Product News / E-Performance: Numerous innovations for the Brose e-bike motors 2019 were announced as part of the Eurobike Media Days in Serfaus. In addition to a completely new motor, there are also updates for the existing drives and, for the first time, displays and controls directly from Brose.
Brose Drive S Mag – lighter, more compact, more powerful
It's been almost exactly a year since Brose presented its first dedicated E-MTB drive, the Drive S. With the new Brose Drive S Mag, the motor specialists are now introducing another variant that is not only significantly lighter, but also more powerful and dynamic. The previous Drive S remains in the range and is now called the Brose Drive S Alu.
At 2.900g, the new Brose Drive S Mag joins the ranks of the lightest e-bike drives. The secret of this lies primarily in the new housing, which is made entirely of magnesium and also gives the new drive its name. An absolute novelty in the e-bike sector! By switching to the new material, a lot of weight has already been saved, and a few design tricks have also allowed the dimensions to shrink again - the motor is therefore even smaller than the already compact predecessor.
So it has become smaller and lighter, the new Brose motor; Music to the ears of the frame designers, who face the great challenge of integrating the motor as efficiently and unobtrusively as possible with every e-bike. Brose continues to help here and strengthens its already excellent reputation as an OEM supplier for numerous bicycle manufacturers. The Drive S Mag is available in two different versions, one for the well-known vertical mounting, and one for horizontal mounting. This gives the engineers even more options to integrate the compact engine as elegantly as possible into the frame.
The inner workings were left untouched apart from a few adjustments to the electronics - two freewheels, which ensure decoupling over 25km/h, are also on board here. However, that doesn't mean that the Drive S Mag rides exactly the same as the well-known Drive S. With a maximum support of 410%, it even has a bit more power than its predecessor. This is made possible by a software adaptation that also brings the new, so-called Flex Power Mode. To put it simply, this is an additional support level that is based on slightly different algorithms than those previously known.
The cadence of the rider plays an even greater role in this new mode than before: if the cadence increases, the motor also delivers more power and does not drop, as is the case with many other drives such as the previous Drive S. This is particularly important on technical climbs. The new Progressive Pedal Response also helps here, thanks to which the motor should make more power available earlier and thus provide better support when starting uphill, for example. Both the Flex Power Mode and the Progressive Pedal Response are reserved for the Drive S Mag for the time being.
We will soon be examining the new engine in a practical test - the corresponding article will follow in the next few days.
New controls and displays for Brose e-bike motors 2019
But not only the heart of the engine is doing a lot at Brose 2019. There are also new features on the handlebars, i.e. the displays and controls. For the first time, completely own solutions are offered here in a complete package with the drive. The manufacturers can choose between three different setups - depending on the area of application. The maximally reduced variant consists only of a small remote that displays the support level and battery charge status via LED.
The middle ground consists of a unit consisting of a control panel and a compact display, similar to the Purion from Bosch or the new remote from Yamaha. If you want more information, you can use the new Brose Central – the large LCD display can be placed in the middle of the stem and operated via an external remote.
Brose Drive T – less power = more range
Last but not least, there are also changes to the established Drive T drive. The motor, which was developed and constructed primarily for touring and trekking, will from now on “only” deliver a maximum of 70Nm instead of the 90Nm as before. One or the other may ask why an already well-functioning engine is artificially curtailed. However, the reduction in performance is also accompanied by a significant increase in range - without the power becoming too little for the targeted area of application. Above all, the support curve should also be more harmonious with fewer load peaks.
first ride
Together with product manager "Yo" Volkmar Rollenbeck, we had the opportunity to test the new Brose Drive S Mag at the Media Days in Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis. For comparison, Volkmar Rollenbeck drove with the current Brose 1.3 engine. I was able to choose four support levels with this model. First of all – a prototype engine was installed in the test bike. This is a bit louder than in the later series version, since there is some free space between the motor and the housing and this increases the background noise. During the climb, Volkmar said that I should select the highest support level, shift into the same gear as him and then pedal next to him at the same time. Full throttle and lo and behold, I passed him very quickly - amazing!
Then he let me drive with the current Brose 1.3 engine. I clearly felt the 30% less support for the new Brose Drive S Mag. Here I also had the feeling of pushing myself and the motor to the limit during a steep incline and low cadence. The new Drive S Mag pulls up the mountain without difficulty, even at low cadence. As is typical for Brose, the new Drive S Mag felt very natural. I'm curious to see how the new Brose Drive S Mag will fare in the long-term test.