Active Line, Performance Line, CX, CX-R, SX, PX, Cargo Line… Bosch offers around ten motors, almost as many batteries and half a dozen displays. Standing in front of two similar-looking bikes, nobody can tell what actually separates them.
This guide puts every part back in its place, using the manufacturer's official figures — not the outdated ones still circulating. Since May 2026, several motors have had their values changed.
Torque, power, support levels and weights from official Bosch eBike Systems data sheets, recorded on 9 September 2026; these are the maximum achievable values, which the bike manufacturer may cap. Prices incl. VAT from our online catalogue on 9 September 2026. Full sources at the end of this article.
120 Nm
the maximum torque achievable on a CX, a CX-R or a Cargo Line. Two years ago it was 85 Nm.
2.0 kg
the weight of the Performance Line SX, the lightest in the range. A CX weighs 2.8.
800 Wh
the largest integrated battery. And it is shorter than the 750 Wh it replaces.
The short answer, if you are in a hurry
Four uses, four combinations. Everything else in this article explains why.
City, commuting Active Line Plus + PowerTube 500 + Purion. Smooth, quiet assistance, a battery that covers the week, a simple display built into the control.
Trekking, touring Performance Line or PX + PowerTube 600 to 800 + Kiox 500 or Nyon. This is our best-selling combination, and the one that crosses Belgium without recharging.
Mountain biking Performance Line CX + PowerTube 720 or 800 + Kiox 300 with Mini Remote. The torque that clears the steps, the display you will not break.
Light e-bike Performance Line SX + CompactTube 400 + System Controller. A bike that still looks like a bike, with discreet assistance that simply accompanies you.
Three misconceptions to clear up right away
→ Torque is not speed. Every motor on this page except the Speed versions stops assisting at 25 km/h. Torque determines strength at low speed: pulling away and climbing.
→ Watt-hours are not kilometres. The same battery covers twice the distance depending on mode, terrain, weight and tyre pressure.
→ The manufacturer's figures are maxima. The bike builder may cap the motor below them. What counts is the value shown for your bike in the app.
The motors, from the most discreet to the most powerful
The whole current range runs on the smart system, Bosch's connected platform. Here is what each motor can deliver at most.
Hub Line 45 Nm, around 2.3 kg. The only hub motor in the range: housed in the rear hub, it puts no load on the chain and disappears completely. For the city, on light and quiet bikes.
Active Line 40 Nm, around 2.9 kg. The entry-level mid-drive. Smooth and very quiet assistance, designed for flat ground and gentle urban rises.
Active Line Plus up to 60 Nm, around 2.7 kg. The real city motor: enough torque for bridges and loaded climbs, without the noise or the eagerness of a sporty unit.
Performance Line up to 75 Nm, around 2.8 kg. The all-rounder, and by far the most common on hybrids and trekking bikes. It does enough for everything, without excess.
Performance Line SX up to 60 Nm and 600 W, around 2.0 kg. The lightest, and easily the best power-to-weight ratio in the range (300 W/kg). It powers electric gravel bikes and sporty urban models.
Performance Line PX up to 90 Nm, around 2.9 kg. The newcomer, designed for trekking and loaded touring: it sits between the Performance Line and the CX, with a more muted character than the latter.
Performance Line CX up to 120 Nm, 750 W and 600 % support, around 2.8 kg. The benchmark for electric mountain biking. Delivered at 85 Nm / 600 W / 340 %, it reaches those values with Performance Upgrade 2.0.
Performance Line CX-R up to 120 Nm, 750 W and 600 %, around 2.7 kg. The race version of the CX, delivered as standard at 100 Nm / 750 W / 400 %. For enduro and the most technical terrain.
Performance Line Speed up to 100 Nm, assistance to 45 km/h. This is the speed pedelec motor. Note: in Belgium these are class P mopeds, requiring a plate, an approved helmet and insurance.
Cargo Line up to 120 Nm, around 2.8 kg. Technically the same unit as the CX, but tuned for load: it gives its torque from the very first pedal strokes, with a heavy bike stopped on a hill.
Performance Upgrade 2.0: what changed in 2026
This is the point most online comparisons have yet to take in. Since 4 May 2026, Bosch has offered a paid software upgrade that raises the motor's values without touching the mechanics.
What Performance Upgrade 2.0 delivers
→ Up to 120 Nm of torque, 750 W and 600 % support, against 85 Nm / 600 W / 340 % in factory configuration on a Performance Line CX.
→ It covers three motors: Performance Line CX (BDU384Y), Performance Line CX-R (BDU386Y) and Cargo Line (BDU384Y).
→ The 600 % support only applies up to 15 km/h, and only in Race, Turbo, eMTB+, Cargo and Auto riding modes.
→ The bike manufacturer may cap torque below the maximum: the app will not let you exceed its limit. That has to be checked bike by bike, not on the motor's data sheet.
The practical consequence: a bike whose spec sheet says « 85 Nm » and another saying « 100 Nm » may well carry the same motor. What separates them is a setting, not a part.
The batteries: capacity, weight and bulk
Two families. PowerTube and CompactTube sit inside the frame; PowerPack mounts on it, on the down tube or on the rack.
CompactTube 400 400 Wh for around 2.1 kg, fully charged in 3 h 30. It is what lets SX-powered bikes stay light and slim.
PowerTube 500 500 Wh for around 2.6 kg. The standard on city bikes and hybrids: comfortably enough to cover a week of commuting.
PowerTube 600 600 Wh for around 3.0 kg, charging in 5 h 20. The best current compromise between range and weight on a trekking bike.
PowerTube 720 720 Wh for around 3.9 kg, charging in 6 h. The capacity of recent electric mountain bikes, where climbing eats charge fast.
PowerTube 800 800 Wh for around 3.9 kg, charging in 6 h 55. The maximum of the integrated range — and, a detail that matters on small frames, it is noticeably shorter than the 750 Wh it replaces.
PowerPack from 400 to 800 Wh, frame- or rack-mounted. Less elegant, but it comes off in two seconds and charges indoors in the warm, which counts in winter.
PowerMore 250 250 Wh for around 1.5 kg. Not a main battery but a range extender: it fits in the bottle cage and adds range on the day the ride runs long.
On some bikes — almost always cargo bikes — Bosch allows DualBattery: two batteries wired together, discharging and charging in a balanced way, as one large reserve.
The displays and controls
This is where the range has simplified most: on the smart system, the handlebar control and the display are two separate parts that you combine.
System Controller the power button integrated into the frame, with five battery-level LEDs. No display: the cleanest build, to be paired with a Mini Remote on the bar.
LED Remote a thumb control with mode LEDs. Nothing to read, nothing to break, nothing to remove before loading the bike onto the car. Very popular for mountain biking.
Purion 200 / 400 display and control in a single compact housing. The 400 is the mountain-bike version, more readable and better protected. The rugged, no-fuss choice.
Kiox 300 and 500 colour displays of 2.0 and 2.8 inches. The 300 is compact and sporty, the 500 reads at a glance — the right choice as soon as eyesight starts to go. Both removable.
Nyon a 3.2-inch colour touchscreen with built-in GPS navigation. The only one that truly guides you without a smartphone. For touring and long crossings.
SmartphoneGrip a mount that turns your phone into the dashboard through the eBike Flow app, charging it as you go. A big screen for free — but a phone exposed to rain and crashes.
All of it talks to the eBike Flow app: remote motor updates, customisation of the riding modes, activation of the Performance Upgrade, ride tracking and electronic locking of the bike. That is what sets the smart system apart from earlier generations, and why the two are not compatible with each other.
Our Bosch-equipped bikes
Six bikes from our range, one per major motor family, to see what these figures mean once they are bolted into a frame.
Hub Line motor in the rear hub, 45 Nm. Quiet, invisible, and it does not wear the chain. The city bike that does not look like an e-bike.
Active Line Plus motor and PowerTube 500 Wh. Smooth, discreet assistance and a low step-through frame: urban comfort with no compromises.
Performance Line SX motor and an integrated 400 Wh battery. The light build: the assistance accompanies you rather than pushing you.
Performance Line motor at 75 Nm and PowerTube 600 Wh. Our best-selling trekking combination, and the hardest one to catch out.
Performance Line PX motor, the 90 Nm newcomer. Between the Performance Line and the CX: the strength of the latter, the smoothness of the former.
Performance Line CX motor and PowerTube 720 Wh. The benchmark electric mountain bike: torque from the first pedal stroke, and enough to last the day.
The questions we get asked in the shop
How many kilometres from a 600 Wh battery?
Between 50 and 130 km, and that spread is not abnormal. What changes everything: the assistance mode chosen, the terrain, your weight and that of any load, tyre pressure and temperature. The same bike can do 60 km in Turbo in the Ardennes and 130 km in Eco along a canal. Be wary of a single figure quoted with no conditions.
Can an older Bosch bike be upgraded to the smart system?
No. The smart system and the previous generation use different electronics: motors, batteries and displays do not mix. Within the smart system, though, you can change display — adding a Kiox 300 or a SmartphoneGrip to a bike that only had a System Controller, for instance.
Should the battery come off in winter?
If the bike sleeps outdoors or in an unheated garage, yes. Cold temporarily reduces range, and prolonged storage at low temperature is not good for the cells. Bring it inside, store it at around 30 to 60 % charge, and charge it fully before the first spring ride.
Does a 120 Nm motor wear the drivetrain faster?
Yes, markedly. A mid-drive motor's torque passes entirely through the chain, and an electric mountain bike chain wears two to three times faster than on an unassisted bike at equal mileage. That is why we check elongation at every service: a chain replaced in time saves the cassette.
Is a 45 km/h speed pedelec still a bicycle?
Not in Belgian law. A bike assisted to 45 km/h is a class P moped: it requires a number plate, a licence (AM or B), an approved helmet and insurance. Cycle paths are open or closed to it depending on the signage. A Performance Line Speed motor is therefore not just faster: it changes the vehicle's legal status.
Our sources
Maximum torque, power, support levels, weights and assisted speeds for every motor mentioned: official comparison tables from Bosch eBike Systems (bosch-ebike.com), consulted on 9 September 2026. These are maximum values, which the bike manufacturer may cap.
Scope of Performance Upgrade 2.0 (available since 4 May 2026, limited to BDU384Y, BDU386Y and Cargo Line) and the condition that 600 % support applies only up to 15 km/h: Bosch eBike Systems.
Capacities, weights and charging times of the CompactTube, PowerTube, PowerPack and PowerMore batteries: the « eBike batteries » page from Bosch eBike Systems.
Smart system display and control range (System Controller, Mini Remote, LED Remote, Purion 200 and 400, Kiox 300 and 500, Nyon, SmartphoneGrip): Bosch eBike Systems.
Prices incl. VAT and fitted motors: KAMEO Bikes online catalogue, recorded on 9 September 2026.
Torque is something you feel, not something you read
Come and compare an Active Line Plus and a CX on the same hill, in Liège or in Brussels. Five minutes is enough to understand what all these figures mean.