Posted 11 April 2024

Electric bike update.

So I made a post rather a long time ago about making an electric bike for my wife to ride with me. Well finally I've done it. Although it's not road legal it will of course not be used on the public highway😃.
Total cost second hand bike plus a few bits for it £150, a Bafang 750mid drive with one very large battery and a TV screen for a display £700 .
What can I say it's a monster . Happy to answer anyone's questions if they are considering a similar set up.
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  1. r2mahara's avatar
    Why is this not road-legal? It doesn't look very different from the ones you see everywhere ridden by just-Eat and Uber Eats delivery people.

    Is it because it's a custom job?
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    750 Watt motor, and the thumb throttle. Essentially it's a moped, capable of 27mph without any peddling at all. However you're probably right in that it's what you see the delivery bike riders on. (edited)
  2. Yazoo1990's avatar
    I've wanted to do this with my old mountain bike but unsure if I could install it. How hard was it to fit?
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    On a scale of 1 to 10 it's about 2. All the connector plugs are colour coded so it's just a case of cable tying them to the frame which ever way looks best. The motor is fairly straightforward, if you can remove pedals and the bottom crank you're more than able to put the motor in/on. The screen, throttle, and brakes are held in place by the use of an Allen key, and the speed sensor with a torque screw, Phillips screw, sticky tape and cable ties.
    I left the front derailleur on as did not have a chain splitter, but removed it cable and lever. Ideally you want a bike with only one front cog.
    Disc brakes are a must, and I'd strongly advise they are hydraulic ones.
    I watched several YouTube videos first which basically I just had to follow and copy what they did. Honestly it's easy, just allow 4 hours and it should be a doddle, I reckon now I've done one I could do another in about 2.5 hours.
    Like I've said previously my biggest problem is mounting my battery as I chose the biggest battery and the frame is a small, although I think it would be a tight fit again on my medium sized Boardman too.
  3. Willy_Wonka's avatar
    Where did you get the pipe insulation & did they have different colour options?

    Ingenious may I add
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    The pipe insulation is being used to temporarily keep the battery in place, as it only just fits. In fact it's so tight you can't use the screw mountings, so will have to come up with some type other brackets just to stop it falling out if involved in big impact.
  4. PS5's avatar
    Buy yourself a large triangle bag (check measurements obv and you can discreetly hide the obvious large battery
  5. hubcms's avatar
    Author
    The donor bike was reasonably light, and yes when lifting the bike you are aware of the extra weight, but it doesn't feel heavy when riding even when going slow with no assistance. What I am pleased with is the weight distribution, when stood over the bike you're not thinking it wants to fall to one side, however I'm not so sure that would be the case if I had to mount the battery elsewhere. So with that in mind choose carefully the donor bike and the battery size.
    As to how far it will go I've not found out yet but I did opt for a 20ah battery so hopefully very far. (edited)
  6. joyf4536's avatar
    Did the cable tie on the front cables come with the bike or is it an optional extra?

    "for my wife to ride with me" Don't you need 2 seats? (edited)
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    It's a unicorn silly
  7. Dubski's avatar
    This is so cool!
  8. badmf2's avatar
    Where did you get the battery/motor?
  9. TristanDeCoonha's avatar
    How much clearance between legs and battery? Just thinking of securing it
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    Enough that it won't be a problem. I'm going to think about what to do for a few days, as I'm sure I could make something tomorrow, then think up something better two days later!
  10. hubcms's avatar
    Author
    eBay. It came as one big package. The only thing I've had to order which is yet to arrive is a sensor to cut the motor when switching gears. This is probably more of a precaution than necessary though.
    badmf2's avatar
    Got an item number or link? Cheers
  11. andynicol's avatar
    Whats the overall weight, and how far does a full charge take you please?
  12. ohreally's avatar
    This is pretty much what I did, 750W BBS 02 onto a MTB. Great fun and highly enjoyable if it weren't for @$$h0le car drivers. Good luck and stay safe.
  13. badmf2's avatar
    Almost £700 for the motor, battery and screen, then cost of the bike itself. Would it not have been cheaper just to buy a second hand electric bike?
    hubcms's avatar
    Author
    Well yes there are some, however you could say that about most things. What I needed was firstly a good small framed MTB with a minimum of disc brakes, and with this conversion thank goodness they are hydraulic as it's a bit of a beast . Secondly if my wife didn't like it I could swap it onto mine and still sell her bike.
  14. hubcms's avatar
    Author
    Final pictures as I managed to overcome securing the battery to the frame, and secured the supplied light with an electrical earthing strap and a bit of rubber.
    52618560-dVUL1.jpg52618560-zOutO.jpg
    Willy_Wonka's avatar
    Well, I certainly admire your ingenuity, it doesn't look half bad either.
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