In the early 1990s, Yamaha put major resources into developing the Power Assist System (PAS) for bicycles. Featuring an electric motor providing assistance to the pedaling input of the rider, the Yamaha PAS was fitted to a specially designed bicycle in 1993.

Over the last 30 years, Yamaha has developed a successful line up of compact and lightweight high-torque drive units that are renowned for their smooth and instant power delivery. Yamaha is strengthening its extensive line up of compact high-tech drive units with the launch of the new PWseries C2, a lightweight, versatile eBike motor aimed at the urban and commuter segments.

Developed from the successful PW-CE, the new PWseries C2 delivers 10% more torque than the previous model, giving increased all-around performance on the street. Its small size gives eBike designers the freedom to create a maneuverable and agile handling chassis with good ground clearance.

Developing 55 N·m of torque, the PWseries C2 weighs just 3 kg, making it an attractive drive units for many types of entry-level eBikes.

The new PWseries C2 motor benefits from Yamaha’s software that instantly responds to changing conditions so that the rider can enjoy smooth, seamless and natural feeling pedal assistance.

Using a range of sensors, the PWseries C2’s Automatic Support Mode can switch to any one of four different assistance settings depending on the type of riding. This ability to instantly react to situations such as gradients or headwinds means that the right level of power is automatically transmitted to the pedals whenever required, making this new drive unit ideally suited to different types of riding from congested city streets through to hilly trails.

Riders can select from one of four different levels of assist—High, Standard, Eco and Eco+—enabling them to manage their performance to suit their type of riding. This also gives riders the opportunity to select an assist mode to match their range requirements.

When the eBike is being pushed a Walk Assist function provides additional assistance that makes it easier to move when parking or crossing a pedestrian zone.

The PWseries C2 is fully compatible with all Yamaha displays and batteries, offering increased design flexibility to eBike manufacturers, making this new drive unit an attractive option for new urban and commuter models.