Top 10 eBike Conversion Kits & Where to Buy

arkmundi

arkmundi

10 MW
Joined
Jul 8, 2012
Messages
3,142
Location
Worcester, MA USofA
This will be an evolving post. Please see the offer of an eBike Workshop with eWorc and Technocopia. To qualify, the kit must: be in general use here at ES, have a web site for purchase, real people who support the product and can service components, and have favorable review. They should be full kits, a buy it and make it, so motor, controller, throttle, etc. Battery options would be good. :mrgreen:

Top tier - Hubs
Falco Motors http://www.falcoemotors.com/ from http://www.electricbicycleworld.com/
eZee and Crystalyte from http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/conversion-kits.html {GRIN}
MAC or Bafang from http://em3ev.com/store {which I went with & Love)
BMC and Crystalyte from http://ebikessf.com
9C from http://www.ebikekit.com/
MXUS from http://ypedal.com/kit/kit.htm -or- Kinaye Motorsports
Bafang and GBK from http://www.greenbikekit.com, or if Canada from http://www.biktrix.com

Still top-notch
Cromotor from http://www.electricbike.com/cromotor-monster-hubmotor/
Golden Motors http://www.goldenmotor.com/
G-Series Geared from http://www.electricrider.com/Electric-Bike-Kit-with-G-Series-Geared-Hub-Motor-p/g-km.htm

Affordability options
Leaf DD, from leafbike.com (amazing pricing, good motor)
Nine Continent from Amazon .... http://www.9continent.com
Currie Technologies from Amazon
YescomUSA http://www.yescomusa.com/search?type=product&q=electric+bicycle+kit
An Amazon Aosom Rear Wheel 48V 1000W Electric Battery Powered Bicycle Motor Conversion Kit for $239.95 & FREE Shipping (late 2016) ... see more here


Top Emerging New Tech
Copenhagen Wheel http://copenhagenwheel.tumblr.com/ {bidirectional for regenerative braking}

Top Mid-drive
Bafang mid-drive kits from https://lunacycle.com/mid-drive-kits/
AFT from 200w to 1680w http://www.af-tech.com.au/Products_Ebikes.html {per dypsomaniart}

Another good list
http://www.reddit.com/r/ebikes/wiki/index
 
Um... you missed one of the best kits, offered by the guy who saved this forum...

eZee conversion kits:
http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/conversion-kits/geared.html
 
teslanv said:
Has the Copenhagen wheel been released yet? I thought is was still in the funding/Dev phase???
Click to expand...
Yes, that's true. Made just the one exception since it is a unique product near to release. Copenhagen accomplished the necessary: a bidirectional hub motor for both motive power and regenerative braking. I'm hoping one of my students will buy one, so the rest of us in the workshop can see it in action.
 
I'm thinking about offering a 1-day ebike workshop at the college where I teach Carpentry. I'd love to collaborate. I'm just beginning to develop the course, however and won't be offering mine until spring of 2015.
 
You can buy the (REAL 9C) that AMAZON.COM is selling for this guy and save $40.00. AMAZON is making good on his product but if you go to( ebay xtremfx) you can buy the rear (9c motor x 26in.) for $239.00 this includes free shipping and the same (9c front is $439.00) these are (9c-9x7 real thing not clones also the controller will handel 48 volts. I tried the controller at 48 volt just to see if it worked and it did.then I installed my lyen controller on it. BTW i bought 2 rears from him and quick shipping. hes good to deal with. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
 
How come their is NO mid drive kits on this list ?
These are the best two I think out their now, BBS2 has way to many problems now it seems.

AFT
http://www.af-tech.com.au/Products_Ebikes.html
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=59063&start=50

Ecospeed
https://www.ecospeed.com/
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=55733
 
Gab said:
BBS2 has way to many problems now it seems.
Click to expand...
There have been reports of failures, both with newer kits and those with more mileage on them, but I still consider them to be a good kit, when used for appropriate application like a commuter for hilly terrain. - An "Off-Road" kit it is not. When they work, they are excellent. - I don't think we have a good handle on what percentage of these kits have problems. - Perhaps Paul or LeGrand can enlighten us on their return/warranty repair rates???
 
Ilia @ ebikesf.com (I think) Geared motors of high quality. Not cheap but high quality with good support.
otherDoc
 
+1 for AFT mid drive
Oil filled metal gear gearbox, ceramic bearings, proven cyclone/headway motor, external programmable controller option, noise reduction covers, solid mounting, gear covers, heatsink, fits up to 83mm BB, acs freewheel, standard 104bcd gears, and the list goes on. Available from 200w to 1680w.
This is the only mid drive I would consider for myself or freely recommend to friends.
http://www.af-tech.com.au/Products_Ebikes.html
 
The question posed "Why Falco?" as the purported "best" in the list? Not to get too technical, its because Falco is using a 5-phase motor. Typically, eBike hub motors are either 2-phase (4 windings) or 3-phase brushless motors, which have proven highly reliable. There is a higher efficiency in torque delivery with the 5-phase motor, however.
Falcos-5-Phase-Unique-Motor-Technology-is-First-of-its-kind-in-the-World-It-is-powerful-and-light-weight.1.jpg

With regards to using brushless motors:
Brushless motors offer several advantages over brushed DC motors, including more torque per weight, more torque per watt (increased efficiency), increased reliability, reduced noise, longer lifetime (no brush and commutator erosion), elimination of ionizing sparks from the commutator, and overall reduction of electromagnetic interference (EMI). With no windings on the rotor, they are not subjected to centrifugal forces, and because the windings are supported by the housing, they can be cooled by conduction, requiring no airflow inside the motor for cooling. This in turn means that the motor's internals can be entirely enclosed and protected from dirt or other foreign matter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brushless_DC_electric_motor#Brushless_vs._brushed_motors
Click to expand...
 
Wanted to do a make in conjunction with the ebike@technocopia.org workshop, to demonstrate as well as to promote ebike culture in the home city. So I picked up this 1984 Ross Mt Whitney MTB off eBay, where the seller has added in new tires, cables, front fork so its all almost as new:
SleekNSexy.png
The specs on this bike are nice:
RossMtWhitneySpec.png
I especially like the Ishiwata double butted Cro-Moly frame, something you don't see any more. I have a long rant on the virtues of steel frames for eBikes in my Letters to my nephew thread. But Cro-Moly steel remains the best of all frame materials.

After looking at and considering this list, and pricing, etc. I'm going with a MAC from cell_man at em3ev. The 10-turn version for torque (hills). I've come to the conclusion that the eZee, BMC and MAC geared motors are all more or less equivalent, but MAC's are coming in at a better price. Then there's the controller question - I'm taking Drunkskunk's recommendation at Motor Controller, why not bigger? 12 Fet vs 18 Fet:
Drunkskunk said:
With a MAC, you're going to be abusing the $#!% out of it with even a 12FET controller. They will rapidly turn to large boxes of melted junk at the power levels an 18FET can handle. A 9FET is all they need. Its a geared motor, not a direct drive. The won't take huge power levels.
Click to expand...
... so the 9FET controller. And sticking with an A123 nanophosphate battery of my own make. I mean we're a makerspace, so need to make something for the fun and economy of it, huh?

Here's video of a MAC build that has an admirable battery rack, wire-hiding and lighting system I'd like to duplicate:
[youtube]XZSsxP3CWJI[/youtube]
 
I didn't see Ebikekit mentioned here and I gotta say they are good choice for both small geared and 9C style hub motors. Kits assemble easily and everything works. We have the 9C clones on our trikes and one time when a wheel failed (spokes) they paid for my bike shop to rebuild. They now do their own wheel builds and my wife's complete kit has not had any problems in about 3 years. They are located in Pennsylvania. I would not hesitate to buy from them. Prices are average but they run a lot of sales at up to 20% off, a great deal.
otherDoc
 
What about Max at http://www.ebikedeal.com

He has pretty decent prices on Crystalytes. If you email him he can normally hook you up with other motors too.
 
docnjoj said:
I didn't see Ebikekit mentioned here and I gotta say they are good choice for both small geared and 9C style hub motors.....
Click to expand...
Yea, sorry about that, added them back in, so we're above the "top 10"

crezzy2k1 said:
What about Max at http://www.ebikedeal.com
He has pretty decent prices on Crystalytes.
Click to expand...
OK, he carries Crystalytes, which can be had from http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/conversion-kits.html {GRIN}, our forum sponsor, so call it deference.
 
Can u also put top 10 battery suppliers ? MAybe em3ev and BMS battery etc
 
Gab said:
Can u also put top 10 battery suppliers ? MAybe em3ev and BMS battery etc
Click to expand...
The eBike Conversion kit vendors listed all include battery options. The easiest path for most will be to choose a trusted vendor and purchase a full kit, that would include a battery. Apart from those listed, http://www.pingbattery.com is highly regarded here on the ES forum. Then there is A123, which is in a class by itself, and making a battery pack from their cells. There are many threads dealing with the technicalities of that, including my own.

Update: from the Trusted and Reliable companies list for batteries thread: also http://calibike.com
 
I got my '85 Ross Mt Whitney frame and its a beautiful sleek well built road machine. After much consideration, what I'm planning on putting on it:
http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&path=36&product_id=138
  • Upgrade EM3ev vers. Mac , 500/1000W Pick'n'Mix Kit
  • Controller Type Infineon 9 fet 30A (36-75V, IRFB4110)
  • Motor Speed 410rpm loaded @36V 6T Upgrade
  • Front/Rear Motor: Rear
  • Wheel Type 26" Alex DM24 CNC
  • Spoke Type Sapim Upgrade (Silver)
  • Throttle Type Thumb Throttle
  • Ebrakes HWBS Sensor
And as before, building my own battery pack. My preferred cell is still the A123 cells AMP20 prismatic cells, but expensive and need to economize. So shopping around and found this: a LiFePO4 20Ah 3.2V 64W 5C Aluminum Encased. Doing 2x 12S1P 36V for 40ah or 1.44kwh for $858 or $595 per kwh.
eCarPart20ah-lifegraph.png
 
Lupulin said:
What about the StokeMonkey that is also available from Justin, but now in 2 versions??
Click to expand...
I'm happy to include other motors in the list, but would do so only the basis of ES-forum repute, as in reported good experience, both motor & vendor, as with the others. Not, however, doing the research any more, so please post threads on the motor here. Preferably build threads. DISCLAIMER: I'm not a motor expert and am in no position to verify any listing. I'm merely one ES-forum member who did extensive research and listed these kits on the basis of the informed opinion of many others.
 
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