Bosch 4th gen motor

[Alaskan]

It’s gonna happen. Just look at the idiots on this site constantly beating the higher speed drum. They should just buy e-motorcycles. They will run over some child or older woman and completely piss all the hikers, walkers, rangers, etc, etc. and then the limiting legislation will roll in.

No quick emoji for "I think you are right and I don't like it."

 

[Johnny]

Hi Rich,

Thanks for chiming in.

Here’s some more background. I’ll be carrying myself (6’3” 200 lbs) on my daily work commute when COVID-19 restrictions are lifted (so maybe 4-6 months). My commute includes a 10% grade incline for over a mile and I’d like to ensure the motor can handle the job. I’m not sure about this but I imagine the jump from 65nm torque (Bosch Performance Line Gen 3) to 85nm torque (Gen 4 motor) will make the commute easier so I’m trying to avoid investing in 4-year-old motor technology when Tern could easily introduce an HSD S11+ in a few months which utilizes newer motor tech.

I’ve setup a test ride for this week to test both models and will report back my findings.

You are overanalyzing it and you are probably new to ebikes.

Max torque number at the crank mean very little, mostly a marketing gimmick when presented without a vs cadence graph. May help on lower cadences but unless you are mountain biking that will not make a big difference. As long as you have a wide enough cassette to keep you at a high enough cadence (65+) they will climb similarly.
%10 percent is nothing, I do %20 on eco with a gen 2 Bosch cx. Depending on your fitness level the worst would be , you put it on emtb and you will not have any difficulty.

That being said, I would still get the gen 4 if possible but not because of the meaningless marketing torque numbers. The newer gen is lighter and easier to pedal without assistance, a bit smoother operation and use regular chainrings.

170mm crankset or 175mm? The one thing I'd change about the S11 is the size of the crankset. It comes with a 170mm but I've found that on declines that my RPMs are pretty high.

That is the crank arm length, it does not have an effect on your cadence. If you want to decrease your cadence at higher speeds go for a larger chainring.

 

[JimFMB]

I test rode 5 eBikes and ended up pulling the trigger on Tern HSD S11. It was by far the best quality bike I rode. My top 6 reasons:

1) Class 3 Bosch performanceLine Sport motor (28mph)
2) Magura brake system (MT5 4-piston on front, MT4 2-piston on back)
3) Shimano® Deore XT shifter/derailleur
4) Intuvia display (ability to power usb devices a big plus)
5) cane creek suspension seat post
6) Suntour Mobie a32 suspension fork

So far I am thrilled with S11.

I test rode 5 eBikes and ended up pulling the trigger on Tern HSD S11. It was by far the best quality bike I rode. My top 6 reasons:

1) Class 3 Bosch performanceLine Sport motor (28mph)
2) Magura brake system (MT5 4-piston on front, MT4 2-piston on back)
3) Shimano® Deore XT shifter/derailleur
4) Intuvia display (ability to power usb devices a big plus)
5) cane creek suspension seat post
6) Suntour Mobie a32 suspension fork

So far I am thrilled with S11.

Congratulations. Nice bike. We recently purchased an Electra Townie Vale with the class 3 performance sport motor and are very happy with it. The motor is quiet and responsive.
I am a little confused on why some commenters are encouraging the need to derestrict the motor when your bike is already a class 3 (28mph) motor.

 

[MLWilcox]

On the fence about getting a HSD S11. I test drove a P9 Performance yesterday and was blown away with the Bosch motor. I did not find the front suspension fork helpful at all. Maybe it was locked out? How have others found the fork? If I get a HSD it will be the S11.

 

[Alaskan]

That front suspension might have been locked out or it could have been set up for a heavier rider.