Bosch have been working hard to create a user friendly 'on the fly' charger for their Bosch eBike battery packs. Today we announce the new 12v cigarette socket charger available. No longer do you have to use an inverter to charge your Bosch eBike battery pack in your car. The feedback from more serious customers to Bosch was that they would prefer the ability to be able to charge Bosch eBike batteries from their car. This is particularly useful for midday charges out on the trail or those who wish to charge their battery packs whilst out on the move. The neat new charger works seamlessly with later Bosch Active & Performance batteries, both 300Wh, 400Wh, frame mount & pannier rack mounted power packs. Its the same size as the original small Bosch charger but instead of the mains head on one end it features a direct plug 'n' play 12v socket to fit directly into every vehicles cigarette lighter socket. The cabling is also a lot shorter as you don't need so much length to reach the bike, you can tuck the battery away inside the car whilst on charge. The small unit weighs just shy of 800g and is easily stowable. For older Bosch Classic+ batteries, this new travel charger can also be used in conjunction with the Bosch Classic+ to Performance adapter here. We expect charging to take a little longer than when using ordinary 240v mains. Interestingly the new charger also features an internal discharge protection system for the vehicles battery to prevent it from completely discharging. Also we will take this opportunity to advise all customers to not leave their battery in direct sunlight, especially in the coming summer months, cars can heat up quite extravagantly and leaving your power pack in direct sunlight will cause further heat. Its not good for the battery to charge abnormally hot. So we suggest placing the battery on charge out of the way of direct sunlight and just leave the window ajar to allow a little breeze to flow through the car. In stock today! To learn more or to order yours click here - Bosch Travel Charger
So many of you may have used the new Bosch Nyon eBike computer by now, some of you may even own a Bosch Nyon equipped eBike. Learn 10 secrets you may not know about the functionality of the latest electric bike computer from Bosch. Some of this you may already know, but some of it is a little hidden within the Bosch Nyon system itself. E-bikeshop gives you a quick guide of these features. We bet you'll learn at least one thing you didn't know before about the new Bosch Nyon system features! 1) Use 'Ambient Light' for screen brightness Bosch have integrated transflective properties into the Nyon head unit's LCD display. If you haven't noticed, look closely directly above the joystick, there is a small light sensor (Highlighted in red circle below). This detects how bright the screen should be, for example if you are indoors, outside & at night time. You can automatically turn this on within the Settings tab on Bosch Nyon here: 2) Customise your ride screens Did you know that once connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth you can customise your ride screens with any preferential ride data you may want on the Nyon's 'Ride Screen'. This includes many features from Speed, Distance right through to feet climbed. Here's a great example: 3) Set the Home Button to a preferred screen You can actually alter what the 'Home Button' (highlighted below) does when pressed. Go into the settings within Nyon & select your preferred screen to navigate to with the use of the 'Home Button': 4) Use Nyon to map distance by battery capacity Why not make use of the Bosch Nyon's GPS receiver. You can actually produce a map of how far you can go depending on your Bosch battery capacity and current usage. This will re-adjust every 15 seconds and is based roughly on the last mile & riding conditions. To find this go into the 'Map & Navigation' Screen, then scroll right into the sub menu and select 'Battery Range'. Example here: 5) Create your own assistance levels Fed up of the pre set 4 modes? - Eco, Tour, Sport & Turbo. Do you like to tinker? Did you know that you can create your own assistance levels? You can customise up to 4 of your own modes, for example you can create different modes for fitness training or particular routes. Custom assistance modes are indicated in yellow as opposed to the normal blue bars as standard: 6) Automatically reset trip values Resetting the previous trip values before every ride can be tedious. Did you know you can set Nyon to automatically reset the last ride metrics every day at midnight? This wont delete all your map and fitness data, but will reset the basics of the 'Ride Screen' like trip distance, average speed & trip time etc. Do this by scrolling down to 'Auto Reset' within the 'My Nyon' tab in the Settings menu: 7) Use Bosch Nyon to determine effective fitness training When you set up the Bosch Nyon system for the first time, it takes certain physical fitness data from you, the rider. It then uses this data to determine your own personal performance profile. Did you know that all the time you are riding, Nyon tracks both navigation and fitness data in the background, even if you are not using the fitness or navigation features. This is then compared to your stored fitness data & displays the effect of your current physical endurance. Whilst riding this effect is displayed as the 'Training Effect'. This will change depending on the level of activity you are performing during the ride. Handy to keep an eye on because it will even tell you if you are Overreaching. The example below shows that we are 'Maintaining Fitness': 8) Use Nyon to predict your overall cost saving You may have noticed in the 'Dashboard' screen, that Bosch Nyon will track savings on CO2 and monetary values against using your car for example. Although a little gimmicky, you can even tell how many tree's you have preserved!. It goes further than this though, rather than just your current ride, did you know that you can see your overall data, since you very first stepped over your new eBike. To do this scroll right on the 'Dashboard' screen into the sub menu, then scroll to display over longer timescales: 9) Its easier to use your phone to create routes Although the Bosch Nyon display and controls are easy to navigate and intuitive, its much easier to use the smart phone app to create destinations and select routes, with a full keyboard. Did you know you can also preset a work address as well as your home address? Once created, choose if you would prefer a Scenic, Fast or Short route, then fire it straight over to your Nyon using bluetooth: 10) See incoming text messages on screen Once you link the Bosch Nyon system to your smartphone via the application. You can be alerted when an incoming text message comes through directly on the Bosch Nyon Display. This means you'll never miss a meeting again! For safety Bosch won't allow you to read the message until you have stopped cycling, it just alerts you: That sums up our top 10 hidden features of the Bosch Nyon system. Hope you enjoyed the read & most of all learnt something. E-bikeshop are fully trained Bosch technicians both in terms of the mechanical side and the software itself. We have been trained by Bosch themselves on multiple training courses throughout the year. Not tried it yet? Book an appointment with us to come as see this latest tech, or view the full range of Bosch Nyon equipped bikes here. Dont forget to stay glued to our blog for more updates, we are adding articles all the time. We have many more articles already live for you to learn more here. Coming Soon: How to use Bosch Nyon Music Player.. N.B: You must have the 'Bosch eBike Connect' application installed on your smartphone to use features 2, 5, 9 & 10 above. Some features require a one off in app purchase.
So with the new Bosch Nyon system now on our shelves for 2015, a lot of customers are asking if the new Bosch Nyon system can be retro fitted to their existing electric bike? E-bikeshop explains.. We have been testing the new Bosch Nyon satellite navigation advanced display for some time at e-bikeshop.co.uk. Its certainly a revelation in the eBike world, with features like smart phone integration, fitness tracker & sat nav mapping. We have the full article of Nyon features here. Many have been asking if this system can be retro fitted to their existing Bosch eBike? Well today we reveal all, as we manage to reverse fit the custom head unit onto a Haibike that comes as standard with the Bosch Performance Intuvia controls. So it can be done with some Bosch experience! Does Nyon work on all Bosch eBikes? Yes: Nyon will now work with both Active and Performance Line eBikes from 2014 onwards. You can tell what Bosch motor you have by checking the model year first. Most 2014 bikes come fitted with the later Bosch 250w motor. Nyon is not currently compatible with S Pedelec 350w Motor versions. How did we upgrade to Nyon? Firstly we need a 'donor' Bosch electric bike, to perform the upgrade on, we chose the Haibike NDURO PRO 2014 model that comes equipped with the Bosch Intuvia display as standard. Then, the easy bit, we fit a new Nyon head unit display and control buttons by taking off the old controls and installing the new control buttons with the little navigation thumb control on board and Nyon LCD display. Once fitted when you turn the Nyon head unit on; the Bosch system will immediately flash up with an error code. Error 414: 'This eBike is not equipped for the use of Nyon". You cannot operate any of the functions when the system is in this state. Now the difficult bit, we connect to our in house Bosch diagnostics computer and fool the diagnostics into thinking the electric bike comes as standard with Nyon. We can't go into too much detail here but it involves many software remaps to ascertain the correct functionality & container file. The photo above shows the programming in progress once we have the correct software map in place. Once done we can unplug the system, re start it & Voila! We have a working Nyon system on our 2014 Haibike. We have tested this and all functions can be used as new. We can also save the old container file in case you ever want to go back to the original Intuvia display. We can flash the original software back onto the eBike without any problem. When is Nyon available to upgrade? At present Bosch are not supplying the parts separately for users to upgrade their Intuvia displays. The Nyon head unit and control buttons are only available on a warranty 'like for like' replacement to support Nyon users at present if they damage their original controls. We are told by Bosch that this should be possible to purchase separately later in the year. http://youtu.be/jk9pnOmjLqg We will be allowing our EXISTING CUSTOMERS ONLY the option for us to upgrade their current Bosch Performance system Intuvia Display to the Nyon LCD & Controls within our Bosch workshops, by our Technicians. As usual we are not offering this service to anyone who has not purchased their bike from us. For more information why we only serve our customers, please read in the F.A.Q Here. UPDATE: Nyon can now be upgraded for our existing customers. You can upgrade the kit yourself by ordering the complete Nyon system here. It is also possible to upgrade when ordering new bikes for a reduced cost by selecting this as an option on the bike pages.
On a daily basis I get calls asking what the differences between the Bosch & Yamaha electric bike systems are? What system is better you may ask? Well this is the full article that explains and compares each eBike system side by side. Bosch and Yamaha eBike systems work in a very similar way - They both operate using 250w crank drive electric bike motors. So let's see exactly what the differences are. We will start from the beginning. *** This article has been updated in spring 2016 to accommodate the new revised Bosch & Yamaha systems for 2016 model years onwards *** Who are Bosch? Bosch are a very large multinational company that bring a whole manner of products to market. They began researching and developing eBike systems many years ago, they brought their first electric bike system to market in 2010. The Bosch system has been constantly developed and improved as time has gone on. The latest eBike system is the Bosch Performance line so this is the one we will directly compare today. The Bosch system is now used in over 50 leading bike brands across Europe. Who are Yamaha? Yamaha was founded in 1955 and predominantly built motorcycles for the Japanese market. Today they make anything from eBike systems to Jet Skis with a wide product portfolio under their belt. It was back in 1993 when Yamaha released their first eBike system. This was a massive success. Yamaha now manufacturer over 300,000 electric bike systems a year and, to date, their system is implemented on over 2.7 million eBikes worldwide.In Europe the latest version of the Yamaha system is just used on both the Haibike sDuro range and the Lapierre Overvolt range of electric bikes. Let's compare the components across both systems Battery Comparison Bosch and Yamaha both use 36v Lithium Ion 400Wh batteries. Built using the latest technology to give the maximum range and longevity. Notice how similar they are in shape, also they both incorporate a carry handle at the top.Both batteries have LED lights on board to show the user the remaining capacity. Also the batteries are frame mounted on the down tube. The Yamaha & Bosch batteries lock into place using a key mechanism for security. The difference in mounting is that the Bosch battery slots in from the top down, whereas the Yamaha battery slots in at the bottom first then pushes in from the side. One benefit to this is that the battery can be mounted in smaller frames as there is no need for that extra room at the top when mounting.Also the Bosch battery sits in its own little cradle attached to the frame approx 1 inch up from the motor whereas the Yamaha battery is placed directly into the top of the motor. The Yamaha battery also features a small shock absorber so the battery does not rattle over bumpy terrain. Battery specifications, comparison side by side - Bosch Battery Yamaha Battery Capacity 400Wh / 11 Ah 400Wh / 11Ah Voltage 36 V 36 V Security Key Lock Key Lock LED Status 5 Lights (20%) 4 Lights (25%) Weight 2.6 kg 2.9 kg Type Lithium Ion Lithium Ion Warranty 2 yrs / 500 Full Cycles 2 yrs / 700 Full Cycles Op Temp -5 to 40 degrees -20 to 60 degrees So as you can see from the specs, the Yamaha & Bosch batteries are very similar, the Yamaha is slightly larger in size than the Bosch, the Yamaha battery is also approx 300 grams heavier. The Bosch has 5 LED lights to show capacity in 20% stages whereas the Yamaha battery shows it with 4 LEDs in 25% increments. Battery range in average conditions, comparison side by side - Bosch Battery Yamaha Battery Low 80 miles / 130 km 80 miles / 130 km Medium 50 miles / 80 km 53 miles / 85 km High 37 miles / 60 km 43 miles / 70 km Average 57 miles / 90 km 59 miles / 95 km As you can see the range predictions of each system are very close, the Yamaha system appears to offer a little more in the Medium / High area although this is marginal and they both average very similar. It's also worth pointing out that both Yamaha & Bosch batteries can be charged on or off the electric bike.Both Yamaha and Bosch offer a 2 year warranty on their electrics, Yamaha offer more 'Full' charge cycles than Bosch although remember that this is just the warranty, we expect the battery's overall lifespan to be a lot longer. User Interface Comparison The user interface and controls on each system are very similar in both size and operation. Both units have LCD backlit displays and use an additional button user control for the rider to navigate the settings without their hands leaving the handlebars. The Yamaha head unit is slightly taller than the Bosch display, it's also thinner in design, they both clamp on either side of the stem suitable for both 25.4mm & 31.8 handlebars. The control buttons are similar in size, and clamp on in similar ways. The actual LCD display area is slightly larger on the Yamaha system, each unit is easy to navigate and user friendly. The units are displayed in a clear, easy to read manner. Both head units can be removed from the bike, so when the bike is not in use or locked up somewhere the display can be removed and stored easily in your pocket, meaning no one can pinch it. Where the units do differ is that the Bosch system can be controlled on the head unit itself. You can navigate the settings, reset parameters, turn the lights on and of course power the system on/off. Control unit functions, comparison side by side - Bosch Controls Yamaha Controls LCD Yes Yes Backlit Yes Yes Display Buttons Yes No Control Buttons Yes Yes Clamp Size 25.4 / 31.8mm 25.4 / 31.8mm Removable Yes Yes Walk Function Yes Yes Light Function Yes Yes The remote buttons on the Bosch unit can navigate the information displayed, scroll up and down the assistance levels and also use the 'Walk Function'. The Bosch head unit can be turned on and scroll through the saved parameters when off the bike. The Yamaha display cannot be operated when off the bike, in fact it dims the screen and turns into a pocket watch when removed from the eBike. Obviously the display has no buttons on it so it can only be controlled via the remote buttons when it's connected to the bike. Both Yamaha and Bosch systems have a walk assist mode controlled by the remote buttons, so if the rider is walking beside the bike, the walk function can be used to push the bike along with little effort. Computer parameters, comparison side by side - Bosch Parameters Yamaha Parameters Assist Levels 4 4 Battery Bar 5 Scale 10 Scale Range in Miles Yes Yes Power Meter Yes Yes Cadence Meter No Yes Clock Yes Yes Thermometer No Yes Odometer Yes Yes Trip Distance Yes Yes Trip Time Yes Yes Maximum Speed Yes Yes Average Speed Yes Yes Gear Up Shift Yes No Language Adj Yes Yes Units MPH & KM/H MPH & KM/H Both Bosch and Yamaha displays offer similar parameters on their displays, the only differences are that Yamaha offer a more in depth battery capacity bar, a cadence meter and a thermometer. The latest Bosch Performance software update offers the use of a gear shift indicator for maximum efficiency. The LCD displays a small arrow to the user when it feels you could be making better use of a higher gear. This can be turned on or off in the settings menu.Both Bosch and Yamaha controls have a micro USB output for charging auxiliary items like a mobile phone or gps unit. You can use this cable to convert either Bosch or Yamaha to a Female USB output. Motor Comparison Both Bosch and Yamaha use 250w crank drive motors, they are integrated into the bottom bracket area and drive on the crank which gives full use of the gears and a natural efficient feel for the rider. Bosch and Yamaha use high performance crank drive systems that optimise the use of 3 sensors - Cadence, Torque & Speed. These sensors are measured 1000's of times a second to create a very responsive, efficient & natural rider experience.You will notice both the Yamaha and Bosch motors are similar shapes. They are also similar sizes. In fact the Yamaha motor is slightly smaller than the Bosch. The Yamaha motor is also approximately 500 grams lighter than the Bosch. The Bosch motor is internally geared, so it features a small drive sprocket. This sprocket turns 2.5 times to each crank rotation. This enables a higher ground clearance but still offers standard gear ratios. It's also near impossible for the chain to come off. You will notice the Yamaha motor uses a regular size sprocket and the drive is not internally geared. Yamaha have created this system to be compatible with a double ring set up on the front so you can have a larger gear ratio between the 2 sprockets. The Bosch uses a ISIS crank fitment whereas the Yamaha drive uses a square taper crank fitting. Motor specifications, comparison side by side - Bosch Motor Yamaha Motor Rating 250w 250w Torque 75Nm 70Nm Max Assistance 300% 280% Drive Sprockets 1 1 or 2 E.I Compatible No Yes Light Outputs Yes Yes Assisted Speed 15.5 mph / 25 kph 15.5 mph / 25 kph Weight 3.8 kg 3.5 kg Very similar specifications between both manufacturers. The Bosch Performance CX drive does have a little more torque and assistance in Turbo mode, we list a continuous torque figure but the Yamaha drive will actually peak at a whopping 80Nm!Yamaha advertise a quicker power delivery, so the user doesn't have to get a pedal in. Although the power curve is smoother on the Bosch system. Yamaha call this instant power 'zero cadence', it is there right from the off.Both Yamaha & Bosch systems allow the integration of lighting outputs. Something the Bosch does offer that is not mentioned in the table is a pedal back brake function, although this is not generally used in the UK. The Bosch motor also has gear shift detection so it reduces the power slightly when the user is changing gear to save wear on the drivetrain.On a side note you'll also notice the Yamaha system has been made E.I (Electronic Suspension) compatible. This is featured for the first time on some of the new sDuro Haibike's - the AllMtn RX & the AllMtn PRO. Battery Charger Comparison The battery chargers between Bosch and Yamaha are similar in that they have a low recharge time and are both mains operated 240v chargers. You will notice that the Yamaha charger is longer than the Bosch charger, Yamaha's overall size is a little bigger than Bosch's. The Yamaha charger is IPX4 water resistant.Both Bosch and Yamaha batteries can be charged when mounted in the bike or with the battery removed. When mounted on the bike the Bosch battery is charged through a charging port in the battery holder bracket. When the battery is removed it can also be charged directly by plugging the charger into the bottom of the battery.Whereas Yamaha's battery is charged through the same socket be it with the battery in or out of the frame.Battery charger specifications, comparison side by side - Bosch Charger Yamaha Charger Weight <800g 800g Charge Time 3.5 hrs 3.5 hrs Input Voltage 220-240v 220-240v Input Amps 1.5A 1.3A Output Voltage 32v 42v Output Amps 4A 3.6A Frequency 50/60Hz 50/60Hz Air Vents No No Dimensions L190 W86 H54mm L184 W86 H50mm Charge Temp 0 to 40 degrees 0 to 45 degrees Mains Plug Yes Yes The above recharge times are approx and based on the 400Wh batteries. This recharge time is from fully discharged to fully charged. Each charger can recharge the battery to approx 70-80% in 1.5 hours. Each charger can be used with a DC to AC inverter, for example if you wish to recharge the batteries in a motorhome or car using the cigarette lighter socket (inverter purchased separately). Battery and Motor Integration Compared As previously mentioned the Bosch and Yamaha systems are mounted in very similar ways, the headunit and control buttons are mounted in identical positions. The motors are of course crank drive; so they are integrated into the bottom of the bike's frame where the bottom bracket would normally be. As you can see the Yamaha motor is a little smaller when integrated into the frame, although the Yamaha battery is longer than the Bosch battery pack. As you can also see, the Yamaha motor sits directly into the top of the motor casing whereas Bosch's battery sits in its own holder mounted to the frame above the motor.Both have plastic protective skid plates on the Haibike in particular (not on all manufacturers' eBikes). Notice on the model pictured the Yamaha has the larger chainring and it's a double whereas the Bosch uses the smaller single drive sprocket. Each system gives a similar & good ground clearance. To sum up - What do we think? The specs across each system are very similar. Hence why we spent the time to write this article to delve a little deeper into the actual differences. Having used and ridden both systems there are certain features that we like on both..Integration and look -We prefer the head unit integration on the Bosch system, it certainly feels firmer than the Yamaha head unit display bracket. The bracket and the cable routing are a lot tidier too. The Yamaha display is a little more flimsy in comparison and the side control buttons feel more 'plasticy'. Hard to explain but the Bosch kit just feels more 'German'. It appears and feels better quality; that said it is a slightly dearer system to purchase. Both systems look pretty good in the way they are integrated into the frames. The Yamaha system does seem a little smaller and more integral to the bike. It's nice that the battery inserts from the side too so that we can offer the system in smaller frames, something which hasn't always been possible with the Bosch system. Also we like the fact that the Yamaha has the small shock absorber at the bottom of the battery to soak up any bumps, although after extensively riding each system we don't feel this is an issue on either. Actual ride time - When it comes to riding the bikes, they are both very much on par with each other and definitely two of the best systems around. The Yamaha certainly feels a little more powerful in respect of torque, with the power coming in just a second or so earlier than the Bosch motor, although when both motors are up to a decent RPM they feel just as efficient as one another. We like the fact that the Yamaha system allows the use of 2 chainrings at the front. Although we don't feel it essential on a crank drive electric bike, some users do prefer to have a larger array of gears, particularly when using the bike off power. However we can see why Bosch have opted for the smaller single ring option to increase ground clearance and make it near impossible for the chain to come off. Both systems are very easy to use, ride and navigate through the various assistance levels & functions on board. We like the fact that Yamaha breaks down the remaining battery capacity into more increments, it gives the rider more of a sense of what is remaining. But both work well in comparison to other systems on the market. Although the Bosch display breaks down the assistance levels to 4 as opposed to 3 on the Yamaha, we didn't feel that this had too much effect in the actual riding. That said we were comparing the 2 systems off road, an extra level of adjustment on the Bosch display could possibly come in handy, for longer distance touring for example.Small factors worth mentioning -The ISIS crank axle is our preferred mounting method for the cranks to the motor axle. The Bosch motor uses the ISIS drive setup & the Yamaha the square taper type. We much prefer the size of the Bosch charger as it's smaller than the Yamaha and would be easier to carry around to extend any range. The Yamaha charger is just a fraction on the large size for our liking. Also the Bosch charger has little rubber feet on the bottom, which is such a small factor but it stops it sliding off the workbench as easily. Worth pointing out that the Bosch system can be updated by the dealer via the USB diagnostics socket. We like this because it means future updates are always possible and likely to bring new features. The Yamaha system is set out the factory and not updateable. Bosch or Yamaha - Which is better? Now that's a toughie, again there are certain features we like on each system, we would suggest, rather than buy a bike dependent on the drive system used, steer more towards thinking about the style and specification of the electric bike that you require. You may even end up with 2 very similar bikes one using Bosch & the other using Yamaha. At this point it's time to give us a call and book an appointment to physically ride both systems, also have a look for yourself at the quality and integration. You can then make the decision as to what suits your requirements better. You'll be impressed with both Yamaha & Bosch eBike systems, as are we! Click here to view our range of Bosch & Yamaha eBikes Riding the new Bosch & Yamaha eBike systems in Schweinfurt, Germany
We are proud to announce that e-bikeshop.co.uk have a working tuning dongle kit to derestrict the 15mph cut off speed on all Yamaha powered electric bikes. For the past few years we have been extremely successful with our exclusive Bosch tuning kits that derestrict the electric bike so that you can reach assisted speeds of over 15mph.We can now use similar technology on our new Yamaha eBikes arriving shortly. These kits work in a similar way but plumb in differently. Not something you have to worry about as we do the hard work for you for free! How does it work? Basically the Yamaha speed tuning dongles trick the system into thinking its going half as fast as it actually is. This allows you the rider to pedal past the 15mph barrier and reach speeds up to 30mph assisted. Although a simple format, the technology behind it is a little more complicated! But you need not worry. How do you use it? All you have to do is plug it in when you want the bike derestricted. We plumb the wiring kit into the Yamaha bike before it leaves the workshop. Can you revert it back to normal? Yes of course, just unplug it. The cable kit remains but the bike reverts back to normal. When you want it to go faster just plug it back in. Where can I use the Speed Tuning Kit? Obviously the UK law states that eBikes should only be assisted to 15mph. Therefore the speed tuning kit is strictly for off road (private land) use only. Are there any side effects to using the kit? Yes the speed is halved on the display, therefore you have to double it for a true reading. For example if the display reads 12mph, you are actually going 24mph.. Simple! When you unplug the dongle it reverts back to standard. Why would I want to go faster than 15mph? Really the question is why not?.. But in all seriousness, it can be frustrating hitting the 15mph barrier, particularly off road when you are really going for it and the assistance backs off.Also a lot of people can average faster than 15mph, therefore the majority of their ride the rider is just riding a slightly heavier bike around with no assistance. The Tuning kit is the answer to sit at a comfortable speed assisted. Can I retrofit this to my Yamaha eBike? No, the tuning kit is exclusively available to our own customers. Just add the Yamaha electric bike of your preference together with the tuning kit to the basket, your bike will be set up with the tuning kit installed prior to leaving our workshops.If you decide not to get one at first, this is a not a problem, as long as you have your original bike sales receipt from us we can fit one for you at a later date, maybe free service time? Can I order the Yamaha Tuning Kit on its own? Yes you can, however it will not be dispatched. It has to be fitted by our workshop technicians exclusively on our own eBikes. Remember you can unplug it, so to save a journey you could have it fitted from new, but unplug it for your first few rides. Then plug it in when you are comfortable with how the eBike performs.The Yamaha Tuning Dongles can be found here.Or why not take a look at our full range of Yamaha powered eBikes here.
Breaking News: We @e-bikshop visited Haibike in Schweinfurt to be one of the first to be introduced to and test the new Yamaha eBike system. This will be coming to the UK in the new 2015 sDURO electric bike line up. This new Yamaha system results from Haibike uniting with Yamaha to bring a whole new product range to the market. More can be read about this here - Haibike unite with Yamaha to bring new eBike system to European market. Scroll to the bottom of the page to view the exclusive prototype images e-bikeshop took whilst in Germany. Yamaha new to the Electric Bike scene? Yamaha have been in the eBike game for a long time, over 10 years in fact! They were one of the first manufacturers to introduce a crank drive electric bike system. But they never really left Japan. Yamaha actually has 53% of Japan's market share and had to date has produced over 2.7 million systems. So they really know what they are doing! Basically what we are getting at is although they seem fairly new to us, in Europe, they have been tried and tested and developed over many years to bring a whole new system to market. Yamaha eBike Series Overview Although already established in the market in Japan, the Yamaha eBike system has now united with the Winora Group (who own Haibike). Haibike have developed the new system alongside Yamaha to make several changes in terms of battery mounting and integration. Winora will also act as the service partners for Europe & will offer full service support, warranty and backup spares. The freshly developed system will be found in the new Haibike sDURO line up of eBikes for the 2015 season. Let's talk a little more in detail about the new Yamaha system and some of its features. We will break it down into the individual components. Yamaha Drive Unit The new Yamaha eBike motor is small and compact for a crank drive unit. It weighs in at just 3.5kg making it one of the lightest motors available on the market today. Yamaha have made the motor very unit slim and allowed the use of both single and double rings. This is handy for anyone looking for that extra gear on the climbs! The drive unit is a 250w motor, so it complies with European law. It offers support up to 25 km/h (15.5mph), obviously the rider can travel faster but with no further support from the motor beyond this speed. The new Yamaha drive unit offer an impressive 70Nm of torque which is claimed to actually peak at 80Nm! This is one of the most powerful units on the market and certainly packs a punch straight from the off. Also power is delivered in less stages than other systems to the crankshaft meaning there is no 'extra' gearing within the motor, so it can pull all this torque instantly. This also helps keep the actual overall size of the motor to a minimum. Yamaha market this as a '0 Cadence' system, meaning you do not have to get the motor up to speed with a few pedals, the power is there, instantly, every time. Yamaha Battery and Charger The charger is water resistant and operates at a frequency of 50/60Hz and allows an input voltage of 220-240v. It outputs at approximately 42 volts at a current of 3.6 amps. Although the prototype charger we handled had a European plug head, we are told by the product manager that by the time of release it will be available with a UK plug for the British market. The new Battery Pack from Yamaha has been totally redesigned. Haibike have been working with Yamaha for the past 2 years to develop the shape and integration of the battery. You can view how the battery is integrated in our exclusive gallery below. Interestingly Haibike have developed the Yamaha battery so that can be inserted from the side. This is a big improvement allowing the battery to be more integrated into smaller frames and does not have to allow a couple of inches of space above the battery to clip it in. The battery is available in one variant - 400Wh (11A). Interestingly when we probed the product manager about the true capacity of the battery pack, he said that most of the batteries were actually coming out at approx 420Wh, but they list them as 400Wh to be on the safe side! We learned that the battery had been tested for range on the 'Official Extra Energy Testing Route' in Germany. This route is made up of hills, mixed terrain and stopping and starting. The range figures are then published based on these findings, so they can be fairly accurate and not over exaggerated. So as you can see the estimated range is 130 Km (80 miles) in 'Eco', 85 Km (53 miles) in 'Standard' & 70 Km (44 miles) in 'High'. This range is really good and just shows how efficient the new system is. This Yamaha battery pack weighs in at just 2.9Kg, so like the motor it is one of the lightest units on the market. As expected the battery pack has 4 LEDs built into the pack to tell you the capacity. Another new feature of this battery is that it features a bump stop on the bottom mount, a small rubber suspension system that keeps the battery in place over even the roughest of terrain. The Yamaha battery carries a 2 year warranty and takes approx 3.5 hours to charge from flat. It can be charged both on and off the electric bike. Yamaha LCD Control Unit and Buttons Haibike have opted for the latest generation of the Yamaha head unit. It has a large removable LCD display screen that relates back all the necessary data & statistics. This new LCD display is backlit and ensures all the relevant data is relayed back to the rider in an easy to read and clear environment. It's very simple to use and the screen itself has no buttons on it at all. The rider controls this from the left hand control buttons. The buttons allow the assistance level to be selected with the up and down arrows. The assistance levels range from 'Off' (non assisted riding), 'Eco' (100% support), 'Standard' (190% support) & 'High' (280% support). The controls allow the use of a 'Walk Assist' mode, a power button to turn the system on and off, the 'S' button which scrolls through the LCD data & also a light activation button for trekking models equipped with lights. The Yamaha user displays the important data whilst out riding including - a power meter, range left, time, cadence, assistance mode, speed, temperature & battery capacity in a 10 scale bar and also percentage. In all the display is very easy to navigate and operate using the control buttons. It certainly makes things easier than taking your hands off the bars to navigate through the settings. The display mounts above the stem in the center of the cockpit so it is out the way of the rest of the controls and easy to see whilst riding. When removed from the bike it acts as a pocket watch. Exclusive Prototype Images We Took in Germany Check out the: First ride review on the Yamaha eBike system
Bosch announces their new Nyon eBike controller for 2015 / 2016. The new Head Unit will run on the current Performance eBike motor system but will be built with a larger screen and some all new features! Here we give you a brief overview of the new features and benefits in this latest eBike tech...The new Nyon system is the latest advancement the German manufacturers Bosch have been working hard on, it was announced at Eurobike last year to gauge interest from both suppliers and end users alike. The system went down well as the first all in one eBike computer that can perform navigation, fitness training/mapping & smartphone integration.The new head unit is to work on the Bosch Performance system, it mounts in a similar way to the current Intuvia display although this one features a much larger 4.3-inch colour screen and hosts a few new buttons; both on the display and the separate handlebar control unit to make operating the new features easy. Let's break down some of the new functions featured on the Bosch Nyon system... Bosch eBike Navigation - Nyon has a new built-in navigation system designed specifically for cyclists in mind. The maps are based on the Wiki Open Street Map platform. This is integrated into the new Bosch unit with GPS so it can perform live maps in both 2D & 3D styles creating a full user-friendly navigation device directly on your eBike powered from the Bosch battery.Interestingly the mapping doesn't just show directions but calculates the best route possible by eBike. This means that you can take more direct routes that might not be possible by car. Another adoption is the range indicator. This calculates not just range left but also factors in your route, topography & your personal riding style to indicate clearly indicate on the map how many miles you have left in the battery. Neat huh?Quick demo of the unit in action here - Smartphone Integration - The new Bosch Nyon system is designed with the latest integration for smartphone users. The idea is that you can leave your phone in your pocket and the Bosch system will connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. This brings with it lots of new neat features that allow your phone to connect with your Bosch eBike. For example, you can control what music is being played on your phone directly from the Bosch Nyon head unit itself.If you are riding and get an incoming call, the Bosch system will present this to you on Nyons new super slick screen. It will show you who is calling so you can be in full control. If you get a text message it will even pop the message onto the large screen to say who has texted and the message itself. This means there are no excuses for not seeing that all important message!While we are talking smartphones, Bosch tells us that they are going to release a new mobile app so you can perform multiple tasks on your phone that affect Nyons user interface. For example, you can set up things like a 'Favourite Screen'. eBike Fitness Training - Alongside the new Bosch Nyon eBike system, Bosch will release their 'Online Portal'. This means users can pull up all their latest eBike data up on their home computer. This is a really neat feature, it will allow you to track the progress of your recent routes and share them with others online. By connecting a heart rate chest strap via Bluetooth to Nyon you can use the system as a fitness training tool. This will not only track your ride but combine them with signals such as your heart rate so you can progress with your fitness training all in one place.By combining data such as your heart rate & cadence the system can measure your eBiking performance and calculate your progress in the form of calorie consumption and training efficiency. The Bosch Online Portal will present all of this data to you in the form of nice graphics charts and maps of your ride.Check out this video for a short demo - User Interface Customisation - Above we have mentioned lots of new neat features of the Bosch Nyon system. There have also been certain advancements in the user interface with regards to user customisation.With each screen, you, the user, can customise the layout to your preference. This is really good as it means you can get all the data available in the format you prefer to see and read. We mentioned the mobile app above & this will allow you to alter things like a favourite screen, this is really important so you're not just stuck with one layout.On this new Bosch eBike system, for the first time, the motor assistance can be adjusted by the end user. This means you can add up to 5 riding modes which can each be set individually. So you can actually fine tune the motor assistance levels that support your riding, this has never been possible before. Conclusion - We @ e-bikeshop are very excited for the release of the Bosch Nyon system. Some of the features detailed above are a vast step forward in the eBiking world. This is the first system to integrate all of the features through an 'all in one' system.No longer do you have to run mapping and fitness apps on the side, everything can be operated in one place. To top it all off all of the functions can be operated on the 4.3 inch backlit display which is easy to read in all light conditions. We expect these features to be very useful on a eBike and we are sure that Bosch will make a tremendous job of making it all function well as is already proved on their current eBike system lines.We will be visiting Bosch later on in the year to test the new Nyon device and we will have some more feedback to report back once we have done this. When can we expect to see this tech on new eBikes?.. At current, there are only one of these systems in the world, built as a prototype to demonstrate the new functions. We expect it will be a while before Bosch produces this on a mainstream level and then filter down the chain to the eBikes on our shelves.The system may feature on some 2015 model year eBikes but more likely it will be the 2016 model year lines that take it on fully. Bosch tends to test their products extensively before taking them to market. Whereas some manufacturers bring out a product to test and refine on the market by the end user. The German manufacturer Bosch always make sure their products are 100% before the end user gets their hands on them.Please note: this new Nyon system is just a head unit change. It operates using the current Performance motor and Battery Pack. We can't be sure yet if it can be retrofitted. But the current Bosch Performance line Motor and battery will be powering this display.Expect a full review on here, so watch this space.To view all our latest Bosch powered eBikes please click here
A lot of people ask me - What exactly is the difference between the Bosch eBike 250w motor and the Bosch S 350w motor? So I have decided to make a little write up to explain this in more detail, it should also save me a fair amount of time on the phone each day too!So to start off the Bosch 350w S motor on paper is more than the 250w.. Right?.. Yes. However, don't look at this as top trump cards and decide you need a 350w Bosch motor otherwise you won't be able to get up that huge hill you live on top of. Did you know that both the 250w and the 350w Bosch motor are exactly the same? They both share the same internals, they both use the same battery & head unit etc. Some rumours have spread that the 350w has 'metal internal gearing' and the 250w motors do not, again this is not true, both motors are produced using the same components. So exactly what is the difference you may ask? Well, they are programmed slightly different. The 350w speed pedelec has an assisted speed to 45 km/h and the 250w motor is assisted to 25 km/h. Everything else is exactly the same. The maximum and minimum assistance levels, the maximum torque & the motor RPM all stay the same between both types. Oh and the 350w motor has a Red Bosch logo on the side whereas the 250w has a grey logo, so they are easily distinguished.Also, it's worth noting the new CX line developed with more torque and assistance (not available in the 350w version. See the table below for factual differences:- Bosch Performance 350w Bosch Performance CX 250w Assistance 275% 300% Torque 60Nm 75Nm Assisted Speed 45 km/h 25 km/h (50 km/h Tuned) So whats the point in 2 drive types? Its simple.. One can reach higher assisted speeds than the other. Who uses Speed pedelecs? Some European countries have guidelines and procedures in place for Speed Pedelecs (eBikes over 250w & 25 km/h). For example in Germany certain laws allow you to register your 350w eBike and pay a yearly rate to ride a Speed Pedelec on the road. There are certain rules that stipulate a cycle helmet must be worn, the eBike must have a side stand, lights and a licence plate holder. Over here it is classed as a motor vehicle so you would have to be licensed and hold appropriate insurance. There is currently no regulations in place to license a Speed pedelec.It's worth noting at this point that the German market is way ahead of us here in the UK. So if their market is so advanced and they have regulations in place is everyone on an 'S' pedelec? You would think so, however, you'll be surprised to hear that out of the 400,000 electric bikes sold annually in Germany, only around 5,000 of these are Speed pedelecs. Only a tiny percentage ey? Is it illegal to use a 350w Bosch motor here in the UK? On the road... Yes (Unless you take the appropriate actions to license the eBike). You may wish to use the eBike on private land with the permission of the land owner. If you do use a 350w motor here on the road, you are riding your eBike illegally. You do run the risk of having your eBike taken by the authorities. If you are involved in an accident, you are responsible for the damages/injury involved for both yourself and the 3rd party. So I want a 250w Motor but how can I go faster? We do provide a Bosch speed tuning dongle for all of our Bosch powered eBikes. This is a device that is 'plumbed' into the motor that can alter the speed cut off of the eBike. It allows you to travel as fast as you want to be assisted by the motor off road (private land) of course. This can easily be unplugged when you are on the road, then easily plugged back into derestrict as required. By using a 250w motor it means that you have a legal bike that can be easily derestricted when needed.Remember the 250w Bosch motors give exactly the same assistance and torque levels as the 350w motors. In fact, a 250w motor with a dongle installed will travel at faster-assisted speeds than a 350w motor on its own. Crazy huh!?A little more can be read about the speed tuning dongles here - How to derestrict a Bosch Electric Bike. Also, it's worth noting that we are only supplying dongles for our own eBikes with the latest Bosch eBike motor.