Yamaha's new lightweight crank drive on new e-bikes

[flecc]

Yamaha, the inventors of the PAS system, have at last decided to up their game in the export markets with a new lightweight crank unit to be on new e-bikes from Giant, Winora and Christiansen:

New Yamaha venture

 

[Streethawk]

Competition is good, but i'm wondering where real innovation will come from. For example they make a big claim about how lightweight it is, but it's less than 0.5kg lighter than the 2013 Bosch units, probably not much between the 2014 version at all, and even if there were, what's half a kilogram to an ebike? I'm sure the Yamaha system will be good though.

 

[flecc]

Yes, I really welcome this serious re-entry. Their early bevel drive e-bikes with a system similar to that on the Tonaro were very reliable, some of them still in use at up to 14 years old.

 

[shemozzle999]

Link to Giant 2014 bike , 60Nm + 400Wh battery:

Google Translate

 

[Artstu]

looks good

 

[shemozzle999]

Or this one:

http://www.elektrobike-online.com/news/fotostrecken/neue-e-mountainbikes-2014-giant-full-e-0-27-5-und-giant-full-e-1-27-5.820416.410636.htm#1

reminds me of something similar:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=6844&d=1379418399