Don't buy an E-Bike kit until you watch this. There may be some things you haven't thought about yet

[@davidleedom]

You need to talk about the difference between torque assist and cadence assist.

[@dirtrambler]

@@davidleedom that’s a great idea 💡

[@kmtnbike1117]

I have each type of motor and have run over 5Kw through my BBSHD at times. I can say with a well built drivetrain you will not have all the wear and tear you mention. I run 10 speed and the most I ever do is replace a chain about every 2 years. Hubs are fine but for pedaling you can’t beat a good mid drive setup.

[@dylanherron3963]

Great video! You got balls dude. I would never take a 2000's Marin hardtail and convert that to an E-bike. But awesome info. I did NOT consider the chain/drivetrain/cassette wear from the added torque.

[@dirtrambler]

Thanks. The Marin is pretty new. About 2 years old, but almost no use when I got it. www.marinbikes.com/bikes/2022-pine-mountain-1

[@TS50ER]

How did you smuggle those bikes into a State Pen?

[@hellopsp180]

Honestly i have thought about all the types of systems available out there right now. The absolute best two for compatability / efficiency is: Front wheel conversion kits Mid drive conversion kits The extra wear and tear on the drivetrain is nonsense. You are putting more power through the drivetrain = more wear Yes But if you yourself produced that same exact power minus the motor. The wear will be almost equal. I.e. 200W through the drivetrain is the same whether its done by the person or a motor. Ofcourse your drivetrain will wear faster simply because you are not pushing more total power through your whole system. IMHO if you are that worried about that. get yourself a front wheel conversion kit and that will be faster to install and interchange between bikes. But if you want the best balance for the bike mid drive wins. Rear wheel conversions are a thing, but im just not a fan of them

[@dirtrambler]

Lots of good valid thoughts right there. I've only ridden two low powered front wheel motor bikes. The now out of business Faraday, in the Porteur model and the Swytch Kit. Both are pleasant to ride but have a low top end speed. If you put a high powered motor on the front, the handling can get really weird ( from what I've heard ). I'd love to hear someones feedback on a class 3 or above front wheel drive system.

[@hellopsp180]

​@@dirtrambler Yeah i probably wouldn't go for high powered front motors. I would only get one if you want to easily move it between bikes. Like the Swytch kit really. Best for power is probably a mid drive / rear wheel motor. what would be really funny is if you have 3 motors, Front, Rear and mid drive working all at the same time :D if someone made that video I would watch it instantly

[@dirtrambler]

@@hellopsp180 3 motors would be wild! I have a friend who has been talking about trying to make it. I'll let him know he already has a person who wants to see it in action.

[@goingoutotheparty1]

As a long time user Id say you gotta know you're going to have more maintenance than your standard bike also handle your charger and battery with care

[@dirtrambler]

@@goingoutotheparty1 those are good points

[@goingoutotheparty1]

@@dirtrambler I mean 'kitt gloves ' on the battery and charger. If you oversize your battery so you charge 20-80percent that helps longevity

[@dylanherron3963]

@@goingoutotheparty1 Which sucks, considering like 5 percent of people are familiar with battery tending. Most people think Lithium Ion and LiPo are just foolproof, in that they're much better than NiCad batteries of yesteryear. Nobody knows the old concepts of "battery memory" (which if you remember NiCad batteries.... Jesus)

[@Ethanlf19]

I’ve heard many stories of these e-bike kits catching fire when charged for extensive times. Most of these are Chinese however I would avoid charging over night and make sure you take it off charge when it hits 100%. Hope this helps. I also love how descriptive you are and I can tell you have done your research and testing. Happy riding 👍 😊

[@dirtrambler]

I've heard some of the stories as well. It is a scary thought. The Kona in the video has a custom battery built by my friend and there are places online I've seen in the past that will make you a custom battery ( at a higher cost of course ). And thank you!

[@Altema22]

I thought about the kit route, but decided to buy an e-bike that was very close to what I wanted, then upgrading. Wound up with a RadMini running dual Tesla batteries and 96 amp controller, and it still looks stock and fits in the trunk of our car. Interestingly, the Bafang G062 hub motor is lighter than the BBSHD. I use mine on single track mountain bike trails, and the bike is very nimble.

[@dirtrambler]

@@Altema22 The rad mini must be fun! You make a great point about small hub motors like the bafang you mentioned . If they are small enough they won’t throw off the weight of the bike as significantly.

[@RobertAdams-ly5ku]

Can you get a workout with a hub motor, I know you can with the befang bbs02, as you can programm it to assist, so that you are doing some of the work, regardless of the speed you are traveling at.

[@dirtrambler]

@@RobertAdams-ly5ku yes most of the hub motors have assist levels, just like the mid drive systems

[@YerDad632]

When you retrofit your bike, your BEST case scenario is you have a motor on a bike that was never designed to have a motor on it. Terrible idea. And no shops will touch them.

[@dirtrambler]

I thought the exact same thing for years. My opinion has changed a bit after riding other peoples completed kits. I agree, that shops won't touch them or help you install them. Warranties are voided for sure. I also wouldn't put a kit on a lightweight bike. The Marin I've been using the Baafang kit on is a fairly heavy overbuilt steel frame and I'm using it almost exclusively on the road.... so there are always multiple factors to consider.

[@feltar1296]

Have bafang motor definitely no wear on drive train

[@viniciusmoreschi6970]

can you still pedal white the eletric wheel is working?

[@dirtrambler]

Yes, both systems allow you to pedal and get power from the motor at the same time. So you can do pedal assist or just throttle. You could also use both system without buying or installing a throttle at all and just let the motors assist you while pedaling. I hope that helps.

[@kmtnbike1117]

I have each type of motor and have run over 5Kw through my BBSHD at times. I can say with a well built drivetrain you will not have all the wear and tear you mention. I run 10 speed and the most I ever do is replace a chain about every 2 years. Hubs are fine but for pedaling you can’t beat a good mid drive setup.