Speedbox. With Bosch performance CX with a kiox display

sharkimano

New Member
Apr 15, 2024
9
7
Turkey
I was not using the flow app. So its nothing todo with the Flow App or GPS. The bosch motor software detects the speedbox on its own.
Well, this is a mystery to me. How does it determine speed if the data from speed sensor is indicating a slow speed (vs real speed.) It does not have (?) its own GPS. May be comparing pedal power vs reported speed ?
The other mystery for me is why do I have to let it count down before turning motor off in case of Speedbox ? The speed indicator on the Kiox goes all over the place when stopped...
Anyway I hope someone can shed a light on this...
 

Eagleboy64

Member
Oct 16, 2023
15
6
Christchurch, New Zealand
Well, this is a mystery to me. How does it determine speed if the data from speed sensor is indicating a slow speed (vs real speed.) It does not have (?) its own GPS. May be comparing pedal power vs reported speed ?
The other mystery for me is why do I have to let it count down before turning motor off in case of Speedbox ? The speed indicator on the Kiox goes all over the place when stopped...
Anyway I hope someone can shed a light on this...
The only place ì imagine you could even hope to get answers to those questions are the people who write the code for speedbox.
 

GlenMcD

New Member
Mar 21, 2024
11
7
Ipswich, QLD Australia
The only place ì imagine you could even hope to get answers to those questions are the people who write the code for speedbox.
This is an easy one, note I'm retired embedded software engineer. The CX engine electronics has access to the output from the speedbox, but it also has access to pedal movement (cadence). The relationship between these is also reliant on choice of gear, however gears don't have unlimited range and have particular ratios, unlike a CVT. Also it needs to be noted that it's possible to move the pedals at a cadence that doesn't actually provide any effective torque, in fact you may hold pedals still at times and bike may still accelerate, if going down hill, with strong wind etc. All that said, there is obviously scope for the logic with the CX motor to determine whether there are strong indicators that a tuning device is being used. The evidence for this could become stronger as your speed gets higher and how long you maintain high speeds gets longer. While the amount of assistance to maintain 24.9KPH for 1KM may be fairly high if going up a very long uphill, if assistance is demanded continuously over say 5KM at supposedly just 24.9KM, it obviously is a good indicator that a tuning device may be in use. Just the fact that bike NEVER goes over 24.9KPH (but it used to) is yet another indicator. Personally, I don't have slush funds to test this out for myself, and can't wait until sane laws that allow reasonable speeds (32KPH to 40KPH range) come into Australia and hopefully other countries. My old ebike wasn't limited, was only 200 watts and was far less frustrating that this new one in some ways. I averaged 25KPH to 30KPH on old.
 

sharkimano

New Member
Apr 15, 2024
9
7
Turkey
This is an easy one, note I'm retired embedded software engineer. The CX engine electronics has access to the output from the speedbox, but it also has access to pedal movement (cadence). The relationship between these is also reliant on choice of gear, however gears don't have unlimited range and have particular ratios, unlike a CVT. Also it needs to be noted that it's possible to move the pedals at a cadence that doesn't actually provide any effective torque, in fact you may hold pedals still at times and bike may still accelerate, if going down hill, with strong wind etc. All that said, there is obviously scope for the logic with the CX motor to determine whether there are strong indicators that a tuning device is being used. The evidence for this could become stronger as your speed gets higher and how long you maintain high speeds gets longer. While the amount of assistance to maintain 24.9KPH for 1KM may be fairly high if going up a very long uphill, if assistance is demanded continuously over say 5KM at supposedly just 24.9KM, it obviously is a good indicator that a tuning device may be in use. Just the fact that bike NEVER goes over 24.9KPH (but it used to) is yet another indicator. Personally, I don't have slush funds to test this out for myself, and can't wait until sane laws that allow reasonable speeds (32KPH to 40KPH range) come into Australia and hopefully other countries. My old ebike wasn't limited, was only 200 watts and was far less frustrating that this new one in some ways. I averaged 25KPH to 30KPH on old.
I think you are on the right track to solve this mystery to me. As a side note this 25km limit in Europe is absolutely bonkers ! You can exceed this in just a couple of pedal strokes in a flat. The other frustrating part of this jockeying between riders and Bosch, why does Bosch do everything they can to prevent us riding like we want. They follow the law and they should just shut up and let others break it on their own terms. Why torture us with all these error codes and limp modes !
 

arTNC

Member
Feb 1, 2024
240
281
Texas
I think you are on the right track to solve this mystery to me. As a side note this 25km limit in Europe is absolutely bonkers ! You can exceed this in just a couple of pedal strokes in a flat. The other frustrating part of this jockeying between riders and Bosch, why does Bosch do everything they can to prevent us riding like we want. They follow the law and they should just shut up and let others break it on their own terms. Why torture us with all these error codes and limp modes !
Well I certainly agree with you about the silly cap on speed limits on our emtb's. I don't ride on pavement and city streets. And in the off road environment, the 15 or so mph limit is absolutely ridiculous. Even at my age I can often exceed that on my pedal only bike in many places on a trail. The local trails in my area don't prohibit emtb's, and I ride a lot of places where we can also ride dirt motorcycles. I'm not talking about hooligan behavior. I'm talking about slightly upping the speed limit in reasonable conditions.

I was fortunate in that I got a Gen II Trek Rail that uses the Purion display that easily allowed a VOLspeed derestrictor. I set it at 25.4 mph and haven't touched it since. I almost never achieve that speed on an actual trail except in a few longer, straight downhills. Most everywhere I ride there are enough technical elements even in the downhills that you don't want to go full tilt on. There are a few younger riders who can go faster overall on a lap than I can on my Rail, so we're not talking about running over children on their mtb's.

I know lots of people are ga-ga over the smart systems and other cool do-dads on the newer displays and software, but I have found my simple display and software to be a set-and-forget setup. When brand new, I got one of the guys in the shop to allow all maximums in the Bosch software on my Rail, and then I plugged in the VOLspeed unit and haven't had an issue. Of course VOLspeed claims their unit won't work with the Bosch smart system, and I guess Bosch has made some intentional or accidental effort with their smart system to thwart or at least make derestriction difficult.

That's a shame. 25.4 mph is not a death defying, dangerous limit to be allowed on an emtb. And let's be honest, the extreme high speed claimed by Speedbox isn't really applicable to the off road needs of an emtb. I think VOLspeed was wise not to allow anything higher than 45 km/hr, 28 mph. I would hope Speedbox and VOLspeed can ultimately defeat the software issues in some of these newer motors, displays, and software.
 

GlenMcD

New Member
Mar 21, 2024
11
7
Ipswich, QLD Australia
Speedbox V2 (part number 1350) has been made to work on Bosch smart system including firmware released this year. If max speed is set to 40 KPH and one occasionally goes over this speed, I can tell you that it works fine without errors, at least so far so good. One thought that I did have was that at least in Australia and I suspect in Europe also, that 200 watts ebikes don't have a speed restriction on assistance but 250 watts variants do. So let's say you have a Cube bike with Bosch CX gen 4 motor, it's easy to reduce torque from 85NM down to 70, which is approximately 200 watts (or if not, 65 NM should do it). I suspect that providing that all assistance levels use no more than this power, that the ebike in that state should actually conform to the 200 watts standard, which doesn't specify a max speed for assistance and so should be legal in Australia and possibly Europe and maybe elsewhere. 70NM (200 watts) when used on mid mount motor still gives you excellent assistance on steep hills and around 32KPH cruising on level ground. If I'm correct about the legality of this, perhaps Bosch should actually offer this option in the next firmware update? By that I mean have an user option to restrict assistance to 200 watts and if enabled, then ignore speed limit for assistance. I suspect this would sell more ebikes and less ebike tuning chips. This option could be used per assistance level allowing the rider to quickly change if the full 250 watts is actually needed in which case the 25KPH limit is then applied. I could see this perhaps occasionally used in extremely hilly terrain but not so much on roads.
 

Prozor

New Member
Apr 12, 2024
16
5
Polska
No, you are not right. Legal restrictions limit the maximum speed to 25km/h and to 250W of continuous power (except in the US and New Zealand, a bit more there). Even if the power is less, the speed at which the engine should stop assisting is legally limited to 25km/h. Besides 70 Nm isn't 200W. 85 Nm isn't 250W. This only limits the legal power at the legal level. 85 Nm motors can occur much more than 600W, but this is instantaneous power, available for a short time (legal restrictions). Even the Bosch Performance SX 55 Nm produces >600W, although a high cadence is required and of course for a short time to meet legal requirements.
Motoren_Vergleichstest_Intro_E-MTB_034_WEB-6-4.jpg
 
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arTNC

Member
Feb 1, 2024
240
281
Texas
I'm still mystified as to how Bosch is detecting these tuners. I think it must be something in the software updates and the later, more sophisticated display systems. My Gen 2 Rail 7 with the antique Purion display and a VOLspeed tuner have worked flawlessly from day one back since February or March.

One other thing. Other than the initial software update at time of purchase, I have not connected the software back up to the Bosch site...and I don't plan to. During the first software connection where you insure you're getting the 85nm power level and any other "max" settings that you may want, I see no reason to reconnect. With the tuner installed there is the obvious speed unlock...my Purion set to 25.4...but maybe even more beneficial is what VOLspeed calls the "dynamic mode" which affects the overall power delivery curve, overrun, etc.

Anyway, I only mention this to indicate that either/and software updates and the kind of display control must have something to do with the error codes and detection of the tuner. And of course, the VOLspeed unit doesn't work with the Smart System, so they must know something about how Bosch is detecting these devices. I wish they would speak out with some detail as to what they found that allows detection.
 

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,189
902
Christchurch - New Zealand
I wish they would speak out with some detail as to what they found that allows detection.
As many have said from day one, the Bosch smart system is extremely hard to chip. Bosch will actively defeat most companies that try and alter their motors.

In the future I believe modded chips will be a thing of the past as more motor manufacturers force updates on more modern motors.
 

arTNC

Member
Feb 1, 2024
240
281
Texas
As many have said from day one, the Bosch smart system is extremely hard to chip. Bosch will actively defeat most companies that try and alter their motors.

In the future I believe modded chips will be a thing of the past as more motor manufacturers force updates on more modern motors.
Yes, but it's kind of disappointing how much control "they" want to inflict when we're talking about off road mountain bikes. Seems odd when compared to dirt motorcycles where you can do just about whatever to change the tune, get more power, and go faster. I realize they have a bit of a phobia about the potential of overpowered emtb's riding among pedal-only bikes, but nearly forever, dirt motorcycles folks have been riding among wildly varied and powered dirt bikes from 125cc 4-stroke pooches to 60 horsepower 2-stroke 500cc fire breathing monsters.

Heck, even considering just pedal-only bikes riding on trails together, you get a wide variety of fast and slow riders to contend with, and the rule is that you just don't act an ass and run over those slower riders. Too much speed and irresponsible riding isn't just in the realm of emtb's.
 

JP-NZ

E*POWAH Elite
Feb 17, 2022
1,189
902
Christchurch - New Zealand
Yes, but it's kind of disappointing how much control "they" want to inflict when we're talking about off road mountain bikes.
But they aren't strictly off road bicycles are they? I understand different countries have different regulations on power/speed/trail usage etc but at the end of the day we are defined by those rules.
 

Embt

New Member
Aug 1, 2024
61
16
Dundee
My smart system chip is 700 miles roughly no error

I've been taking it to 26 mph a few times.

Where I live its very windy one way is fighting the wind the other is cycling with the wind.

I'm starting to cycle 17.6mph fighting the wind and 21 - 23 mph with the wind.
 

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