dayco

I'm thinking about this front wheel Bafang/kit. What does anyone know about a 48v 13Ah Shark battery which I believe comes with this kit? How does this kit look to you?

$554.90 is about as cheap as I can find something with hopefully halfway decent quality and nothing else to buy. I'm going as inexpensively as I possibly can (Santa says my wish list has been curtailed). I'm not rich and by comparison my g-bike cost me less than $200 to build. (who knows how much longer I'll even be able ride a bicycle - old age is getting tricky

I want the v-brake rim. With the exception of the PAS sensor, my bottom bracket, my rear wheel my brakes all remain untouched and compatible with my g-bike (and other bottom-end bikes I have).

https://www.amazon.com/BAFANG-48V-50...f1d&th=1&psc=1

polyrhythmia

I just electrified a Cruzbike T50 recumbent bike, and what would normally be the front wheel is on the rear, and the drivetrain is on the front. A front wheel e-bike kit makes the bike two wheel drive. I am using a 48 V 17 AH battery with a Bafang kit. Not sure how much longer I can ride due age and health condition. No extensions were needed to make kit fit. Couldn't figure out how to mount hydraulic brake cutoffs, so made a kill switch with one of the cutoffs. I actually like the kill switch idea.

2old

IMO, Bafang makes excellent motors (based on the three BBS's I've built, all still running perfectly after years of wear and no maintenance). It wouldn't seem they would impair their reputation with a poor battery, but I have no experience with those. The price for that kit is reasonable.

dayco

Thanks everyone...

I've changed my focus a little on my e-bike build. I was going to build a Class 2 with throttle for my legs/knees. But my g-bike is already a Class 2. Unfortunately I have to pedal with force occasionally. I've decide to make a Class 1 e-bike instead which will allow me to use the roads and bike-trails adding extra capability. To be able to go from street to trail back to street will allow me to make quicker and safer trips. A real benefit. To pedal 'easy' for my legs/knees I plan to set the bike in the lowest gear with the PAS set to max. Since I have to spin I want to spin with as little force as possible.

8-10 miles out and 8-10 miles back will get me most places I want/need to go around town. For longer distant trips or prolonged trips I'll use my g-bike. To be honest, I've never even ridden an e-bike. This is all pretty new to me. With the PAS set to max and if I'm in my lowest gear (28/34) I'm hoping to spin easily. The kit's PAS sensor appears to have about 10-12 magnets.

Jay Turberville

Make sure you have a good low gear and you should be able to get rolling with a Class 1. It could get tough going uphill from a stop though. I'm not sure how good/bad your knees are.

BTW, read your local law/rules carefully. Class 1 typically does not mean "no throttle". The rules typically say nothing about the throttle. What they say is that the bike cannot provide power unless the pedals are being used. So you can add a throttle. Just be sure to configure it so that it is only functional when the bike is being pedaled. This way you can set your PAS to a more moderate power level and use the throttle to add power as needed. Keep in mind that the throttle won't do anything until the PAS sensors detect motion and start providing power to the motor. Think of the throttle as an optional boost when needed.

For reference, here's the Illinois definition of a Class 1 ebike. No mention of a throttle.

dayco

Thanks. The knees aren't too good. The throttle would work for the streets and roads but not for the county trails. The county says 'no throttle allowed'. I'm old, I don't go fast but I want to keep it 'legal' just in case I'm in an accident. I want the legal right to be there in an accident.

My Trek Navigator 50 (wanabe e-bike) has the same freewheel that's on my g-bike,13/34 Mega-range. The same lower chain rings, 28/38. What makes it hard on my knees is that on my g-bike I have the saddle height set low so I can have both feet on the ground at a stop for stability and control in traffic. I'm using 2nd gear and the 28 chain ring. The 1st/34 with the 28 is too low to get me up to speed from a stop with the g-bike but should be fine getting me started with the e-bike. Both my box-store 'girls' g-bike and my Nav 50 are both steel but light enough. Regular and uphill pedaling is hard on my knees with low seats. But safety first.

On the g-bike I would raise the saddle if I had to pedal any distance but the saddle clamp and bolt are part of the motor assembly mount. On the Nav 50 with a front hub motor, raising the saddle to comfortably pedal would be quick and easy.

dayco

I believe this Bafang front hub motor is a permanent magnet non-clutch non-planetary gear motor.

https://www.amazon.com/BAFANG-48V-50...f1d&th=1&psc=1

Those of you who have a front hub motor without clutch/gears please describe how hard is it to pedal with the power off. Is there a 'big-drag' difference as compared to a clutch/gear motor? Like constantly pedaling up a hill? Thanks.

Jay Turberville

Front or rear, a direct drive hub does add some drag. It really isn't that much, but when you consider the extra weight of the motor and the weight of batteries, a direct drive hub bike is not generally fun to ride without power.

Quantitatively, the motor drag will range from about 10-40 watts according to Grin Technologies. It will depend on the motor windings and how fast you are going. Odds are that the bike won't be fun to pedal unassisted. But you'd probably be able to ride it home. Were I you with the knee issue, I'd probably opt for a geared hub unless you need regen braking or a something super durable for 10,000 plus miles.

2old

In spite of its girth, this bike pedals fine on flat surfaces or slight uphills, but with your knees no. Of course, even a geared motor would require some oomph.

Doc_Wui

On the amason questions page, someone asked if this was a geared motor and a customer answered "Yes'. I think that from its size, it looks like it's geared. Direct Drives tend to be much bigger, and are usually rated for a minimum of 1000W.

A biking enthusiast will recognize the drag of a hub motor, but I can't. I have a front mounted geared Bafang motor on a cruiser bike. It's one of my heavier bikes, probably 50 lbs so I feel the weight if I try to use the lowest assist, In level 2, it's easy,

Badzilla

A Bafang mid drive might be little more than that, but I have no firsthand experience with their product.

Front-wheel-drive can be squirrelly on a 2 wheel vehicle, I've got plenty of experience with that. Might depend on how responsive/quick the acceleration. Front-wheel-drive quick acceleration can be kinda fun if you don't mind sliding, but it's also kinda hazardous especially at speed. Mechanically speaking, front wheel drive is good because it regulates the strain on the motor. That's a big plus but the control thing is a big minus (in my experience).

Generally speaking... That's the deal. Depending on how granular your build is, and/or how wise you are at shopping, making an electric bike that lasts can be a challenge. But it's been great fun in my ~15 years of trying. There is tons of fake stuff out there. They'll sell us anything, especially stuff that just looks fun. Drones, for example. Personally, I enjoy shopping for a drone more than using one...

2old

FME, I've had some of my best, most fun rides on front hub bikes whether on or off road, in flat or hilly terrain, with geared or direct drive motors, but keep the power at 350w or so after finding that larger motors weren't more fun, but mostly just added self steering traits. There are probably several features that add to the experience, including, but not limited to, two wheel drive, extra riding technique to keep traction on the front wheel when ascending a steep hill off road, ease of conversion and improved weight distribution when compared to rear hubs. I have the cruiser in post 34 now and probably will build another FWD sometime in the future.

ScottCommutes

Go for it. It took a couple of tries, but two guys named the Wright brothers added a motor to a bunch of bike parts and eventually, their idea took off.
That was over 100 years ago. With modern stuff, and staying on the ground, you should be fine.