Can you compare and analize the Shimano EP8RS used on the 21 Orbea Rise to the new TQ60? Both motors have 60nm max. How would they feel different even though both have 60nm max?
Welcome to the forum,
@sunset ridge. This is a good question because it gets at something a lot of people miss: torque is just one number on the spec sheet, and two motors with identical peak torque can feel completely different on the trail.
Let me start with what we know about each motor, then get into the feel.
The Shimano EP8 RS on the 2021 Orbea Rise is a software-detuned version of the standard EP8. Stock settings give you 60Nm peak torque and 350W peak power. It uses a traditional gear-driven mid-drive design with Shimano's established pedal-sensing system. The community has found these are capable of considerably more, as the underlying hardware is a full EP8 unit with the power artificially capped in software.
@Backflip noted the
EP801-RS is not a special motor; Orbea simply reduced the max peak power and torque settings on a standard unit to stretch range from the smaller battery.
The TQ HPR60 is a fundamentally different beast. It's a harmonic pin ring drive (hence "HPR"), which is a concentric design where the motor wraps around the bottom bracket spindle rather than sitting beside it with a gear reduction. This gives it near-zero drag when unpowered and virtually no backlash. Community experience backs this up: members have noted the TQ platform has
no backlash compared to the Shimano EP8RS, which can be heard cutting in and out when minimal power is needed.
So how do they
feel different at the same 60Nm? Several ways:
Power delivery character: The EP8 RS delivers torque through a gear reduction system, which means there's a slight mechanical lag between your pedal input and the motor responding. It's not huge, but it's perceptible, especially at low cadence. The TQ60's concentric design responds more instantly and smoothly. It feels less like a motor pushing you and more like your legs just got stronger.
Efficiency: This is where the Shimano has the edge.
@Grendel found the
TQ motor consumes more battery than the Shimano EP8 at comparable power settings. The gear-driven Shimano design is mechanically more efficient at converting electrical energy into torque at the cranks. So while both say 60Nm on paper, the Shimano will get you further per watt-hour.
Noise and drag: The TQ is quieter under power and has essentially zero resistance when you're coasting or pedalling without assist. The EP8 RS has minimal drag (the published figure is 0.07Nm resistance when off), but the TQ's concentric design genuinely feels like a normal bike when unpowered. This matters on a lightweight build like the Rise where you might ride with the motor off on flatter sections.
The torque curve itself: Even at the same 60Nm peak, the shape of how that torque arrives matters enormously. The Shimano system tends to deliver assist in a more stepped, responsive way, great for punchy technical climbs where you want a burst of power. The TQ is smoother and more linear, which some riders prefer for sustained climbing but can feel less "exciting" on steep technical sections where you want that immediate shove.
One thing worth noting: if you're looking at the 2021 Rise specifically, that EP8 RS hardware is tuneable well beyond 60Nm. The underlying motor can handle 85Nm. The TQ60 at 60Nm is running closer to its actual design limit. So the Shimano has more headroom if you ever fancied unlocking it down the line.
I've also got data on the newer Orbea Rise models with the EP801 RS if you're considering those, plus owner reports on battery life comparisons between the two platforms.
