Again, there isn't any right way to tour. But there are better ways than others. Want to use an electric trolling motor on your bike?
The Bosch system has well-understood advantages and disadvantages. I think you mean overlooked disadvantages. The advantage... you don't have to think. Buy the bike assembled, have it assembled, or do it yourself, and Presto you have an ebike. That Is a big advantage... but doesn't outweigh all the disadvantageous, at least not for me.
While the system is proprietary, there is a large and growing network of bike shops that can do repairs and maintenance on the drive system. I wouldn't know or care really, but doubt that greatly. If/when they do glitch LBSs will just replace the motor with a rebuild if it's still under warranty. If they built them right any owner should be able to swap motors also. Same as I did myself when my BBS02 started crying under load. It's not the maintenance I'm most concerned with, although I think you are wearing rose-colored glasses there too. LBS owners want to sell bikes, sell parts, and do minor maintenance not pull out a multi-meter and trace down a short somewhere. What dissuades me most is that I specifically don't want a frame that requires a specific motor, or any motor at all for that matter... let alone one that is less than 1/2 the h.p. I both want and need.
While underpowered, they are amazingly efficient and under reasonable touring conditions (Reasonable to whom? Have more capability, more capacity than you need rather than less.) you can get 75-80 mile range with the two small batteries. I'm sure there are people out there that can do 100s of miles without the batteries but that's not the point. Ridiculously expensive small batteries that will undoubtedly be overused, are designed to be overused and require premature replacement are just hard to defend, aren't they?
In Europe there are even charging stations for Bosch bike, and there is starting to be a good network of places where you can rent batteries for touring. I don't live in Europe anymore, I don't intend on living in Europe again, don't even plan on traveling to Europe let alone with my bike. Renting something I need to have to ride isn't an advantage to me, quite the contrary (seems to be my specialty), and the Bosch charging stations are probably going to charge to max capacity which I only want on rare occasions. If they let you charge at variable amperage and to any set voltage cool... but with the right batteries charging isn't much of a problem.
My own experience with belt drives (acoustic Co-Motion bikes) is that they are far superior to a chain driven bike in muddy or sloppy snow conditions. Or even in extremely dusty environments. My next e-bike will almost certainly have a belt drive. I was going to get the Gates belt but talked with several riders that have switched back to chains for long-duration riding because of logistics. They all kept them and ride them on other bikes of course. Regardless of chain or belt, you have to carry spares and belts are fragile and need to be babied when not under tension. Belts are way more problematic to change and tension properly and not many of your LBS can pull one off the shelf for ya should the need arise, unlike most chains. If I owned two bikes the other would have a belt-drive without doubt.
I do agree with you on the wimpy rotors.
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