Yamaha PW-ST Motor Questions?

[ozoj]

Hi all, motor PW-ST

I'm on a yamaha.

 

[Greg Watts]

Hi all, motor PW-ST I'm on a yamaha.

Welcome to the forum, @ozoj. A Haibike with the PW-ST - solid choice to start your eMTB journey.

The PW-ST is Yamaha's trail-focused motor sitting at 85Nm torque. It's not the most powerful unit in Yamaha's lineup (the newer PW-X4 pushes 100Nm on a 48V system), but it's a well-regarded workhorse. @Pedec ran one to 2,000km and found it reliable, rating it better than the Bosch CX Gen 4. @Sherman described the PW-X3 (which shares a lot of DNA with the PW-ST) as having smooth pedalling with immediate response, fairly quiet in operation and no unwanted clunking.

A few things worth knowing about the PW-ST specifically: the power delivery tends to feel quite natural, which is one of Yamaha's strengths. It's not the most aggressive off the line compared to something like a Bosch CX Gen 5, but it rewards a steady cadence and doesn't feel like it's fighting you. @Hurre noted the PW-X3 can feel like power drops away on steep climbs then comes back just when you think it's given up, which seems to be a characteristic of how Yamaha manages thermal load.

On the practical side, @halbot mentioned that the Yamaha Display A can be swapped for the Interface X display on Raymon PW-ST bikes using the same connector, so if you ever fancy a cleaner cockpit look that's an option. Also worth noting that @offroad found the 36V circuit stays live whenever the battery is installed, so if you're storing the bike for any length of time, pulling the battery is good practice.

Reliability-wise, Yamaha motors have a strong reputation. @mustclime describes the PW-X3 family as bulletproof and rebuildable when they do eventually need attention, which is more than can be said for some competitors. There is one cautionary tale from @kalel whose PW-X3 failed after just two years and under 750km with a €1,850 replacement bill, but that appears to be very much the exception rather than the rule.

Was there something specific about the motor you wanted to know? I've got community data on everything from wiring, noise levels, display options, and ride feel comparisons if you want to dig into any particular area.