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SRAM EAGLE POWERTRAIN sram.com
SRAM’s entry into the e-bike arena marries motor and transmission for a match made in heaven
It’s no secret that SRAM’s had a motor cooking for quite some time. Last year, Nukeproof racer Elliot Heap was spotted racing with a prototype at the EWS-E for one thing.
Then SRAM acquired Amprio, a German motor brand. So while the product itself is no surprise, it’s what’s lurking beneath the covers that’s intriguing, and potentially divisive.
In recent years, SRAM has increasingly funnelled its components down the path of system integration.
By optimising individual parts to work together in a structured way, variables can be eliminated and performance can be enhanced.
Although mountain bikers notoriously hate being beholden to a specific brand, or system, when it comes time to replace worn or broken parts.
But that’s a debate for a different day. The point is, Eagle Powertrain takes this strategy to new levels, which, depending on your viewpoint, is either extremely exciting or hugely frustrating.
SRAM’s new e-bike Powertrain is designed to work exclusively with its new T-Type AXS transmission.
To enjoy Eagle Powertrain’s advantages, you have to go – if you’ll excuse the phrase – balls deep.
Those advantages are two-fold: full wireless control of power modes, gear changes, and dropper post; and the potential to let the system shift for you, using Auto Shift and Coast Shift.
Of course that’s not the full story, but these are the headlines that set SRAM’s offering apart from rivals Shimano, Bosch, and Specialized. With that in mind, let’s dive straight into the details.
If you’ve owned or ridden a Turbo Levo then the SRAM motor will feel pretty familiar.
It’s the same, physically chunky, 2.9kg, Brose motor used by Specialized, albeit running SRAM’s firmware and some slightly tweaked internals, one of which is a drive belt that has been further reinforced to prevent stretching and slipping.
Four and six-bolt mounting options are available, and brands can make their own custom motor covers, but frame integration is a bit of a mixed bag.
Nukeproof’s clocked design looks sleek, but on the Transition Repeater it’s definitely a less elegant solution.
Top line stats on the motor are an impressive claimed peak power of 680w – far in excess of the 565w delivered in the Turbo Levo.
And much higher t
