New to this forum and new to E-bikes.... HELP

[Remps]

Hi everyone, been a distant observer for a while, just joined.

I want to get this out there first. I know nothing about bikes and less about ebikes, I just know I want one.

I currently have a 2016ish Specialized Fatboy, I am looking to get a conversion kit for it. I am currently looking at the Bafang BBSHD 1000W.

My questions are; I have two front chainrings, its says on the outside chainring BCD104mm and 36/22. I used my fingers and toes to figure out that the number 36 and 32 refer to the teeth on the chainring. When I buy the BBSHD it gives you options for a chainring but nothing regarding a second chainring. Can I run this bike with just the 1 chainring that is provided or do I have to get a second chainring because my bike originally had two.

I measured the bottom bracket size with a caliper, its reads 100.34mm. Should I be purchasing the 74-100mm or the 101-120 size options?

Any suggestions for a display that can read a 52v battery?

I will not be using the bike all that often, main purpose is for ice fishing (studded tires are being purchased soon) and hunting. I will be pulling a bit of weight occasionally but through little snow. I will be climbing the odd hill during hunting season. Do you guys have suggestions on how to prevent burning up the motor while climbing or pulling weight, also any suggestions on type of chainring that fits the mentioned type of riding?

Some bike stats.

There are 10 back gears (I have heard these being referenced to as cassettes).
Two front chainrings 36/22.
The bike is a Fatboy XL (similar to myself)
Serial number is WSBC602073350K

Alot to unpack hear, any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks

 

[jetpackjbd]

Hi everyone, been a distant observer for a while, just joined.

I want to get this out there first. I know nothing about mikes and less about ebikes, I just know I want one.

I currently have a 2016ish Specialized Fatboy, I am looking to get a conversion kit for it. I am currently looking at the Bafang BBSHD 1000W.

My questions are; I have two front chainrings, its says on the outside chainring BCD104mm and 36/22. I used my fingers and toes to figure out that the number 36 and 32 refer to the teeth on the chainring. When I buy the BBSHD it gives you options for a chainring but nothing regarding a second chainring. Can I run this bike with just the 1 chainring that is provided or do I have to get a second chainring because my bike originally had two.

I measured the bottom bracket size with a caliper, its reads 100.34mm. Should I be purchasing the 74-100mm or the 101-120 size options?

Any suggestions for a display that can read a 52v battery?

I will not be using the bike all that often, main purpose is for ice fishing (studded tires are being purchased soon) and hunting. I will be pulling a bit of weight occasionally but through little snow. I will be climbing the odd hill during hunting season. Do you guys have suggestions on how to prevent burning up the motor while climbing or pulling weight, also any suggestions on type of chainring that fits the mentioned type of riding?

Some bike stats.

There are 10 back gears (I have heard these being referenced to as cassettes).
Two front chainrings 36/22.
The bike is a Fatboy XL (similar to myself)
Serial number is WSBC602073350K

Alot to unpack hear, any help would be appreciated!!

Thanks

I’m not the best person to answer as I don’t have experience with bafang or mid-drive bikes, but from what I can tell they only offer single chainrings. You might be able to install the ones that came with your bike but it would require remounting the derailleur and might not be compatible. I’m not sure. Most mid drive bikes don’t have front gear selection, I believe it’s something to do with premature wear and additional complexity using a motor instead of human input.

If you used the kit with the one chainring, it would work just fine however you’d only be able to shift the rear gears and wouldn’t have two gears to shift in the front.

A simpler option would be to install a front hub motor, which would let you keep all existing gears, is often more efficient, and is usually easier to mount.

As for the motor burning up, 1000W should be plenty of power for snow and hills, assuming you’ve got good traction. Being a fat tire bike, traction shouldn’t be an issue though. My 350W bike can do hills fine, and can do grass and stones alright (no snow here), however it slows down and draws more power. As long as you don’t push it too hard when it starts slowing down on difficult terrain and occasionally touch the motor to check the temperature, it should be fine.


Also, a 1000w bike isn’t technically road legal where you live; 500w is the limit unless you want to go through registering it and installing lights and junk. No one will know, and I highly doubt a cop would even notice or care, but it’s still something to be mindful of.

 

[Chalo]

If you're a noob and don't already like to work on your bike, maybe don't start with a BBSHD. If you do that, you'll have to get used to working on your bike, much and often. If that sounds exciting to you, go for it.

But if not, I reckon a Bafang geared fatbike rear hub motor would suit you best. 48 volts is best for pavement, but 36 volts will put the power sweet spot in a more off-road appropriate speed. If you need a real tugboat, consider using front and rear hub motors.

 

[Remps]

If you're a noob and don't already like to work on your bike, maybe don't start with a BBSHD. If you do that, you'll have to get used to working on your bike, much and often. If that sounds exciting to you, go for it.

But if not, I reckon a Bafang geared fatbike rear hub motor would suit you best. 48 volts is best for pavement, but 36 volts will put the power sweet spot in a more off-road appropriate speed. If you need a real tugboat, consider using front and rear hub motors.

Thanks for the reply. Everything I read indicated that mid drive motors have the most torque which would be required to pull gear and for hills. Don’t care much about speed I just need something that has the torque. Maybe I am wrong here.

I am not allergic to work so wrenching on my bike when I need to is fine. I was looking at the CYC stealth G3 as well but the cost is more and the noise is a non starter for me.

 

[nicobie]

I don't think I would ever spend $1200 for a ebike motor.

 

[jetpackjbd]

Thanks for the reply. Everything I read indicated that mid drive motors have the most torque which would be required to pull gear and for hills. Don’t care much about speed I just need something that has the torque. Maybe I am wrong here.

I am not allergic to work so wrenching on my bike when I need to is fine. I was looking at the CYC stealth G3 as well but the cost is more and the noise is a non starter for me.

Mid drive doesn’t really have more torque, you just get the advantage of being able to shift into a low gear from my understanding. At 1000W though, you should have plenty of torque regardless of motor location. My friend who weighs quite a bit more than me can ride my 350w no problem, so I’d think a 1000w bike (even with hub motors) could carry a small fishing trailer and a larger man no problem.

 

[Remps]

Mid drive doesn’t really have more torque, you just get the advantage of being able to shift into a low gear from my understanding. At 1000W though, you should have plenty of torque regardless of motor location. My friend who weighs quite a bit more than me can ride my 350w no problem, so I’d think a 1000w bike (even with hub motors) could carry a small fishing trailer and a larger m

Just looking at the specs of the mid drive they appear to have twice as much. I haven’t done nearly the research on hun motors though. The handful I looked at had half the amount.

 

[Remps]

I don't think I would ever spend $1200 for a ebike motor.

Thanks for the helpful nugget.

 

[Chalo]

Just looking at the specs of the mid drive they appear to have twice as much. I haven’t done nearly the research on hun motors though. The handful I looked at had half the amount.

Right, but hub motors run at a 1:1 ratio. Mid drives have an external gear ratio that changes the speed and torque at the wheel. Also, same power ÷ greater torque = less speed, and that's why crank drives make more torque. They (almost always) turn slower than hub motors.

 

[Remps]

Right, but hub motors run at a 1:1 ratio. Mid drives have an external gear ratio that changes the speed and torque at the wheel. Also, same power ÷ greater torque = less speed, and that's why crank drives make more torque. They (almost always) turn slower than hub motors.

So slower speed overall but more torque?

 

[neptronix]

Yeah.. mid drive motors' torque figures are rated at ~80RPM whereas a hub motor's torque rating is typically rated at >300rpm.

You have to divide the torque by the difference in RPM to get the full picture.

For this reason, if you want an approximate comparison of two very different types of motors, you should think about continuous watts, not peak torque output.

 

[neptronix]

Napkin math example:

A 100nm rated mid drive runs at 80rpm
A 100nm rated hub motor runs at 400rpm

The mid drive runs at 5x slower RPM than the hub drive, so when we are in a gear that results in the rear wheel spinning at 400rpm ( just like the hub motor ), the mid drive only has 20nm of torque in that gear due to gearing.

 

[Remps]

Yeah.. mid drive motors' torque figures are rated at ~80RPM whereas a hub motor's torque rating is typically rated at >300rpm.

You have to divide the torque by the difference in RPM to get the full picture.

For this reason, if you want an approximate comparison of two very different types of motors, you should think about continuous watts, not peak torque output.

In your opinion. What gets me up a hill the best, mid drive of hub?

I am 240 without carrying gear.

if one with less torque does the job better, great.

 

[neptronix]

For some more clarification, this is what a '100nm' hub would look like..


That's how disconnected it is from comparing a hub motor, haha..


Ok, as to your choice..

- we need to know what top speed you're looking for..
- how bad are these hills? anything you'd have a super hard time pedaling up on a regular bike??
- how much weight do you need to haul?
- does the sound of the bike matter ( noticing you mentioned hunting )

.. these things will affect how much motor you need, and also what type..

 

[Remps]

For some more clarification, this is what a '100nm' hub would look like..

View attachment 344490
That's how disconnected it is from comparing a hub motor, haha..


Ok, as to your choice..

- we need to know what top speed you're looking for..
- how bad are these hills? anything you'd have a super hard time pedaling up on a regular bike??
- how much weight do you need to haul?
- does the sound of the bike matter ( noticing you mentioned hunting )

.. these things will affect how much motor you need, and also what type..

Super interesting thanks.

I really don’t care about speed if I can go 10mph - 15mph ish I would be happy.

I would be looking to haul a few hundred pounds, but that would on ice or maybe 3 inches of snow and my sleigh is already on skies.

I could peddle up the hill I am thinking of, I would be cooked, but I could.

Sounds matters but isn’t a deal breaker.

This bike will rarely if ever see a road so speed is not a deciding factor. just need something to help get me further in the bush and help pull my ice fishing gear without crapping out on me.

I am probably over thinking this stuff but I would rather spend money on something that will do the job i am asking of it then cheap out and regret my decision.

 

[Remps]

If you guys have some hub suggestions that fit what I am after, please let me know.

This is a rabbit hole I would like to get out of as it’s consuming to much of my life. Haha

 

[neptronix]

Since you are mostly offroad, i would recommend against a geared hub, as offroad tends to shorten their life dramatically ( plastic gears taking the impact of each rear wheel hit, etc... ).

Your hauling needs, low speed requirement, and not extreme would tell me a mid drive or direct drive could both work.

If you are riding in freezing-ish temperatures, then i would dramatically overspec the power/capacity of your battery, knowing that at freezing temperatures, it's typical to see the internal resistance in a lithium cell go up by 3x which means it becomes incredibly saggy, and battery will cut out and pretend to be empty when it's not, simply because it can't deliver the power. The more you oversize it versus the bare minimum need to drive the motor, the better.

You probably need a 1000w motor whether you pick a mid drive or a direct drive hub..

I would suggest a direct drive hub on the basis that it is far simpler to service because it only has one moving part, whereas a mid drive is more of a science project for a newbie. If you pick one that does ~20mph on 48v, a 1000w hub motor can be pretty torquey, and not have too many problems hauling.

If weight matters to you then grin technology sells a hub that's 10lbs, fits on any axle, is 1000w rated. This would be the ideal DD for you, however, i'm not sure if cost is a concern.

You can get 1000w motor wheels from various companies with the heavier 15lbs weight for half the price.. however, on a full suspension bike, you will certainly feel that additional 5lbs of unsprung weight.. these motors may also be a little less efficient.

Mid drive? i'm not a mid drive guy so i'll let others comment on that.

 

[Remps]

Since you are mostly offroad, i would recommend against a geared hub, as offroad tends to shorten their life dramatically ( plastic gears taking the impact of each rear wheel hit, etc... ).

Your hauling needs, low speed requirement, and not extreme would tell me a mid drive or direct drive could both work.

If you are riding in freezing-ish temperatures, then i would dramatically overspec the power/capacity of your battery, knowing that at freezing temperatures, it's typical to see the internal resistance in a lithium cell go up by 3x which means it becomes incredibly saggy, and battery will cut out and pretend to be empty when it's not, simply because it can't deliver the power. The more you oversize it versus the bare minimum need to drive the motor, the better.

You probably need a 1000w motor whether you pick a mid drive or a direct drive hub..

I would suggest a direct drive hub on the basis that it is far simpler to service because it only has one moving part, whereas a mid drive is more of a science project for a newbie. If you pick one that does ~20mph on 48v, a 1000w hub motor can be pretty torquey, and not have too many problems hauling.

If weight matters to you then grin technology sells a hub that's 10lbs, fits on any axle, is 1000w rated. This would be the ideal DD for you, however, i'm not sure if cost is a concern.

You can get 1000w motor wheels from various companies with the heavier 15lbs weight for half the price.. however, on a full suspension bike, you will certainly feel that additional 5lbs of unsprung weight.. these motors may also be a little less efficient.

Mid drive? i'm not a mid drive guy so i'll let others comment on that.

Awesome info!!

Will start digging into direct drive hubs and see what that works has to offer.

 

[calab]

If you want slow then you'd want the lowest rpm custom order Leaf 35h 1500w (d.d.) they have ready, or that can be built.
Display would just be a matching set of the controller and display with 48v or 52v and 40a

 

[gromike]

As far as hub motors, all roads lead to Grin. You can find a cheaper wheel that makes a great hub drive, but if you want the best DD hub motor--it's Grin. There are geared hub motors that will give you the torque of a mid-drive, but in my mind a DD hub motor that can deliver 1500 watts is a sweet spot in an ebike. Torque sensing PAS is a mucho plus.

 

[Chalo]

As far as hub motors, all roads lead to Grin. You can find a cheaper wheel that makes a great hub drive, but if you want the best DD hub motor--it's Grin.

Yes, but you won't get custom winding counts that way. Leaf Motor makes good-enough, quite efficient hubs and will give you any winding count you want at no extra charge. That's a big deal if you're looking at different wheel diameter or road speed than the average e-biker.

 

[neptronix]

TBH my money is on the grin rear all axle. hard to argue with a 8-9lbs motor, especially if you have a 26" wheel or smaller.

Be warned, a leafbike 1500w is 16bs!

I would agree the leaf is a better option if you need flexibility on windings, lower price, a little higher efficiency, and don't care about weight because you're not offroading. But because you're offroading, it will matter.

Mid drive could be somewhere around the weight of a grin all axle, or a bit less, but it doesn't matter for offroading reasons, because the mid drive is not 'unsprung weight'.

 

[1boris]

For offroad go with Bafang bbshd.Hub motor will overheat and not be functional.I have had lots of ebikes with both motors.forget about hub motor offroad.I thought this was common knowledge by now

 

[999zip999]

Forget about the CYC mid drive motor I spent $1,200 bucks and it is now just starting to work after 2 years I had to get their new X6 controller which they gladly sold me at a discount for $90 shipped but there's still a bunch of assholes it took me 2 years later writing they kept giving me different pinouts different codes different this new wiring harness I got three wiring harnesses they sent me don't deal with psych mid drive plus they're noisiest can be I like 3000 watt hub motors.
How much money do you have to spend ?
52v and get the charger from the same person in a Bluetooth BMS on the battery is just wonderful.
Bafang mid drives aren't as noisy. More moving parts you got the chain you got the cassette you have the cassette hub you have the rear derailleur these things were out a lot faster with the mid drive. And sometimes you need a better cassette hub heavy duty I mean.

I'll give you a link for a big mid drive I got it for $350 everything but the battery and the tire I don't know if they have different wines and I don't know if they have the exact rim you want 350.00usd ship to my door with a 26 inch mountain bike rim. Best bang for the buck if you're cheap otherwise go with ebikesca he's in Canada and they'll have exactly what you want to last you a long time.

Trying to buy a mxus 3000 and buying a Sali generic 72 volt 3000 watt kit

I was talking with the lady from mxus after trying to get some of the most basic questions answered what controller what rim is it a mxus motor V3 3T. I dropped the payment on PayPal it was so cheap I couldn't believe. She told me the motor was made in the same factory as mxus . It is a Sali...

endless-sphere.com

This is the link I run at 72 volts and it goes 40 miles an hour.
The good thing it has a big wide stator and has a big wide magnets in the rear hub it would be pretty hard for you to melt it unless you just stalled it in a mud bog remember if the wheels not turning when you put the throttle on you're making heat you also get a temp sensor in there I do believe . Maybe

 

[999zip999]

Yeah I looked on their site they have fat rims but make sure you get the right motor I like the 45 mm magnets or the 3000 watt motor see if you can get it in different windings you can talk to him that's they want all your information before they start talking to you.

I bought from ebikeling the rim had a permanent bent in it the display didn't work it was like $700 it was a piece of junk.

You can also look at Em3ev. They have very good batteries in a good reputation but they're on the other side of the world.

If you want homegrown Canada this is our leader Justin ebikesca he has a lot of good technical information plus he has a simulator to tell you how fast your bike will go. Send them an email and tell him what you want they might be able to make sense for your needs