DIY Electric Drill-Powered Bike vs $2000 E-Bike: Who Will Win?

For a free trial to Shopify to go shopify.com/bisforbuild
In todays episode, we're building a drill powered e-bike and then putting it up against the ADDMOTOR HEROTAN M-65X
Huge thanks to ADDMOTOR for giving us a bike to review, check them out here:
$80 USD coupon code for buying any bike that are at the same price of M-65X or above
bit.ly/BisforBuildAndAddmotor
Coupon Code: BB

[@staipari6244]

Even though he wasn’t in this video, Oscar did a great job.

[@jameswarren2233]

🤣

[@darrenk97]

😂

[@danpineda4447]

🤣

[@JohnDoe-zr6bk]

Guess the guys earned themselves a couple of days off regarding the ridiculous amount of work for Sema....

[@jantheman2001]

Best comment today so far

[@Stempy]

Being a bike Mechanic for a good portion of my youth, I was dying watching the removal of parts. Makes you appreciate having the right tools for the job no matter a Car or a Bike.

[@MeriBadger]

thank you for commenting this first.... i was about to lose my shit lol

[@indegoadult]

I was about to write something similar at about the mid point I was like he's destroying a bike for no reason at this point..

[@JD86Vintage]

😂🤣😂 The pedal removal had me going "What the hell Chris?!? Surely someone of your talent can do better than just cutting them off" 😂🤣😂 But actually this project as a whole is so janky that it has a lot of charm to it. I mean there's a hell of a lot of easier/better ways to do this 😂 But that's the point and it's still a fun result.

[@Stempy]

@@JD86Vintage It was a lot of fun. The bottom bracket removal fail and then using the crank arm bolt to power it just made me die laughing.

[@zachsylvester383]

OMG this. The crank "removal" was gold.

[@BowsettesFury]

Dang was thinking he was gonna take the drills apart and build a throttle with a variable resistor. But this is actually hilarious and still reversible.

[@gordonprice8195]

Over 20 years as a bike mech. This is one of the most junky and hilarious videos I've seen in a while. Watching you bend that 22.2mm brake lever over a drop bar 😂😂

[@craigallenbeckett]

This was definitely worth the watch just for the pure entertainment of seeing Chris bang and thrash the bicycle apart without the inexpensive special tools.😂

[@ozziemcc]

Back in the day before they invented sportscars we built the sort of the same kind of bike, but we used a chainsaw... It went like stink, way too fast to be safe... Big fun!

[@JD86Vintage]

I mean that is actually what the first motorbikes were. A push bike with a motor added. So you could say we've gone back in time 😂... Harley and the Davidsons is a good watch. I did more that a couple of vehicles with salvaged lawnmower motors. A scooter was particular fun with a two stroke whipper snipper attached.

[@jamieheim8009]

Some people use to use dryer motors as well...

[@questionblechoices]

I wonder how a battery chainsaw would work.

[@BD-xz6te]

For anyone that was wondering, the official name for that brake cable is "Bowden cable". Named for Frank Bowden who owned the Raleigh Bicycle Company all the way back in 1902.

[@snope1779]

wait, is that the same for bowden extruders on 3d printers ??? wild, thanks for the history lesson

[@JD86Vintage]

In this case in surprised Chris didn't go with "throttle cable" for the easy out.

[@PyspherE]

you should buy 3 or 4 pedal go karts and do a similar thing but have a team wide build off. Do a few competitions like top speed, a slalom course, braking test, and then a time trial or parking lot head to head race. some could do electric conversions, others do like a lawn mower or string trimmer gas engine. that would be really cool to see.

[@FangOfTruth]

I admit that it did better than I expected. The Hercules 1/2” high torque impact would do better. Especially if you can lockout the hammer mechanism.

[@gowerski]

if you lock out the the hammer it just becomes a drill, no? anyway i think the hammer action would be hilarious

[@marks7120]

I have gotten sick of seeing these e bike reviews. BUT, trust B is for build to actually turn one into a build. Great one. I’ll never look at my cordless drill the same way again😂 can’t wait for the next episode and build.

[@cdbarrett81]

one way sprocket clutch would allow you to retain the pedals... I love the concept and the diy nature of the build

[@Dolmeca_the_Knight]

Yeah, but I think the point of the DIY drill bike was to make It look silly in comparison to the E-bike, and doing the things wrong helps in this case. Anyways, the video is very entertaining.

[@kravchuk1992]

That Porsche in the back is not a spoiler at all :)

[@JB-NZ]

That was a fun episode :) Wonder how it would have turned out if Oscar designed and made it. Head to Head.... next time :) Great job Chris, that was entertaining

[@PyspherE]

It would be an awesome to see a 3-4 way head to head where each b is build member builds their own e-bike or some other cool little conversion similar to this.

[@GoPotato69]

even tho this is a full on money grab video, its chris doing it, so I love it

[@maxst2]

Keep pedals, mount 1 drill on each side of tire with a cable "clutch" to put pressure on/off tire when you need e-assist.

[@antonnym214]

My first impression about using two drills is that you don't want them on the same wheel, as they will fight each other if not perfectly sync'd. I would have suggested put one on the front wheel, and one on the back.

[@anthonystanley3017]

I see a nice Porsche Easter egg lol hehe

[@gundonemushungwa5935]

This episode's build/review was just hilarious😂 The next review should have Oscar, he would've just build an e-bike.

[@blakestocker1629]

Yes!! Pumped for a 911 build! Got my money on an offroad rally throwback.

[@Coreybrowning]

The addmotor bike has a speed governor. 20mph is the top speed allowed by law for class 1 and 2 electric bikes. With a 750w motor it could probably do 40+mph with the governor removed

[@BisforBuild]

is there a way to do that? !

[@steveww07]

@@BisforBuild most times its in a menu setting

[@Coreybrowning]

@@BisforBuildIf it’s not a menu item, the best way is to trick the bike into thinking it’s going slower. The magnet for the speed sensor is generally on the rear brake rotor. Planet3 makes a planetary gear kit for some bikes - you could probably print your own for this one.

[@RyanBennett_Gpd605]

This is one of my favorites. I don’t think I’ve chuckled so much watching a B is for build episode lol. Just fun, comedic and having a great time!

[@TradieTrev]

The thing I love about brushless drills is that over current feature. I've killed many brushed drills in my time even the best money can buy! Solid hack though Chris!

[@craigcampbell1843]

There are old mopeds that essentially used a drill motor with a rubber roller attachment that went directly against the outside of one of the tires and turned the wheel that way. Probably a lot simpler than this but I’m not sure which way would be more efficient.

[@ericsfishingadventures4433]

I remember my neighbor had one of those back in the 90s. It was alright but there were better options. Still was better than walking!

[@older-wiser-better]

Called a Velosolex, made in France, if I remember correctly .

[@jwalster9412]

The citicar (that's the actual name of a car) uses a drill motor and five car batteries, so I believe this comment.

[@ericsfishingadventures4433]

@@jwalster9412 yeah rich rebuilds did a vide about that. But there were actually 2 wheel mopeds like that. Like I said my neighbor had one.

[@craigcampbell1843]

@@older-wiser-better yup

[@thetechietoffee]

Finally, a Porsche 911. I’m so happy 😃.

[@RealRickCox]

So now... B is for BIKE!! hahaha

[@SaddleLight]

Next iteration with a starter motor and some deep cycle 12v batteries… would be a cool Optima sponsored episode. In HS I worked at a boat shop and one of the techs had a 3-wheeler he electrified using a SeaDoo starter. The thing ripped around the yard as a parts runner.

[@lorollinls]

“Taint destroyer” was great man haha!

[@tinkerne-round4079]

You could use 2 drills and the pedals with one way clutching gears. When one drill cuts hit the other or pedal. I bet you could get some respectable speed out of it.

[@antonnym214]

A larger drive sprocket would reduce the torque and perhaps it will be sufficient that the motor doesn't shut down. I thought you said you were going to weld foot pegs onto the bike. That would help. Also, you need a holder for your cell phone so you can track your speed without sacrificing one hand to do the filming.

[@dljones61]

I am a random watcher of this channel and wondering what I've got myself into watching Chris and electric bikes, Let's get going :)

[@ndmn0508]

Look at the gas powered bikes. Power it with a rubber wheel on top of the back wheel. There are some kits that bolt a sprocket on to the wheel itself. That way you Can still pedal it when the battery dies

[@asiandrag0n]

Addmotor: "Can you review our products in exchange for keeping said product?" Chris: "Do you understand what we do here on this channel?" Addmotor: "......my question remains"

[@jaymistry9311]

Hey chris, if you did this a couple of months ago this bike could have been to SEMA

[@Lamster66]

What's SEMA Is it an acronym for Shame Electric drill Motors Are crap

[@iankirkpatrick6486]

Very informative Dr. Buildemall, I think more R&D is needed here. Which is probably what Admotor did. 😉

[@jaredhillis4800]

I think a skill saw might have been a better option. Overall a fun episode, love the channel!

[@andyturner28]

OMFG, that was absolutely hilarious😂 As a bike guy i was absolutely losing my sh!t watching you struggle with really easy tasks, and cutting the cc ranks off🤣 And your description of that POS ebike had me epically cringing, google Specialized Turbo Levo. And i can do 30mph+ on the flat on mine😉 And then there is Surron... I still love you though😉

[@matthewbranco839]

Me the whole time: “PUT THE DRILL ON THE FRONT WHEEL & KEEP THE PEDAL FUNCTION OF THE BIKE & USE THE DRILL AS AN ASSIST”

[@jaycle7832]

As a former bicycle shop manager and an individual who used to build tall bikes, I would recommend using bicycle specific tools the next time you modify a bike.

[@UndergroundSoundelp]

If you used a larger sprocket on the drill side, the gear ratio would be better.

[@lorollinls]

Definitely. Was worried about that as soon as he took it off.

[@topgamer7]

The most diy hacky bike power tool mod I've seen is where someone takes an angle grinder. Connects it to a bank of 18650's, and then sticks a rubber cylinder to the end of the grinder, and uses a lever to push the rubber into the wheel. It was genius for its simplicity on how to apply it to a bike. Because you didn't need to modify the gears, chain or main functionality of the bike.

[@joecosta3416]

Cool build. I was thinking, what if the original pedal sprocket (larger) was used on the rear, or maybe one larger than that? I'd think that would give the bike more torque and be easier on the drill, which probably has a lot more power to give (not that specific drill)

[@cymaratechoverdragon]

Just a Porsche casually sat there in the background, accidental next build reveal?

[@douglasburnside]

Here's a tip for anybody with an electric bike. I have an electric trike (incredibly practical, I have hauled a load of more than 90 lbs of groceries) and I reduced my maintenance expense and time 90% by replacing the bicycle chain with #420 light motorcycle chain. You can't use the heavier duty #428 chain because the roller diameter is too large for the bicycle sprockets. A standard bicycle chain was never meant to handle the torque delivered by a 750 Watt (~1 HP) motor. I had that trike in the bike shop where I bought it about every 10 days, and they hated to see me coming.😀 It's been five or six months now on the motorcycle chain and nobody has laid a wrench on that trike since then.

[@DMarlow83]

B is for Build, B is for Boat, now B is for Bike! Next year do we have B is for Blimp? I feel like just maybe... being airborne is a bit riskier with DIY.

[@simonlynch4204]

I want to see a SEMA season where you partner with bike builders and you build your own electric cruiser for SEMA. B is for Bottom brackets!

[@valyHitmanu]

now let's see Oscar's version of the drill powered bike and then a race each other

[@Disruptedable]

You probably could have made your first setup work by adding an adjustable chain guide to “push” the chain against the sprocket. That would also tension the chain and remove any wobble. I hope my suggestion makes sense, English isnt my best 😅

[@user-wl2eu2hs1t]

Could’ve just wrapped the chain on the other side of the drill sprocket

[@bigbulldragon]

We did something similar a few years ago (and by a few years I mean back when cameras on phones were not great). Our solution was to add a second large sprocket to the left side and then mounted the drill in the triangle of the frame (between the legs) and ran a second chain on the left side. We too ran into chain tension issues and put the drill on a slider and used a long bolt to get the tension. The only other difference was that we used a couple of motorcycle batteries as the 12V drill batteries (yeah, drill batteries were only 12V back then too) couldn't provide enough power for the torque.

[@XionEternum]

Couple of things: Between Black & Decker and Hart, neither of my drills in full torsion will just shut-off under load. Seeing Harbor Freight drills do this just teaches me to avoid them outright. The other thing is that I'm surprised you didn't do a bevel gear pair into a reduction to give them more torque and drive the crankshaft sprocket. You could've even done a mini differential to compensate for trigger variance and have both drills flush with the frame on opposite side of the bevel gearing. It's amusing to see that drill motors can indeed make the torque needed to make a bicycle go reasonably fast. With both, some throttle control, and at least a 7-speed shifter I feel those small battery packs could get maybe a mile or two of range.

[@namae6637]

Been commuting by e bike for a few months now and I have been loving it (for the most part). Car insurance in my country is ridiculous and so are the terms for mortgages on first time buyers so I figured I'd switch for a couple years to save for a down payment. I bought a bike from Fafrees and it's a good thing it looks like a normal but beefy mountain bike because it tops out around 55km/h for me (after some rather light modification) and that makes it legally a moped in my country and I don't have my moped licence. (Transport is transport, if it has wheels and can be modified I'm happy)

[@Hereforthelaffs]

Colin furze is not worrying after this video 😂

[@xrmatt7383]

At this point just change the channel to B is for Bike. This is obviously the peak of quality content and entertainment! XD

[@pixel_overkill]

This is how you make reviews fun On the drill, is there button to change the power mode? Maybe its on the wrong setting if it has multi mode choices? Just a thought since some of mine have adjustment modes even on my milwaukee 1/2 impact has some torque limiting modes or full send modes.

[@at20rule]

The Bisforbuild comment deletion and reputation protectionism is legendary.

[@questionblechoices]

I laughed so much throughout this video. Great production.

[@chrismills3155]

Should have done it with an angle grinder or two. More torque and less slippage on the clutch

[@jeremytalkingeverything]

Did you by chance set the chuck(torque) speed to drill? And also the motor speed to the highest setting?

[@AdamsWorlds]

I got back onto a bike recently and yeah i can't remember the seats being so hard. Sore is an understatement i even got one of those "uncool" gel seat covers, and it does literally nothing to help. I now just drive everywhere again it's not worth the damage to that area.

[@Magnate_-yn5ln]

Please make more of the videos. This is awesome

[@cameronverspyck]

whats the actual drill setting though? I low key always forget 1 and 2. Ive worked with drills and power tools since i was 10

[@javman03]

One of my instructors at Wyotech told us when he was a kid, he and his dad built an electric bike using the starter motor from a car. From what he said it was insane while the battery lasted!

[@vesalampinen]

"Hi everyone! In this episode of B is for Bikes Oscar and me are training for the Tour de France." 🤪

[@jovo21]

What if you use the drill kinda like a chain tensioner so its always under pressure and would mske it harder to skip teeth?

[@atomicgearworks]

A note about the complaint of the 20mph max speed. In the US, that's the fastest an electric bike is allowed to go for "throttle assist only", known as Class 2. To go faster than that, you have to move to Class 3, where both pedaling and throttle are used. Those bikes have a max speed of 28mph. Anything higher than that will require a license.

[@zachsylvester383]

Chris. You, Oscar and Kyle need to do a go kart build off, limit of like, $1500 each or something. Take one of those Tesla motors and put it on a go kart

[@kevinbarrett9615]

As the old saying goes “ don’t quit your day job”, you took a beautiful road bike and cobbled together an eyesore of a e-bike. I love your car builds though, maybe stay in your lane.😀

[@KirsiKitten]

I nearly missed this video, purely because its so off the wall from normal that my brain didnt even register it as a BifB video at first.

[@wonderbro1]

Love it, this is what B is for Build is all about :P

[@mbe421]

I want that hat! To go with my shirt! Seriously, this was a fun video to watch.

[@Si_Hano]

ok this vlog was too funny. Chris, you looked out of your element?? 🤣🤣 back to da drawing board...Mahalo for sharing!!

[@xnadave]

I was having a sort of "meh" day, but the first 1m17s of this had me laughing so much that my wife threatened to make me sleep on the couch. (It's late here.) Thank you.

[@kyleb293]

Yelling eight got me laughing pretty good!!! Great job

[@DrunkenCitizen]

So half way through best fu vid to any sponsor I've seen

[@johnschieffelin3226]

Very clever drill bike build. Fun video.

[@thesigmaenigma9102]

Haha this video was great. Surprised the drill bike even worked at all, let alone worked that well.

[@angeldanielg64]

i geeked out so hard when i seen your leader 721 lmao, a blast from the past. i used to have a rare ass leader 780TT frame that i converted to fixed gear. it had carbon fiber rear chainstays. my good friend also owned a 735TT that was also converted. i even have my og videos of me riding fixed back in the day on my channel still lol. sorry for the paragraph but i just love bikes

[@JVincent603]

With a more upright position bike you would be more comfortable. Plus if you had a crankset with multiple sprockets you could remove the derailer and run a separate chain to the drill and that sprocket with better gear ratio. You could even retain a rear sprocket and derailer setup for less stress on the drill to get the bike going. Using a coaster sprocket on the drill head would enable you to run the 2 drills one would just overpower the other until wide open throttle was achieved and rpms matched.

[@JAYFLATLDN]

Oscar knew what was coming and decided to leave town, most challenging build yet.

[@timmayer8041]

If you relocate the trigger from the drill to the handle bars, and wire it to both drills, in parallel, it should run both drills at the same speed

[@RC-fu6hg]

It shuts off with a current limit so the brushes and commutator won’t get damaged. That function is in the switch and other circuit boards if it has other boards. Eliminating that would be difficult if it’s in the software like most modern cordless drills are.

[@bgd73]

on your reguar bike with classic tirangle frame..aliexpress has 2 stroke bike engines with an automatic clutch for 100 bucks. In my neighborhood.. my 1500w monster only has one eye to eye friend..an old two stroke ten speed custom built. I have had a blast with my electric. I am 50 yrs old..30 years no bike at all. go bigger than 1000w with all pedals.. all good.

[@weasle421]

I have a much simpler design in mind, 99 sure would work and keep pedals. Pedal sproket will free wheel at speed if not pedaling on analog bike?

[@smithvids135]

What if you had went from the rear sprocket over the top of the drill sprocket to the front. That would of given you more contact on it

[@AddmotorelectricBikes]

Absolutely love this video and happy to know that you are satisfied with it! #Addmotor #HEROTAN #M65X #ebike

[@nicogri]

Can we have some infos on the porsche 997.2 on the background ? Seems bit rough around the edges... Futur project (will love to follow) ?

[@timLoder]

you could’ve always tried two drills together with a somewhat abrasive cylinder in the middle on top of the tire in a U-shape then all you have to do is get some type of rheostat replace the two triggers with it. One drill, operates in, reverse the other drill, operation forward, and it uses friction against the tire to move.🤣 Oh yeah, the free wheel problem… you could use the hub from a rear wheel for the cylinder against the tire.

[@azroadposer]

Nice Leader frame! I have an older version I rode for 8 years after college

[@DrunkenCitizen]

Last habit fright drill I got was less powerful than an rc car. Soo what to do it?

[@LazySpaceRaptor]

If you could change the setting of the drill while riding, that would be cool. Honestly, best would be taking the drill apart and giving it a custom housing.

[@JM-mn4ph]

If the rear wheel already had a sprocket on both sides, why not run a second chain and save your pedals?

[@jeffrey36rich]

Definitely a fun episode to watch.

[@anthoneyking6572]

Well that was Very Funny I dint think you would even get the Drill Bike to Work and after watching your B is for Build from the Start I should of Known better Good Job but I Don't think ill buy a Drill Bike some How Great Vlog Thanks lol

[@aconesworld4936]

Be pretty cool to have on the boat when making a trip.

[@ernieleithes6545]

You were brave riding with i hand or a bit crazy well done for your effort.

[@scottpilcher473]

Yeahhhhh😂 THIS is why I LOVE B !!! PEACE ... AND FUN !

[@jasonharris3873]

you can just get a bafang conversion kit and still have a usable bike. My mini dirt bike has a massive motor and 48v li-po battery that does about 30mph. Used a Razor mx650 as the base and swapped all the power train.

[@djwilliams4714]

Did Chris say "taint destroyer" LMAO!!!! lol

[@danielepellizzon7895]

If I have to choose, I would get the drill-bike for sure: it is more B is for Build style... 😂😂😂

[@TimRoman]

Forget the bike, this is the first I’m hearing of a 911?!?!?

[@gohphaqurselfeeputhy622]

27:13 did you just say a taint destroyer?…… SHIT!!!!! YOU SANK MY BATTLESHIP