Not too long ago, we tested how the motor overrun worked on the Shimano EP801. Shimano never really had motor overrun. But that changed at some point. We found there was some, but only in the Boost mode. And it could be a bit difficult accessing the overrun.
Shortly after, Shimano released the 4.3.0 firmware update for the EP801 and EP600 motors. They never see the need to inform us when a new update is out. But this time they did, so it had to be something special. See this video for an illustration of how the new settings work or keep reading below.
Our impression is the motor just cuts instantly; you’ve got full power until you suddenly have none. When the power drops, it feels like there is no resistance in the pedals for a fraction of a second, before the cranks connect again and you have lots of resistance. It’s not a very pleasant experience. I don’t mind the abrupt cut, but it makes for a choppy and disturbing ride feel if you pedal at about cutoff speed.
This means you either need the Shimano PCE02 PC connection hardware, or you need to visit a dealer/shop. I guess it can be inconvenient testing all the settings if you need to visit your LBS.
Here’s what I would choose. If you like motor overrun, set it to Long. It’s still quite pleasant and comfortable to ride. But I would not set the cutoff to Aggressive, not unless you’re sure you want it. For racing, it’s an advantage having access to full motor power over the widest range possible. It can give you an advantage over those riding motors that ramps down one or two tenths sooner. But that doesn’t matter to me. I’d happily let the motor start ramping down a few tenths sooner to have a more pleasant and less annoying riding experience. I’d set the “assist cutoff” to Middle.
Riding the motor in the most aggressive settings makes it feel like an even “racier” motor than the Bosch Performance CX race. I think it’s cool that Shimano decided to give us these options. Now you can just buy an EP801 powered bike and decide if you want a regular EP801, a Race motor or something inbetween.
Shortly after, Shimano released the 4.3.0 firmware update for the EP801 and EP600 motors. They never see the need to inform us when a new update is out. But this time they did, so it had to be something special. See this video for an illustration of how the new settings work or keep reading below.
AUTO SHIFT has been updated
We haven’t ridden a bike with the Shimano Auto Shift system since it was launched more than a year ago. So, we haven’t had a chance to test and see what’s changed. Both the EP801 and the EP600 gets this update.Assist carry over function
I think this is the most interesting part of the 4.3.0 firmware, it’s the motor overrun settings. We now get 3 levels of “carry-over” to choose from: short, middle and long. This is a “global” setting that will affect all assistance modes. Unfortunately, only the EP801 gets this functionality.Short assist carry over
There seems to be a bit of motor overrun in the “short” setting. This setting reminds me of how the motor previously used to behave. But now it we think it’s a bit easier to activate. This is the default value for the 4.3.0 firmware.Middle assist carry over
Now we’ve definitely got overrun. It’s activated by pushing hard on the pedals from a stand-still, or by giving the pedals a bit of push before we stop pedaling and start coasting. The duration is longer than in the “short” setting, but there are other motors out there that will push for longer.Long assist carry over
In the “long” setting, the motor gives us a nice shove. It seems the overrun duration is as long as it legally can be. Push the pedals less than a quarter of a turn, then backpedal and repeat and the motor keeps pushing you forwards with lots of power. Even though the motor keeps the power up, it doesn’t feel very aggressive and difficult to control.Assist cutoff function
Both the EP801 and EP600 get the “assist cutoff” function. This determines how fast the motor tapers down the motor power as you approach the cutoff speed. It does not change the maximum speed of the motor. It can be set individually for the Boost, Trail and Eco modes and we get to choose between Natural, Middle and Aggressive.Natural cutoff
I always liked how the Shimano EP801 and EP6 ramps down the power. The old EP800 cut the power a bit sooner than the newer motors. In the Natural setting, the motor behavior seems the same as before. The assistance starts dropping at around 25 kph and disappears completely at about 26 kph, as reported by the display. "Natural" is the default value for the 4.3.0 firmware.Middle cutoff
Stepping up to the Middle settings makes a noticeable difference. Now it seems the motor gives full power up until about 25.5 kph before dropping down to no power at 26 kph. I think the motor still feels smooth and comfortable when it starts ramping down the assistance. I would happily use this setting.Aggressive cutoff
In the Aggressive setting, the difference is even bigger. It seems the motor starts ramping down at around 25.7-25.8 kph and it’s completely gone at 26. That’s our guess, but it’s very difficult to say. We have to accelerate to go from 25.75 to 26 kph, and there is such a small window for the motor to ramp down, so we didn’t manage to stay in that interval and ride with slightly reduced power.Our impression is the motor just cuts instantly; you’ve got full power until you suddenly have none. When the power drops, it feels like there is no resistance in the pedals for a fraction of a second, before the cranks connect again and you have lots of resistance. It’s not a very pleasant experience. I don’t mind the abrupt cut, but it makes for a choppy and disturbing ride feel if you pedal at about cutoff speed.
Conclusion, our preferred settings
As of now these settings can’t be changed in the E-Tube Ride app. But Shimano says the next version of the app supports the new settings. They expect it will be out sometime in the fall of -24, it will be the next version after the current 5.3.2.This means you either need the Shimano PCE02 PC connection hardware, or you need to visit a dealer/shop. I guess it can be inconvenient testing all the settings if you need to visit your LBS.
Here’s what I would choose. If you like motor overrun, set it to Long. It’s still quite pleasant and comfortable to ride. But I would not set the cutoff to Aggressive, not unless you’re sure you want it. For racing, it’s an advantage having access to full motor power over the widest range possible. It can give you an advantage over those riding motors that ramps down one or two tenths sooner. But that doesn’t matter to me. I’d happily let the motor start ramping down a few tenths sooner to have a more pleasant and less annoying riding experience. I’d set the “assist cutoff” to Middle.
Riding the motor in the most aggressive settings makes it feel like an even “racier” motor than the Bosch Performance CX race. I think it’s cool that Shimano decided to give us these options. Now you can just buy an EP801 powered bike and decide if you want a regular EP801, a Race motor or something inbetween.
