Originally Posted by Pop N Wood

Well, no. I put a 1500 watt Bafang mid drive kit on an 80's vintage aluminum bike and have had zero issues with it. Rim brakes. I weigh 240 pounds so the bike sees a lot of abuse. I take it off road.

Battery only gets eaten up if you ride at max power. Turn the power down to 250 watts, every kit made lets you do that, and the battery will last as long as the underpowered bikes everyone is trying to talk you into. The only difference the bigger motor makes is it gives you the option for more power if you feel you need it and when running at a lower assist the motor won't be working as hard.

Unlike the overpriced factory bikes the Bafang lets you program the settings anyway you want. ​​​​​The bike is pleasant to ride unpowered. I usually start off with the assist at zero and only boost it for hills or to get somewhere quick.

Luna Cycle sells BBSHD and BBS02 kits. Get a 52V battery because the new Bafangs are set up to handle it. A higher voltage battery will last longer and need less frequent recharges, all of which means a longer battery life. Lots of Bafang information available on line, plenty of aftermarket parts, all of which means you can fix it yourself.

Man, lot of bad advice in this thread.

A mid drive should not need a torque arm. 25 mph is not that fast or uncontrollable. I like to cruise at over 30 mph with my bike. It will easily do close to 40 mph on level ground.