SRAM Release New eBike Motor with Incredible Tech!

SRAM Powertrain Motor is finally here! Complete with Automatic Shifting, and Coast Shift, this new 90Nm full power motor totally wireless for a super clean look and simplicity, with an easy user interface and seamless design.
ETHICS, DISCLAIMER and TRANSPARENCY: Propain hired me to test the bike with new motor, review it and to produce a video for on my KZbin channel, and is such labelled as a paid partnership on KZbin. Propain have have had no direct input on this content or any editorial or narrative control over the video. This paid partnership with Propain has allowed me time to test the bike and also film and edit over multiple days working with an independent film crew to help capture the bike shots and produce the video content.

[@1980jamesm]

Autoshift is cool but gearboxes will win this war. Having no derailleur makes so much sense for a emtb.

[@guillaumequevy418]

Biggest drawback of gearboxes was price, but electronic derailleurs pretty much reached price parity.

[@wadedaw]

as soon as I saw that Pinion promo I knew the derailleur is dead

[@reineherrera8897]

Electronics aside, that Pinion gearbox sitting in a light oil bath, is going to be damn near bullet proof. Assuming the hardness of the materials used in the individual gears is high. It’s essentially and motocross bike sequential transmission.

[@jonwhite182]

I am guessing we are probably 5 years away from e-gearboxes coming to the market and being somewhat affordable. What do you think?

[@johnf3326]

Hub gears are the future imho. Also lighter more power dense batteries - tech in the waiting!

[@Luca_M510]

My mountain bike auto shifts, sometimes not into what I wanted but it’s been doing it for years 😃

[@dennismuller1357]

Let's pay a second of respect and another to applaud the magnificent Camara work from 6:04 !🎉

[@RobRidesEMTB]

Thanks 🙏 we work hard to get these shots and appreciate you noticing 👊

[@promisberg1]

Rob the lag at the start is anything but natural!

[@gingermattb]

Autoshift and a very expensive derailleur/cassette combo, or the Pinion motor gearbox combo... Sorry, no competition. It won't happen straight away, but I'm pretty confident the gearboxes will win in the end for eebs.

[@srileo]

Amen

[@SupraTompan]

Rob, your channel is the king of EMBT-channels (and MBT...). No disturbing loud music, no rapid scene changes, no unnecessary cuts. Please keep it perfection 🙏

[@MarioGoatse]

This looks great. I’m loving how much competition is in the e-bike motor space in the last few years. The more competition the better! Thanks Rob. Great video!

[@Magoo71]

The "Bridge Display". New buzz words....I really like the clean 2 cable look! Seems Propain and Nukeproof are ahead of the Curve....the only thing I see as better is the MGU's from Pinion....enclosed gears with the motor....all stays clean and quiet...Great demo Rob!!!

[@Adamleighjones]

Crazy tech, love what SRAM are doing as far as being able to supply drivetrains, brakes, suspension and now emtb tech.. pinion drive is probably gonna be top of the pops once its well established but this system is super sick! Mega video as always Rob 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@andydtkd]

Looking forward to watching Remy put one of these through it's paces... Nice!

[@chrisjones6699]

8 minutes in and all I can think about is how much that bike will cost! 🤣

[@EenduroMaster]

Great video Rob. Love this new tech. It'll be interesting to see if Specialized integrate it into their bikes. Cheers from New Zealand

[@lozetchells9164]

Agreed, a lot of it is very Spesh-inspired, especially the display

[@nitraM321]

Brose :(, i'm on my SIXTH motor on my Levo, i learned to repair it myself thank you.

[@garth62]

The important thing from my perspectice (for any of the manufacturers) is the ability for the end user to be able to service, repair and maintain at home once the warranty has expired for those who are mechanically & technically minded

[@mogulhopper]

Now THIS is what we've been waiting for ! Thanks Rob for such a great informative review

[@bertschuh5720]

This is wonderful for older riders like me that have arthritis issues with their thumb joint!!!

[@nigelrandtoul8646]

Only the pinion mgu beats this, but I'd bet the sram system will be easier to spec for more brands. I'd be happy with either.

[@enriquecastellanos4398]

But the Pinion doesn't autoshift, yet.

[@dean1326]

@@enriquecastellanos4398yes it does

[@ericm8811]

Hey Rob Rides EMTB! Great vid! Sram is just combining 21st century technology with 19th century technology! Pinion got rid of the incredibly fragile 19th century derailleur system why can't Sram? Maybe they are afraid we won't be buying new expensive drivetrain parts when a stick tangles in them anymore! Ride ride ride!

[@darrylhausman-pk8cq]

Brilliant vid Rob . I remember as a young fella absolutely hating Auto Trans vehicles . My current vehicle is an Auto trans version and I just would not go back to manual . Makes you wonder what the next tech breakthrough will be

[@CarkeekW]

id normally be stoked on something like this but Meh , integrated gearbox and belt drive thanks , it's the only thing id update for now . Well done though Sram for making Bosch understand what noise a motor should make I wish you had collaborated 5 years ago

[@SLAUGHTYBAUDFAUST]

He said Brose not Bosch. Brose same company makes motors for levos. The company's motor was failing so bad Specialized extended warranty for an extra 2 years. Hope Brose figured out their issues.

[@CarkeekW]

Ah well brose had that from the start my bad

[@A-Kiwi]

Excellent review! Looks really interesting. Filming and editing on this was as good as it gets! Really high quality. Well done. !

[@mischwald2000]

I am hyped. And I am so happy that I have to buy a bike mid next year. And this is a tech I really was waiting for. AND Propain is the only bike manufacturer right now with almost normal prices. Aka under 10k€ for a fully equipped eMTB. 🤩 Can‘t wait, Rob. Seriously.

[@thomaswhudson]

Not sure what you are talking about. Just bought a YT Decoy core 4 for under 6k.

[@mischwald2000]

With a fox dhx2 Factory, 38 Grip2 Factory, SRAM Transmission GX and axs dropper, and Magura MT5? If so, I need to check them out.

[@Nicoya]

Various players have tried to introduce automatic shifting to the bike world over the years, but they've always run into the same pair of problems: the serious cyclists who would be willing to pay a premium for fancy features have never asked for it, and the casual/commuter cyclists who would be most likely to benefit from it have never been willing to spend the kind of money that high-end, feature-rich bikes command. I suppose in this case since it's just a software feature baked into an otherwise normal ebike drivetrain there's little reason to not have it, but I'm not holding my breath for it to sweep the industry.

[@djjosseppe]

Except for this time around, it’s on a motorised bike, not a mtb. I’m not ebike bashing, but it is a very déifièrent sport and will benefit more from this type of technology than a human powered mtb. I have a feeling this will be the combo to turn the tides.

[@MichaelTexas70]

​@@djjosseppee-bikes will be the dominant bike on the trails in less than 3 years

[@joseledesma4776]

Great presentation. My next e mtb though will have a gearbox.

[@dcrunicycles]

Thank you from Truckee California

[@Tony_P]

I'll decide what gear I"m in thanks very much. This will be great for people that struggle with reading a trail and hate having too much money though. 🤣

[@dukey_1337]

would be perfect for my wife ;)

[@arrowv1]

The location is insanely beautiful! 😍

[@nickclarkuk]

These are fun machines so I want maximum engagement by changing gears myself. Maybe useful for commuter bikes .

[@lozetchells9164]

Great video thanks Rob. Love my Levo motor so another vendor offering a variant of brose is interesting. Definitely do not want auto shift though, absolutely zero interest in that

[@joegeiger4837]

i am so glad that propain comes now with brose!!!!!but i am waiting for the gearbox.

[@weenan]

What I want to know is if sram will have parts available for user service and rebuilds.

[@HiruS22]

I never envisaged a world where my seat post would need a software update 😳

[@Yeah_eatsht]

Wow these bike engineers are next level...

[@Striveon247]

What felt better the gearbox or this new sram eagle. In other words which would you prefer

[@bazzb1973]

That autoshift is recipe for snapped chains

[@streddaz]

Probably not with the Transmission system as it only shifts when the cassette is in the right position so you can shift under full load.

[@growlith6969]

Buddy....is that not the coolest place to shoot a video or what? Just stunningly beautiful, and with amazing diffused light.

[@RobRidesEMTB]

yes we got lucky with that light! Was so atmospheric being there!

[@jameshamilton6096]

Awesome bike, Awesome review.

[@TheWebstaff]

From cheap ebike to expensive af. Rob you cover it all don't you. Looks good. Now I just have to wait 5 years to buy one for less than a new car! ;)

[@J0nny61]

I was a bit puzzled about the gear changes under load. In auto it sounded like the deadly clunk when you do it wrong with too much power manually. What I call a chain snapper, so hope you will explain Rob. Brose is definitely not on my favourite list for reliability, though they seem to have improved over time as have Bosch. I absolutely believe that the real game changer for e-bikes is to ditch the flimsy chain and derailleur. It is going to happen and it will leave this overpriced SRAM system dead in the water. Great video, thank you.

[@prasad530]

SRAM Transmission drivetrains are designed to be shifted under load, but they aren't quiet, even on analog bikes with no motor.

[@RobHill00]

Nice and tidy!👍🏻 quite funny, not heard of any broken rear ends due to the direct mount for the T-type AXS?🤔 all those numptys bleating about how it was going to destroy your frame seem to have gone quiet?🤷🏼‍♂️

[@cameratool]

Does the motor to frame mount/interface match any other motor, or will this entire bike go in landfill when just the motor needs replacement?

[@rawmancemtb]

Motors don't mount the same. Every manufacturer has their own mounting. Why would the entire bike go to landfill if you need to replace a motor? I don't see the logic here on any level.

[@andrewhillman9632]

Love these videos, wonderful content, stunning scenery ❤

[@saadinator5026]

Great video and review, Rob 🙌🏽 You have inspired me to go buy a emtb 😉

[@texasmtbrider]

That's more like motor bike! What's for next paddle assitant and auto pilot?

[@rawmancemtb]

I would hope they will have the standard 5 power modes. Off, eco, tour, emtb and boost. Or whatever they are called. But the way it is on Bosch is just right. A mode for every situation. 2 isn't enough. Shimano had 4 modes and the way Bosch does is better.

[@rodent]

in the levo you have 3 modes, but you can save different profiles.

[@rawmancemtb]

@@rodent That would be 4 when calculating off mode. Yeah I just want 5. Eco for easy pedaling. Tour when you need some more. Emtb I use the least but still useful to have to save power where you don't need turbo. And obviously turbo.

[@onathanj]

Forget the motor with old technology (no gearbox and big weight). Brose has so far made the most unreliable motors, where basically everyone needs replacement. But that Propain is a thing of beauty.

[@fzr1000981]

I thought they were getting better?

[@ChristianJohnsons]

I’m gonna give it 3 years for them to prove reliability and trickle down tech into lower specs. I’m curious if brose has a non-compete in place for this new motor or if we will see something similar in specialized bikes in the near future

[@realryanward]

Yeah unless I was just stupid rich, I don't think I'll be buying an early-gen ebike unless its a ridiculous deal.

[@rawmancemtb]

I think Pinion gearboxes have already went to some insane numbers. I think someone rode a 100,000 on one. Obviously oil change every 10k but still. If it's even 30k on average that beats the hell out of derailleurs. I'm probably spending a 100€ for 1000km currently on average last 2 years on an ebike and the season isn't even over. Well I've spent over 500€ so that would be about 130€ per 1000km. If you ride terrain then it's obviously worth it. Might be a bit different if you ride easy and mostly commute.

[@eugenux]

​@@realryanwardsame spez brose motor.. and we all know how that worked. I know ppl with 4 waranty changes.

[@ChristianJohnsons]

@@jeffm5271 probably part of the reason why there’s so many overpriced used e-bikes right now and new bikes are unsellable because people can’t get rid of their old bikes

[@realryanward]

2@@jeffm5271 2 year warranty?? Wow.. Screw that!! I thought at LEAST that part would be warranted from mechanical defects longer than that. I bet some people are still paying for them after they run out of warranty!! LOL

[@PeteMac69]

All that tech, and it still has a bloody derailleur dangling off the back. Could age quickly if gearboxes gain traction, but a nice looking rig for all that.

[@muratcoskun5657]

It is LOVELY. I am driving A Scott eride910 with SramNX crank shaft and Schimano XT pedals and E8000 motor everything MANUEL. And IT WORKS !!! I am doing everything with CABLES, and i like to do tall of hem WITHOUT cables. However how much premium SRAM is asking about it? I am sure not only 1000 USD !!!. So that is why i prefer to wait couple of year untils this WIRLESS gears getting cheaper than i happly change my BIKE and SIWTCH to complete WIRELESS.

[@danboisvert6407]

"shifted once, twice, three times my lady!"

[@ivanbayarri2807]

Best for Racing😊

[@WeightlessFatboy]

Great video as always, but I personally don’t like at all this eshift and e trigger thing. Thinking about charging my seat post, derailleur and eventually change the battery in the triggers before I go for a ride is really annoying me. So definitely a big step forward in technology but I will stay with the conventional mechanism. This is my personal opinion and I’m happy with just an emotor on my bike.

[@javierfuhr8437]

Debe ser un sueño andar en esa bicicleta, imposible para mi

[@carlosbarragan6729]

What an amazing forest. U lucky folks out there❤ noce that ppl dont damage trails from riding in d wet. Out here in The colonies, it's a big no no to some😅

[@maxflight777]

Couldn’t they think of a better name than PROPAIN ? 🤔

[@CloserApproximations]

Great video as always Rob. I'm a big fan of SRAM. I'm quite heavy (105-110kg) and find that Shimano drivetrain components always break quite quickly, whereas SRAM the opposite is true. As you said in the video, everything just works, no issues. A really interesting time to be getting back into mountain biking. So much progress happening within the industry right now ebike or not! 🙂

[@lakaldrak]

Good Joke. I Run the GX axs but never would i say ITS better Then Shimano. One Crash and Bend Cage ( Bend IT Back) weak Clutch No Matter gx or x01 If compared With Clutch from Shimano. The only plus i think IT shifts smoother With less noise Then my xtr Setup.

[@CloserApproximations]

@@lakaldrak works better for me mate and always has. Obviously your experience is different 👍🏻

[@nicolapellegrino1072]

If a transmission "always breaks" there must be a problem from who rides and how well he can shift the gears... I use Shimano from 35 years and I broke twice...

[@lukasbad5646]

"Shimano drivetrain components always break quite quickly" 😂😂 I have been a certified bicycle service technician for over 20 years and I still don't understand why Sram drive components, e.g. derailleurs, are more expensive than Shimano which does not break quickly and their derailleurs are much more durable and reliable than Sram, so I don't understand at all what are the breaking components Shimano you write🤷🏻

[@johnhilton1360]

Is there going to be more broken chains as I back off the power as I shift .? 🤔... brilliant video with amazing tech

[@user-nf9dq7ul6j]

Why are you so informational we can get us one by one

[@Scott-wz4sc]

@14.30 ... i call this douchcog (pronounced dooshcog in an Austrian accent inside my head 😂)

[@Casualfulltime]

We will be riding bikes like a drone soon 🤣

[@889811]

Nonsense, pinion! Btw video is very nice 👍 good job all of you.

[@romanklimchuk3503]

Очень крутая штука для тренировок и чилаут покатушек в красивых местах. Интересно, что предложит shimano.

[@antonyb]

Nice Review, great looking bike

[@NanoDex]

Exciting tech! I have a Specialized Terro 5.0 with the Brose system, its really nice and has the same personality as Rob describes in this video. The autoshift is really interesting, im curious how well it all works in weird and wild situations. Could it ever put you in a bad situation? Does it make you feel like your out of control of the gears for small moments till it goes? Just something to get used to maybe....

[@Todd66]

I really really like that bike. I would daily that bad boy. I love where the industry is headed, I just wish it would pick up speed. I want a gearbox, belt drive, full power, massive battery, auto everything and huge travel…and please give me connections for lights and USB for charging devices. One last thing…ditch the displays already. We all carry HD displays everywhere we go, one on the bike is never ever needed. Just BT to our phones and color it done. This would save $ and design, plus a app can be updated endlessly, they could even be tailored to each bike rather than one display per manufacturer. As ALWAYS, good video Rob

[@realryanward]

Can I have one? LOL These are just so expensive its insane. The idea you can buy a bike more expensive than most people's cars is hilarious.

[@LiveAeons]

Long live Pinion!

[@marxav9896]

fantastic video, thank you very much. I'm looking to set it up and I have a question, I'm 181cm tall and I'm thinking of a size M- Medium with the Mullet configuration. Do you think it will be too small for me? I want it mainly for narrow roads with tight turns. Thanks

[@roddas26]

Just wait til the Zerode e-bike comes out

[@streddaz]

Yes, I'm keen to see when they will have an Ebike.

[@stephankorneffel3269]

Hi Rob, you mentioned, that the motor is belt driven. If this motor is still the s-mag that's right. But I suppose this bike has already the new generation motor from Brose, which is no longer belt driven? Thanks for a clarification and your very qualified videos. Cheers Stephan

[@gbarton800]

Interesting and new/cool technology…glad you have the option to manually shift. Is it hard on the drivetrain if it’s automatically shifting while under power?

[@jeromep4148]

Really nice review - love your enthusiasm. I usually ride in eco mode to ensure I get a good workout. When I peak a hill and take a “pedaling rest” I am often in too low a gear as the descent ensues. Will auto shift go to faster gears on its own as the wheel rotation speeds up?

[@lahvancz]

Why go with this instead of Pinion MGU? 🤔 It is unlikely this is going to be cheaper.

[@streddaz]

Not when you account for the cost of the SRAM Transmission drivetrain as well 😬

[@fzr1000981]

Is MGU available yet?

[@streddaz]

@@fzr1000981 They should be available from a Pinion Dealer but will only fit a bike designed for the MGU. At this stage there's a few European brands running the MGU like Bulls, Flyer, Rotwild and Simplon.

[@lahvancz]

@@fzr1000981 Bulls have it in their 2024 Vuca models but so far there is no pricing, model is only on technology page. But there are other brands... Like Rothwild.

[@montyrage13]

Incredible, but love Pinion yet..

[@TheNoseman1]

I don't know if mountain biking even should be included in any description for something like this. Motor bike forum.....absolutely. Don't know where the bike is here at all. Bad battery/electrical fault/bad wires/bad circuit board......not biking at all. Old school is simple, easy to fix (especially on the trail) and far more environmentally friendly (since the battery is never a part of the equation at all). Kidd yourself all you want but if you want to go up hill get out there and work on it. The motor only helps so far. Fitness helps on the downhill too but with a motor you will never find that out.

[@luminousfractal420]

You know if you ditch the cogs you could have an ultra wide range analog gear box that doesnt need gears at all and weighs less :) sram if you want to pay me for that concept im here lol

[@andrewbeattie7279]

It’s going to eat drive trains under load - SRAM have created a great income stream

[@JoJo-yr6io]

Super cool! Is it worth selling my mullet turbo kenevo for though? How easy is the main battery removal on that if you wanted to opt for a spare to swap out instead of the range extender? 🎉

[@markifi]

that's nice but the motor in a pinion gearbox is much more exciting to me

[@jonnycash4608]

"brand new motorsystem" well known for years in Specialized Levo 😂

[@user-kk9ez9hg4z]

I think there is a reason why automatic transmission is not popular in dirt bike scene and I personally think the same reason applies to MTB world.

[@andrewhicks9866]

If its all wireless how many batteries do you need to charge? 1. Main battery 2. Display 3. Rear mec 4. Rear shifter 5. Dropper Post 6. Dropper Lever. Is it all of these?

[@streddaz]

Main battery powers the display, and rear Mech but there will still be separate batteries in the post and levers.

[@Tony_P]

Good point ! 👍

[@ThunderStruckMTB]

SRAM pulled a Shimano on this one. Late to the party and all of the guests are wearing gearboxes.

[@micaelpereira953]

Is the 170mm Reverb dropper enough for you? Because if it's not, You’ll have to changed dropper brand. And... how will you fit two remote on the left side of the handlebar?? Or will sram release bigger droppers??

[@Vodafone16v]

When you talk about RATTLES... You definitely mean Bosch. Still... I love my MARACA

[@baimar77]

All that autoshifting under huge torque will drastically reduce chain and rear mech lifespan... Better old good manual shifting, you know when, you know how...

[@dadventuretv2538]

Fuck I knew it would come to this at some point. I try not to be a curmudgeon, but autoshift and ABS IMO are actually changing this to a different sport. When you have a motor, don’t have to decide gear changes or modulate your own braking we are taking out of the sport many of the things that are part and parcel to mountain biking. These are skills one has to learn no different than bunny hopping or how to lean the bike in a corner. Take these things out and it is now something different. Whether good or bad will be for each of us to decide. Personally, I am not a fan. I still want to do things for myself.

[@Akya2120]

Do you think eagle would hold up to a CYC X1 Pro Gen4?

[@b45her]

so... its a brose 2.2 with d the autoshift and coaster shift that the ep801 has had since launch.

[@grantnewby3756]

Do you think we could expect to see this on the new Turbo Levo as Specialized are SRAM partners?

[@Mastr-Tech]

How do you like those brake rotors? I’m curious because I haven’t tried them yet.

[@Gallardo6669]

Pinion e1.12 will kill the competition, the new tesla in biking...

[@davidavison5533]

We didn't see gear changes under load. If you're peddling hard is it going to snap chains changing under load.

[@GhulamHussain-uk3im]

The only thing holding me back is the S Mag motor, I'm not convinced the belt is fit for purpose @ 90nm. That said, if you consider the Brose motor roadmap i.e. their development of the Brose Drive 3 system (releases 2024) which ditches the belt and provides 410% assistance plus 814w battery. That's the game changer for me. So I'm holding back until SRAM adopts the new Brose Drive3 system as their new powertrain.

[@lakayshredsmtb447]

Hi Rob.. Do you have any warranty information on this bike?

[@bryanwells3425]

Rob, is this motor a Brose 2.2 clone? Everything seems identical?

[@MichaelTexas70]

Is there a built-in gyroscope to tell if you're going uphill?

[@philhicks5818]

Are we gonna see the next levos with this spec , being browse users

[@kburn]

I do really like that, the best of all worlds coming to a Specialized near you!

[@RobRidesEMTB]

I was wondering about this, but this stuff is SRAM Powertain bikes only at the moment - Specialized use their own implementation (TCU etc) and that wont work with this kit...

[@kburn]

@@RobRidesEMTB I was thinking the fact it was a brose motor but you are right they are unlikely to wipe out Mission Control etc. It looks like a great system.

[@mischwald2000]

I thought the same. But Rob is right. They always cooking their own soup. Maybe they have a partnership going on with Brose and SRAM. Who knows. We will see.

[@philippeh1277]

We are uses to read MOTOR information and n the display. Here we read SHIFTING information on the display. What happens with the MOTOR information please ?