Built my first one 40 years ago with an old starter motor and a trailer to carry heavy old car batteries .Was pretty crap and every one laughed and said that will never catch on. last year I fitted a kit and it's awesome.

Has anyone ever considered strapping all 3 motors to a bike? It would be interesting to see how steep a climb it could take you up! Go on Steve, build it!

I'd like to see more conversion kits on the show. For many of us our first experience of ebikes is through kits. My mountain bike lay in the shed for 15 years rarely ridden until I fitted my first kit. Now I'm riding hundreds of miles each year.

A lot of the hub kits are mounted to 26" MTB wheels - it is one way to revive that retro mountain bike that''s not doing too much in the shed! I made a video about an old Raleigh bike that has been given new e-bike powers.

Just started searching for E Bike and didn't know what would work best for my situation. Helpful information. Thanks guys!😎

just like to say I’ve been watching KZfaq ever since it first came out and never before have I watched a video which was so helpful - great job guys

I built a 1300w 48v 16ah rear-drive on a 29” Shwinn MTB. On throttle only it will go 15 miles with a Max speed of 27mph. I’m 6’4” @ 260lbs. It cost me $1,450.00 and I’ve put about 1,300 miles on it so far. If you are going to build your 1st ebike make sure you already have a good set of tools that encompasses all parts of the bike. Have a decent air pump as well. If you are a larger person invest in a larger thicker tire, with the added weight of the kit it’s easy to get flats from snake bites or bottoming out on the rim. Try to find a bike with at least a front suspension so you don’t get bounced around as much on your ride. If you value your life upgrade the stock brakes, you are carrying so much more weight and forward-energy the stopping distance can be much greater at high speeds. Cars and pedestrians are not used to seeing a bicycle moving at these higher speeds and just pull out in front of you thinking that you were going much slower. Furthermore you gotta get creative in trying to iron out the details installation. Mounting everything securely can be tricky. You also need to know the type of power connector from the battery wire, it needs to match the computer/controller. Mine was different but my local hobby shop soldered the correct one on for $5.00. Finally as this is electric there is going to be downtime for charging, most batteries come with 2 Amp-Hour charger which is fine but if you ride a lot invest in a better one or an extra battery. Best Regards

would appreciate a review of IMORTOR front wheel (motor and battery). or alternative.

Great show fellas and good to see you looking at some cheap stuff👍

As an early adopter of e assist, first one was 2001, the only options available were kits or 250w EU/Japanese reg eBikes with front or rear hub or the mid drive units from Panasonic, Yamaha etc. that were low on power and range. The biggest drawback was the battery technology which at that time was likely to be SLA or at best NIMH. The first conversion I did was a Currie system that had the drive unit attached to the rear end. Currie btw eventually ended up being bought by ACCELL and becoming the US distributor for Haibike and a major player in the development of the Class laws here in the US. The potential was there but the batteries didn't provide the amount of amps to power a bike up nor the ah's for a very long ride. Cadence sensing PAS were as much garbage then as now so throttles, legal here in the US, were actually preferable. Keeping track of the development over the years it wasn't until Lithium batteries made the scene that eBikes, whether kit or branded complete bikes, were developed that would provide enough amps and wh's that finally unleashed the potential of eBikes to the larger market. The cost was high for the new battery chemistry but cost per wh has dropped considerably since. As an example my first LiFePo4 battery was $600 shaped like a cement block and @ 48v provided a bit over 500wh's whereas my latest battery purchase cost me $400 and is a 48v, 18ah (864wh) 2170 cell in the what is known as an HL style down tube mount style. At this point I have three 48v 2170 batteries, 12ah, 15ah and 18ah to choose from depending on the amount of ride time given the terrain I am riding that I can switch between my 3 eBikes, 2 front hub drop bar road and 1 mid drive MTB, for less than $1500. As I mentioned cadence sensing PAS is shite and will feel unnatural to a real cyclist in that the way it controls the speed is not always relative to the amount of effort you want to put into the pedals. Torque assist systems are far preferable but limited in selection for kit units to a few mid drive models, I use the TSDZ2 and find it to be on par with the big players on that level and cheap to buy @$350 or so but also a bit skimpy in regards to their bb bearings and the fact they have a square taper spindle and take some maneuvering to get a decent chainline due to the drive side offset, or a torque sensing bb in conjunction with a hub motor. Due to the EU regs regarding no throttles that has never been an issue for us here and I have found it to be a useful tool also. They get a bad rap but are actually a very useful item for starting off and blipping on the odd occasion to maintain momentum in say a rock garden where pedal strikes are an issue. I would say in an average 30 mile 3000' elevation gain ride I use the throttle for less than 500' but having it there when I need has become part of what I expect of an eBike when I am riding and works a treat. The assumption that once a throttle is installed it is used to exclusivity is laughable to me actually although I do see people at time utilizing that feature but consider it to be their loss as pedaling is the best part of the trip. My kit based front hub drop bar bikes which I use on all terrains actually and have from sea level to 12,000' are throttle only but can be set as a "cruise control" at the infinite range of watts within the system using a Cycle Analyst display that goes way deeper into being able to tailor the controllers output parameters than any other display I know of but is on analog level compared to the App based systems from the big players or companies like GreyP.. However much I like the TA on my eMTB for the road I prefer to tailor the amount of assist to my desired cadence/physical input without any "magic leg" effect at the drive train. It has become a personal preference and wouldn't trade it for any of the drop bar bikes that are now becoming popular. Because of the front hub drive and my input at the cranks effectively the bikes are 2 wheel drive which comes in handy in many situations such as steep and loose fire road climbs and using in super soft conditions like snow, mud or sand. As mentioned having a good torque arm system to keep the axle from spinning in the drops is a must but not rocket science to achieve. In fact one of my motors has a built in torque arm and is a direct drive unit that weighs on par with the geared type hub motors yet has the benefit of regen also. The ability to upgrade to new technology, as in batteries specifically and how I recently switched easily and relatively cheaply to the newer 2170 format, is a big factor for me personally. However I am knowledgable enough to be able to do my own installations and maintainence of the systems/bikes I use and the boys above are right about the fact that if you don't have a basic understanding the e assist concept and bike mechanical knowledge it is probably best to just go with an off the shelf complete bike hopefully backed by the service of a good shop.

I built a class 4 ebike about 8 months ago. That means I have no PAS system. I do 30mph with ease. I can go well over 30 under the right conditions. Keep in mind, just because I can go that fast doesn’t mean I always do. I have and do push the limits of my bike often, that does mean I take mountain gravel roads and trails that dirt bikes are on. I also have had multiple problems come up and had to learn a ton about every component involved. Ive had to find answers to problems even the experts that sell and work on the expensive ebikes don’t know the answer to. I’ve had to learn the hard way, many times those same people have been completely wrong. It seems they always advise the most expensive way to find and fix the problem first, even if they aren’t going to be making any money out of it. At this point the only original parts from when i began this journey are my battery and my motor. On my rear hub motor my disk break is attached directly onto the motor. When you’re going down a steep hill or slowing down from higher speeds that disk break is going to get hot. Extremely hot. In turn that disk break is going to make your motor hub hot too. And as you work the motor going up it stays hot and back and fourth. This heat, I now believe can travel from that disk break, make the motor hotter than it would be, and follow the power lines, all of them, back to the controller, and even into the throttle. There is a plastic connector for the 5/6 wire connection of the hall connection and such. I’ve melted that twice. I had melted it the first time and had a ebike shop fix it for me. They told me I had been taxing the battery too much going up hill. Unknown to me they replaced it with the same part than wrapped it in a bike inner tube and made it look like it had been heat shrunken. I was pretty mad when it melted again. There’s more to that but I digress. I fixed that by hard wiring that connection and insulating it. No plastic to melt. I rode very hard on some mountain passes yesterday. My throttle went out for the second time, but I wasn’t aware of it until this morning. I took both thumb throttles apart. The wires were broken in the same spot in both. Either the wires are arcing. Or my theory about heat building up through the wires as a result of the disk break getting hot. Or. As a 3rd very real possibility, the parts are just made cheep. I did some research and found that the throttle I payed $37 for 2 times. Is sold on the web for $7. Just sold under a different name. I have what that store called a beefier throttle now, and my bike is running, they gave me this throttle for free. I’m not hopeful it will last and plan to replace it. My plan is to go to a scooter or motorcycle shop and find a heat gasket to put in between the motor and the disk break. No idea if it will help. But I hope so. Let me know what you think or if you have any ideas. Thanks in advance. 26” 1000w 48a rear hub motor

Fantastic guide! thank you for your help!!

Good to see this post. the Bafang mid drive works really well for commuting and hacking around the streets. Not a difficult install but the difference for me is in keeping the cables managed and neat it makes a big difference to the look of the conversion. So many conversions look terrible with wires everywhere.

I tried the battery in the backpack idea...once. Batteries clearly need air flow to keep cool. After a 2hr jaunt, battery was almost too hot to touch. Not only would this lead to premature failure but fire is a possibility. Would've been great as it made the bike easier to.lift over gates and sty's, but it is getting mounted on the frame when I get chance next week.

great vid chaps! u mention mid drive is much better for hills... what about the rear hub drive u fitted to your hard tail? seems like the easiest way to go... however i do like to ride up steep hills to then down hill (i have a reasonably decent hard tail merida). i dont need anything fancy as long as it just gets me up the hills instead of walking which invetiably happens on a long day ride. do u also recommend pedal assist? or push button throttle?

Thank you very much for detailed explanation.

DIY ebike kits are where its at ! #ThumbThrottle

I would have loved to hear anything at all related to the risks of conversion: broken forks, frames etc.

Great video! Thank you.

What about carbon fibre bikes? I have a santacruz blur xc and would the mounting of batteries and motors strain areas on the frame that weren’t meant to have weight or stress?

Very helpful thanks.

Look, I have the AstonRider mid-engine and I've been using it quite well. I have changed it from my folding 16 wheel to 26 mtb and now into a 24. My husband changes the kit in a few moments by tightening one screw/nut, everything is connected and the screen has a cell phone charger

Hello there I really enjoyed all your videos and I have a question for you. I'm planning to buy my e-bike kit from Amazon. So what I'm doing is buying a foldup bike from Amazon then purchasing a ebike motor kit. Problem is I want to buy a front ebike motor because I want as little modifications and simple installation as possible. The problem I have is a fold-up bike on buying from Amazon has the disc brake on the front tire. Is there a rear brake part make a note that I need to purchase since the e-bike motor is the front tire? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

I'm over here in the USA. I've got several Townie Electra Bicycles (not electric). Love the ergonomics of them....want to convert one to Electric. Can you recommend a front drive/battery system? Any other comments would be appreciated.

Interesting video, clearly supported by Cyclotricity. I have recently fitted a Whoosh Bikes UK legal rear hub drive kit to a VooDoo Limba Gravel bike that I owned. Fitting was straight forward, I looked at the Cyclotricity kits but chose the Whoosh kit mainly because the controller is built into the battery carrier, it looks much neater. The only problem was the bottom bracket, it was a little short on the l/h side where the pedal sensor fits, Whoosh are aware of this and can supply a longer BB, or obtain one from many other sources. I was lucky I had a less bulky crank arm in my stash of parts that did the job. I have read in several places that a rear hub should be avoided on a Mountain bike (I ride road and mountain bikes) is this correct?

Hello. Top video for me that was looking for answers... Rear hub its what i think its more suitable for me with only peddal... I Will be hitting 25km max range go and come 100kg guy... Would this be suitable? What Ah should i be aiming for on Juice?

The crucial question about any kit is this: When something on this kit malfunctions, does it exist as a spare ? (from the same or compatible brands)

Thank you - very informative.

Great intro vid - thank you!

Hi loved your video. Can I ask this lower priced, easy fit rear hub will be good enough for cycling up hills on the road. I have similar bike as shown. Many thanks

I bought a Bafang unit and installed on a custom hardtail and just as Steve mentioned, the chain line was so bad that I couldn't shift into the easier gears. It is also rpm sensitive not torque sensitive so becomes a handful to ride in technical conditions. Finally gave in and bought a YT Decoy.

Good info....U.S. commenter here.....I considered a conversion and it is important to take one big thing into account..... if your "donor" bike does not have disc-style brakes that might be a problem...."squeeze" brakes offer less stopping power. That equates to less safety especially at 20+ MPH.....so you'll have to replace them (the entire wheel) or install rotors and new brake hardware on existing wheels.... more money and skill required.....overall if you are new to this consider a modestly priced pre-build (which you will fall in love with...trust me). If you keep it in decent shape you can re-sell it at a fair price.... then either build or buy the bike with the performance and features you want from the experience gained from your first e-bike experience

EMBM, you guys are great! Not all can do it, but you're also good teachers, have good educator abilities too! You advise from experience, give examples from actual testing, mention costs (so many don't), and even go to the electric bike fairs to keep abreast of new innovations. You counted 156 mid-mount bike companies! Is that a sign that mid-mount is the better overall choice? I plan to commute 100% as I do now with a regular bike, plus ride mine with pedal assist for cardio exercise, and use pedal assist to save on battery power and range, and to load up my bike and go on very significant long distance camping/biking trips. I weigh 270lbs and would carry 4 side bags... front and back. I'd rarely go on back trails... maybe just to camp in a more remote/quiet location. Would a mid-mount be the best choice in my case? My regular bike has "V" brakes, are those good enough, or should I find a used bike with disk brakes? Thanks for all you do, you got a "Like" and "Subscribe" from me! Advice/ideas from any others is welcome too!

I saw that the mid drive motors all come with T44+ chainrings. Can you run then with smaller chain rings (32-34T)?

HI guys, GREAT BLOG, but I am an old pensioner/carer for my wife! I bought myself a bike to get my old frame back into shape! The ev ops you showed were great, but confusion for the likes of myself! I rode my bike to my bowling club, but having to dismount when coming to a hill!

My 4 year old can fit these conversion kits with blindfold and one arm tied behind his back. These guys make it sound more complicated than it is. Just go ahead and do it, it's so easy.

Great info! I have a question though. A lot of these kits seem to include soooooo many different parts. I don't want to have special brakes with sensors here and there simply because it looks so DIY with all the wires. If I just want to have a rear hub motor, the battery, and a throttle, would a kit work without the sensors, displays, "speed checking magnet", water boiler, usb cup warmer, microwave and all the other stuff that these kits seem to include? My bike is from the mid-1900s and would like to have as little junk as possible.

I still have one battery and mini amp units and throttle hook up system all I might need is the motor what should I do for the sprocket s to make a E bike

what is the total added weight after your hard tail rear hub drive conversion?

Great channel.I have a gen 2 with pillar battery. Is there any chance you could go through the pros and cons of adding the rack Mount battery to increase the range? (and maybe how to do this work) :-) thanks!

For Front hub it is the frames like the NEXT Power Climber that works well with front hub motor due to design of having center weight right behind the handle bars. Keeps wheels from peeling with better traction..

I have an old giant I was thinking of converting, instead of buying a rad or aventón. I do worry about the old parts (brakes, gears, frame...) being able to stand up to the stresses placed upon them ( I’m 300 lbs, 21.5 stone), and adding the weight and forces to it in a way it wasn’t designed for. Is that a problem?

what would you recommend for a throttle assist MTB that you can buy off the shelf and whats the best centre crank driven bike please? Im looking for a bike that can cope with the above with a reasonable range and 20-25mph at times. i have heard the rear hub drives burn out, is this correct?

The problem with most manufactured e-bikes is that they generally only go up to 15 mph.

The single biggest thing to consider for any hub motor kit is a torque arrestor to prevent axle spin in the drop out. The Chinese cheap ones are crap. I made one out of 3/16 CroMo plate and it works beautifully. I think you guys really underestimate the mechanical abilities of riders. Most kits are really simple and make the electronics stupid easy. I have experienced mt bikers with crazy skills when it comes to their bikes. With that said; it seems you want to make kits to sound less than user friendly. Like with the older vid of the battery falling out of the bike on the trail. (You do know they all have pinned locks to prevent that.) I seriously hope this is simple bias and not deliberate propaganda. The other issue is; you are always leaning toward high price units as the norm. And NEVER review the LUNA X-1 at half the cost and more power.

One of my local bike shops will be offering to do e bike conversions in the near future. Mixed reviews so far from the mechanics on whether it is a good idea or not.

i built my own 48v 1000w rear hub lcd kit a few years ago now, first i had 10c 12s multistar 20,000mah. they puffed after a year or two, now i use 12s turnigy 60c 5000mah. bike still weighs a metric ton. still hauls ass. only runs for about a 12km ride, or 1hr. so will have to take a normal bike on day trips.

With a 48v 1000w front wheel can you use a less powerful battery than required (I understand it may not go as fast or last as long) but will it still work ?

The Tongsheng TSDZ2 mid drive (750w/52v) running the latest open source firmware is a solid competitor to any of the big name mid drives IMHO. Especially when price is taken into consideration. I have run two of these TSDZ2's over the last couple of years now, on different frames and as the firmware has improved along with the ability to customise the specs I have found them great for tinkering which is great if you like that sort of thing. Please note I also have a 1500w hub drive 29er as well but this unit is really only for commuting running slicks as it's not the best for off road/mtb as the weight coming off jumps etc is pretty hairy.

I wish I could add a mid-drive kit to my MTB but as a live in South London, it's already difficult enough to secure just the bike when I go out let alone another £700 ish in kit.

Very nice! and thanks. One question, does the legal limit of the motor, @ 250 watts, to keep "Street Legal" apply to the whole bike, or could one fit a 250 watt motor, to the front wheel, and anther 250 watt motor, to the back wheel, and still be "Street Legal"? Thanks, once again.

I just picked up a freebie very rusted chain left out in the rain but nice model late 90's early oughts East Peak frs by Marin bikes, a very nice full suspension aluminum frame with mounting holes for disc brakes (but still has rim brakes). It is a great find for building an ebike on except the wheels are still in very good condition and I think I am just going to ride it as is (after a little rust cleanup on the cassette and a fresh chain and a little tune up). I understand you need wheels that have disc brake mounts and I am loathe to give up these nice wheels. Question arises: do most of the hub kits have disc brakes mounts? How do I look for that? Any advice? As, If I am going up to 1000 watts for hill climbing, I am also going to want disc brakes. I think rim brakes are ok only for low watt assists.

What if you did all 3? Would the mid be to powerful for the rear hub?

Are there any rear wheel options for 177mm or 197mm rear dropouts? Considering converting one if my fat bikes.

Good vid, bafangs are great for street use, if you want higher quality and a more offroad/moto feel, go for Cyc x1

I have a 10 speed with very narrow tires. Would putting on a fatter tire that comes with the e-bike kit cause the bicycle to not track or ride properly? thanks

Only 1 thing I learn from you guys is talk sss😊😊

Just about all the front hub kits here in Oz have the battery built in to the hub itself. They also have a USB port built in for charging yet the kits here all have a separate battery set up.

Great video! If you are lucky enough to work for an employer that offers the tax-free cyclescheme, you could probably get a low-end off the shelf e-bike for less that the cost of a conversion kit (unless you can wangle a way of getting the kit through the cyclescheme). Looking at converting my wife’s bike for her.

Just ordered a Bafang mid drive kit, but it has a 44T chainring...... is that going to need a HUGE rear cassette?

No mention made that a cartridge BB is required as the sensor disc hole will not fit over a hollow tech shaft.

i have a 3 wheeled bike that (when i petal) it moves the back tires, my question is, will a front hub drive suit me or not?

What electrical knowhow do you need to plug cables in? I have found the mechanical knowhow and specialist bike tools needed, far more of an issue. Just ordered a TSDZ2 torque sensing mid motor, because I don't want an electric moped and it's lighter and cheaper than the Bafang. Anyone know how to fix the Q factor on it?

I would like a small motor just to make toting around a toddler trailer with twins easier and faster. What can I find for my cruiser that I can kind of just plug and go? Is there a weight limit?

Great video. Very helpful. I have a cheap bike which I have had for eleven years. Do I want to spend the amount of money to electrify it, or a bike off the shelf. A dilemma.

DIY ebikes are anathema to this channel's raison d'être. Pardon my latin/french

What happens if your rear drive motor suffers from a buckle will the whole unit need replacing?

Hi, can I put rear hub motor in my bike wich already have Bosch mid drive system. I would like to have more torque, soo i would put rear hub motor and additional battery. Tnx for answer

8:02 24 years LOL converted a Gary Fisher mountain. Bike looked like the exact Kit.. are showing right there I burned through 2 Rear. Tres in the 1st month. I'm back cycling.

What is the model of the lcd screen? I want to replace my broken one 36v 250watt kit

Hi! I want to build my own e-bike but i dont know that if the motor its 48v with 1500w and the battery its 48v but 2000w its going to work together? Or the battery its gonna burn the motor? Please help me with that THANK YOU!...

I want to convert my old specialized status DH bike into an e-bike, and recommended paths?

I added 750w bafang mid-drive motor to my e-bike with a 48v battery and it rides like a dream I've tried a little off road on my other ebike but it has fat tyres but have a mountain bike is so much better 😀

Any mention of braking systems on the other, non magneto, tyre hub would be helpful as you’re adding an impeller with extra weight to the whole chassis.

So my foldable bicycle has gears, if I fit a front wheel motor, how are the gears disengaged when I ride the bike?

I built a bike using a Bafang BBS01B @@@ watt motor with a 36v 13amp hour battery bolted on the down tube. I also upgraded everthing on the bike with brand new equipmentt including brakes, suspension forks wider tyres, gearing and it cost me approx £1000

I have a Carrera Sulcata 29er, would this be easy for a mid drive, I dont have a spec sheet and Halfords dont seem to have them either :/

Is there anyway of getting a battery to fit in a backpack or something as it wouldn't fit in my full sus frame. I'm really keen to try a DIY kit but I can't seem to find anything with a battery to fit in the frame. Help pls, thanks.

Can i add a front electric wheel to my assist rear e bike?

Do rear hub drives fit Boardman 8.9 URB? The drive train is a carbon belt...

Hey I need help. Most ebike wheels are not in julet connector but I need it in julet. Will that work to convert it? Please let me know asap

I want a mid drive kit for my recently restored 26 year old Diamond Back Topanga 16” frame 21 speed MTB. What is the most cost effective kit to go for?? £600-700 would be ideal for me! I ride the south Devon Blackdown hills.

does plug and play kits exist? Whats the maintenance cycles for the computer of the kit ?

I'm looking to convert a cheap second hand bike. I've not owned a bike for several years. My main use would be for commuting and 'fun' rides (not mountain biking). I have limited technical ability, although my son-in-law is a motor mechanic. I want to keep the cost as low as possible, would you say the 'plug and play' rear hub drive is my best option? Ive only just come across your channel (watching Ray do his barefoot engineering!) Keep up the good work 👍🏻

Can you recommend any systems that use your peddling to add charge to the battery?

...any chance that you guys have any extra kits you don’t need/use? 😶 would love to upgrade a bmx bike to help save for a car to sleep in while attending classes for my dream job (oil refinery)!

Hi would a specialised rockhopper be ok for converting to an ebike with throttle assist?

Why need to decide between throttle or pedal assist when you can have both?? You can even have a torque sensing bb in the mix.

0:56 Stamp 7 DM edition Pedals for 150 bucks on this bike is kinda funny:' )

hello guys, what’s the best for computer flat road ? thanks

i have am old bike Y22 model of trek bike a oclv carbon i want to convert it to ebike for a change i used at 1st a electric motor mixer but i want to change it

Ii have had a rear tire kit but no bike shop would do it here in CT

I wanted to put mid drive kit on my Kona fire mountain HT but Brose motor kit i can’t find, i already have a Befang 350 midrive bike from Woosh

I have bield a bbs02b mounting bike IST a lot of fun

I’ve been looking to buy one of these for a month did little bit search to figure out the cost of having e-bike but i’ve decided to renew my motorcycle insurance ... $62 monthly.

bike parc cymru, love it :)

What I'd like to know is about ebike kits direct from China and Chinese kind of places. On ebay for example the kits listed state that import duty charges may be added when the kit arrives, has anyone had any experience with this and how much would I expect to pay if this happens to me ? I'm in the UK.

Hi gentlemen, as some of us are bigger or just a tad on the heavier side and ride heavier built bikes because of that, and remaining street legal with a tiny 250 watt motor and enough torque to get the job adequately done can be a challenge. So what motors or kits in the respective categories, wheel hub or mid drive have the best torque rating do you think? Thanks in advance.

Can i put 138 mm rear hub put in 135 mm dropout?

Also 2nd hand. Amazing how cheap things go for 2nd hand.