Demo Installation of a Front Hub Motor Kit at the 2019 BC Bike Show

[@NewHondaCT90fan]

This is a wonderful, well-done video. You covered very important cautions to avoid potential serious accidents and common installation errors a first-time ebike installer would want to avoid. I do not mechanically work on bicycles, but I am handy with tools. I believe I could manage electrifying my existing bicycle from your video. Your delivery is "very" good. All of the points required roll right off your tongue; no wasted time. You covered a lot of ground in 30 minutes. I very much appreciate your common sense, thorough knowledge and your grace in sharing it with the rest of us. Thank you!!

[@GrinTechnologies]

Ha thanks for that encouraging feedback and hope that if you do take the plunge into a DIY ebike build it goes without a hitch!

[@MikeFields-z3k]

I wanna learn how to get speed and you’re all the guys that know how to do it the best videos I’ve ever watched

[@mikeg6633]

Thank you for the in depth content. I've been a mechanic for 30 years and I'm sick of working on ICE cars. They suck. Working on ebikes is a lot more fun. You have the most practical channel for ebikes that I've seen.

[@terrequinnguerrieri5538]

fantastic.i want to convert my 23 lb.Zizzo Liberte folder using Ligo batteries, so i can fly with it when i go visiting future grandchildren!! i watch your videos w a big smile on my face.Your passion and intelligence is wonderful!

[@paulwilcock4925]

I've got a turnkey eBike, but really enjoyed watching this. Great presentation!

[@GrinTechnologies]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@jackdock291]

Excellent demo instruction video. I have an upcoming install on my Trek Navagator and the tips will, I am sure, save me some time. I just turned 81 and I need a little extra help getting up some of the hills. Really going to miss the bike when the day comes I cannot ride.

[@trwashere5906]

An e-bike with coaster brakes? E-bike tech meets the Wild West. I like it!

[@maz_uwu]

This is immensely helpful. I am doing pretty much this exact same build right as we speak (ezee flat battery in the rack, front hub motor, etc.). Thanks so much!

[@jesuisravi]

Good job! This is how business owners should be: Show and tell if you want to sell.

[@trwashere5906]

I recently saw one of the leading e-bike manufacturers on KZbin dissing such refit kits. My conclusion from having long examined the possibilities is that refit is a great way to go. The flexibility in choice is enormous, and the folks at Grin have got it down pat. No, I have no affiliation with Grin.

[@007craft]

e-bike conversion kits are good in theory for customization and turning your favorite bike into an ebike but they are not really ideal for most people. I recently just purchased an e-bike and was considering using a kit but once I broke down the costs there wasn't much point really. With my $600 bike, throwing a $1400 ebike kit onto it doesn't make much sense when I can buy a new brand new ebike of equivalent specs for $2000 flat out. All the labor is done for you, it looks better than a conversion and you still have your old bike! Now I want to get an ebike for my girlfriend and she rides a cheap bike like in this video, worth maybe $100. Theres no point in me buying a conversion kit thats 14X the cost of the bike when I can just buy her a new ebike for the same price and get a much better bike.

[@trwashere5906]

You're right that conversion might not always be cheaper, and I would agree with you that it may not always be sensible to put a kit on a beloved frame expecting the frame to last indefinitely. On the other hand, the same kit can be used on one frame after another, which may not be so with the e-components of a factory e-bike. As to what works best for most people, I don't feel qualified to say. Posted somewhere on the Grin website is a paper arguing the pros of going with kits. I found it a persuasive read.

[@GrinTechnologies]

For the record it's here: www.ebikes.ca/learn/kits-vs-turnkey.html We're also not saying that conversion kits are the right choice for most people, but we found that a lot of the marketing against conversion kits by turn-key bike companies (like Bosch) and shops that sell them is a little disingenuous.

[@nickturner4150]

Thank you for that. Learnt a lot of good tips and how to avoid many potential swearing moments for my upcoming diy conversion.

[@chefkendranguyen]

Nice and clear demo.

[@lnewbyliveca]

Well done......doing mine took me 3 hours and I did about the install

[@GrinTechnologies]

3-4 hours is what we usually quote people to expect for a first time conversion which doesn't require much customization, so that is right inline and we should probably make it more clear that is what to expect. In this case we had all the pieces handy and had already done a dry run to figure out exactly how we'd be doing the cable routing and component placement, which allowed things go much faster. That dry run all told took about 3 hours!

[@CoppaShotta]

I picked up a few ideas to adjust on my Rikshaw pedicab build. Thank you

[@maroko4ever]

Thank you for all these informations

[@tonygonzalez8811]

Right presentation, wrong crowd.

[@stephenmcnulty7096]

Very good presentation!!!

[@jackk6728]

love the Sox cap

[@MikeFields-z3k]

Like you’re saying they’re making them to tear up and I’m tired of it

[@chuckmaxon3727]

Very informative, thanks.

[@practicalguy973]

Great presentation and very informative. I was thinking if those heavy batteries provide shock to the frame to the point of loosening bolts, why not include a thin rubber or foam attached to the rack to add some shock resistance between the battery and the rack? Or maybe redesign the rack with some rubber bumpers in line with the mounting posts.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Yes anything like that to dampen the shock load would help. But usually the locking rail system doesn't really lend itself to a rubbery mount so it's not that easy of a mod to perform.

[@TuanNguyen-kj1rz]

Very tall. If you are short it is still do-able but have to hop on and off when stopping.

[@rodgraff1782]

Good video. I would suggest that you include not to cut off zip ties with a diagonal cutter. The zip tie ends that are left are very sharp and cut skin badly. Better just to use needle nose and twist the end off.

[@therawbieboardzshow9763]

I knew you can do it Justin

[@bansheebandithot350]

Top job 😎👍🏻🇬🇧

[@Netherlands031]

Great info rich video! I subscribed.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Thanks. We gave a presentation before this one which went over the basic options that exist for ebike retrofits and how to choose which is most appropriate for a given application, and hope to have a video of that ready to release in the next few days.

[@martintvl]

@@GrinTechnologies Did the aforementioned video ever make it into KZbinland? BTW Great presentation I enjoyed it!

[@justinlemireelmore]

@@martintvl , Yes, right here kzbin.info/www/bejne/rp_LpqKLp9ybf9k

[@pringolz5899]

Where can i buy the convertion kit? Can you email me [e-mail] Thank you.

[@morkovija]

electric propulsion content - instant like!

[@grahamparker2505]

What happens when you have a same voltage battery that will not fit the controller

[@tigermanmccool4037]

use Loctite threadlocker on those bolts that you want to keep tight

[@mscir]

Is there a way to determine if a controller is built into a hub motor without taking it apart, say with a multimeter? Thanks.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Yes, if the hub motor has just two power wires (+ and -) and a host of small d iameter signal wires then it's almost for sure got an internal controller.

[@cosmiccharlie8294]

Look at all those greys, i am one too!

[@thom1218]

Huh... where's the demo install of the all-axle hub?

[@vinchino]

How much does it cost for these components without the battery pack

[@Pushyhog]

I like battery in smaller backpack. With magnet plug.

[@Nirrrina]

You need to be comfortable working on your bike? Well I'm screwed. Or my bike is because I'm probably going to experiment anyway. Definitely going for a front hub motor though.

[@Alexot96]

Savage mennnn hahaha, i've enjoyed your video!

[@rider2731]

Hi Justine, Thank you for the presentation. It's helpful and interesting to watch. I have one question: Why is the motor an AC one? Why not DC then you don't need to convert DC to AC.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Hi Agus, you still need a motor controller with a DC motor in order to vary the DC voltage going to the hub, but it's true that a DC motor controller is cheaper and simpler than the Brushless DC (ie AC) motor controllers. The reason you don't see many DC motors these days is because while they make the controller electronics simpler, the construction of the motor itself is way more complicated and failure prone, with spring loaded brushes and commutator plates and all of that. We used to carry a few options for DC hub motors but in general they aren't available these days.

[@ramdona4750]

where is the brake levers with cut off switch to stop the motor

[@GrinTechnologies]

Many low power systems such as this Bafang won't overpower your brakes, so the ebrake cutoff is optional, although most people won't ride without them.

[@jonadabster8401]

I'm having trouble navigating your site, probably because of my old browser . My wife has a Sun recumbent trike . The rear axels with 20" wheels do not have a fork , thus leaving the front 16" wheel my only easy option . Can you recommend a kit if you have 16" ?

[@GrinTechnologies]

Yes, the SX1 kit would be perfect: ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-kits/shengyi-sx-geared-hubs.html

[@MaximusJohal]

everyone talks but i never see them for sale or links to them! Its annoying i want an affordable hub conversion. I've been waiting for years

[@GrinTechnologies]

The store page link for all the kits is here www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-kits.html but we'd recommend that only after understanding the details of what you want to get, which is summarized here www.ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-kits.html.

[@kojihashimoto7127]

damn this video is too good to be free lol

[@Inmate533]

I'd like to have a triple-motor, dual-battery system. Front and back wheel hub motors powered by a single battery, and then a mid motor controlled by a second battery.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Then have a watch of this video here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/i5OXdoNolNJ0mtU No reason not to have all the batteries hooked up in parallel.

[@Inmate533]

@@GrinTechnologies Just watched the video. Thank you. Very informative and very sound advice. I’m going to be turning a 20-year old Raleigh mountain bike frame into a new e-bike build, so I’m definitely going to be changing my build strategy now.

[@davidbarthel9976]

Why doesn't the wire turn as the front wheel turns?

[@patrickdrie]

Its poweing the fixed stator, not the moving rotator. Also to get to the stator the wire is not going through the moving housing of the motor' but instead going near to axle , or even through the axle. THe axle itself is fixed. the bearings are sitting on the non-moving axle.

[@99shadows66]

Where can a rear battery rack like the one you installed on this bike be purchased?

[@GrinTechnologies]

Typically they are sold with the battery pack itself, since each rack mounted battery will general have its own custom rail design and a matching rack to go with it. In this video we are using the eZee bike flat pack, and the corresponding racks here www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/battery-accessories/battrack-dd-ez.html

[@johnhopkins6260]

good video, however, could of spared the diatribe about cable routing....

[@dogfo0d]

He answers your question b4 you think of it. Alien\celestial being

[@danlundeen7893]

Do you make a 24”” wheel?

[@maxwellmc9734]

😁 Brilliant information thanks 💯 💡 ☕

[@kennardfly1927]

Went to your website hoping to buy this kit but it's probably the worst website to navigate.

[@GrinTechnologies]

Agreed that it's far from ideal right now. We just migrated platforms and are in the process of adjusting everything to work well in the new system and many of the store catalog links just broke. Until that is fixed, the info page is here: ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-kits/geared.html and the order page is here: ebikes.ca/shop/ready-to-roll-kits/front-rtr/front-g311-ready-to-roll-kit.html This motor is out of stock right now and ETA for next batch is late November, but we will have the SX1 kits much sooner: ebikes.ca/product-info/grin-kits/shengyi-sx-geared-hubs.html

[@slushjoe]

A Cresent Wrench?

[@chickenray182]

It's both standard and metric!

[@who346]

Gotta use what you got or know...

[@geraldshields9035]

@Grin Technologies I’ve recently seen a E-Bike Conversion Kit where the battery and controller was literally built-into the hub itself. That seemed like a good idea, though I thought it would make the kit more expensive and heavy. Does Grin have that option and either if so or not so, why?

[@Mulberry2000]

Looks good but damn expensive.

[@atlassadsad7422]

They forgot the part that you wait a week for a battery that isn't even compatible with your controller, so you have to solder new battery connectors on, then it doesnt work and you have to get a new controller for 50 bucks, now it finally works omg lets put it all on OH MY GOD MY FUCKING FORK BROKE NOW I HAVE TO BUY 100$ FORK

[@GrinTechnologies]

Sounds like you've learned how to solder and learned about the importance of torque arms. Build #2 should go much more smoothly ;-)

[@samsunggalaxytaba3858]

Gordon Ramsey of e-bikes..

[@facelessvaper]

I got moaned at for installing a t-arm in that direction.

[@vincewhite5087]

Would be nice to have a detachable display to remove when bike is parked.

[@jeffreywhite1809]

Coaster brake death machine

[@FurkanOz480]

dude u k that bafang motor is from aliexpress and that kit costs about 300 LOLLLLL

[@jimmcewan417]

The only downside isthe inclusion of commerce.

[@reinplat]

In my country (Germany) riding any bike without a front brake on a public road is illegal. Doing so with an electric motor capable of pulling the bike at speeds of 25 km per hour or more is stupid. Doing so on a bike where the rear brake is a weak coaster brake is beyond stupid. (And yes, I know what I'm talking about, having converted three bikes to e-bikes as of today).

[@kevinmontgomery1383]

I concur.

[@bdmthrfckr]

coaster brakes are capable of braking hard enough to skid.... brake proportioning in motor vehicles is usually less then 25% front, even in (superior) German vehicles, no?

[@kevinmontgomery1383]

@@bdmthrfckr I was taught in the late seventies, that 60% of brake force was in the front. Their was not many front wheel drive vehicles in those days.

[@bdmthrfckr]

what model/brand of bike was the donor ?

[@MikeFields-z3k]

I wanna learn how to get speed and you’re all the guys that know how to do it the best videos I’ve ever watched

[@GrinTechnologies]

Thanks Mike!