Mystery Mid-Drive Motor Kit from Amazon any good?

soapycoyote

1 µW
Joined
Nov 15, 2017
Messages
1
Location
Salt Lake City, Utah USA
All, I found this kit on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/ELECTRIC-BIC...qid=1511999979&sr=8-12&keywords=mid+drive+kit
The reason I am considering this is because I am on a tight budget, but I have some amazon gift cards to spend.

My objective with this build is to slowly climb hills with a low gear ratio and not overheat my motor, or waste my batteries. That's why I'm considering a mid-drive and not a hub drive.

I weigh 210lbs. I want to go up about a 10% gradient hill (in some parts, not all the way up) that is about 1.5 miles long. at about 5 mph. I am thinking about using a couple of these batteries https://hobbyking.com/en_us/multistar-high-capacity-4s-20000mah-multi-rotor-lipo-pack.html in series. Can I over-volt this controller? This kit will be going on an old mountain bike without any suspension - old cro-mo Bridgestone steel frame mountain bike from the early 90's. I have some experience taking motors apart and cleaning up commutators and replacing brushes, windings, bearings, etc. My questions are:


Have any of you tried this motor?

What do you think about it?

Is this compatible with other controllers?

What is a good inexpensive charger for these batteries?
 
Well, look at all those parts for the price. And there's a 450w that goes on the rear wheel for $108. (With the same controller, if that tells you anything.) As well as a 450w mid-drive for $5 more that you might have inspired me to buy. How good? You'll have to tell us. But I expect to say, under the 'Those Chinese kits are all the same parts' rule that you'll get some reasonably effective parts real cheap.

Note the potential of the controller. https://www.amazon.com/800-Watt-Brushed-Motor-Controller/dp/B00Z2ZBG1U/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1512022714&sr=8-4

One prospective controller upgrade. https://www.amazon.com/500-1000w-Controller-Electric-Bicycle-Scooter/dp/B00ESZVMIM/ref=pd_day0_468_5?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=XN7ZNCP0FJ93CD68961V

Not sure where you'll find the geared motor over 600w, I doubt you can readily swap a normal one in there. I'll let someone else prognosticate on the kit holding up physically with 1000w in there, but I don't see why there'd be a problem.
 
for the price, i'd pay $50 odd extra and get a brushless system (hub motor) or about 100 extra for a BL middrive. That particular kit is using a brushed motor/controller, so efficiency wont be as good, and a geared reduction, so its potentially noisy. Its also not that cheap for what you get - ive seen those controllers for <$15, those motors for ~50, and the rest of the parts would probably bring you to <150 if you hunted hard enough.
is it any good? its ok - brushed isn't the end of the world, but it is kinda the model T of motros (accepting that they can be very good at the high end, though this is not high end). It'll do the job, but imo theres far better options out there for similar $. I get your on a tight budget but id be inclined to save up a little more and get a better system

some examples (not nessasarily mid drive, but will probably help out as much/more anyway):
hubs:
https://www.amazon.com/Aosom-Electric-Battery-Powered-Conversion/dp/B00GIXZKP8
https://www.amazon.com/AW-Electric-Bicycle-Conversion-48V1000W/dp/B00Q8JT9H2/ref=pd_sim_468_26?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=JXR800FPP5T5Y3G42HJN
mid drives:
https://www.amazon.com/Tongsheng-TSDZ2-Conversion-Torque-Sensor/dp/B01MYRB6Q6/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1512421975&sr=1-2&keywords=ebike+kit+mid+drive
https://www.amazon.com/36V350W-bafang-BBS01B-electric-BBS01-350-36-44T-790/dp/B071JNFLR5/ref=sr_1_10?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1512421975&sr=1-10&keywords=ebike+kit+mid+drive

regarding chargers:
if you dont have a power supply, this seems a pretty good deal (havent used myself) as it has a built in power supply, so just plug and play.
https://hobbyking.com/en_us/0620ac-us-plug-20a-300w-synchronous-balance-charger-discharger-built-in-ac-version-2.html

if you have a power supply though, that gives a couple more options
https://www.banggood.com/ISDT-T8-BattGo-1000W-30A-Smart-Battery-Balance-Charger-For-1-8S-Lipo-Battery-p-1191860.html?rmmds=search
this for instance will charge your series'ed (8s) pack without you having to rearrange it each time (sereis to parallel for charging, and back again for use). much safer and easier. The brand is also pretty reputable, and ~$100 is a very good price.
 
Back
Top