wttrjenkins

I've been researching bafang for awhile and read as much as I can. It seems the bbs01b and bbs02b information I am finding is older and mostly about the bbshd now. I keep racking my brain trying to decide which one to go with. I've been leaning towards the bbs01b 36v 250 watt because I already have dewalt 20v tools and was thinking of using them for a 40v battery and getting some spares later on. I'm on a bit of a budget also but don't want to throw good money away either. I could do the bbshd and use my batteries for 60v which is close to the cut off high voltage or I've been looking at ego 56v batteries.

What I am converting is a a cheaper mountain bike that has nice road tires on it and has served me well over the last year. I mostly ride my trek road bike but I am wanting the ebike for getting groceries, etc. from town which is 32ish miles round trip at a minimum. I plan to do most of the cycling but if I just had some assist on a few hills along the way or if I have a head wind it would make it much more enjoyable. I guess before I spend the money I'm doing a sanity check on the following:

BBS01B 36V 250 watt with a C961 display ( I don't need anything real fancy?) $403.99 + $10 shipping
2 - battery adapters for dewalt 20v - $30-40
spanner wrench - $18

probably misc. wiring, etc. but am I being too cheap? Also I already have the bottom bracket disassembled and verified its the correct size.

2old

My wife and I have BBS02"s and both have performed well at 52V. Eschewed the BBSHD since it's too powerful for offroad riding (IMO). I ride e-MTB during the week and MTB on weekends so want at least some exercise on the "e" bike. Any of the three should serve you well; just depends on how much power you want.

Dewey101

This is a good article on using power tool batteries for ebikes https://www.electricbike.com/cordles...ies-for-ebike/

I have a BBS01 250w set to 18a current and it's OK for getting up hills with pedalling, and I use it for commuting to work, towing a trailer, and running errands. I would prefer the 20% wider stator on the BBS02 for the extra hill climbing torque and you can get a 36v version, but the BBS01 works OK.

Regardless of which version you choose, you might like to consider spending a little more getting the following items:
- chainring adapter and 42t chainring from Luna, I found the 46t chainring that came with the kit was too high for my gearing.
- gearsensor to cut the power while shifting gear, I tried the big green button kill switch but prefer the inline sensor as its one less thing to think about - if you try to fit it yourself I recommend using a new brake cable as a frayed end simply won't pull through the tight sensor, but you can just pedal backwards to cut the power before shifting.
- the ebrake levers that came with my kit were very cheap and nasty and bent quickly, so rather than replace them I went back to using my old brake levers using magnet sensors (attach the tiny magnet with gorilla glue and/or floral wire because if it falls off the handle the motor cuts out completely unless you unplug the brake from the wiring), the sensor works on my mechanical rim brake levers.

wttrjenkins

Thank you both for all of the information. I'm still trying to decide a bit. I think I've ruled out the bbs01b just because I think the 02 does about the same and like you mentioned it has a little more meat inside. I'm starting to lean towards the hd even though its 48 & 52v I've read that I can temporarily set it for a lvc of 38 so I might be able to "rig" my batteries up for now and then get a bigger one later on. I probably wouldn't be able to use it very far like that but it would at least get the motor part and all the wiring, etc. done. Is there any reason to not buy this stuff on Amazon? That's where I am finding the cheapest prices so far. I can get the bbshd without a battery and a DP C18 Display for $690, and possibly a 5% discount also. I don't need the extra power if the BBSHD but I might swap this to a nicer bike down the road and don't want to have any regrets.

As far as sprockets I was leaning towards the 42t also but wonder if I should do 44 or 46 but I do want to be able to pedal along with the motor and not just be on only electric. My MTB has a 42t front gear and the smallest rear is 14t. I've found that going down hills its geared too low to pedal and end up coasting until I level out some. My road bike has 50 in the front and 11 in the rear. I was thinking somewhere in between the two but maybe the 42 tooth is the best?

So skip the supplied brake levers and go with a brake sensor & also a gear cut out sensor?

Dewey101

Read Justin LeMire-Elmore’s take on BBS02 vs BBSHD https://endless-sphere.com/forums/vi...p?f=2&t=100461

And some feedback from other folk that ride both motors BBSHD vs. BBS02? - Endless Sphere

you should be fine with the 02 provided you use your gears, it sounds from Tom’s comment on the 2nd link the BBSHD is more able to take abuse ie taking off using throttle in mid-high gear going up hill.

Personally I would support a retailer with a decent stock of Bafang spares. I bought a 2013 BBS01a from California Ebike and needed to change my controller at the start of 2017 8 months after Bafang changed the design without informing their US retailers, but Doug Snyder kept enough on shelf in stock for his customers that bought from him that I was able to get a replacement, subsequently I bought a BBS01b motor going cheap for when mine wears out as now the a model controllers are hard to find. Point being you won’t get that level of support from an Amazon seller.

wttrjenkins

Well I bit the bullet and ordered the bbshd and wrench. I got the 42t sprocket. I'll update once I get it. I will probably go with a ego 56v 7.5ah battery when I can afford it. Not sure what kind of range I will get on a lower setting with pedaling but any help will be good.

Thanks again for the help 😊

Doc_Wui

Here's what my BBS02 draws in max currents for various PAS levels per my wattmeter:
PAS 1: 3.1 amp
PAS 2: 4,7 amp
PAS 3: 6.7 amp - throttle at this level drew 15.9 amp
PAS 9: 15.3 amps

You should get a $15 wattmeter for debugging if you're trying to get your Dewalts to run that BBSHD. I bet they trip if you pull throttle, but might work for pedal assist.

wttrjenkins

I'm probably not going to end up messing with using the DeWalt batteries but from what I've read they are good for 30 amp discharge. Their pretty tough little batteries.

Oldoarsman

I added a Bafang BBS02B conversion with a 48v 17.5 Ah battery and 44T chain ring to my Cannondale Adventure 400 last August based on a suggestion from my LBS. I had them install it with brake and gear sensors after reading about the potential wear on the drive chain.

I am very satisfied with my conversion, and the motor cutoff during braking and gear changes is seamless.

I also added a new saddle (B17 Imperial), new brake shoes, and a set of Schwalbe Energizer Plus tires.

I am very happy with the results after repurposing my old underutilized bike.

wttrjenkins

Here's a little update so far. The bbshd kit came from China, didn't realize this when purchasing but it arrived in 6 days! I had it on the same day but didn't have a battery. I am off grid with solar / wind and a 48 volt battery bank so I temporarily tested on that. Today I received a ego 7.5 battery and charger, just need to rig up a mount for it and wire it in.
Almost there!

2old

If the battery is 7.5 amp hours it would be wise to check and insure that it can supply enough amps or it might not last very long.

wttrjenkins

I think I've read that it can discharge at 60 amp because it has 3 sets of 14s cells with a 20 amp max mischarge. I don't plan to use this real hard either. I will probably get a second pack down the road.

wttrjenkins

I got it put together today and played around some and decided to take it for a test run. I made a 20 mile trip basically pedaling the whole way. It was cold, windy and late in the day so I was hurrying. The battery was basically empty as I was pulling in home. I was also hauling some groceries so a little extra weight. I think 1 more battery would be very helpful on a longer trip.

I have a toolbox mounted to the rear rack with the battery inside. There's room for a few more batteries plus a charger. Once I get a trailer I'll be in business!

chas58

20 miles on your 7.5A battery? I bet you did a fair amount of pedaling. As mentioned above, I would be cautious about running your battery to death - both by using a lot of current, and by running it far down each time you use it. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should. But maxing out a battery is a sure way to shorten its life span.

Ideally you probably wouldn't run it at a current much more than its AH, and not charge it more than 80%, nor deplete it more than 20%, but that is probably a bit too idealistic (although some cars do that to ensure those expensive batteries last 10 years).

2old

The 100% side is safer than the <20% from my experience. My 52V, 10 ah battery is well into its fifth year. I charge to 100% just before going out, then leave it at 30 - 60% after riding (that is where it's at after the ride which is determined "inexactly but adequately" by state of charge (SOC).

wttrjenkins

It was actually 24 miles and yes lots of pedaling. I took it again today and quite impressed. I'm usually pulling 250-500 watts at the most. I don't intend to deplete the battery each time and will be getting extras. I think I will leave it on assist 1 out of 5 on longer trips, it seems hard to pedal fast enough on higher settings. I'm considering going the hub motor route on another bike since my son will mostly use it. I understand the max discharge concern but considering these are running snowblowers, mowers, etc. I feel safe. They use two 7.5 batteries on a power station with a 2000 watt continuous and 3000 watt peak. So I should be fine for half that with 1 battery.

chas58

For what it is worth, I have a hub motor that runs at full power 36v and 10a continous. I put out about 250 watts and go about 25 miles at 25mph on a 36v10ah battery.

wttrjenkins

I'd be interested in learning a little more about your hub motor or others when I convert a second bike. I went with the mid drive mainly because I intend to haul groceries, camping gear, etc. Here's a few pictures of "Fred" I don't enjoy the toolbox as it's hard to get my leg over. It's a temporary solution.