Launched last year, Mahles M40 mid-mount motor already boasted some impressive specs that few other motors on the market were able to match - 850W of power, 105N of torque, and a 600% assistance ratio. But, theres been no resting on their laurels, as the Spanish brand is updating the M40 motor with new features in 2026, detailed to us at Bike Connection in Italy this spring. While weve not seen the motor mounted to many bikes so far, perhaps these updates, and the motors impressive ride feel, will tempt brands away from the more obvious options. Updated tech will appear on bikes sold from early April, with over-the-air updates coming to existing customers coming in mid-May. An impressive start The Mahle M40 impressed me when I attended the launch in 2025. The motor has a uniquely natural ride feel, and yet with 850W of power, up to 600% assistance and 105Nm of torque, its also got plenty of punch. Its temperature management is built to be impressive, while theres a ton of rider friendly features, such as reducing the power when the bike is leant over in a corner. 84 points of speed sensing per wheel revolution (far more than can be achieved by motors with a wheel magnet, which only read once per revolution) give the motor far more data to work with in terms of power delivery and control. Read my story linked above for the bulk of the down-low, along with some ride impressions. This little ring of metal is central to the performance of the motor. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler Development never stops Two of the existing features have been improved in 2026, while two have been added. The Dynamic Overrun has been worked on, making the feature more adjustable than before, along with having some smart software behind it. The overrun is set to 2m in length - stop pedalling and the motor will continue to push you forward for 2 meters. This can now be shortened, if you dont want it to be so long. Its also got smarter. If the motor senses that your cadence and pedal inputs are decreasing before you stop pedalling, it will assume that you dont want the overrun, and thus will not put power through the drivetrain when your cranks stop spinning. Mahle's display details the modes and settings you need to access the various features on the motor. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler If you have a constant pedalling cadence and then stop, it will continue to offer the same level of power that you were putting in, once you stop. And, if you ramp up your inputs in terms of power and cadence and then stop, it will give you that same boost for those 2 meters - see this as an aid for getting up and over rocky steps. When it get steep The Auto Hold feature is one that I used a fair bit during the motors launch. By pressing on the pedal when the bike is stationary but pointed uphill (its sensors know youre on a slope), itll prevent the bike from rolling backwards. Times when this function is engaged are now displayed on the units screen. Dialling through the menus and modes is intuitive with the on-bar button set-up. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler When you come to start moving, the motor will now give you a little extra push off, almost like an overrun in reverse, to help you keep momentum while you get your second foot on the pedals. The guys at Mahle told me that with a bit of practice, the Auto Hold function and its little extra get-going help can be used on super-tech climbs when you need to track-stand and hop the bike around. Whats new? I sat down with Mahle's engineers to discuss the updates, at the Mountain Bike Connection Winter event. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler Dynamic motor modes are commonplace on eMTB motors - think Boschs eMTB+ mode or Shimanos Trail modes. Mahle are adding a dynamic mode to their current 3 levels of assistance. On flatter terrain the Smart Assist system will add less power, to prevent surging or excessive speeds (which of course can be added with more rider input). And, when on climbs, power delivery will ramp up accordingly. The app and bike head unit will offer customisation for this mode, so riders looking to receive more assistance can dial it up, while those looking to put a bit more work in themselves can tune it down a little. Keep it grippy A sensor reads this little ring of metal to detect the speed of the rear wheel. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler The final addition, Traction Control, is likely going to appeal to those of us who live in slippier climes. As the name suggests, Traction Control is a system designed to minimise rear wheel slip on technical or loose climbs. With the motor sensors knowing pedal inputs, motor inputs, your gear selection and the rear wheel speed (with the 84 speed sensing pulses per revolution giving more resolution than any other motor), the motor can sense when the rear wheel looses traction. This may be through a fast acceleration of the wheel that doesnt match the cranks inputs, or a sudden change in the forces going through the cranks. At this point, power to the rear wheel is reduced, with the aim of limiting the loss of traction. Its not entirely foolproof, and the rear wheel will still slip at times, but the length of time of loss of traction is reduced, and the aim is to prevent fishtailing up muddy climbs, or the rear wheel spitting out over wet roots and rocks. The wireless controller from Mahle is low-profile, fits the fingers well, and has a nice clicky feel. Mountain Bike Connection Winter - Rupert Fowler The system has to be initialised by the rider, as it can impact on the overall ride feel, but of course it can be turned off. And, for fans of drifting on descents, the system detects youre going downhill, and doesnt activate itself. These new and updated features will be available on any bike launched with the M40 as of today, while riders with the M40 bolted into their bikes will find the features appearing in their drive-unit via over-the-air updates in May. Thanks to Bicycle Connection Agency for hosting BikeRadar during their event in February 2026.