RunnerRunner

I am super interested in getting an electric powered bicycle, but to be frank, I have a limited budget, about 700$ at most. I also kind of need to be walked through the process of purchasing the conversion kit. Once I get it I'll know why to do, but getting the right one is the hard part. Does anyone have anything to help me?

liksmuzic

Well it can be done, but you will have to use SLA batteries to start with to keep your costs down.
That is what I did, and I have used my SLA batteries for the last 3 yrs, the runs are shorter, and
I went to higher capacity batteries, and was very diligent in charging them EVERY time I used them
and did not run them down.

That said, a lot of info can be had on the vendors websites, like
https://www.itselectric.ca/FAQ.html

https://www.ebikes.ca/batteries.shtml

https://www.ebikes.ca/hubmotors.shtml

I am sure there is many more out there. Keep digging for information, there is a ton of it out there.

Good Luck!

John Phoenix

I agree it can be done cheaply. I went through www.ampedbikes.com and got the front wheel direct drive kit. Motor is rated 500 to 750 watts and it comes with a speed controller (fancy name for a voltage regulator) a battery pack with 3, 12 volt sealed lead acid batteries (SLA)( = 36 volts), seat mount bike rack ( for mounting the batteries + battery bag with handle for easy removal), an on/off switch and lastly new brake levers with motor cut off switch when braking. Cost 500 U.S. dollars. I added a torque arm for 26 dollars and bought a new bike at Wal-Mart ( men's 26 inch mountain bike) for 100 bucks. Total spent 626.00.

There are places online you can get replacement batteries for 22 dollars each, so 3 x 22 = 66 bucks. The Sla batteries will last about a year if you baby them by charging them after each use and never let them run down very far. Later if you can afford it you can switch to a lipo4 ( Lithium phosphate) type battery for around 5 to 6 hundred bucks. They last 3 to 5 years and provide more power for torque than sla for same voltage.

Speeds with 36 volts is 20 mph and run around 500 watts but this motor can handle up to 150 watts more when you apply more voltage. You go up 5 to 7 mph more with each 12 volt sla battery you add. ( depending on bike type, street and rider weight). Lots of folks with this kit run 48 volts and get good speeds of 25 to 28 mph.

morph999 

I've been off the internet for a few months so I may not be up to date on the newest/best stuff. There is also hightekbikes.com which has a 36v10AH lifepo4 battery with aotema front wheel kit. It's a package deal for $729. As far as I've heard, the guy has a good reputation as I have read reviews from people who have dealt with him. Not sure what you are looking for but lifepo4 is almost always better to go with over SLA if you can do it. Also, might want to think about your uses for an e-bike and really think about it. Some people have different expectations and are a bit let down because they don't understand what they are buying. I would go so far as to plan out the uses for it like for example if you were going to use it for work transportation or something.

There are also varying degrees of power in e-bikes. Some can come close to moped-like acceleration and speed. Some are very good at concealing the fact that they are e-bikes...with a controller and battery so small that no one would even figure out that it is an e-bike. Some are not so concealed like the one I have.

kjmillig

Holy cow. Are kits really running >$700 in the US? I've been researching buying a front hub kit here in Taiwan and I can get a 48V kit with 4 12V12AH batteries claiming 40-50 kph and 50 km range for US$330. I'm assuming the high prices in the USA are from shipping and import fees.

sunnyday

For any of us to give you useable information, we need more info from you.

1. how much do you weight, how much does your bike weigh ?

2. what type of riding will you be doing

3. is your bike all aluminum frame with aluminum front forks

4. do you have a bike with front or rear suspension

5. how fast do you wish to go ?

6. do you have alot of steep hills to ascend

7. what size tires do you have

8. do you already have a bike and just need the electric kit

etc...

I just ordered a full electric kit of 1000 watt rear brushless hub / 48volt/20 Ah lifepo4 battery from overseas. Total cost including air mail shipping is $754 ....so you can get a complete lifepo4 kit for around the $700 mark , if you shop around and are not in a hurry.

If you have about $700 to spend , I think you should go with a lifepo4 battery .because it usually means ...less weight , less maintenance , and less size when compared to wiring 3 or 4 - 12volt lead acid batterys in series.

sunnyday

it seems that air mail shipping from china/hong kong to the U.S. ..is costing around $150- $200 per full kit....shipping by sea mail is cheaper..but that can take 2 months or more to recieve it....air mail is usually 2-3 weeks delivery.

jethro56 

I too am a Noob to e-bikes but I have a goal of commuting 25 miles round trip beginning in March. I'm a farmer so at times I put in long hours and am tired on the way home. I'm looking for a kit to add to my Trek 7300 so a front hub is out. I also am a somewhat fit 230Lbs. I value quality over low price. Speed or range is secondary as I can recharge at the farm.
What I am looking for is quality controls. Brake levers,wiring,rack,connectors. Support and availabilty of replacement parts. Most interested in Bionx however have read about Trek's spoke problems.
Any informed thoughts appreciated.

Trikin'

Hello....welcome to the forum from another Newbie. I've only been using my kit for 6months and I'm glad I finally got with it. I bought the system for assist on hills and it's by far exceeded my expectation For close to a year I'd been looking at numerous kits and combinations.Trying to decide which ones were any good and reading as much as I could. Through a E-Bike store (JVBike Vancouver) we put together a Crystalyte front hub motor(on a 16" wheel)$350.00 and a Li-Ion battery(36v-9.6ah)$550.00 installed onto my BoB Trailer. The lithium is lighter than SLA, but more money...you could do well to check out craigslist or the equivilent

RunnerRunner

Well, i weigh about 150 pounds, I do have a bike, but I'd like to get e new one.. Any suggestions would be great, i would like a bike w/o front shocks, relatively light, under 300 $, etc. I will not be doing any hill riding, really, i live in Milton which is relatively flat. I wish for a bike that is capable of going roughly 20-30 km/hr, and have a total budget of about 1000 $. I wouldn't want the best batteries, not to start. I'm looking for a bike than can get me roughly 12 km, 6 km from school and 6 km back.