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Are there any e-bike motors that last?

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Are there any e-bike motors that last?

Old 05-14-19, 11:45 AM
  #26  
Oldpeddaller
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Originally Posted by MikeyMK
Most of the Chinese parts aren't unbranded, or poor quality. There are only three main companies doing the Chinese e-bike operation and they're not budget companies in China.

You've only heard of Bosch and Yamaha because they've long been selling drills and keyboards in the west.

My bike is made of Risunmotor and Hallomotor parts, and they've proven bomb-proof the last few years.
My bike has Chinese-made parts too. I was nervous about this before buying so researched this and was astonished to find that China is the World leader in e-bikes and e-bike technology, with an INTERNAL market of 20 million units despite e-bikes being outlawed in a large number of cities! Makes the 1 in 5 of new bike sales in the UK seem tiny! I'm new to all this but so far I'm delighted both with my bike and also the excellent after-sales service from the European agent in Valencia. I hope mine can do the near 10,000 miles per year the OP does - I'll never have time or need to ride that far, but it's a nice thought. I'd imagine even an electric motor needs servicing in that time - a petrol engine would have had two or three services after all?
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Old 05-14-19, 03:31 PM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by Saburo10
Thanks for the reply 2Old,
During the four years that you have had your ebikes:
How often do you ride each one?
How far would you say you ride on a weekly basis?
Do you ride up a lot of steep hills?
Do you ride in the winter, with below freezing temperatures?
How fast can your bikes take you?

And what motors do you have? Make and model?

currently I'm doing a minimum of 26 miles per day without a motor, 7 days a week. with some steep hills on my commute.
OK; actual data from earlier today on my four year old BBS02 mid-drive bike (picture dated 12/14/15 in the thread "show your ebike"). Rode 15 miles (7.5 up and back), 3,000' elevation gain so the average slope is about 7.5%. Used 40% of 52V, 10 ah battery.

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Old 05-15-19, 06:21 PM
  #28  
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Bosch always comes to mind. I think in the 5 years of selling and repairing e-bikes our shop has probably had to replace 2 Bosch motors. We sell tons of Bosch equipped bikes and work on a ton of different stuff from different manufacturers. We do occasionally replace wiring and older Intuvia display mounts and on rare occasions displays and batteries but that is not that often. If you want the highest of quality with the lowest repair rate, Reise and Muller is the way to go. We sell Gazelle, Specialized, Raleigh, Reise and Muller, iZip, Haibike, Tern, Surly, Yuba and in the past we sold Focus, Kalkhoff, E-Motion, Motiv, Bulls and did various kits (some very high priced supposedly high quality) and I can say we have the fewest problems with the R+M bikes and all their bikes use Bosch. A few problems here and there and some of them have required some high levels of Bosch support but only because they are so rare.

Also many people have heard of Bosch because making motors is what they do from household appliances to tools to motorsports to various other things all around various industries. They aren't just some rinky-dink company that is only known because they sell a drill (a very high quality drill a that) but because they are world leaders in what they do and have been doing what they do since the mid to late 1800s. They are not a seller on Alibaba nor do they make kits, they focus on making a high quality product and stand right behind it. I can easily reach Bosch and here back from them right away and we even have a Bosch guy coming to the shop tomorrow to help us out with some warranty stuff which sadly these Chinese companies cannot do and even if they have some actual U.S. presence some of that is quite lacking.

Last edited by veganbikes; 05-18-19 at 01:09 PM.
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Old 05-17-19, 10:37 AM
  #29  
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This question is to Veganbikes
If somebody came to your shop with broken Bafang installed ebike,
would you accept it for repair?
I understand you repair not only brands which you sell.
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Old 05-17-19, 06:11 PM
  #30  
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Have you considered that, for your use you may have the wrong tool? Maybe, instead of an ebike that operates at the margins, you would be more satisfied with a small motor scooter, or similar?
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Old 05-18-19, 01:31 AM
  #31  
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Wiring them across is called "in series", wiring them in inline is called "parallel". you are correct it doubles your volts but cuts your amp hours in half, you'll get there faster but only have half the range
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Old 05-18-19, 08:55 AM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by Hawkowl2
Have you considered that, for your use you may have the wrong tool? Maybe, instead of an ebike that operates at the margins, you would be more satisfied with a small motor scooter, or similar?
The guy chose a Bafang BBS02. Lots of moving parts, and the electronics are next to the motor. Wear will get the gears and bearings over time, as it did. Heat kills the controller for users who run it hard. The upside is you get a lot of power in a light package. You can whip the wheels off and do maintenance w/o having to fiddle with wires like on a hub motor.

Mikey has a direct drive hub motor with no moving parts other than the two axle bearings. If you can get over having 10 pounds or more added at the axle, it is cheap. runs fast. runs forever. Good stuff. Needs some help on steep hills, as torque isn't that high given its power. Some drag when pedaling. Why don't I have one. Don't like looking at a big hub on my wheels, I guess.

Makers of commercial ebikes must feel the same way. Most store boughts use mid motors for the models that cost more than a decent used cars or new small motorcycles, and small geared hub motors for the less expensive models. I think it's more about regulations. To get decent riding with a direct drive, you want to go 1000W or more, and that exceeds the typical legal definition for an ebike. Or maybe the bike makers don't like looking at big dinner plate size motors either.

Last edited by Doc_Wui; 05-18-19 at 10:01 AM.
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Old 05-18-19, 01:13 PM
  #33  
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Originally Posted by powell
This question is to Veganbikes
If somebody came to your shop with broken Bafang installed ebike,
would you accept it for repair?
I understand you repair not only brands which you sell.
We try to repair just about anything. However it is tougher to get parts for the kits. Most of the stuff we refuse is stuff that is dangerous (IE: the e-scooter that was smoking when we plugged it in or the incorrect motor being used on a painted huffy with no real brakes) or stuff we just cannot source parts for or would have to spend hours and hours trying to track stuff down.
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Old 05-20-19, 08:27 AM
  #34  
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I have made a lot of people happy repairing their no name Chinese bikes. But like Vegan theres a bit of pick and choose where an unsafe bike that cannot be made safe wont get repairs. Most of the time its something silly and simple. But if its not, it becomes way more difficult, like a really nice scooter I cant get a throttle for despite numerous messages to the manufacturer AND replies. There is often a horrible communication gap.

Id it has a name and someone to ask questions to, a Chinese product may be OK, but if you want to keep riding, stick with a real brand.

-SP
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Old 05-22-19, 09:39 PM
  #35  
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I worry about the magnets on my $100 chinese motor, it can destroy the windings, game over but so far so good. After a year of almost everyday use including a Canadian winter mine needs a rebuild. Cleaning, new bearings (you need a bearing puller) and new brushes, another year ahead
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Old 06-21-19, 04:38 PM
  #36  
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Heinzmann makes ebike motors that last They have a geared hub motor with hardened steel gears in an oil bath.
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Old 06-23-19, 08:56 AM
  #37  
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Frankenbike,
where in Canada do you ride?
I ride my Eplus in Alberta winter January-March day after day to work
you should see inside my motor .
why do you need new bearings after one year of riding!!!
horrible

Last edited by powell; 06-23-19 at 09:02 AM.
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Old 06-28-19, 02:18 PM
  #38  
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My BH Easy Motion's Dapu geared hub one is still torquing strongly after six seasons. I suspect, fear my Samsung battery will expire before my motor does.
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