This idea, and motor, can turn the e-MTB market upside down

For years, the electric bicycle industry has operated under an unwritten rule: once a support system was chosen, the user was tied to it for the entire useful life of the bicycle. If you wanted more power, a larger battery, or more modern technology, the only solution was to change bicycles. GOBAO has just broken that paradigm.

Who is GOBAO and why is everyone talking about this brand now?

If the name GOBAO still doesn't sound familiar to you, it is very likely that it will after Eurobike 2026. The Chinese manufacturer was one of the major players on the first day of the fair thanks to the presentation of its revolutionary X1 system, a platform that eliminates the rear derailleur and cassette by integrating the transmission directly into the motor. A proposal so disruptive that many are already pointing to it as a possible direction for the future of e-MTBs.

But the X1 is not the only project with which GOBAO wants to carve out a niche among the giants of the sector. The company, founded in 2002 in Shenzhen (China), has over two decades of experience developing motors, control systems, and electric propulsion solutions. Although its presence in Europe is still limited, it has become one of the most advanced technology manufacturers in Asia in the field of electric bicycles.

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Now it draws our attention again with two motors that it already had in its catalog: the P100 and P120, a platform that does not seek to reinvent the transmission, but something equally novel: allowing thousands of bicycles equipped with Shimano EP8 and EP801 motors to be upgraded with a more powerful, modern system and larger capacity batteries without the need to change the frame. An idea that until now seemed impossible in the e-MTB market.

The GOBAO P100 and P120 motors allow upgrading an e-MTB with Shimano EP8 to a more powerful platform

The Chinese manufacturer presented these motors a few months ago, but it was at Eurobike that we were able to see them for the first time.

Gobao has developed the new P100 and P120 motors on a platform specifically designed to be compatible with bicycles that use the popular Shimano EP8 and EP801 motors. In practice, this means that an e-MTB equipped with a Shimano system can be upgraded to a GOBAO set, more powerful and with more battery, without the need to modify the frame.

As the company itself has explained, the conversion requires replacing the entire system —motor, battery, wiring, display, and controls— but maintains the same anchor points and the same space originally allocated for the Shimano set.

This is the first time a manufacturer has proposed a solution of this type on a large scale and opens the door to something that until now seemed unthinkable: upgrading a bicycle to a more modern assistance platform without changing the frame.

An alternative to revitalize bicycles with Shimano EP8

The Shimano EP8 was introduced in 2021 and updated years later to reach up to 85 Nm. For years it has been one of the most widespread motors on the market; however, the arrival of new generations of more powerful motors, such as Bosch Performance Line CX, Specialized/Brose, or the recent Avinox, has considerably raised the performance level.

GOBAO has seen an opportunity precisely there.

Its new motors use the same integration architecture as Shimano, allowing the use of existing frames and facilitating an upgrade that was not possible until now.

The proposal is particularly interesting for owners of high-end bicycles that still offer excellent dynamic performance, but whose electrical systems have fallen behind the latest generations on the market.

GOBAO P100: 100 Nm and up to 750 W of power

The first of the two motors is the GOBAO P100, a high-performance assistance unit aimed at e-MTBs.

Its figures clearly place it above the Shimano EP801:

• Weight: 2.8 kg
• Maximum torque: 100 Nm
• Maximum power: 750 W
• Power at 70 rpm: 740 W
• Maximum efficiency: 87%
• Power-to-weight ratio: 267 W/kg

GOBAO claims that the motor combines force, cadence, and speed sensors with proprietary algorithms to provide a natural and easily customizable power delivery.

The brand also highlights the work done on the magnetic design and winding of the motor to maintain a high torque delivery capacity over long periods.

Among the available functions, we find:

• Smart push assistance with hill hold.
• Compatibility with shift sensors.
• Integration with electronic transmissions.
• Management of front and rear lighting.
• Smart brake lights.
• Compatibility with turn signals.

GOBAO P120: the most extreme version

Above the P100 is the new GOBAO P120, a version designed for those seeking maximum performance.

Although it shares much of the architecture of the P100, it incorporates a specific Boost mode capable of raising the motor torque up to 120 Nm.

Its specifications are:

• Weight: 2.85 kg
• Nominal torque: 110 Nm
• Maximum torque in Boost mode: 120 Nm
• Maximum power: 850 W
• Power at 70 rpm: 806 W
• Maximum efficiency: 87%
• Power-to-weight ratio: 298 W/kg

These figures place it among the most powerful motors on the current market and very close to the performance that has popularized next-generation systems like Avinox.

Higher capacity batteries utilizing the same space

Another of the most interesting aspects of GOBAO's proposal is the battery system.

The company claims to have developed batteries specifically designed to fit into frames originally conceived for Shimano, but increasing the available capacity.

The main battery announced offers:

• 708 Wh
• 3.8 kg weight
• Energy density of 186 Wh/kg
• IP67 certification
• Full charge in 4 hours

Additionally, the platform supports configurations of up to 804 Wh while maintaining the same physical structure, something particularly attractive for those looking to increase autonomy without modifying the bicycle's integration.

TFT display and connected ecosystem

The system is completed with a 3.5-inch color TFT display connected via CAN protocol.

Among the available data are:

• Instant speed.
• Power generated.
• Cadence.
• Partial and total distance.
• Maximum and average speed.
• Calories burned.

The platform also features wireless connectivity and a mobile app to transfer activity data and perform OTA (Over The Air) updates.

A trend that could change the market

Beyond the figures, what is really important about the launch is the concept.

Until now, changing motors meant changing bicycles. GOBAO proposes a completely different scenario: upgrading an existing platform with a more modern, more powerful system and larger capacity batteries.

The arrival of this type of solution also coincides with another trend that is beginning to take shape in the industry. Just a few days earlier, Avinox presented its new conceptual project MG Concept at Eurobike, a platform with integrated transmission that aims for a new generation of assistance systems.

If initiatives like GOBAO's succeed, the market could move towards a much more open model, where electric bicycles are not tied for life to a single motor manufacturer and can evolve technologically over the years, just as happens in other technological sectors.

What today seems like an exception could become one of the great transformations of e-MTBs over the next decade.