Shimano E8000

[sauravgartaula]

Most of the new ebikes that I see at ebike magazines have Shimano E8000 motor nowadays.

Is Shimano ruling over the other motors or is it that they are quick and large manufacturers?

This bike looks great. I was reading its review and that question arose in my mind :v
I'm a beginner. If this was a silly question, please do tell

 

[Eckythump]

I have the 2017 Jam2 what would you like to know?

 

[sauravgartaula]

I have the 2017 Jam2 what would you like to know?

Wow, it seems that you have a great ebike. Can you tell me about its specifications and your opinion on its performance and whether or not should I be recommended to buy this bike?
Thank you!

 

[njn]

Shimano nailed it with a narrow q factor and standard size chainring while allowing short chainstay lengths.

 

[Cinnamon]

As all the tests say it is the best engine at the moment, I would say even that clearly the best.

 

[Eckythump]

Wow, it seems that you have a great ebike. Can you tell me about its specifications and your opinion on its performance and whether or not should I be recommended to buy this bike?
Thank you!

From what I have seen of your previous post your rides are more tours of the spectacular scenery where you live. The Jam2 is more about Enduro style riding of climbing up and hammering down. It is lightweight with a small battery more aimed at handling and jumping than touring. The piggy back battery doubles the range but is an additional cost. It is a really good option if you ride a regular bike hard for two or three hour sessions.

 

[Varaxis]

I'll add on to what others have said.

I like how the handlebar display is nicely tucked away from damage (can flip the bike over onto the saddle and grips without the display being in the way).

I also like the steel chainring. I imagine alloy rings would be pricey and wear out quickly.

I'll warn that the stock Boost level is waaaaay too powerful for my taste. I advise turning it down to Low (was high).

 

[JKG53]

The Shimano Steps system sounds good.
Has anyone got experience of the Yamaha PW motor, and how it compares with the Shimano motor? I quite like the Yamaha on my Haibike, It's certainly good on steep hills. I've done 2000 miles with no motor or battery problems so far.

 

[knut7]

The Shimano Steps system sounds good.
Has anyone got experience of the Yamaha PW motor, and how it compares with the Shimano motor? I quite like the Yamaha on my Haibike, It's certainly good on steep hills. I've done 2000 miles with no motor or battery problems so far.

I used the old Yamaha PW for about two years, before switching to the E8000. Both motors has got what Yamaha (I believe) calls "0 cadence torque", or something similar. If you get on your bike and start pedaling in the middle of a steep uphill, both motors will deliver power right away, even though cadence is really low initially, they both seem to deliver power sooner than the Bosch Performance CX in these situations. The top assistance level on the E8000 is called "Boost", and that's what you get. Once you start pedaling, the motor will spin up and give a burst/boost of full power for some tenths of a second. It feels like the chainweel can spin faster than you're pedaling. The Performance CX does the same in max assistance. The Yamaha PW does not. For that reason I find the PW easier to use on trails at max assistance. But I found it difficult to predict how much power the PW would apply when you start pedaling, with the Shimano you know it'll be max. So when approaching a ledge at low speed, I found it a bit difficult to lift the front wheel before going over the edge, because I didn't know how much the motor would ad. But I guess most people don't ride trails on max assistance. The 2nd highest level on the PW is probably good for most people, but I found it a bit weak for my needs. The 2nd highest on E8000 was way to weak, untill I tuned it with the e-tube app. This mode can be set to 1, 3 or 4 out of 7. 1 is default, I usually run it at 4. The PW will deliver less power after about 70 pedal rotations/minute, the E8000 keeps the support going way longer. I was shifting gears more frequently with the PW.

I found I had to adjust my riding style when I started riding the PW, shifting a lot and using different strategies for going down ledges. But I was able to ride it with minimal effort. The E8000 might be slightly weaker at low cadence, but it does a good job over a wide range of cadence, and the tuneability makes it suit my needs very well. As mentioned I increase the power on trail mode, I also reduce the power of the Boost level to make it less boosty.

 

[JKG53]

Great reply thanks. I also like the 0 cadence assistance the Yamaha gives, particularly helpful for starting on steep hills. I use the STD or 2nd level on the PW most of the time, ECO if I feel like a workout and Turbo for steep hills.
I believe the new Yamaha PWX motor is a big improvement, providing assistance up to a cadence of about 110 rather than the 70 pedal rotatations/ minute the older PW gives.

 

[knut7]

The PW-X I've tried just a few times. It's got a wider rpm range, and it's still powerful when getting on the bike mid uphill. Still no boost-burst on the PW-X top assistance level. But it feels like the power ramp up from stand still is more predictable on the PW-X compared to the PW. The PW-X wasn't limiting my riding technique like the PW was.

 

[knut7]

No, there's no way for the end user to alter wheel size. The store can fix it. It's quite common.

 

[knut7]

I recently had a testbike that was limited to 12mph actual speed, that was pretty sad. But the max speed on the computer looked quite impressive!

 

[Gary]

I don't really get the UK legislation.
A decision on cycling made by a non cyclist no doubt as per usual

 

[Doomanic]

Don’t knock it, before we adopted the EU Legislation of 25kmh it was 20kmh in the UK...

 

[Tori]

Don’t knock it, before we adopted the EU Legislation of 25kmh it was 20kmh in the UK...

I don't really get the UK legislation.
A decision on cycling made by a non cyclist no doubt as per usual

Same speed cutout here in Australia. Just be glad Gary, when you're cruising along flats etc, that you're sparing your battery. Upping the cutout will have a negative effect on battery life . . .

 

[njn]

And I thought 20 mph cut off was low.