Installing an Electric Bike (eBike) Conversion Kit

I recently upgraded an older Giant Sedona bicycle with a Golden Motor Magic Pie v5 Electric Bike Conversion kit.
For additional details, see:
aroundhomediy....
#electricbike #ebike #diy

[@wellingtonsmith4998]

no flash, no fanfair, no annoying music. just the build, thank-you sir

[@samellis7358]

bro yes

[@holyshit2709]

Hell yea! I appreciated that too.

[@teriousrobinson7092]

Amen, hate those videos subscribe and like for more bro no i just want to watch

[@hus_10001]

Dang I was hoping to get the weather report

[@mtlnascarfan]

Gotta say... By FAR the most aesthetically pleasing installation in terms of cable management that I've seen yet. Kudos!

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! That was certainly an important goal.

[@MoTown44240]

Seems easy enough with the correct tools at hand. Great video to the point with no fluff.

[@RCLaROCK1]

well done cool calm instructions..lil background music …calming video Lol I'm totally relaxed…..

[@ntstudio28]

Had no idea these things existed. Thanks for the video!

[@aroundhomediy]

Definitely check them out if you have a nice bike you'd like to upgrade! :)

[@petersummers5728]

If only all utube videos were. So clear and to the point. Many thanks.

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@williamsantiago7303]

Wow, that is expensive. Well I guess the battery is the heart of the system so if you don't buy a good one you won't move as fast and ya don't go far. Hey thanks for the info buddy, take care.

[@DavidReyesMariano]

Very clear explanation. Thanks for this info. Where did you bought the ebike conversion kit? And how much it would be?

[@GYMGENIUSHQ]

Great video! Thank you!!! Question: Did you use your existing seven speed shifter, or a new one that came with the kit?

[@carlosguzman3465]

the truth is that there are many designs ebike, but this conversion is work smart not hard, because the greatest benefit at a low cost is obtained. Congratulations goodbye to the internal combustion

[@gigiis526]

You made that look so easy. Thnx for sharing.

[@KcLee677]

l have folding bike ( classic ) one break from front, mostly is half folding.. 20" wheels..

[@benpar8120]

Great video. Are you still using it? How's the battery

[@DoctorCreepy]

I see a lot of these old Giants being converted. It's a huge sturdy frame so I can see why. I am converting my Giant Cypress over to electric.

[@aroundhomediy]

Oh nice! Yeah, this one was pretty beefy! Good luck with your conversion, they're a lot of fun!

[@scootersdenver]

Nice, helpful video. Thank you for posting it!

[@Kipreo-of-Nazereth]

so u just left the 7 gears on it ? and is the PAS when u put on a hub kit? And connections to batteries and controllers all have different looms like car stereos?

[@aroundhomediy]

Yeah, the freewheel is there so that it's still possible to pedal and because of the spacing. I did not get a pedal assist when I ordered mine, so I do not have any experience installing one. The battery connection can be done multiple ways depending on how it's setup, but most are pretty simple to do.

[@Kipreo-of-Nazereth]

cheers for that so can u tell me u have to use the free wheel because u are using the same axle otherwise u wouldn’t have to use it but then u wouldn’t be able to pedal at all ??

[@aroundhomediy]

You may could go without the freewheel, but you likely need to figure out how to take up the space that it takes so that you can properly secure the hub in the dropouts. I'm not sure it would be considered a "bike" if you can't actually pedal it though :).

[@heisapilot]

Nice video. how is this kit holding up so far? any issues with the quality of the kit? can you recommend the supplier? thanks...

[@aroundhomediy]

This kit's been doing great. The only issue I had was with a spoke that I missed tightening that required taking the tire off a bit to fix. The motor parts and battery have held up great so far. No complaints with it or the seller.

[@handsbare]

What is the purpose of the torque arm? Under the order options, they ask whether one wants one or two - her you show the installation of one only.

[@zanpekosak2383]

Prevents the forks from breaking. They break easily cause of the high torque.

[@teero1292]

So two would probably be best. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it, you could say. Besides, things should be kept in balance, have equal torque to both sides of axle.

[@donkimp473]

Need more explanation for hooking the controller to the battery

[@aroundhomediy]

It depends on the type of battery mount and its connections. I just used insulated crimp-on ring terminals. The battery I purchased had posts with a bolt/nut so that was the easiest.

[@normanmanio7050]

Hello, I wonder where you put the controllers? it use to be bulky and I myself trying to figure out how to hide controller and battery in one case if possible. I really want to build my bike kit as neat as I can without extra case for controller. Thanks

[@aroundhomediy]

The controller is built into the hub on the Magic Pie kits, which was one reason I went with it. You might be able to find a rear rack that goes over the rear tire to mount a battery and controller to.

[@RickDean]

Hello from Kansas. I just got the front wheel version. I'm thinking I should of gotten the rear. Is the only difference the included sprocket? Can I remove my sprocket from my bike and install it to the front wheel version hub? Thanks in advance for your response. Rick

[@aroundhomediy]

I'm not sure where you ordered it from, but when I bought might it could be placed in either location. I think the rear location is a bit safer and your weight over the tire helps keep it from spinning out. You should just be able to order a 7-speed freewheel (something like amzn.to/1UOzOFb ). You may also need a freewheel removal tool (amzn.to/2I6JSwq). Make sure what you get is a "freewheel" and not "cassette".

[@oscarmccormack1761]

How far does it go on a full charge?

[@belspace]

perfect video. simple short and clear

[@Orisman9]

Where did you get that mount for your display unit? That's not the one that you can purchase on the website?

[@aroundhomediy]

I'm not seeing it listed on LunaCycle's website, so you might check with them and see when they'll get more in stock (Golden Motor Canada seems to have them in stock though). It looks like the thumb-throttle is also out of stock at Luna also.

[@mrsillywalk]

Is there a fitting problem for the rear wheel, in that the fork requires 150 mm of clearance which most standard bikes don`t have.

[@garybeirness5000]

After watching several ebike vids for fully assembled bought new ebikes, this looks like a more viable option. Much better value than anything I have seen. More power and distance than many. This system will fit easily on many higher quality brand bikes. I am a skeptic of ebikes in general, but at least their marketing seems to be honest.

[@papaspage2001]

Looks like fun, I may have to build one, Thumbs up

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! It's definitely a lot of fun!

[@garrettraju24]

How much for the kit.

[@celvinlengkong8159]

if in the rainy season can the bike be used?

[@lookylookielokob.5493]

was it hard to connect the battery to the main diy kit or are they all universal?

[@mrpoohbearlvr]

How much is that motor and where do you buy it? Whats its warranty...if any? And can it go on a single speed 'road bike' or does it have to go on a many speed shifter bike like that one?

[@WebmasterHilfe]

thx for not clickbaiting

[@Zezo-Nbr]

How much is its final velocity and how much voltage is needed to operate it

[@hayden5280]

is this a 1500w engine? how fast and far could u go on only electric power with the 52v 12ah battery? would adding a second 52v 12ah battery harm anything?

[@anteodak2965]

if you connected it in parallel you would double your range and remain on the same voltage which is what you want

[@pedrocorreia2532]

The last photo of the bike it as no controller. Where do you put it?

[@aroundhomediy]

It's built into the motor/hub.

[@radioactiveemissions3859]

Great! Super kit super presentation.The best on KZbin.Like 🙋

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks!

[@johns2590]

I received the AW rear wheel conversion kit from Amazon. My bike shop looked at it and there are two problems. First problem is that my Shimano crank is tapered and the PAS takes up room so that my crank will not slide back on all the way, I can tighten the bolt but the crank is not seated all the way and the bike shop said it will eventually wear out the crank arm since it is not tightly seated. Is there a PAS system that will work in this case? Also the derailer rubs in top gear and the bike shop said no way to fix except to adjust to lose the top gear.

[@aroundhomediy]

I've only used the Magie Pie kit, but the AW kits look very similar. The Pie kit didn't come with a PAS, so not exactly sure why it's having issues. They didn't have another crank that would work without the issue? Since mine didn't have a PAS, I would just set cruise control to a low speed and pedal if I wanted a little exercise. I didn't have any issues with the derailer rubbing on mine. Was the hub freewheel larger that your previous one? You might check on some ebike forums and see if anyone else has run into similar issues. I'm not sure if Shamino's 7-speed freewheel is a bit smaller.

[@patrizioborsato8402]

Ciao, scusa se faccio domande sciocche ma ho necessità di capirci di più. Per una e-bike completa servono degli articoli fondamentali, io quì di seguito ti chiederò un elenco di pezzi che vorrei il tuo aiuto. Grazie -Puoi aiutarmi a trovare una ruota posteriore 28 pollici 700x25C motorizzata 48V 500/1000W -Vorrei una batteria a bottiglia come la tua e vorrei sapere dove hai messo la scheda elettronica di gestione e controllo, dentro la batteria? -manipola acceleratore? -Leve dei freni con stop elettrico? -Displai controllo per manubrio? Ti sarei grato per l’aiuto. Grazie 🙏

[@nomad_lyfe]

My spacer on the cassette side burrowed its way into the cassette, cant believe it, I used two spacers just the one grinded itself in :(

[@cptsky47]

What kind of kit did you buy and how can I order one just like the one you have? Thanks

[@0opclanontop923]

My bike the place that you put your battery it does not have where can I put my battery because mine sort of has an extra support so I cannot put my battery there

[@0opclanontop923]

It's not a supportive but it's middle bike shocks

[@aroundhomediy]

You might can get a rear rack (that extends past the rear wheel) and mount it to that?

[@ripp3rjak934]

i have a question sir! do i have to use the brake levers that comes with the kit? or can i just keep using my current brakes

[@aroundhomediy]

The supplied brake levers cut the power to the motor, so you will need to use them.

[@fastfridaysfacts3694]

Do you have to peddle when you go up steep hills or does it have lots of torque where you don't have to?or does it have throttle over ride?

[@aroundhomediy]

+FastFriday'sFacts I haven't had to peddle on any of the steep hills I've tried. It's got quite a lot of torque.

[@RCLaROCK1]

what size battery are you using……

[@akhil2900]

i have 12inch rear hub motor 400watt...what battery and design shoul i use to make e bicycle

[@50calorie82]

Your vedio is quite well done, just one question: did you new breaks or attched the origional breaks ? just got confused you snaked that break cable and mentioned e-break, was that the original break cable or they are new break cables supplied with the motor ? thanks.

[@aroundhomediy]

+J Matt I used the original brakes (and cables) that were on the bike, but replaced just the brake 'handles' with the ones from the kit. That's what they call 'e-brakes' because there is an *additional* cable from them that connects to the motor to stop it from running while braking. Other than the additional cable, they are the same as the ones that came with my bike.

[@michaelsalazar5004]

How many watts is the motor?

[@ben8090]

Great video. How much did it cost minus the cost of the bike

[@williamsantiago7303]

Great video buddy. How much does the battery that you're using on that bike cost? I need one for my 48v 1000 watt kit but I'm not sure which one and what brand to buy. Thumbs up on the video.

[@aroundhomediy]

Mine was around $375-400 I think when I got it. LunaCycle.com has several styles to choose from (mine is the "bottle battery" style, but the dolphin / shark styles are similar). For a 1000 watt kit, you might want the 11.5ah "high power" battery (vs. the longer range 13.5ah ones). Mine are Panasonic brand, though Samsung is also popular. You can contact LunaCycle and see what they might recommend. Be sure to check the battery size against where you want to mount it on your frame to make sure it fits!

[@bobert5905]

where do i get it?

[@zachdavis5854]

great video can I add electric wheels to both the front wheel and the back wheel or is that unnecessary

[@aroundhomediy]

It's unnecessary. You'd need a second battery and it would take a bit of work trying to synchronize the two motors. This motor is also not recommended to be used on the front.

[@yourfavouritescepticx8969]

@@aroundhomediy lol I was wondering that too but I just assumed one would be enough

[@stanelkin470]

Can the rim be slightly bigger on width to fit

[@josealvarohernandezmeneses318]

Muy sencilla la explicación y la instalación muy limpia, felicidades.

[@beatbeat4378]

Do you have a link to the kit?

[@erlendfaxvaag6617]

Is it necessary to connect the display and the horn/cruise control buttons? Is throttle button the only thing needed to get this thing going?

[@aroundhomediy]

I don't think you need the display connected as there was a bluetooth option for it (though it didn't work well when I tested it a while back). I would think you could skip the cruise control/horn connection, but the CC comes in pretty handy.

[@woohunter1]

Has anyone used this kit and added a front electric wheel too? I would assume it would go faster and have extended range.

[@ericafe3573]

Are these kits available for fat tire recumbents?

[@samb2658]

Can this hub motor / rim / & tire combo work with disc brakes rather than rim breaks? Is there room for disc breaks on this setup. Thx.

[@aroundhomediy]

Sorry I'm not sure. I remember people talking about it when I was doing the conversion, so it may be.

[@alirehman3111]

can you install this conversion Kit on a cicycle that doesn't have gears?

[@SrikanthMadduri]

Thanks for the video. This is exactly what I need. 3 questions. 1. Don't you need disc brakes with that kind of power and speed? 2. If I order this from LunaCycle, will it come with everything I need or do I have to order connectors/controllers/ etc separately? 3. My bike has the shifters built into the lever. I guess I need to order a separate break cut-off sensor. Or is there a way I could make it work with the stock levers? Do you need motor cut-off brake sensors with a hub motor?

[@aroundhomediy]

Hi! Let's see: 1. They certainly wouldn't hurt, but I haven't had problems as I also have the regenerative braking setting turned up pretty high. 2. You'd need to order a battery and charger, the LCD display if you wanted it, and a freewheel if you need to replace yours. I recommend the thumb throttle and I'd definitely get a torque arm. The controller is built-in, so you don't need to order it. You may want to ask them for their recommendations for connecting the wires from the motor to the battery. 3. You'll want to use the brake levers from the Magic Pie as it handles cutting power to the motor when you apply the brakes. So it sounds like you'd need to find a stand-alone shifter to match the number of speeds on the freewheel. With a 7-speed freewheel you can probably get by with a single-speed cransket and then you would only need one shifter.

[@nitaitv9365]

Does the horn work

[@chilidoq]

How is it at climbing off road hills, I am looking for enough power to go trail riding, Also how much weight does the kit and battery add to the bike. I didn't see a luna controller, did you install one after, is it needed to run the setup. my current setup is 500w with luna 36 V battery, Bike is 60 pounds with a fat tire, and I can do 5% grade wells, but over 10% there basically no help. gotta use the old man power, which is tough with that heavy a bike and only 1 gear. thanks a ton for this i am thinking of doing the exact same kit.

[@aroundhomediy]

I haven't done much off road hill climbing with mine, but I haven't had any problems on the stuff I've been on or going up some grassy hills. Certainly no issues on any of the paved hills I've been on. The controller is built into the motor. I think the battery and motor add around 25-30lbs maybe. My setup was certainly more powerful than I expected it to be and I haven't had any complaints with that at all. I think Luna has a setup for it for fat tires as well.

[@jamesdavis9448]

Did the battery come with the kit or was it bought separately?

[@aroundhomediy]

It was separate, but listed as an option when I bought it. Most places selling the kit should have battery options.

[@schlomoshun]

What?!! Wow! I'm getting this, I'm so sick of the expense of Metro in DC!

[@brandonlarranaga]

Did you get one? 🤷‍♂️

[@michaeledwards9279]

what is the cost for the kit? and where can i purchase it.

[@e.mc2]

Where did you buy the kit?

[@alanhirayama4592]

I heard you should put torque arms on both sides? Is that overkill?

[@aroundhomediy]

I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if there was enough room to fit one on the axle.

[@619Shippo]

Can you swap the thumb throttle to twist instead?

[@aroundhomediy]

They had the option when I purchased mine for the twist throttle, but after having used one on a different brand I think I prefer the thumb throttle myself.

[@cafub2650]

Excellent video and much appreciated. I'm about the order this kit. what kind of distance do you get off a full charge.

[@aroundhomediy]

I'm still having a hard time using up the battery enough in one trip to tell exactly how far, but from what I can tell it should be close to 45 miles. Certainly more if you pedal some.

[@ashleyburton546]

I think this is a clear and concise guide thank you for giving me the confidence to do this..but what is the wattage and is this both twist and coast/pedal assist device?

[@aroundhomediy]

The wattage depends on what size battery you use. You can use a 24V, 36V, 48V, or 52V battery for instance (25 amp / max is 1500 watts, 1000 watts continuous). I believe there is a pedal assist add-on (or perhaps in Europe it is standard), but the version I have is throttle only.

[@IGBeTix-Electronique]

Hi thank's for this quality video : did you mesure the potentiometer throttle value ? is it a comon value or "normalised" ?

[@aroundhomediy]

No, sorry. You might be able to get an answer on some of the e-bike forums (electricbike.com/forum/).

[@Princeton_James]

will this kit work on a 700c wheel?

[@Patek007]

Erik you have to buy a motor with 700c wheels or the bike will look really weird

[@stevebigler]

What is the est. total cost... minus bike. And would this be suited for a cruiser style large tire bike? Thanks!!

[@joshuahuang07]

steve bigler about 180 if u want the lcd included on ebay(not including battery)

[@dougmckay9524]

Would have elc assist in helping as you padding

[@ericsilva4472]

what price range is the lowest I can expect to see?

[@DavidBeede]

$419 for a kit without battery seems common.

[@jakemurrayprice4690]

Does the kit come with a battery?

[@ramisaihi321]

Hi @aroundhomediy I would like to know what mountain bike you are using for this build

[@aroundhomediy]

It was an older "Giant Sedona" bike. Maybe the 2007 year model.

[@Sterlin876]

Can you still pedal the bike? This is the big question I ask. I want to still get a work out in pedaling my bike and stuff. I don't want a full electric bike.

[@aroundhomediy]

Yeah, you're still able to pedal just fine (other than the additional weight :) ). Sometimes I would set the cruise control to a low speed and still pedal -- but if you brake, the CC turns off, so I'd only do that on long stretches.

[@ady7d77]

What model bike did you use?

[@trophix]

How did you tighten the cassette onto the hub? I can't figure it out, please help?

[@aroundhomediy]

The Magic Pie hub requires a freewheel (not a cassette), so that may be the issue? I just tightened the freewheel on by hand and then (maybe) used the tool with a small chain to tighten it just a little more.

[@DavidBeede]

If you don't have the chain wrench you can spin a freewheel on hand tight and then use the bike chain to finish tightening it. Just keep the rear wheel from turning and turn the pedals.

[@bradleyshimels9424]

Go Green! Excellent job.

[@hank-bz7xr]

Where do the connectors connect to each other? ......... I want wonder detail.

[@aroundhomediy]

Sorry, I'm not clear on what you are wondering. The wires start from the hub motor (there are no connectors there, it's hard wired inside the motor). One of these wires runs to the battery, and the others run down the frame of the bike to connect to the e-brake levers, throttle, and display.

[@chitibusu]

can you charge the battery while pedalling? Thanks.

[@aroundhomediy]

No, but there is a regenerative braking feature that attempts to recover some charge when braking.

[@josephisblessedallhonorngl2511]

i was debating 80cc or this . thanks e bike kit it is

[@mangreat71]

it say 36v 500watt is that 36 volts 500 watts it takes to go in the wheel or do it mean going out ??? And this wheel should fit most mountain bikes right ??

[@aroundhomediy]

The Magic Pie V5 can be used with a 24-52V battery pack. And its controller will pull up to 25amps I believe (you can set a lower limit using the software). So depending on what voltage the battery you want to use is rated at (it must be in the 24-52V range) and the controller's amp setting, those two values multiplied together would give you the total watts. The other important value on your battery would be amp-hours (ah) which basically determines how much charge you'll have / how much distance you can cover. If your mountain bike uses standard 26" wheels then it should work though I think Luna Cycle now carries some larger rims and possibly 'fat bike' rims. You should be able to ask whoever your order it from if your setup will work.

[@mangreat71]

where can i get the battery from what site give me the name ? I was thinking about buying 1 on ebay some 1 emailed me back and said the battery don't come with the wheel ?

[@devak1000]

Hi My kit controller wires are 14 gauge but my battery power wires are about 10 with Anderson connectors 45amp.Would it be a problem if I connect them?

[@aroundhomediy]

Since the larger wires are coming from the battery I don't *think* it will be an issue, but I'm no expert, so it's probably best to contact the kit manufacturer and ask. If the battery wiring was smaller, then that could certainly be an issue.

[@devak1000]

@@aroundhomediy Thanks for the reply!I contacted the manufacturer and they said as long as the connectors are compatible,it's Okay.Now,should I crimp Anderson 45amp connectors on the smaller 14 gauge wires?The controller wires are bare cut wires.

[@aroundhomediy]

I haven't used them before, but I would assume that's what you'd need to do as long as you can get a good crimp on the thinner wire.

[@devak1000]

@@aroundhomediy I just had to wing it--I finally crimped it real good and it was really tight and secure.I appreciate your help!

[@aroundhomediy]

Awesome! Glad you got it hooked up!

[@namele2s]

I assume that you removed front gears shiftier for good, yes?

[@aroundhomediy]

+Hiena yeah. It was a bit crowded with them there, but I think it was possible to make it fit.

[@1whoFartsinthewind]

Please reply So it's coming upto 1 year. Would you do it again using the Magic Pie? Any issues with it?

[@aroundhomediy]

So far it's been working great, and I haven't found anything else that I'd want to replace it with. The only issue I have had was that a spoke came loose and I had to deflate the tire to fix it... Which was entirely my fault for not checking and tightening them sooner.

[@jorgecalixto3858]

Awesome video! What kind of a kit for a 3 wheel bike to hold 260 lbs the 36V 500watts or 48V 1000watts

[@aroundhomediy]

Thanks! So we bought an electric trike a while back and the smaller ones like we purchased have issues. The motor is on the front wheel and has a tendency to spin out as there is little weight on it. It was also quite difficult to pedal. I'd go with a 48V / 1000W if you can find one that doesn't have these issues :).

[@jorgecalixto3858]

@@aroundhomediy thanks for answering back that’s exactly what I wanted to know thank you.

[@aroundhomediy]

Great! Glad I could help!

[@jonnyt8056]

There are a lot of spoke issues with these kits, how did you fare?

[@aroundhomediy]

The only spoke issue I've run into is that a few were loose, and I had to go back and tighten them. Once I did that I haven't had any problems.

[@Trebz50]

Are these kits waterproof against rain etc?

[@aroundhomediy]

This motor is fairly protected and I've ridden it in a light rain. The battery case is probably the main thing that you'd want to protect if it's not weathersealed.

[@siddharthgarkhail9022]

hello, looks great! what kind of battery you employed there? can u upload a video for the battery specification and installing it on bicycle? what is the total cost of the kit? i am from india can i order it here? thanx

[@aroundhomediy]

I used a 52V 13.5ah "Bottle Battery" that has a mount that attaches to the water bottle holder holes in the frame. I crimped 2 'Ring Terminals' onto the wires from the motor and ran those into the bottom of the battery mount. They are just attached to the terminals on the mount with some small bolts using a wrench. The battery itself can be easily removed (using a key as it locks into place). There are several different battery options, so I didn't go into too many details. I got mine from LunaCycle.com.

[@rsbozworth834]

What's it like when going up hill

[@aroundhomediy]

No issues going up hills around here. With a decent motor/battery combination it shouldn't be.

[@bridawg24]

Is the rim wide enough to fit a 2.125" tire?

[@aroundhomediy]

Sorry I don't know for sure. You might ask on the electricbike.com forums to see if anyone has done something similar.

[@ratakaio3802]

can i do this with any bike?

[@nandan435]

wondering where you've got the battery from?

[@aroundhomediy]

That one came from Luna Cycle (lunacycle.com). They've got a few different types in that style.

[@GrigorisDeoudis]

Thanks for uploading this. My question is, how heavier it felt after the installation of this e-bike kit.

[@aroundhomediy]

The hub motor is about 15 pounds and I think the battery is probably 10 pounds. I couldn't really tell much difference pedaling it, but it's a bit less fun to try to lift. Though if you go with the bottle-style mount, the battery is very easy to remove.

[@GrigorisDeoudis]

That's the only think I don't like about e-bikes, they're heavy. If something happens and the battery is drained, one has the 11 kilos of that kit as well. :/ Though this system might be one of the lightest.

[@Metal-Possum]

Those "universal torque arms" are a joke. They have a pivot in the middle, and are secured at the far end... The torque pulls it away from the frame. I fail to see how it's supposed to resist torque, if it isn't a fixed item. A single piece of steel cut to fit is the only way a torque arm should be, but somehow those 2 piece items have made their rounds.