Bosch Hub Line Motor Test: At the Ride On trade fair organized by the PON Group, Velomotion was able to test the new rear motor shortly before its official launch. And not just on flat terrain, but also on a climb that really put the electric motor to the test.
Back in 2010, people still had dreams: for example, that e-bikes would become cheaper as their popularity increased. This didn't come to pass – no wonder, since more technology and larger batteries simply cost more. The boom of the 2020s actually led to rising prices for the major manufacturers; at the same time, smaller brands with simpler motors and online sales gained ground in the €2.000 to €3.000 price range. When such manufacturers then disappear from the market – Ampler Bikes being a prime example – users are left high and dry: suddenly there's no one to contact for service and spare parts.
New full-power engines are putting pressure on the industry.
And recently, competition has also been growing in the full-power drive sector; just take the brand that has recently become active in Europe. AventonThe company offers e-bikes with powerful, well-tuned mid-drive motors and large batteries at very attractive prices. This also means that an e-trekking bike with a Bosch CX motor for €5.000 is no longer the be-all and end-all. What's needed, therefore, is an affordable e-bike from a reliable brand with a drive system also from an established supplier. And so, let's introduce the Bosch Hub Line motor, tested by Velomotion.de on the new Kalkhoff Endeavour 1 Move.
Bosch Hub Line: the highlights
- Hub motor with 45 Nm torque
- Mounting via thru-axle, no external cable runs
- Control via cadence sensor
- Two battery options – 360 and 550 Wh
- Compatible with derailleur gears, belt/singlespeed and belt/two-speed gearboxes
- Operation via Bosch LED Remote or Bosch Purion 200
Bosch Hub Line: new rear motor for affordable e-bikes
What's the unique selling point of the new motor? Clearly, Bosch hasn't offered a rear hub motor before. And therefore, no way to equip lightweight, affordable (urban) e-bikes. That's now possible with the lightweight, compact hub motor, which on the test bike disappears discreetly between the brake disc and the largest sprocket of the nine-speed cassette. The compact unit is said to deliver 45 Newton meters of torque; it's controlled by a sensor disc behind the front chainring that registers the cadence. The motor is secured to the frame with a modern thru-axle; the technically outdated cap nuts are a thing of the past. There are also no bulky cable runs, as are common with current hub motors, so the Bosch unit integrates harmoniously into the bike. There are no new control units – the LED Remote without a display or the Purion 200 with a display are the control blocks of choice for the rear-motor bike. You can read about the other new features Bosch has released along with the Hub Line hub motor here. These are the Bosch innovations for 2026!
Bosch combines the "Hub Line" with two batteries, 360 and 550 watt-hours, which, as usual, are removable and not (as with some light e-bike manufacturers) permanently integrated into the downtube. This is practical in use, but also means that the very sleek look of some rear-motor urban bikes isn't achievable with the new Bosch system. Our test bike, the Kalkhoff 1er Level, follows a different philosophy anyway: The North German manufacturer wants to offer a fully equipped e-trekking bike in a price range it hasn't previously been able to cover with Bosch mid-drive motors. Suspension fork and seatpost, LED lights, disc brakes, and a nine-speed derailleur, plus a system rack and an adjustable stem, leave nothing to be desired. Kalkhoff has only omitted one thing on the new model: Cables and hoses are not routed internally from the head tube. Furthermore, the Kalkhoff Endeavour 1 Move is only available in one frame style, but in five sizes. The high permissible system weight of 150 kilos is noteworthy.
Strong uphill performance despite moderately high torque
45 Nm of torque and a cadence sensor raise some skepticism: Can this translate into the familiar positive characteristics of Bosch drives? When starting off, the compact motor demonstrates a pleasant responsiveness; a delayed response to pedaling (as is sometimes the case with rear hub motors) is not really noticeable. The Bosch Hub Line also doesn't provide any noticeable surge of power. On flat terrain, the compact drive is therefore a pleasant companion, and it also impresses with its very low noise level.
The Achilles' heel of typical rear-mounted motors is, of course, climbing hills – firstly, because their torque isn't sufficient for steep sections, and secondly, because they tend to overheat under heavy load and then shut down automatically. However, the venue for the Ride On event, the Ewald coal mine in Herten, boasts a perfect test track: the Hoheward spoil heap with a climb of almost 100 meters over just over a kilometer. You hardly ever encounter such a climb in everyday riding; a motor that can handle that should therefore easily manage on average terrain.
So, up the artificial hill it is, albeit without a speedometer to show how fast you're going with the Bosch hub motor on a 10% incline. Progress is swift nonetheless; the chain isn't even on the largest sprocket of the cassette. Even at a moderate cadence, the small motor delivers enough power for the steep climb. However, if you try shifting to the smallest sprocket, the motor stops working, inevitably bringing the bike to a standstill – presumably to protect against overload damage. Therefore, it makes sense to use the full range of the 11-36 tooth cassette – the higher the cadence, the more efficiently the motor can operate, although you don't have to pedal like a racer.
Two-stage gearbox with toothed belt
In combination with a derailleur system, the new Bosch hub motor handles even extremely steep sections with remarkable ease. But what about other transmission options? Clearly, the rear motor isn't compatible with a classic internal gear hub. However, there is a two-stage transmission developed by Universal Transmissions in cooperation with Bosch and the belt drive manufacturer Gates. This unit is positioned between the motor housing and the pulley and is shifted mechanically using a trigger shifter. The difference between the two gears feels significant, with the transition from the starting gear to the high gear being quite smooth. Velomotion.de tested the Kalkhoff Image 1 Advance with this transmission option on the upper section of the Hoheward spoil tip at a gradient of approximately 6% – quite steep for urban terrain. The climb was manageable in the low gear, while the cadence was a bit too low in the high gear. In any case, the two-speed version is a well-functioning alternative, and thanks to the belt drive, it requires very little maintenance.
A little anecdote from the Netherlands: One might think that cycling there is perfectly possible without gears – and Kalkhoff does indeed offer its new Bosch model as a "singlespeed." But anyone familiar with the short, steep bridges over the canals in Amsterdam and elsewhere (some of which have traffic lights that force you to stop) knows that the typical gearing of a singlespeed bike simply won't cut it. Therefore, the innovative two-speed solution is the ideal compromise between a fully functional gear system and no gears at all.
Back to the starting point: What does a bike like the Kalkhoff Endeavour 1 Move actually cost? With a 360 Wh battery, the MSRP of the derailleur-equipped model is a mere €2.399; the larger battery adds €200 to the price. For comparison: Kalkhoff's current cheapest e-bike costs €2.999 The bike comes with a Bosch SX motor and a 400 Wh battery. It's safe to assume that more budget-oriented manufacturers will offer the Bosch Hub Line for well under €2.000, which makes things really interesting: Those who don't want to spend more on an e-bike no longer have to rely on potentially short-lived online companies, but can instead purchase reliable Bosch technology from specialist retailers. In a time of rising prices, that's truly good news.