Bosch Ride Modes: The Ultimate Guide and Explanations
Bosch ride modes used to mean a simple choice between low, medium and high assistance. Today, with the new generation of the Bosch Smart System, your eBike is no longer just a machine – it becomes an extension of your legs, tuned perfectly to your personal riding style. In this ultimate guide we explain each of the 14 available Bosch ride modes, so you know exactly which one to pick.
In short: Bosch ride modes
- Types of support: Modes fall into constant (fixed power), sport (reacting to how hard you pedal) and automatic (detecting gradient and wind on their own).
- Personalization: In the eBike Flow app you can pick your 4 favourite modes and fine-tune their power and torque.
- Hardware limits: Extreme modes like Race or the lightweight Sprint are tied exclusively to specific motors (CX-R and SX respectively).
Power in Your Hands: Custom Modes in the Flow App
Dynamic on the trail, economical on a long tour or relaxed in city traffic – you choose. Through the official Bosch eBike Flow app, you can build a set of four favourite riding modes (plus the standard "Off" mode) that will be available on the remote on your handlebar. If you are new to electric bikes, our e-bike guide for beginners is a good place to start.
What's more, the app lets you play with fine adjustments. For most modes you can change the acceleration curve (dynamics), limit the maximum assisted speed, and increase or decrease torque and overall power.
How to Understand the Types of Support
Before we get to the list, it helps to understand the three ways Bosch delivers power:
- Constant support: The motor delivers a fixed amount of power whether you press the pedals hard or lightly (e.g. Turbo, Eco).
- Sport (progressive) support: "Smart" assistance. The harder you press the pedal, the more power the motor gives. It imitates the natural feel of riding (e.g. eMTB, Tour+).
- Automatic support: Sensors detect climbs, strong headwinds or tougher terrain and change the power level on their own, without you shifting modes (e.g. Auto, Cargo).
Detailed Overview of All Bosch Ride Modes
Race Extreme
- Max. assist: 400%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Constant
Uncompromising power for racing. The motor response is brutal and instant, and Extended Boost is stretched to the maximum for flying over tough rock garden sections. (Performance Line CX-R motors only.)
Turbo Powerful
- Max. assist: 340%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Constant
Direct, constant and maximally powerful assistance from the very first pedal stroke. An ideal mode for steep, paved climbs where you need raw power regardless of your cadence.
eMTB+ New
- Max. assist: Up to 400%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Sport
Through the Flow app you can now "unlock" eMTB+, which raises the assist from 340% to 400%. Equipped with the "Dynamic Control" system, it acts like traction control on tough, slippery terrain.
eMTB Trail
- Max. assist: 340%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Sport
The absolute king of the forest. The motor responds progressively to your pedal pressure within a millisecond. It practically eliminates the need to switch modes during fast off-road riding.
Sprint Gravel / Light
- Max. assist: 280%
- Battery consumption: Average
- Support type: Sport
A mode designed for fast riding and high cadence. The faster you spin the pedals, the more power the motor delivers. Available exclusively for the lighter Performance Line SX motors.
Auto Smart
- Max. assist: 340%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Automatic
The motor analyses conditions on its own (headwind, gradient) and automatically compensates the assist so that your effort (and any drop in speed) stays the same. Ideal for touring and the city.
Tour+ Long routes
- Max. assist: 340%
- Battery consumption: Average
- Support type: Sport
The more energy-efficient sibling of eMTB. It asks for a bit more effort from the rider on the flat (to save battery), but progressively delivers full power as soon as you press hard on a climb.
Tour Touring
- Max. assist: 140%
- Battery consumption: Average
- Support type: Sport
Designed for very long rides. Limited to a maximum of 140% assist, it gives a linear, calm push that ensures massive range without tiring the rider.
Sport City
- Max. assist: 240%
- Battery consumption: Average
- Support type: Constant
A stronger version of Tour mode, but with constant power delivery. Great for everyday riding through the city or commuting, where you need a quick start at traffic lights.
Cargo Load
- Max. assist: 400%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Automatic
Maximum support optimized for moving a heavy load at low speeds and low cadence. Exclusively for Cargo Line (BDU384Y, BDU374Y) and Performance Line PX motors.
Eco+ Efficiency
- Max. assist: 60%
- Battery consumption: Low
- Support type: Automatic
A new generation of economical mode. The motor stays off on the flat and switches on automatically and gently only when it senses you need a little help to keep your rhythm.
Eco Training
- Max. assist: 60%
- Battery consumption: Low
- Support type: Constant
Efficient but very gentle support designed for maximum range. Ideal for riders who want a serious workout, with the motor only cancelling out the weight of the e-bike itself.
Limit S-Pedelec
- Max. assist: 340%
- Battery consumption: High
- Support type: Automatic
A specific mode exclusively for fast S-pedelec bikes (up to 45 km/h) in the EU, fitted with a Performance Line Speed motor (BDU388Y, BDU378Y). Before you ride one, check the e-bike laws in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Off Off
- Max. assist: 0%
- Battery consumption: None
- Support type: No support
The motor delivers no power, but the system and display stay on so you can follow navigation and ride data (only the display draws power).
Important: Which mode fits which motor?
Although you can pick 4 favourite modes in the Flow app, you can't install every mode on every bike. Bosch limits modes by hardware, depending on the motor type. These are the main exceptions:
- Race: exclusively for Performance Line CX-R (Race Limited Edition).
- Sprint: exclusively for the lightweight Performance Line SX motor.
- Cargo: exclusively for Cargo Line and Performance Line PX.
- eMTB and eMTB+: For the whole Performance and CX line, with the note that the SX motor only gets the eMTB+ update in autumn 2025.
— Marko Ristivojević, Master Bike Mechanic
eMTB+ and Dynamic Control: Traction Control for Bikes
For fans of tough terrain, Bosch brings a real revolution – the Dynamic Control system, which works exclusively with the top-tier Performance Line CX (BDU384Y) and CX-R motors.
In eMTB+ and Turbo mode, this system works like traction control on a sports car. When you hit a steep, bumpy climb covered in loose rocks or wet soil, built-in sensors detect the change in terrain within a millisecond. The software automatically compensates the power delivery to prevent the rear wheel from slipping.
The result? The motor stays lively and powerful, but fully under your control, letting you ride smoothly and without losing rhythm through even the hardest technical sections in our Bike Park. On top of that, eMTB+ mode now lets you raise the maximum assist factor through the app from the factory 340% to an incredible 400%!
Extended Boost: Clear Obstacles with One Click
eMTB riders know the problem called pedal strike (hitting a rock with the pedal) very well. On tough terrain you often don't have room for a full pedal revolution. That's where the improved Extended Boost steps in.
All it takes is one short, targeted press on the pedal. Your eBike will instantly deliver a decisive "boost" of power that carries you over a step, roots or a rock, even when your foot is standing still. You can now also adjust this extra power to your taste in the Flow app.
New Toys: Trick Check and the Extended Ecosystem
The trail becomes a playground with the new Trick Check function. The system now automatically recognizes your time in the air (Air Time) and your jumps, shows them on the display and stores the data in the Flow app. In addition, the system supports advanced eShift electronic shifting and lets you connect a heart rate monitor, so you can turn your ride into a serious fitness workout. Whatever you ride, the Bosch ride modes you choose shape how all of this feels.
Before you head to the trail, make sure your motor software is updated to the latest version. If you are not sure how to do that, or your system needs diagnostics, visit our MTB Evolution service, where we will get your bike ready for the season to the highest standards. You can also read more about our Bosch eBike service.
Which Mode to Choose: A Quick Terrain Guide
The availability of individual Bosch ride modes depends on your motor and software version, but this breakdown works well as a starting point:
- City and flat asphalt: Sport, Tour or Auto, with a lower support level and higher cadence.
- Long tour with maximum range: Eco, Eco+ or Tour+, because less support means slower battery drain.
- Trail and technical climbs: eMTB or eMTB+, where the support follows the power you put into the pedals.
- Steep climbs and short sections: Turbo, keeping in mind that consumption is the highest.
- Cargo and trips with panniers: Cargo, and Tour if needed.
Bosch Ride Modes and Battery Range
The higher the support level, the shorter the range, and Bosch ride modes are really a way for you to choose that trade-off yourself. On a long tour, starting in a lower mode and switching to a stronger one only on the steep parts extends your range, and the Flow app lets you save your four favourite modes. For more on keeping your pack healthy, see our guide to e-bike battery maintenance. If the system doesn't seem to respond in line with the selected mode, check for updates through the bike service.
Sources and Further Reading
- Bosch eBike Systems – official information about modes and the eBike Flow app
- Electric bicycle (Wikipedia) – the basics of pedelec assist systems