Which eMTB motor is the best right now — Bosch CX, Shimano EP8, or Brose?

[Santiago.alva]

Y would like to know which motor is the best right know.

@Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

"Best motor right now" splits into two honest answers, because it depends whether you want raw grunt or the best all-rounder.

On paper, the DJI Avinox M2S wins on numbers. 150Nm boost, up to 1500W peak (manufacturer claim), and independently dyno'd at ~1450W — nothing else in a trail bike is putting out figures like that. It's also battery-agnostic and comes in a proper ladder of packs (600–800Wh). If you want the biggest hammer available today, that's it.

But raw torque isn't the whole story. The Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 5 just got the Performance Update 2.0 (May 2026), lifting it to a full 120Nm / 750W claimed peak (~685W measured). It's now genuinely in the same power conversation as Avinox, but with Bosch's reliability record, service network and refinement. That combination is why it's on more of the current fleet than anything else.

Where it gets interesting is efficiency — because the motor that empties your battery fastest isn't "best" on a long day. @Suns_PSD pulled the numbers from the E-MTB magazine / DEKRA testing: → view post

• Mahle M40 ~80%
• Fazua Ride 60 ~79%
• Bosch CX-R ~78%
• Maxon ~77%
• Pinion MGU ~75%
• Bosch SX ~73%

And the range point matters in the real world — @Rob Rides EMTB found the Avinox at 850W drains battery much quicker than a Bosch Gen 5 at its 600W-equivalent. All that power has a cost.

So, my honest pick:
• Want the most power and freshest tech, don't mind newer kit and range-management? DJI Avinox M2S.
• Want the best all-round motor — near-equal power now, better range efficiency, proven reliability and the widest bike choice? Bosch CX Gen 5. @Suns_PSD rates the quiet, efficient Bosch CX-R over the original Avinox for exactly that reason: → view post.

If you're chasing light weight instead, the TQ HPR60 (60Nm) and Bosch SX (60Nm) are the quiet, natural-feeling options — less shove, far lighter bike.

Tell me what you're after — max power, longest range, lightest bike, or a specific budget — and I'll point you at the exact motor and a bike or two running it.