TQ HPR 60 Review

End of the arms race – Welcome back, trail feeling. TQ makes a clear commitment to Light EMTBs with the new HPR 60 motor. Our test reveals what the new motor can do and whether the weaknesses of the old one have been overcome.

At first glance, much remains the same: The HPR 60 weighs, like its predecessor, just under 2 kilograms, is extremely compact, and continues to fit into existing frame designs. The casing is identical except for the cooling fins below. The mounting points and the casing are unchanged – which could theoretically even allow for retrofitting (depending on the bike manufacturer).

Under the hood, however, TQ has made noticeable improvements in several critical areas:

TQ stays true to its philosophy of building a system that impresses not on paper, but on the trail.

A long-awaited change is the new 580 Wh battery, which finally alleviates the range issue. While the old 360 Wh battery on the HPR 50 allowed for only about 1,100 meters of elevation gain, the new system with the HPR 60 now enables up to 2,193 meters of elevation gain – with the same input power and test conditions (150 W input, 100 kg system weight, asphalt route).

The efficiency values and ranges we have determined finally align with the fact that there is simply less power available here compared to a full power motor. The overview in tabular form clearly shows the improvements. Especially the calculated vertical meters per watt-hour speak for themselves.

Interim conclusion: The new HPR 60 is not only more powerful, but also more efficient than most full-power systems – and all this at significantly lower weight, albeit with less output.

An eye-opening experience occurs when you switch from a full-power e-MTB to a light bike with HPR 60. Right from the first bunny hop or manual, it’s clear: this bike handles like a real mountain bike. Lifting the front wheel is effortless with just a flick of the wrists.

In our test bike – the Yeti MTe – the system doesn’t fully capitalize on its weight advantage. Despite having chunky Schwalbe tires and massive components, the total weight remains just under 20 kg, and in lighter setups, we’ve even seen it drop under 18 kg. This means only an additional 3-4 kilos compared to a bike without a motor. Even with the old HPR 50 motor, we dared to make a comparison between a regular bike and an e-bike. With a system like the one from TQ, the differences today are truly surprisingly slight.

Even when accelerating out of corners beyond the 25 km/h mark, the Yeti doesn’t feel like you have a lead ball around your ankle. The logic that more input from the rider results in more output from the motor supports a sporty riding experience.

In steep uphill sections, the motor remains supportive – but: When facing extremely technical climbs, it does hit its limit. The power of a Bosch CX Turbo mode simply isn’t available here.

But this is not a weakness; it’s part of the concept. The HPR 60 isn’t designed to conquer every ramp but to enhance the natural trail-riding feel with a touch of tailwind.

No other point in the test was assessed so unanimously: The TQ HPR 60 is the quietest motor on the market. Even at full throttle, it remains background noise, significantly quieter than a Bosch CX or the new DJI system. While climbing, you’ll hear more birds than humming—a true argument for purists.

And downhill, there’s no clatter from the gear. TQ remains the benchmark in terms of acoustics, giving all other manufacturers homework to catch up.