Team Bafang wins at the 24 hour E-Bike race at the Nurburgring in Germany

[flymeaway]

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

Court J.

 

[Adrian]

So as I read that, there were 12 Bosch teams (using their middrive) and 1 Bafang team (using the new Max drive with the torque sensor I assume). And the Bafang team won. Pretty impressive I'd say.

 

[George S.]

Bafang has never really shown us much of a road map. No one really knows how the Max compares to the BBS02. The Max is not a bolt on option, so the build is different, but it still seems like something a small scale producer can use. Karmic's Koben is an example. Their Max equipped bike is still out into next year.

I'm not sure how well Bosch pricing works, at this point. It's taken Bafang something like 2 years to get here. And two years from now, if the Chinese economy doesn't implode, where will Bafang be?

Everything seems to favor a much lower cost structure, and for very capable bikes.

 

[Adrian]

One also has to wonder where all the other motor manufacturers were...

 

[Adrian]

"Everyone's impressed with what Nürburgring tests." With this slogan, the race track in the Eifel region promoted itself in the early years. A motto that still holds true today. The ups and downs throughout the Eifel region with more than 70 curves – each curve more surprising than the one before – helped to establish the Nürburgring's status as a legendary course. The "grande dame" of race tracks fascinates and engenders a lot of respect among all who drive or ride it.
Since 1927, the historic Nürburgring has experienced innumerable firsts. In 2014, another one was added: the 24h-eBike race – epowered by Bosch. "We want to make the sportive side of eBikes come alive because we are convinced of the idea of eBikes and athleticism," says Claus Fleischer, head of the product range Bosch eBike Systems, explaining the decision to expand the 24h-bike race at the Nürburgring to include an eBike category.
In principle, pedelecs with the most diverse drive concepts are permitted to enter the race, the maximal drive support system is 25 km/h. A special feature of the route: In contrast to the road bike and MTB variant, the eBike loop will include the "steep section" with a slope of 27%. This will make the 24h-eBike race into a test of stamina and endurance for the riders. And on the ascent "Hohe Acht" the electric tailwind will unfold its full potential – at the same time making it a unique riding experience. But individual muscle strength, fitness and stamina, too, will decide which team takes the lead in the end.

The Challenge
In the 24h-eBike race only teams of four with 25 km/h drives will be on the track. Curvy downhill sections demanding riding skill and slopes up to 27% require a great deal of muscle strength in spite of the electrical support. The 24-hour distance is also a challenge for the riders, teams and technology.

http://www.radamring.de

 

[Cameron Newland]

I've always wondered why Bafang didn't just enter with their BBS02 and sweep the event using 500W, but I assume that the event is limited to 250W or 350W in order to create a level playing field. I'm wondering if they were able to measure power and torque on dynamometers before the race to test and make sure that nobody was running a more juiced bike than anyone else. And just imagine how many batteries these teams went through in 24 hours!!!

 

[Adrian]

I've always wondered why Bafang didn't just enter with their BBS02 and sweep the event using 500W, but I assume that the event is limited to 250W or 350W in order to create a level playing field. I'm wondering if they were able to measure power and torque on dynamometers before the race to test and make sure that nobody was running a more juiced bike than anyone else. And just imagine how many batteries these teams went through in 24 hours!!!

According to the info page, "In principle, pedelecs with the most diverse drive concepts are permitted to enter the race, the maximal drive support system is 25 km/h." I didn't see any limit on wattage but I could have missed that - and, it's usually the 250W motors that have the 25km/h limit (though there would be nothing stopping any teams from limiting their 350W versions to 25 km/h if there were no wattage limit set. Still, the Bosch has a torque rating of 50 to 60Nm and the Bafang Max drive supposedly has 80Nm - on those extreme hills on the Nürburgring that's got to make a difference especially over 24 hours.

 

[Adrian]

Here's some amateur video of the Bafang tent at the race - you get a glimpse of the bikes they used;

I can't really find anything more in-depth about the bikes they used or race though which is a pity.

 

[Allan47.7339]

Need to see how "human" motors were spec'd. I am sure they were a significant difference too.