Rating BBSO2 vs Hub Motor Kit

I hope this doesn't sound like a rant, but, I get into a car start it and drive off, not thinking or caring what just happened under the hood, well with me it's the same with things electric and worse with batteries.I have read so much the last 4 mo. and still can't get my 88yr old brain around electric motors and batteries, so confusing so my next quest is to keep it simple. I will list what I think I need and hopefully some savvy ebikers will guide me yea or nay.
Basic BBSO2 kit------------------------$450 AW 48v 1000w 26" hub motor------$260
48v 1000w 14ah 13s4p GA battery--$420 same battery-------------------------$420
Tools for BB------------------------------$30 wire and connectors------------------$20
$900 $700
I wonder about the reliability of each system and hope someone will give the pros and cons. Thanks Nick R.

Are you really 88? I for one am super stoked that you're out reading about ebikes instead of sitting braindead on a couch watching TV or whatever the other 88 year olds do (lie in graves, mostly). Will you be riding this bike yourself? The type of riding you intend to do will have some influence on which motor you might want. Are there hills where you ride?

That said, I'd probably go with the BBS kit. The advantages include better handling and a variety of available gear ratios to tackle hills, if you have them. Plus, you don't have to worry about the back wheel coming loose, which can happen with hub motors and it is a pain when it happens because your wires will get all twisted up and ruined..

The advantage of the hub motor would be somewhat easier installation, along with a slightly better capacity for raw power and acceleration as it can tolerate more power.

Nick --

All things considered, the hub motor is likely to be the more reliable and lower maintenance solution. Direct drive motors are simple systems, few moving parts, not much to go wrong. In all likelihood, direct drive system could go for many thousands of trouble free miles. BBS02... jury is still out, but maybe a couple thousand miles without significant maintenance.
In choosing between them, really a lot depends on your terrain and planned riding style.
If you are riding on mainly flat terrain, direct drive is fine solution.
If you are riding on very hilly terrain, BBS02 is probably better.
If you don't planning on pedaling much, direct drive is fine solution.
If you plan on pedaling a lot, BBS02 is probably better.

I use my hub-motor bike basically as a very lightweight electric motorbike... most of the time, the pedals are just footrests.
I use my BBS02 bike more like a normal bicycle with the motor providing a "built in tailwind" on the flats and to haul me up the hills easily... most of the time, I'm pedaling.

Probably a bunch of other pros and cons I didn't think of, others may chime in.

Enjoy!

flat tire said:

Are you really 88? I for one am super stoked that you're out reading about ebikes instead of sitting braindead on a couch watching TV or whatever the other 88 year olds do (lie in graves, mostly). Will you be riding this bike yourself? The type of riding you intend to do will have some influence on which motor you might want. Are there hills where you ride?

That said, I'd probably go with the BBS kit. The advantages include better handling and a variety of available gear ratios to tackle hills, if you have them. Plus, you don't have to worry about the back wheel coming loose, which can happen with hub motors and it is a pain when it happens because your wires will get all twisted up and ruined..

The advantage of the hub motor would be somewhat easier installation, along with a slightly better capacity for raw power and acceleration as it can tolerate more power.

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Yep, I'm 88 soon to be 89 in Sept. Here is my problem:I can't walk 100ft without severe pain (arthritis) in lower back,had triple bypass last year (guess the Dr thought I was healthy enough) cardiologist gave me an ultimatum "exercise or die" so my wife came up with the idea of a recumbent trike for exercise. I trike about 3-5 mi about 3 times a week and had one trip 14mi round trip with about 4 rest stops, but came home completely spent, also when I have a headwind it really taxes me. I live in Florida so terrane is flat, I'm also getting tired of the same scenery and would like to go on a 20mi trip and I would guess 20mph would be the top speed, and as you would guess I need to pedal for exercise.I'm a wounded WWII vet that somehow doesn't qualify for a trike so I had to bite the bullet and buy the trike myself, which comes to the part that it has to be cheap. I know the axiom "you get what you pay for"but at 88 i'm not concerned about longevity LOL. Any help will be wonderful and thanks for your concern. Nick R. PS sorry about my message being all messed up but I had it listed side by side and the forum format listed it in a line.

If you don't have hills, I'd suggest the hub motor. It will have fewer things to go wrong and is a little easier to operate.

Those 1000 watt kits are usually closer to $150 now, and mine has been super reliable. However, don't plan on putting your bike on a rack or bringing it upstairs if you procure one though since the motor, rim, and freewheel probably are close to 20 pounds.

fechter said:

If you don't have hills, I'd suggest the hub motor. It will have fewer things to go wrong and is a little easier to operate.

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Since you don't have hills there's the best advise. No earthly reason to take on the coin flip that can be owing a BBSxx. They run great or they don't. I have maintenance on my BBSxx drives. I charge the battery and ride my direct drive hub motors. Recently added a Mac motor. I like ebikes.ca and EM3ev.com for best stuff and best support. The rest, meh.

Hi Nick, I have done around 7,000km on bbs01/02, 2,500km on a front hub and now about 650km on a rear DD - The BBS have required chains and cassettes and a little bit of grease and does ride great if you are keen on pedalling.

But, having now owned a DD rear I'm not going back to the BBS for my commute - bike path with crests (not really hilly but not flat). If you break a chain on the BBS you are stranded unless you have one with you plus a chain breaker - the DD no problems. While the DD has all the weight in the rear I actually find there's a bit of an advantage when moving the bikes in a tight spot as it's really easy to lift the bike on its back wheel and spin the front around. The smoothness of the DD and regenerative power are also advantages - I've extended my battery range by around 8% using regen. You'll love both - but the DD does have less to go wrong, less maintenance and is well suited for your terrain.

Hi All, Thanks for all your replies, makes me feel that I have unbiased friends to listen to. The cheapest 1000w 48v kit I saw was A.W. on Amazon but my question is does it have all the things I need like motor controller,PAS,freewheel,regenerative power or BMS (don't even know what the heck most of them do oh yeah add Halls to that group). I guess I will now have to look at all these kids on bikes a new way, they are much smarter than my generation, my hat is off to you all. I'm sure the forum doesn't allow advertising but asking for advice hopefully doesn't break the rules. Thanks for any help. Nick R.

Yup any old direct drive hub motor should suit your needs, plus you require PAS so you have to pedal.
ebay seller "conhismotor" which I purchased a month or two ago, it has the PAS option, should be good for your needs. conhismotor has a sister company on ebay but I forget the name off hand.

yescomusa website or their ebay seller name is "xcceries" or something along those lines.

DD is better if you want an electric motorcycle. If you were to ask your doctor which one to choose, he'd say the crank-drive because it's a proper pedal assist system, so you get a better chance to exercise. DD motors are heavy and they're better for constant high speed. If you had 20 miles to commute to work every day, and you wanted it to be as easy and fast as possible, a DD would be the answer. For exercise, the crank-drive wins. For me, the choice would be between the BBS02 and a 500w geared motor rather than a DD because a 500w geared motor is lighter, but gives more torque than a DD and it gives more of a cycling/exercise experience. It would also be better suited to lower speed riding.

If you decide on a hub-motor, you need to think about the controller too. You need one with a proper PAS (pedal assist) system - not any PAS system. Look for one with an LCD and 5 levels, like those made by Kunteng.

The advantages of a hub motor is mainly less dependency on gears, so they're more relaxing to ride. Crank drives have a greater speed range in that they can climb steep hills in a low gear or go fast in a high gear. If you don't have steep hills, a CD wouldn't be my choice. I'd go for something like a 500w MAC or a Bafang BPM motor (cheaper) .