AJ, is our Boss Of Bikes and he’s kind of a big deal (according to him)! He’s been a bike tech for the past 10 years and has been messing about with bikes since he can remember. He has a keen eye for detail and is very patient and meticulous when fixing bikes. He rides a Riese and Muller UBN 5 almost everywhere with his trusty Vaude panniers and ABUS helmet

Bosch Vs Fazua - Which is the best ebike motor?

Big Market Players

Both Bosch and Fazua are big in the e-bike market, and whilst Bosch has a much larger brand awareness and can be found on far more bikes, Porsche’s purchase of Fazua in 2022, has made them a much larger player in the e-bike market. Like many, you may never have heard of Fazua, but they are a German ebike motor and battery manufacturer established a decade ago, which has a growing share of the sportier end of the e-bike market.

Power to Weight Comparison

Fazua claims market-leading power to weight outputs, and when you look at the stats, they are pretty healthy. If you are looking for a reasonably powerful system, which weighs as little as possible, Fazua motors put out 60Nm of torque and have a peak power output of 450 watts in a compact package, which weighs less than 2kgs. The batteries also claim market leading density, so you get 430Wh of energy in a small package, weighing just 2.3Kgs.

Bosch has recently responded to Fazua’s threat and brought out their own lighter-weight motor, the Performance Line SX. The motor has a peak power of 600w (in Sprint mode) and 55Nm of torque and weighs only 2kgs, whilst the battery has the same density as the Fazua battery at 2kgs for 400Wh of storage and is compatible with Bosch’s Powermore range extender at 250Wh.

Power, Range and Reliability

The Bosch Performance Line CX motor from Bosch still dominates the ebike market with its unrivalled reliability and power (600w peak and 85Nm of torque). The new Bosch Smart software platform also offers batteries up to 750Wh plus the option of attaching a range extender ‘bottle’ battery of 250Wh. The batteries and motors are not as lightweight (4.3kgs for a 750Wh battery and 3kgs for a CX motor), but they will give you plenty of power and range to cover all terrains and meet all your daily needs as well as fulfil long leisure rides at the weekend.

The batteries and motors are not as lightweight (4.3kgs for a 750Wh battery and 3kgs for a CX motor), but they will give you plenty of power and range to cover all terrains and meet all your daily needs as well as fulfil long leisure rides at the weekend.

Bosch uses a series of different head units and displays:

The Purion 200 display; built into the control unit, is small and simple.
The Intuvia 100 display; is a removable LCD display giving basic information.
The Kiox 300 display; is a removable colour display, which gives you a plethora of options and info, as well as turn-by-turn mapping and new dynamic display options.

The Kiox 500 display (pictured abobe); is a larger version of the 300
The Smartphone Grip; holds and charges your phone inductively. Offers the largest display as well as full mapping capabilities.

Apps

As well as the Fazua app, the Riese and Muller UBN range of bikes come equipped with the RX chip. This GPS/GPRS chip is plugged into the system and allows you to track your bike if it goes missing, it also comes with a mobile app which can be used as a heads-up display.

Bosch uses the Flow app for Android and iOS, this app allows you to adjust ride profiles, lock and unlock your bike and operate the Connect Module (optional Bosch GPS tracker). It also allows you to use your phone as a head unit display for full mapping (if you have the Kiox 300 or 500 mount).

Conclusions

So if you’re after solely market-leading power to weight, then Fazua might be the best option for you, but with the Bosch SX system hot on its heels, Fazua now has stiff competition from the biggest player in the e-bike market, with a proven track record for almost bomb-proof reliability.

Moreover, if you want maximum range and power to carry you and everything you want to carry uphill at the highest speeds and with less effort, then the Bosch CX Performance Line motor is still king of the castle.

Like the sound of Fazua? Check out the new Riese and Muller UBN Five Commute >>