The e-bike motor arms race shows no sign of cooling down. Bafang has announced production-ready specifications for its new RS mid-drive series, and the headline numbers push well past what the company quoted when the motors were first previewed in 2025.
The smaller M510RS is now rated for short peaks of up to 1,100 watts on 36-volt systems and 1,300 watts at 48 volts — a significant jump from the 790 watts originally listed. Nominal torque stays at 110 Nm, but a new “Boost-to-Limit” mode briefly raises it to as much as 130 Nm with up to 800 percent pedal assistance at the press of a button. The unit weighs 2.9 kg and gains a six-axis IMU for finer motor control.
The larger M560RS goes further still: up to 1,700 watts at 48 volts and a peak of 150 Nm in boost mode, at a weight of 3.3 kg. Bafang says both motors respond 50 percent faster than their predecessors, with over 4,000 hours of trail and race-track tuning behind the software. Hill Hold and an updated Walk Assist round out the feature set.
Notably, the extreme figures apply only to short bursts — Bafang has not said for how long. European versions will be limited to 25 km/h assistance, keeping them pedelec-legal. First test rides are planned for the Italian Bike Festival in early September, with series production slated for Q4 2026 and complete bikes expected no earlier than 2027.
Source: wattmoves.de