Bosch-Magura eBike ABS "Touring" Review on the Focus Planet² 6.9 ABS

Admittedly, the thought of a story about the Bosch-Magura eBike ABS, specifically for the city bike touring segment, triggered a slight discomfort in me. Although the new safety technology promised exciting possibilities on one hand, on the other hand, I was skeptical about how well the ABS would integrate into the riding experience of an urban step-through. Memories of the bumpy beginnings of motorcycle ABS, which were more known for their pitfalls than their reliability, did not bode well.

But as soon as I tackled the first full stops on asphalt, gravel, and in the damp meadow, I was in for a big surprise: In developing the eBike ABS, the long-standing experience of Bosch and Magura with anti-lock braking systems for motorcycles apparently came to their advantage. The touring ABS not only worked well, it exceeded all expectations and delivered a performance that proved to be far superior in direct comparison to the beginnings of motorcycle ABS.

The new Bosch-Magura eBike ABS consists of a control unit, system integrated ABS features, two wheel speed sensors and the Magura MT C ABS brakes including the ABS brake and sensor discs.

To enable the best possible brake pressure control of the Bosch control unit, the MT C ABS brake master of the front wheel brake was equipped with a larger oil delivery volume and a 12 mm (instead of 10 mm) master piston. To maintain the actuation forces, the controllability, and the lever travel at a comfortable level despite the larger piston, the Swabians designed a new lever kinematics in the axial master of the brake master. Depending on the area of use, 2-finger or 3-finger brake levers are used.
For the necessary braking power and stability, Magura's one-piece forged 2- or 4-piston brake calipers are used, which with their stiff construction ensure high deceleration values and good heat dissipation - perfect for eBikes with heavy loads and at high speeds.

The suitable brake discs, either MDR-C (180 mm, 203 mm) or MDR-P (180 mm, 203 mm, 220 mm) come from Magura's standard portfolio. Sensor discs mounted on the brake discs measure the wheel rotation speeds through the ABS wheel speed sensors and detect an immediate critical locking of the front wheel as well as the lifting of the rear wheel.

Both sensors are either discreetly integrated into the Magura adapter or mounted on the fork or frame. To facilitate maintenance in the event of service, the ABS control unit uses the Easy Link connectors known from the Magura Cockpit Integration (MCi). In the event of service, this allows the brake lever or caliper to be quickly disconnected and disassembled.

The Focus Planet² 6.9 ABS features front and rear hydraulic Magura 2-piston calipers with MDR-C 203 mm discs. Additionally, only the Bosch-Magura ABS "Touring" mode is programmed into the control system or in the Bosch Kiox 300. Braking is done at the front with a Magura MT C ABS brake master cylinder including a 3-finger lever and at the rear with a visually matched Magura MT C brake master cylinder without ABS, also with a 3-finger lever.

Now we have an understanding of how the eBike ABS works in theory, but we still don't know if it is reliable, provides consistent performance, and how it feels in practice. It is important to understand that the Touring-ABS we tested, although the most restrictive of all Bosch-Magura modes, only starts to regulate the ABS when there is slippage at the front wheel. This means that normal driving and braking have no consequences and the driving characteristics as well as the braking distances remain unchanged - just like on an eBike without ABS.

However, in the case of emergency braking or excessively strong braking maneuvers at the front wheel, the ABS control system activates in fractions of a second, allowing the front wheel to roll freely again with full steering capability. In straight running and without inclination, the eBike remains 100% controllable at all times; however, even the ABS cannot defy physics in inclinations or extreme steering angles.

Our interim conclusion: The ABS was activated in every single full braking situation. This was noticeable at the brake lever and could also be observed from the outside by carefully watching the front tire. Without ABS, a large number of our braking tests would definitely have ended in a crash or severe overturn.

However, depending on the deceleration and the nature of the ground, the ABS regulation led to a (sometimes significant) extension of the braking distance. But how can the effects and the extended braking distances "with" and "without ABS" be compared? We wanted to know exactly.

To closely examine the functionality and riding experience of the Bosch-Magura ABS system, we conducted numerous braking tests on various surfaces, including smooth asphalt, grippy asphalt, asphalt with light gravel, deep gravel, solid gravel, wet roadways, and damp meadows. The riding speed was usually between 25 and 25.4 km/h according to the speedometer, with the braking points carefully approached. However, we also performed several full and emergency stops at much higher speeds downhill.

While the Bosch-Magura ABS modes "Trail" and "Allroad" for eMTBs can be turned off via the control unit in connection with the display (Kiox 300/Kiox 500) or via the eBike Flow App, the ABS "Touring" used here (as well as the ABS "Cargo") could not be disabled through software.

To fully experience the performance differences, the only workaround was a little trick: Disabling the ABS function by removing a wheel speed sensor.

First off, we started with the rear wheel speed sensor, which was a fail, as the measured speed was also needed for motor support. Thus, we ended up with two error messages - no ABS, no motor support.

Fortunately, the front speed sensor could be removed without any problems. Apart from the warning on the display that the ABS function was out of operation, both the electric drive and the hydraulic disc brakes worked afterwards - just without ABS.

Fun Fact: During the first review, to see if the ABS on the front brake was deactivated, it almost resulted in a somersault. Incredible how quickly one had gotten used to the safety of the ABS.

Indeed, the effects with or without ABS were consistently reproducible, yet in no way precisely measurable (road surface, speed, braking point, temperature of the pads/discs, wind, etc.). Therefore, in evaluating the braking distance, we will limit ourselves to estimated percentage figures that are intended to give a rough idea, irrespective of the pad, of what stopping distance to expect in each braking maneuver "with" and "without Touring ABS".

(Semi-)Offroad ABS Brake Test

* The best achievable braking distance at about 25 km/h could be achieved on almost all surfaces with a slightly locked front wheel and a strongly lifted rear wheel, with arms fully extended and a weight distribution to the rear. This value is taken as the basis for 100%. Longer braking distances receive proportionally higher values based on their ratio to this optimal value.

The second generation of the Bosch-Magura eBike ABS-System revolutionizes braking technology for trekking and touring eBikes with the Touring mode, elevating safety and control to a whole new level. The system's integration is discreetly accomplished, leaving nothing to be desired in terms of operating comfort, braking performance, and modulation. The Magura MT C ABS two-piston brakes on the Planet² slowed down with their 203 mm discs in our asphalt and gravel test series without fault or failure, there were no dropouts.

In our opinion, the Touring ABS is an absolute must for older individuals who ride powerful eBikes in the city and face varying road surfaces, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, and unexpected traffic situations.

However, it is important to emphasize at this point that the Touring mode is particularly restrictive. It aims to prevent any slippage and the lifting of the rear wheel, which can lead to significantly longer braking distances. While we appreciate that the ABS cannot be turned off in the Kiox menu, the potent Focus Planet² also deserved the ABS Allroad mode to make the riding experience more attractive for demanding city or trekking riders.