Electric Bike Thread

[wooley12]

Bearing failure common? From under engineered or Over worked?

[grinch]

Underengineered. Mud and water ingress and small bearing surfaces in comparison to a regular well sealed bb with good bearing support of the axles. It took a while until we got the current bb's we have now. Big external bearings because traditional bike bb's are too small to have the bearings we now have. The motors themselves are good and will last. Its mainly the bearings. There is axle sleeves and small parts that get worn as well though. Bosch gen3 dialed in the bearings and sealed the motor effectively. It was still a lead weight though. That bearings and seals were the big redesign on the gen3. Now this year they have the gen4 that is pretty much the same weight as the shimano and brose. All within .1 or.2 of a kg. But bosch has carried over their bearing and seal design. Its not perfect. There is the occasional clunk sound in the rough and some think it could have a more adaptive mode like the yamaha's emtb mode(yamaha is still bulky and heavy) or shimanos "trail" mode. Most likely their will be updates in the future that can be downloaded on to it. The clunk sound doesnt cause any problem , its just there occasionally. Theyll probably insulate it at some point. Not sure thered be a retrofit on that. Its not that often or that big of a deal so probably stay as is until next years motor(guessing)

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[gravitylover]

I guess it will be worth it even if I get stuck paying, I'd really like to lose the noise the current motor makes and I know that it's a focus of theirs to make the second gen quieter.

[grinch]

Ya thatd be nice. Not sure how theyll do that without a belt but no shortage of r & d at shimano. The belt, as opposed to a gear, has been brose secret but also problems. The tension needed is very exact. Too tight and it whines. Too loose and it slips and burns the belt. That UK motor rebuild guy's rebuild vid on the brose shows the little tensioner screw and its a fraction of a turn to set it. Their new motor for the sl is a gear and its a bit louder at high revs. It is super sealed from water and mud ingress. Looks like thats the way theyre going. That was another problem with the brose. Im betting itll be super sealed like that sl motor.
If wooley could add another 0 to his budget thatd be a nice ride for him. That being said, cedrics bike will be cheaper,lighter, way more useable tech, and 20mm more travel f/r

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[Tri-Ungulate]

Seems I'll soon have $1k to spend for my electric bike. I connect to 1000 miles of rail to trail and old logging road out the back door. Comfort in the seat is more important than aggressive stump jumping or rock crawling on the pegs stance. Top speed not important but I'd want to go by twisting the throttle only if I wanted. A bit of suspension would be nice.

What bike for my? Responses with questions that I didn't know to ask will have more cred.

Attachment 321078

Is there a reason you're not getting a Bafang kit? That's definitely under $1K and should work great, though need to make sure the bottom bracket is the right type, and may need to remove the chain guard or move it out a bit.

[wooley12]

Reason for hesitation is mostly my own ignorance and confusion as to what I should do to fill my need. Gotta do more homework.

[pano-dude]

Reason for hesitation is mostly my own ignorance and confusion as to what I should do to fill my need. Gotta do more homework.

I highly recommend the Bafang bbshd and a Panasonic 48v battery. Cost wise I'm in for about $1600 Canadian including the charger.

The main thing is to choose the correct BB size and decide how to mount the battery. Other wise it's pretty simple install.

I need to try to figure out how to change the tire size on mine, I am sure it is set for 26" but a 26 fatty is closer to a 29r diameter. It tops out at 26km/hr.

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[Name Redacted]

I highly recommend the Bafang bbshd and a Panasonic 48v battery. Cost wise I'm in for about $1600 Canadian including the charger.

The main thing is to choose the correct BB size and decide how to mount the battery. Other wise it's pretty simple install.

I need to try to figure out how to change the tire size on mine, I am sure it is set for 26" but a 26 fatty is closer to a 29r diameter. It tops out at 26km/hr.

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Have you messed with the setting? I only have a mac so haven't even touched settings. Everything is in metric, which would be fine in Canada I guess.

Wooley could even get the BBS02 w/ battery and charger for around $1000 depending on what options you wanted. Would fit most bikes but measure your Bottom Bracket.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Reason for hesitation is mostly my own ignorance and confusion as to what I should do to fill my need. Gotta do more homework.

https://www.bafangusadirect.com/bafa...ttery-p/60.htm

Get your LBS to check on your BB size and maybe even help you with the install.

Oh, and you can change the wheel settings on the display itself. There are manuals on the web to make these adjustments depending on your display.

[wooley12]

Yeah. That's the system I'm looking after listening to you guys if I build. Do my own custom build for my own special need. Craigs List chassis. Seat that favors sitting. Fat tired or minimal suspension to keep the rubber on the road. Disc brakes? The go technology is still foreign to me. My homework. Wouldn't be my 1st custom build on the cheap. The wrenching wont be a problem. Hack saw, belt sander and drill was tech for this build.

[grinch]

Discs would probably be the way to go. Not so much for mega power, although thats always good, but because they still work in the wet

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[gravitylover]

Yeah. That's the system I'm looking after listening to you guys if I build. Do my own custom build for my own special need. Craigs List chassis. Seat that favors sitting. Fat tired or minimal suspension to keep the rubber on the road. Disc brakes? The go technology is still foreign to me. My homework. Wouldn't be my 1st custom build on the cheap. The wrenching wont be a problem. Hack saw, belt sander and drill was tech for this build.

I dunno, what I do know is that when I'm e-braapin' and rolling through the trees at 18mph on a 48 pound 6" travel brick if it wasn't purpose built I'd be done for. You say you won't, I did too That's a good add on kit, maybe it will work for you. I think the bike needs to, at the very least, have hydro brakes and a good fork.

[Shorty_J]

I highly recommend the Bafang bbshd and a Panasonic 48v battery. Cost wise I'm in for about $1600 Canadian including the charger.

The main thing is to choose the correct BB size and decide how to mount the battery. Other wise it's pretty simple install.

I need to try to figure out how to change the tire size on mine, I am sure it is set for 26" but a 26 fatty is closer to a 29r diameter. It tops out at 26km/hr.

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Your bike looks like an older norco bigfoot?

Do you have hydraulic brakes or cable, and if they're hydraulic do you just not install the break levers with power cutoff?

Did you install the stock crank wheel or upgrade?

I bought a 2020 bigfoot and I'm intrigued by making it electric. I think the cost is a little prohibitive for me... particularly now... but I'm still thinking about it.

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[wooley12]

You know I'm old, right? 18 mph thru the woods would tempt me to use just once.... skills that I once had. Seen it happen he on TGR. Midlife crisis toy to Gimp Central.

Proper use of drill and saw can make drum brakes work when wet, sorta.

[grinch]

You know I'm old, right? 18 mph thru the woods would tempt me to use just once.... skills that I once had. Seen it happen he on TGR. Midlife crisis toy to Gimp Central.

Proper use of drill and saw can make drum brakes work when wet, sorta.

Dont really see drum brakes. Its rim brakes or discs.
You should test ride a couple bikes. Bit hard right now but maybe in the future there will be some demos in your area. Pick some green trails and just go explore. Dont grab the front brake in a corner and your gold. Theres trails for everyone. Nowadays they design green trails that everyone likes. Summers end your an expert on all things emtb. Seen it a million times. Also good idea to look at the "trailforks" app for trails in your area. Check on the green ones and their description. That should give you an idea what to expect. Blues just arent as smooth=more fun with the right bike. Typically trails arent steep trails until theyre black(or red square). Most areas have a progression of trails. By the time you do all the green trails a few times you'll be all over the blues. No shame in walking a section until you get used to the bike. New trail bikes are like fat skis in powder. The more travel it has is like a fatter ski. 150mm of travel, disc brakes, dropper post, grippy tires, slack head angle and its play time. Its almost a different sport than what it was 10 yrs ago. Its definitely a different sport than what it was in the early 90's. Ive ridden with people of all ages. I dont think anyone 80+ but maybe. My mid 70's buddy rides more than anyone i know(340+ days/yr for 25yrs)

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[Tri-Ungulate]

150mm of travel, disc brakes, dropper post, grippy tires, slack head angle and its play time.

That's nice and all, but he did say his budget was ~$1K including motor and battery, which for the Bafang kit is already $800. I think that here in TGR-land we often get so wound up in the gear we kinda disdain the lower end stuff, which can still be pretty fun so long as we aren't going balls out. But of course we're all rippers here

I originally thought wooley12 was gonna retrofit the bike he had in the picture he showed, but sounds like he's starting from scratch.

At the risk of being sacrilegious, I wonder if he might wanna look at some of the cheap basic, i.e. Schwinn or Mongoose or what-have-you offerings from, say, WalMart.com (or BikesDirect) that he can retrofit - a China-made hardtail with discs and a sturdy but not super techy (say, Suntour) front suspension fork might be a good place to start for cheap. A lot of the frames made in China are mass-produced, and the welds are actually pretty good these days, to make for a reasonably sturdy workhorse bike to build an eBike around. Weight isn't an issue with an eBike and he's not gonna be dropping 20 footers or raging down some technical DH course.

[Name Redacted]

That's nice and all, but he did say his budget was ~$1K including motor and battery, which for the Bafang kit is already $800. I think that here in TGR-land we often get so wound up in the gear we kinda disdain the lower end stuff, which can still be pretty fun so long as we aren't going balls out. But of course we're all rippers here

I originally thought wooley12 was gonna retrofit the bike he had in the picture he showed, but sounds like he's starting from scratch.

At the risk of being sacrilegious, I wonder if he might wanna look at some of the cheap basic, i.e. Schwinn or Mongoose offerings from, say, WalMart.com that he can retrofit - a China-made hardtail with discs and a basic (say, Suntour) front fork might be a good place to start for cheap. A lot of the frames made in China are mass-produced, and the welds are actually pretty good these days, to make for a reasonably sturdy workhorse bike to build an eBike around. Weight isn't an issue with an eBike and he's not gonna be dropping 20 footers or raging down some technical DH course.

Craigslist and facebook are great resources for cheap bikes to throw an Bafang motor on. Still tough for under $1K though.

[wooley12]

Tru dat. I have 3 from CL in my stable. May be a bunch of garage sales this summer too. Or not.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Well if you already have a buncha bikes in your stable, why not retrofit one of them?

[wooley12]

Schwinn 1 spd cruiser would be interesting but would need brakes added. 1 speed ebike?

Maybe?

[rideit]

You can’t add discs to that setup in an economically smart way, unfortunately.
(Disc tabs would need to be welded on frame and fork).

[grinch]

That's nice and all, but he did say his budget was ~$1K including motor and battery, which for the Bafang kit is already $800. I think that here in TGR-land we often get so wound up in the gear we kinda disdain the lower end stuff, which can still be pretty fun so long as we aren't going balls out. But of course we're all rippers here

I originally thought wooley12 was gonna retrofit the bike he had in the picture he showed, but sounds like he's starting from scratch.

At the risk of being sacrilegious, I wonder if he might wanna look at some of the cheap basic, i.e. Schwinn or Mongoose or what-have-you offerings from, say, WalMart.com (or BikesDirect) that he can retrofit - a China-made hardtail with discs and a sturdy but not super techy (say, Suntour) front suspension fork might be a good place to start for cheap. A lot of the frames made in China are mass-produced, and the welds are actually pretty good these days, to make for a reasonably sturdy workhorse bike to build an eBike around. Weight isn't an issue with an eBike and he's not gonna be dropping 20 footers or raging down some technical DH course.

Where did i mention ripping trails and 20 footers? Nothing wrong with a baofang kit on a used bike. Lots of good deals out there on decent bikes to put that kit on. It can get confusing buying the right one though. Sizing is only part of it. If it is a recent bike(2-3yrs old) its more apt to be safer and more comfortable because of the angles, or radder in your case. I dont hear many bad reports on the baofang. I was merely saying dont discount the possibility of riding a trail. Hence the green and eventually blue trails i suggested. A lot of my favorite local trails are blues and greens. Trails i ride most often actually. Its like skiing a back bowl. It doesnt have to be steep or technical but atleast it has some terrain to be more entertaining than a groomer. And its an eeb so it will go fine on a flat path. Actually quite comfortable and safe
You a size s ,l or xl Wooley? This would be slightly more than 2k(in usd)and i bet theyre further discounted doon
https://www.commencalcanada.com/Mobi...0b-c2x26747395

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[wooley12]

5'9". Levi 501's 33 x 32. 160 with a helmet.

[Tri-Ungulate]

Oh no, grinch, I totally get your drift on trails, agree totally. I was just sayin' that 150mm of squish, dropper seatpost, high-end tires, modern frame angles, etc. can get pricey fast, and since wooley is staying within budget, it may be a lot to ask.

Anyway, is that Univega part of your stable wooley? It would be fine, and with addition of some cheap V-brakes, prolly stop well enough, especially if it isn't super wet/muddy. Add an inexpensive Suntour suspension fork and you got some squish up front.

Also 1-speed eBike is not totally out of the question, since you can adjust the level of e-assist on the fly. Not ideal, but works.

[pano-dude]

Your bike looks like an older norco bigfoot?

Do you have hydraulic brakes or cable, and if they're hydraulic do you just not install the break levers with power cutoff?

Did you install the stock crank wheel or upgrade?

I bought a 2020 bigfoot and I'm intrigued by making it electric. I think the cost is a little prohibitive for me... particularly now... but I'm still thinking about it.

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Yup it's a Bigfoot, hydraulic brakes, didn't put any brake sensors on but what I've seen is zip tieing a washer on the lever for the sensor to work.

Pulled old crank out and out the Bafang kit on, it needs a 1" spacer(I made one out of abs plumbing pipe on the drive side due to the shape of the chain stays. I ordered the 120mm BB kit and it's plenty wide enough, almost to wide but I had enough spacers for the left side to make it work.
Battery fitment is an issue with the Norco frame shape, the Panosonic Dolphin I have can not be bolted on the water bottle mounts so I went with the bag and it's perfect.
The chainring that comes with the kit is a steel pos 46 tooth, I switched it for Luna 30 t aluminum. This requires some redneck engineering to keep a decent chain line. I bought a SRAM cassette that has individual cogs and spaced it out by taking a few of the cogs off and putting them on the inside. I've moved to a 36t leki chainring and it is a better ring and gives better ratio options.
Overall I am super happy with it

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