Norco Sight VLT Bosch A x Bosch Performance Line PX: A Trekking Motor on a E-MTB Fully

“Whether on multi-day adventures with heavy luggage or on spontaneous discovery tours in nature: we have developed the Performance Line PX specifically for the needs of trekking riders.” That’s what Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBike Systems, said in the summer of 2025 at the launch of the market leader’s latest mid-drive motor. But does the PX also have what it takes to impress as a motor on an e-mountain bike? Norco certainly thinks so. The manufacturer recently unveiled the Sight VLT Bosch A, an all-mountain e-MTB featuring precisely this drive system.

1. Bosch Performance Line PX and e-MTB – an unusual combo
2. Norco Sight VLT Bosch A: motor a puzzle piece for a lower price
3. Different technology, different functionality
4. Bosch Performance Line PX and Bosch Performance Line CX very similar
5. PX motor on an e-MTB: Plenty of power, but not all the features
6. Norco Sight VLT Bosch A: a candidate for newcomers

1. Bosch Performance Line PX and e-MTBs – an unusual combo

In fact, the Norco Sight VLT Bosch A is the first full-suspension e-mountain bike with the Bosch Performance Line PX that we are aware of. Generally speaking, not many ebike manufacturers seem to have released models with this motor yet. Those who have done so have mostly followed Claus Fleischer’s recommendation and are using the PX motor on city, touring and trekking ebikes. KTM offers a few models in this category. But Bergamont also has two model ranges, the Bergamont E-Horizon Tour and the Bergamont E-Horizon Sport, where you’ll find bikes featuring this motor. SUV ebikes such as the Haibike Adventr 4 and Haibike Adventr 6 are almost a bit of an exception here.

Norco is therefore taking a path that, it seems, hardly anyone has taken before. The manufacturer explains its strategy with two key arguments. Firstly, it considers Bosch’s Performance Line PX to be a mid-drive motor that offers the character and technical specifications required of a motor on an e-mountain bike. Secondly, it regards it as a means of making the price of an e-MTB slightly more affordable, thereby making the product more attractive to a wider target group.

2. Norco Sight VLT Bosch A: motor a puzzle piece for a lower price

This line of thinking is very clear to see in the Sight VLT Bosch A. The model range is one of Norco’s flagship ranges. With the Sight VLT CX and the Sight VLT TQ, it already includes two very high-quality versions. Their specification, featuring the Bosch Performance Line CX and the TQ HPR60, ensures that the manufacturer can cater to a wide range of expectations for such a full-suspension e-MTB with these two very different electric drives. The Sight VLT Bosch A now adds a component that was previously missing.

Compared to the existing Sight VLT models, it makes do with slightly less in many details:

• Bosch Performance Line PX motor instead of the Bosch Performance Line CX or TQ HPR60
• Aluminium frame instead of carbon
• VPS suspension system instead of VPS-HP
• Bosch PowerTube 600 battery instead of the Bosch PowerTube 800 or TQ HPR 580

As components such as the wheelsets, brakes, gears, rear shock and suspension fork are also slightly cheaper options, the Sight VLT Bosch A weighs around two to three kilograms more than the Sight VLT CX and the Sight VLT TQ. All of this naturally affects the price. And the entry-level model of the Sight VLT Bosch A is around $2,000 or $2,300 cheaper than the ebikes with the other motors.

3. Different technology, different functionality

Part of this gap can be directly attributed to the Bosch Performance Line PX. Its internal design is, in fact, somewhat simpler compared to the Bosch Performance Line CX. For example, it incorporates just a single freewheel, whereas the CX motor has two. The reason for this is the PX’s intended purpose. As mentioned at the start, Bosch designed it primarily for ebikes other than e-mountain bikes or e-cargo bikes. Consequently, it is intended to be compatible with, for example, coaster brakes, which manufacturers often fit to city ebikes.

In addition, with only a single freewheel, Rollshift – part of Bosch’s eShift function – does not work with this motor. This feature requires a second freewheel as well. Without it, otherwise the motor cannot handle gear changes whilst you’re coasting in freewheel mode to give your legs a rest. These technical simplifications reduce Bosch’s manufacturing costs and thus the purchase price of the Bosch Performance Line PX for ebike manufacturers. If this saving is passed on, you’ll ultimately be able to buy a cheaper ebike.

4. Bosch Performance Line PX and Bosch Performance Line CX very similar

The lower price naturally also means slightly different performance. That said, the PX motor isn’t miles away from the CX motor. We’ll leave the comparison with the TQ HPR60 out of the equation for now. The mid-drive motor is not only based on a different technical principle but fundamentally takes a different approach to the two Bosch units.

In terms of peak power, the PX and CX are almost neck and neck. The former delivers 700 watts, whilst the latter delivers 750 watts. In continuous operation, both produce the identical 250 watts. When it comes to torque, however, the difference is more pronounced following Bosch’s latest Power Upgrade 2.0. The Bosch Performance Line CX now achieves 120 Newton-metres, whilst the Bosch Performance Line PX remains at its previous 90 Newton-metres.

However, the PX motor hasn’t come away completely empty-handed from the Power Upgrade 2.0. In Bosch’s eBike Flow app, you can now increase its assistance in the two riding modes, Auto and Turbo, from the previous 400 per cent to a maximum of 600 per cent. For the CX motor, this also applies to the eMTB+ riding mode. In both cases, the restriction applies that the motor can only multiply your pedalling power by six up to a maximum speed of 15 kilometres per hour.

5. PX motor on an e-MTB: Plenty of power, but not all the features

Without a test ride, we can’t really judge how the PX motor performs overall when mountain biking. What is clear is that, due to its lower torque, it won’t feel as punchy as a current CX motor with the boost provided by Power Upgrade 2.0. Furthermore, a few specific functions cannot be used with it, which can prove particularly useful when riding an e-MTB on technically demanding trails. In addition to Rollshift, we’re thinking primarily of Extended Boost. This deliberate continuation of motor assistance after an active pedal stroke gives you extra momentum to overcome obstacles in situations where you can barely pedal. With the update to version 1.35 of the Bosch eBike Flow app, this feature can even be adjusted. This makes it all the more unfortunate that this feature is missing from the Norco Sight VLT Bosch A.

During tests with ebikes fitted with a Bosch Performance Line PX, a slight rattling noise was also reportedly noticed when the terrain became rougher. As we have so far only ridden the motor on wide, well-surfaced forest tracks and small roads, we are not familiar with this phenomenon. Should it actually occur, you would probably encounter it more often on a mountain bike.

Compared to the CX motor, it is also considered certain that the PX motor does not yet generate its full peak power at cadences of 70 revolutions per minute. Higher cadences are required for this. On an e-MTB, however, this does not strike us as a decisive disadvantage.

Fundamentally, we believe that the Bosch Performance Line PX can certainly provide riding enjoyment on a bike like the full-suspension Sight VLT Bosch A. Its specifications correspond almost exactly to those of the first Bosch Performance Line CX in the Smart System, which was launched for the 2022 season. Back then, it would therefore have been almost the top-of-the-range model. What it lacks are simply a few technical advancements that have been introduced since then. If you can do without these, you get a really good e-drive.

6. Norco Sight VLT Bosch A: a candidate for newcomers

Norco believes that newcomers, for example, might take a liking to the Sight VLT Bosch A. People who are buying their first e-MTB and want to test first whether this is something they’d like to do in the long term. Very few are likely to budget for a price well over 5,000 euros for their first model. At the same time, the manufacturer is targeting riders who already ride a mountain bike without motor assistance and occasionally enjoy covering longer distances or more elevation gain in the same amount of time with an e-MTB.

Let’s see if this concept works and which manufacturers are pursuing similar ideas.

Norco Sight VLT Bosch A at a glance

• Models: Norco Sight VLT Bosch A1, Norco Sight VLT Bosch A2, Norco Sight VLT Bosch A3
• Frame: Aluminium
• Suspension fork: RockShox Lyrik Select+, RockShox Lyrik Base RC, DVO Diamond 36 Core
• Shock: RockShox Super Deluxe Select+, RockShox Super Deluxe Base, DVO Topaz Core
• Motor: Bosch Performance Line PX
• Battery: Bosch PowerTube 600
• Control unit: Bosch Mini Remote + Bosch System Controller
• Drivetrain: Shimano Deore Di2, Shimano XT, Shimano Cues
• Brakes: Shimano Deore M6120, TRP Slate Evo
• Weight: from approx. 23.8 kg
• Maximum permitted total weight: n/a
• Colours: Floating Silver, Flat Black, Pacific Blue, Metallic Grey
• Prices: from US$4,799

Pictures: Live to Play Sports