ZF Centrix eBike Motor - First Ride & Review of the Tiny EMTB Drive Unit 

What I love about these new smaller motors is just simply the fact that ebikes can look more like analogue bikes. It's purely aesthetic for me and rightly as you said Sam it allows more room for the frame designers to do so much more with suspension design, which larger motors simply won't allow.

yes long term review would be good im defiantly interested in this motor set up for sure

ZF is a gearbox manufacturer... Give it a year and we will have a competitor to the Pinion MGU i bet. Really cool motor but I will wait and see what they come up with in the gearbox department.

Nice one Sam thank a motor is really interesting and can't wait to see what bikes it comes on in the future. There are going to be a few manufacturers knocking on their door

What are thinking riders? love it or not?

ZFs first venture into e bike motors was the Sachs . in fact they still list at least six bike companies that use the sachs (Now BMZ ) on their website . Now that BMz owns Sachs i'm not sure what their relationship with these other companies is .

Yes, I would love to see a full review video off road 😀

Definitely interested in a full review of this - especially given the oil bath and guarantee

Long Term Test👏 Long Term Test👏

Definitely interested in a proper test on this motor Sam think this is where the industry is leading full fat motor power in a small package which like you said allows frame designers to have more freedom in their designs

Love the size, the weight, the power. I love that it’s 48V. I wish it had a max 1000w and maybe continuous 600w. I think motors like that and the TQ are perfect size, now we need batteries that are a little more dense so we can have smaller battery form factor so the ebikes will be even harder to identify. I love the direction of ebikes. Now we need full customizable software to dial them in to our personal preferences

OK, a few observations. I don't think anyone has mentioned why the motor might need an oil bath. The motor appears to be an outrunner design - which produce high torque in a small space, and also run at a lower speed than inrunner designs (which are used by almost every other manufacturer to date). Even TQ use an inrunner in their design, and you can see that ZF are achieving 2x the torque in approximately the same size here. The big issue with outrunner motors is that the stator (being buried deep in the motor and with airgaps all around) become very difficult to cool - hence the oil bath. I'd be really interested in a technical breakdown if as a bona fide reviewer you can get access to the information - more details about the guts of the motor, but also power/torque/efficiency curves; what cadence range is this motor most efficient at; some motors operate well down the curve and never achieve peak efficiency from pedaling, would only do so under throttle assist. It would also be interesting to see how ZF are preventing damage from overheating. My ebike motor (also an outrunner) smoothly reduces power when the motor or controller reaches ~80C and this works well; some other manufacturers just let the motor fry. The customer gets to pay for it to be fixed. I also like how the rear wheel speed sensor is arranged, but can that be configured with other rotors or is it set to just the one determined by the bike manufacturer. While it would be interesting, I'm not sure how much value a trail ride might be, based on just one bike from an unknown manufacturer. We need to see more familiar configurations from other manufacturers. It seem easy to build bikes that follow current trends that look right but handle like aircraft carriers. TQ pulled off quite a coup by getting a major brand on board early. I certainly agree with your comment that the ebike industry needs a shake up, there isn't a lot of innovation from the big players and certainly no incentive to force market penetration by getting prices down to make these bikes more accessible to more people. And then there is the whole issue of locking stuff down and serviceability...and parts.

👏👏👏👏never heard of them either, but I like the look of the motor

Like the dji motor I would like to see a long term test for the zf, and of course I also would like to try them.

Yes to long term, real life review!

Yes mate we want to see a full test. thank you

I really want to see an in-depth review of this bike and system along with the DJI . Smaller motors with more output is the way to go. It’s going to be interesting to see what the other manufacturers come up with going forward. Great article Sam looking forward to the next one 👍

Oh ya we need your range test and climbing appraisal

They give lifetime warranty on the zf!?!

Yes I’d like to see a full review.

Motor is small, but the battery seems to be big. I hope ZF will allow non-standard batteries into their system.

Nice work Sam! Is this just another brand as with DJI that we will not be able to get down in NZ and Aussie? Long-term review in real-world conditions to see if the small motors with high power will overheat?

You really have to test this motor!!!

Long term test please, would be interesting to see the performance difference of this type of gearbox as this is a strain wave type that allows for this compact shape :)

This could explain the massive bottom bracket on the pro road bikes. 🤔😂🤣😃

Reliability, serviceability, warranty, support, Reliability, serviceability, warranty, support. Reliability, serviceability, warranty, support. (Yes i have PTSD from dealing with the warranty weasels at Specialized)

Please @ZF, send Sam‘s bike a bike with your new motor for a professional test!

How servicable will it be, will ZF supply parts for it to be repaired?

Yes please i am looking for a new bike and this motor is interesting want to see how it performs in the trails

Will the ZF software be able to control the rear mech? Like an auto mode? Be perfect if it could 🙂

long term test please

I reckon the unit is too wide for use onn most frames to look nice and sleek like most, if they can refine the unit to a sleeker profile, I think it'll be a winner. As for the mounting system, much better design more so for the shops to work on etc.

Full review!! <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="492">8:12</a>

From an Electrical Engineer: overcharged throwaway motor, I only hope this is not the trend.

Long term review yes please Did I hear right, that this is in an oil bath internally ? That would be potentially a game changer in terms of preventing water ingress and hence reliability 🎉 My Maserati Levante has a ZF gearbox so familiar with the brand 😊

Size matters, no matter what anyone says

Definitely need a long term review and also a long term review on the DJI which I think at 2.52kg 1000w 120nm is next nevel keep up the good work Sam 👌

How can i buy this motor

Like to see a throttle option on this , Is bafang the only one that has a throttle?

Yep long term test

Needs a wireless remote, integrated display into the top tube, 600wh + Extender option. 2nd gen to include gearbox please - everyone hates chains and shifters

Overheating in standard package or maximum power for 15 seconds😂?😊

What is driveline loss when battery is removed/dead in watts? Did you use Garmin power pedals during test ride?? Has manufacturer committed to at least ten years of form factor frame interface stability? Why? imagine a camera company changing the lens mount every year. Overrun is stupid dangerous, just put a thumb throttle already.

Long term :)

ZF make gearboxes for cars truck ships so why not Ebike, so for me the job is half done. Make an MGU ZF, then you elevate from a crowed field of motors to a select few who can make an MGU

What motor company do you think will come out with regenerative braking so riders can get more out of their batteries?

isn't that the one with the clutch inside ?

Can the speed limiter be changed is big questio? Changing rear sensor ring to 30 holes should fool bike that you actually going slower. Or a chip company come up with something.

Power available is not as important as efficiency, yet nobody measures and publicize these new members

as a car enthusiast I was "hell yeah ZF a real motor engine transmission brand" but then someone commented "what about the cooling" and yeah that's a very good concern the TQ apparently is known for that, I didn't get overheat in a bosch gen 3 I think ? but it was very hot...well we did 6561ft with 35°C 95°F

Can't wait to pay for 2 arms and 2 legs for this on a bike.

More manufacturers means more competition and all the rest gotta rise the level… The e-bike market is definitely best than ever, and thankfully worst than what is coming in the near future. Future seems to be bright mate.

Can the max speed be set to 45 kmh?

It looks more like a motorcycle than a bicycle, good for those with physical disabilities.

If the premium brands don’t pick it up then it’s going to be a flop. I mean who on earth is Raymon????? I tested the motor at Eurobike and on the flat ground it was really impressive, but the bike it was in really didn’t appeal to me at all. I think it’s going to be really hard to convince the top tier brands to move away from Shimano, Bosch or house motors…

the batteries are too large

I love the content, but i find that you're using too much background noise reduction on your recent povs. Its less engaging, just like listening to a podcast in a way. Well that's just me thanks

ZF makes the best transmissions in the auto market. This motor looks great but the battery looks bulky and the peripherals are wired. Boo

that display sucks - rest is rad

What I love about these new smaller motors is just simply the fact that ebikes can look more like analogue bikes. It's purely aesthetic for me and rightly as you said Sam it allows more room for the frame designers to do so much more with suspension design, which larger motors simply won't allow.