Help choosing my girlfriend's first emtb

[Zayd Proctor]

Having built my first emtb, I now need to get one for my girlfriend who, like me, is new to both emtb and mtb. I was thinking something used, under 3000€. Entry level components will do just fine.

I think the most important thing here is the choice of motor. Ideally, I'd go with the Bafang M510 because it works with custom batteries, it's serviceable, it can be derestricted, it's easy to upgrade to the M560 if needed.
The problem is that there aren't many offerings with that motor. The best I could find is this refurbished Berria Mako for 3100€.

I have no idea how the other motors compare with Bafang. This is where I need your help. What would you choose?

Spoiler: I have asked chatgpt as well.

Here's a comparison of the main mid-drive motors for eMTBs, covering their pros and cons to help you choose the best one for your needs.

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BAFANG (M500, M600, M620)​

Best for: Custom builds, high power, DIY enthusiasts

Pros:
✔ High power & torque (M620: 160Nm, M600: 120Nm)
✔ Open system → works with aftermarket batteries
✔ Customizable via third-party apps & programming
✔ Easy to repair with widely available parts
✔ Affordable compared to premium brands

Cons:
✘ Less refined power delivery, can feel jerky
✘ Noisy at high torque levels
✘ Can overheat under sustained load
✘ Heavier than Bosch/Shimano motors

---

⚙ BOSCH (Performance Line CX, Smart System)​

Best for: Reliability, smooth power delivery, premium eMTBs

Pros:
✔ Excellent power curve & natural feel
✔ High reliability & premium build quality
✔ Strong dealer support & service network
✔ Smooth integration with eMTB components (ABS, Kiox, etc.)
✔ Good battery efficiency

Cons:
✘ Requires proprietary batteries
✘ Firmware locked, no DIY tuning
✘ Expensive motor & parts
✘ Some overheating issues on long climbs

---

SHIMANO (EP8, E8000, E7000)​

Best for: Lightweight builds, natural pedal feel

Pros:
✔ Lightest mid-drive motor (~2.6kg for EP8)
✔ Smooth, natural pedal assist
✔ Compact design with good ground clearance
✔ Efficient power usage for longer rides
✔ Works well with standard MTB drivetrains

Cons:
✘ Less torque than Bosch/Bafang (EP8: 85Nm)
✘ Can overheat under heavy loads
✘ Sensitive to firmware updates that may reduce performance
✘ Limited aftermarket tuning options

---

BROSE (Drive S Mag, Drive T, Specialized Turbo Levo/Kenevo)​

Best for: Quiet operation, premium feel, integrated eMTBs (Specialized, Rotwild, etc.)

Pros:
✔ Smoothest & quietest motor in the market
✔ High torque (90Nm) with natural power delivery
✔ Compact & lightweight (~2.9kg)
✔ Good integration with premium brands (Specialized, Rotwild)
✔ No resistance when pedaling without power

Cons:
✘ Brose motors have had reliability issues (belt failures, water ingress)
✘ Proprietary system → harder to repair or customize
✘ Limited third-party support & expensive replacement parts
✘ Specialized versions locked to their ecosystem

---

YAMAHA (PW-X3, PWseries S2, PW-X2)​

Best for: Power & durability, alternative to Bosch/Shimano

Pros:
✔ Strong torque (PW-X3: 85Nm)
✔ Reliable and robust build (good for long-term use)
✔ Works with both proprietary & third-party batteries in some cases
✔ Responsive motor engagement (good for technical trails)
✔ Less software restriction compared to Bosch/Shimano

Cons:
✘ Heavier than Shimano/Brose (~3.1kg)
✘ Power delivery less refined than Bosch/Shimano
✘ Fewer eMTB brand integrations compared to Bosch/Shimano
✘ Aftermarket tuning options are limited

---

Which One to Choose?​

Motor	Best For	Torque (Nm)	Weight (kg)	Customization	Battery Flexibility	Reliability
Bafang M600/M620	Power & DIY	120-160	3.6-5.3	High	Open	Moderate
Bosch CX	All-round performance	85	2.9	Locked	Proprietary	High
Shimano EP8	Lightweight, smooth ride	85	2.6	Limited	Proprietary	Can overheat
Brose S Mag	Quiet, premium feel	90	2.9	Locked	Proprietary	Past reliability issues
Yamaha PW-X3	Durability & power	85	3.1	Limited	Semi-open	High

Final Thoughts​

• If you want customization & repairability: Bafang
• If you want premium reliability & smooth ride: Bosch or Brose
• If you prefer lightweight & efficiency: Shimano EP8
• If you need durability & power: Yamaha

Which motor are you considering?

 

[Zayd Proctor]

Then go Bosch.

Well, it's not that simple. She prefers the Bosch solely for the way it delivers power. And, as I said, it's a preference by a small margin. But there are other things to consider, like the reliability, reparability, the quality of the other components, and price. That is my assignment and, at the moment, I think that the Raymon is the better package. I need to look into the reliability/reparability and then make a decision. And, of course, I already told her all this and she agrees.

 

[Zayd Proctor]

I need to further investigate the reliability, reparability and serviceability of these two motors. And that will probably be the deciding factor.

I've researched this a little, but found mostly opinions and anecdotes. But it seems that both motors are very similar in this respect.

In the meantime, I found a Haibike AllTrail 8 27,5" for 2400€ new. If you guys can confirm the components on it are decent, we will go ahead and buy it this weekend.

 

[Stihldog]

The components are decent but those are upgradable in the future.
It’s the motor, frame and battery that’s important imo. The price and manufacturer is great.

If you’re able to test ride, have the bike shop make some small geometry changes first. I would personally go with 29” wheels f/r.…but that depends on your style of riding.

 

[Zayd Proctor]

I would personally go with 29” wheels f/r.…but that depends on your style of riding.

The 29" size M is not on sale. Best I could find is 3000€.

It looks like the price was really good because the 27,5" is sold out now. The next best offer is 2600€. Still pretty good, imo.

 

[Zayd Proctor]

It's now the same price as the Whistle. The frame on the Whistle looks very similar to the Dengfu frames. The Whistle has a coil fork, bigger battery and a carbon frame.

2. WHISTLE B RUSH C5.2 750 Wh FULL CARBON --> 2600€

Spoiler: Specs

SPECIFICHE MECCANICHE​

Telaio	Full Carbon 29, Toray T700, integrated battery, internal routing, Rear travel 150 mm, 12x148 mm E-Thru
Forcella	Rock Shox 35 Silver R, 150 mm, Maxle Lite 15x110 mm, Coil, 1.5 Tapered, Lockout, E-Bike
Ammortizzatore	Rock Shox RS Deluxe Select R, 230x65 mm
Serie sterzo	Acros AZF-575, 1,5”, Internal routing
Guarnitura	FSA, 34T MegaTooth
Cambio	Shimano Deore RD-M6100 SGS, Shadow Plus
Comandi	Shimano Deore SL-M6100 Rapidfire-Plus, 12s, I-spec
Freni	Shimano BR-MT420, Four piston, Rotor SM-RT30 203 mm / 203 mm
Pacco pignoni	Shimano CS-M6100 12s 10/51
Pedali	Alu MTB Full+
Mozzi	F: Shimano Alivio MT400, 15x110, CL, 32h R:Shimano Alivio MT410B, 12x148, CL, MicroSpline, 32h
Cerchi	RADIALE X30, eDesign | Asymmetric, Tubeless Ready, 622x30c
Attacco manubrio	Satori Ursa, 35 mm, Internal routing
Piega manubrio	Rise Alu Oversize, 780 mm
Reggisella	Dropper Alpha 1, 31,6 mm, remote
Sella	Whistle Performance
Coperture	Schwalbe Nobby Nic, Performance, Addix, 29x2,60
Taglia	40 44 48 52
Colore	Black Matt/Rainbow Silver Glossy

SPECIFICHE ELETTRICHE​

Coppia massima	85 Nm
Tipo sensore	Torque
Batteria	750
Tipo caricabatteria	4 A
Tempo di ricarica	Up to 6 hours
Velocità max assistita	25 km/h
Display	LED REMOTE
Potenza	Eco: 60 %Tour: 140 %EMTB: Dynamic %Turbo: 340 %

Does anyone know this bike? Carbon frame, Bosch CX, 750Wh battery for 2600€ seems like a good deal to me.

 

[Zero cool]

What about one of those really cheap Lapotre Overvolts for £2,500?

 

[Bontee]

This is really simple,you take her to a bunch of shops ,you let her ride a bunch of bikes and then you LET HER DECIDE.
No-one has ever picked a bike for me or put their personal preferences on me ,and even more important I have never done the same to my wife .
Your girlfriend needs to choose what fits her and what sort of power she likes.

 

[irie]

@Zayd Proctor How tall is your GF? 27.5 may suit her height better than 29.

 

[Zayd Proctor]

This is really simple,you take her to a bunch of shops ,you let her ride a bunch of bikes and then you LET HER DECIDE.
No-one has ever picked a bike for me or put their personal preferences on me ,and even more important I have never done the same to my wife .
Your girlfriend needs to choose what fits her and what sort of power she likes.

I don't know why you think I won't let her decide. When someone asks for guidance, I offer suggestions based on their needs, not just tell them to experiment blindly.

Anyway, it doesn't matter because we already got this bike:

In the meantime, I found a Haibike AllTrail 8 27,5" for 2400€ new. If you guys can confirm the components on it are decent, we will go ahead and buy it this weekend.

We chose this bike for several reasons:

1. We tried a bunch of bikes and, as a beginner, she found it difficult to differentiate between them. They all kinda felt the same to her. She did, however, prefer the Bosch motor and full suspension bikes.
2. Like I said:
   

   I would like to, but she wants to keep it under 3000€. Closer to 2500€ if possible.

   I was able to find only 3 bikes in this price range with a Bosch motor and full suspension:
   1. the WHISTLE B RUSH C5.2 (2600€) --> they only had the M size and that was too big for her.
   2. Bergamont E-Trailster 150 Elite (2900€)
   3. Haibike AllTrail 8 27,5 (2600) --> we got it for 2470€ with a Easter coupon.
   We opted for the Haibike because we felt that the higher price of the Bergamont wasn't worth it.

I also looked at the used market in my area but couldn't find anything that could beat the value of the Haibike.

Overall, she is very pleased that we managed to get a bike with the motor she liked below 2500€. She is pleased with the fit (I think the 27,5" wheels are a better fit for her than the 29"), the ride, and also the color.

One downside is that it is a bit heavy but you can't have it all, I guess.

After the first few hours of riding, her bum and wrists were hurting a bit, which I understand is common initially. Padded shorts helped somewhat, but I think the saddle needs replacing with a better one. I also shortened the handlebars from 780mm to 760mm but we probably should go even shorter. And I will get her a softer pair of grips because the stock ones are quite hard.

Thanks for all your help!

 

[ottoshape]

After the first few hours of riding, her bum and wrists were hurting a bit, which I understand is common initially. Padded shorts helped somewhat, but I think the saddle needs replacing with a better one.

Measure sit bones, get appropriate saddle. Padded shorts do help me, YMMV...

 

[Zero cool]

This is really simple,you take her to a bunch of shops ,you let her ride a bunch of bikes and then you LET HER DECIDE.
No-one has ever picked a bike for me or put their personal preferences on me ,and even more important I have never done the same to my wife .
Your girlfriend needs to choose what fits her and what sort of power she likes.

This, I’ve always let my wife pick the bike she wanted (usually it’s been her money) and guided her decisions to make sure she doesn’t buy something inappropriate or rubbish. She’s still riding most weeks now 20 years later and it’s made our relationship healthier as she understands why I want to disappear into the woods all the time.

She’s also pretty bloody fast!

 

[Stihldog]

I don't know why you think I won't let her decide. When someone asks for guidance, I offer suggestions based on their needs, not just tell them to experiment blindly.

Anyway, it doesn't matter because we already got this bike:



We chose this bike for several reasons:

1. We tried a bunch of bikes and, as a beginner, she found it difficult to differentiate between them. They all kinda felt the same to her. She did, however, prefer the Bosch motor and full suspension bikes.
2. Like I said:
   
   I was able to find only 3 bikes in this price range with a Bosch motor and full suspension:
   1. the WHISTLE B RUSH C5.2 (2600€) --> they only had the M size and that was too big for her.
   2. Bergamont E-Trailster 150 Elite (2900€)
   3. Haibike AllTrail 8 27,5 (2600) --> we got it for 2470€ with a Easter coupon.
   We opted for the Haibike because we felt that the higher price of the Bergamont wasn't worth it.

I also looked at the used market in my area but couldn't find anything that could beat the value of the Haibike.

Overall, she is very pleased that we managed to get a bike with the motor she liked below 2500€. She is pleased with the fit (I think the 27,5" wheels are a better fit for her than the 29"), the ride, and also the color.

One downside is that it is a bit heavy but you can't have it all, I guess.

After the first few hours of riding, her bum and wrists were hurting a bit, which I understand is common initially. Padded shorts helped somewhat, but I think the saddle needs replacing with a better one. I also shortened the handlebars from 780mm to 760mm but we probably should go even shorter. And I will get her a softer pair of grips because the stock ones are quite hard.

Thanks for all your help!

The two things that kinda surprised me, when purchasing an e-bike with my wife, was the comfort of the saddle and the colour of the frame. Both of those were quickly remedied. A “ladies “ saddle was suitable for her style of riding. Her friends eventually got the same.

I changed the tires to tubeless and installed a medium tread for her style of riding. Peddles with pins were not necessary (I didn’t want her beautiful legs to get scarred) so a good plastic type with some grip helped.

After a few small geometry adjustments …she was happy.

 

[Stihldog]

She’s also pretty bloody fast!

Oh yeah! That surprised me too. She was a previous marathoner-long distance runner. She could leave me in the dust. I leveled the playing field by using the Fuel EXE . I just wish that she would look over her shoulder once in a while to see if I’m still in sight.

 

[Bontee]

I don't know why you think I won't let her decide. When someone asks for guidance, I offer suggestions based on their needs, not just tell them to experiment blindly.

Anyway, it doesn't matter because we already got this bike:



We chose this bike for several reasons:

1. We tried a bunch of bikes and, as a beginner, she found it difficult to differentiate between them. They all kinda felt the same to her. She did, however, prefer the Bosch motor and full suspension bikes.
2. Like I said:
   
   I was able to find only 3 bikes in this price range with a Bosch motor and full suspension:
   1. the WHISTLE B RUSH C5.2 (2600€) --> they only had the M size and that was too big for her.
   2. Bergamont E-Trailster 150 Elite (2900€)
   3. Haibike AllTrail 8 27,5 (2600) --> we got it for 2470€ with a Easter coupon.
   We opted for the Haibike because we felt that the higher price of the Bergamont wasn't worth it.

I also looked at the used market in my area but couldn't find anything that could beat the value of the Haibike.

Overall, she is very pleased that we managed to get a bike with the motor she liked below 2500€. She is pleased with the fit (I think the 27,5" wheels are a better fit for her than the 29"), the ride, and also the color.

One downside is that it is a bit heavy but you can't have it all, I guess.

After the first few hours of riding, her bum and wrists were hurting a bit, which I understand is common initially. Padded shorts helped somewhat, but I think the saddle needs replacing with a better one. I also shortened the handlebars from 780mm to 760mm but we probably should go even shorter. And I will get her a softer pair of grips because the stock ones are quite hard.

Thanks for all your help!

Never suggested you wouldn’t Zayd,just seems in general that peoples opinions are biased towards their own riding requirements. The only opinion that matters ,as you say ,is your girlfriends,Glad she got what she wanted .

 

[irie]

We opted for the Haibike because we felt that the higher price of the Bergamont wasn't worth it.

Overall, she is very pleased that we managed to get a bike with the motor she liked below 2500€. She is pleased with the fit (I think the 27,5" wheels are a better fit for her than the 29"), the ride, and also the color.

One downside is that it is a bit heavy but you can't have it all, I guess.

After the first few hours of riding, her bum and wrists were hurting a bit, which I understand is common initially. Padded shorts helped somewhat, but I think the saddle needs replacing with a better one. I also shortened the handlebars from 780mm to 760mm but we probably should go even shorter. And I will get her a softer pair of grips because the stock ones are quite hard.

Thanks for all your help!

Nice result, and colour is also important. First thing I did for Mrs irie aka Angie is to buy a laydees bottom comfort saddle because laydee bums just aren't the same as ours. Only cost £15 and Angie loves it, absolutely will not change it. The rest is tuning and mucking around to get the cockpit how she's comfortable with it. After that change stuff at your peril!

 

[Zayd Proctor]

Click here if you want to see how I managed to fit this bike and my bike inside a Tesla Model 3.