Torque

[Vijay Judge]

Why doesn't Specialized post torque numbers? I would like to know the torque on the Specialized Turbo S? I happen to be a larger rider have tested many e-bikes and found that I need a bike with a nominal torque of 60nM or greater. It provides a greater confidence that it can propel me easily without undo stress to the motor.

 

[bazzapage]

Why don't you just try the bike and see if it meets your needs? The published specs on ebikes seldom help.

 

[Berry78]

Don't know if it helps, but I weigh 300lbs and found the turbo x to have plenty of oompf on the flat. (Didn't have any hills to try it on).

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Why doesn't Specialized post torque numbers? I would like to know the torque on the Specialized Turbo S? I happen to be a larger rider have tested many e-bikes and found that I need a bike with a nominal torque of 60nM or greater. It provides a greater confidence that it can propel me easily without undo stress to the motor.

Torque values can be very misleading.
Turbo S puts out meager 40Nm but packs a lot of punch. An electric motorcycle like Zero S also puts something like 40Nm. Mid-drives normally quote higher numbers but that doesn't mean anything.

 

[Ann M.]

Yes, @Vijay Judge, the torque numbers don't tell everything; however, they do tell a lot. If you check the Zero Motorcycles website, the 3 Zero S models are rated a much higher torques of 106 to 110 Nm, not 40Nm. However, there are a lot of factors that go into determining an ebike's ability to perform on hills or carry more weight and it's not all about torque. Check your specs and go and test ride a few different styles of ebikes, both hub motor & mid drive and then go think about how each responded while riding vs. the manufacturer's specs.

Consider, too what your expectations are for the performance of any particular brand of ebike- do you expect it to accelerate to max speed right away? or do you want a smooth start and strong pulling or climbing over a longer range. Both types exist but neither is necessarily better than the other or less capable, just different build; so the test ride is important.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Yes, @Vijay Judge, the torque numbers don't tell everything; however, they do tell a lot. If you check the Zero Motorcycles website, the 3 Zero S models are rated a much higher torques of 106 to 110 Nm, not 40Nm. However, there are a lot of factors that go into determining an ebike's ability to perform on hills or carry more weight and it's not all about torque. Check your specs and go and test ride a few different styles of ebikes, both hub motor & mid drive and then go think about how each responded while riding vs. the manufacturer's specs.

Consider, too what your expectations are for the performance of any particular brand of ebike- do you expect it to accelerate to max speed right away? or do you want a smooth start and strong pulling or climbing over a longer range. Both types exist but neither is necessarily better than the other or less capable, just different build; so the test ride is important.

Ann,
My apologies, it's the Brammo electric motorcycle. The 2017 have better rating and I have not been keeping up with the specs.
When I was researching, it was still quite low. Here is an image I had taken 2 years ago. Back in 2014, this was one of the "very good" electric motorcycles and produced 40Nm of torque.


Even the 2014 Zero S models put out a nominal of 45Nm to 55Nm ( the peak available torque at the optimal RPM was 90).



Compared to the Bosch CX 75Nm in such a small motor, it can be a very hard to understand how a 10Kw can me so measly.
Over an year ago, I had started this thread to discuss and found that the peak available torque depends a lot on the RPM, voltage and the characteristic torque band of the motor itself.

 

[Ann M.]

No kidding, @Ravi Kempaiah , our shop sold the Vectrix motorcycles, quite a monster on the road but a bear for repairs! They've come a long way since then fortunately.

 

[RRAPTRR]

I've wondered that as well. I had a FLX Attack that I sold shortly after buying, full suspension bike with 650W supposed output. However, it felt weak as hell!

Going to the Turbo Levo FSR, it has MUCH better low-end punch, though it's only rated at 530W output. Must be a higher torque motor!