compared to the cost of an Ebike where the specs are typically poorer than a regular bike of the same cost.

 

[Fangs2k]

Well most rides are not constantly up hill, MTB trails tend to be up and down but say you doing some downhill that's not serviced by Lift or Shuttle but has a climb hill instead. Biggest motivation for touching an Ebike is pedal assist climbing, otherwise I would not be remotely interested given the still high costs of these bikes. I could build a mid range to high end regular bike compared to the cost of an Ebike where the specs are typically poorer than a regular bike of the same cost.

That’s how I tend to use mine, just to assist on steep hills etc, and I also ride a non e-bike enduro setup regularly.. The 400 Wh frame battery is fine for a morning or afternoon ride, and there’s always the range extender as well.

I can’t remember the last time I ran out of battery on any of my e-bikes to be honest, I use them more as a ‘misery reducer’ for hills, energy sapping mud or transiting on roads in headwinds , that’s also why I like e-bikes that are easy to pedal after the assist limit or with power off. My Levo SL is the best in that regard but the SX on the Marin is pretty good as well.

 

[MTcycler]

The article reports that the update allows peak power to be attained at a cadence of 96, and I've noticed some increase in assistance at a lower cadence after installing the update.