When deciding and purchasing the current upgrade for my bike I hadn't found this forum and made my decisions based on power requirements, range and my ability to do the install without making a career out of it. The hard part was choosing the 5304 though, not where to put it. The rear, despite its many potential advantages, was never seriously considered.
My reasoning, however flawed, was based on weight balance and what I perceived a tire capable of handling. It seemed the weight of the hub, 48 volts of SLA and me, at 220 lbs, was an awful lot to put over one wheel and tire. Plus, all that weight aft would have to effect handling.
As it turns out my dealer, a fellow in Vero Beach, FL, had everything drop shipped from the EV Depot Service Center in Kansas. The torque arm that came with the wheel looks pretty much unbreakable and since I've experienced some problems with spokes loosening I'm glad it's on the front and the weight is balanced a bit better.
For better or for worse EV Depot had some battery acquisition problems at the time of my order and it was shipped sans the batteries. This naturally did not make me happy and generated a nasty email and a phone call to my local dealer. The poor guy tried his best but in reality he could do little so in a peace keeping effort had a couple of quality tires shipped to me. Since the tires I had were twelve years old and crumbling a little on the sidewalls I accepted them with grace and put them on fairly quickly.
With the new tires, front hub and back batteries the bike did fine for a week or so and then started to handle a little funny even on the straightaways. It seems merely leaning it on the kickstand allowed the left saddlebag to drift a little lower than the right and simply shifting it back in place failed to balance it properly. Tossing the furnished Topeak rack and replacing it with wire baskets solved the problem. Balance is better and handling much improved.
I mention this only because I can imagine the weight of a rider, the hub motor, 40+ pounds of batteries and a little weight shifting over the rear wheel at 30 MPH could be a bit distracting to the rider. Especially on a vehicle basically designed to be pedaled and not powered by a powerful motor.
But, and this is a big but. I've had road rash and don't want any more. I've fallen at speed and don't want to do it again and I have no problem slowing down for most anything. A bike with less than the 40+ pounds of batteries wouldn't have the same issues and a lighter rider would make a big difference. For me though, even to do it again, I'd stick with the front wheel and try and balance the weight.
Good luck, it probably ain't that big a deal.
Mike
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