Best bike under $900us for BBS02 mid wheel motor conversion

fusilier67

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Jul 31, 2017
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Hello and thank you in advance for your input. I have a Bafang BBS02 750W midwheel motor and 48V battery. I had purchased a used Mongoose Iboc SX with aluminum Ritchie frame and had the kit installed, and despite multiple gear adjustments kept having problems shifting to 9th gear. Mechanic felt maybe the frame was too flexible to support the power of the motor.
Therefore, I am searching for another bike to convert. I am commuting 32miles (semi hilly) round trip almost daily and need advice on a good bike with sturdy frame to support motor. I am looking at the following bikes:
Specialized Crosstrail Disc, Scott Aspect 740, Cannondale Cujo 3, KHS Ultrasport, KHS Sixfifty 200.

Any input would be so helpful.
 
A number of posts have been made concerning issues using all the gears with just the single chain wheel on the BBSxx. Some have solved the problem by eliminating some of the unneeded cogs or changing the alignment of the front chain wheel.

One of the best solutions is to replace the derailleur system with an IGH, such as the Nexus 8 or similar. There are a number of posts addressing this also.
 
Thanks for the reply. The old bike is gone; any input on the bike possibilities that I listed?
 
I'm not familiar with any of those specifically. However, I have my cassette set up with 11-17-28 gears with 8-speed spacing and that's satisfactory for off road riding. The main advantage FOR ME is a straight chainline (the 17) and only slight deflection to either side for the other gears, A 52V, 10 a-h battery sits nicely in a triangle bag and keeps the weight centered so the bike handles well. I'm using a cheap steel frame which is what I had around when I built the bike and it handles the forces AFAICT.
 
Sorry, not knowledgeable on the various bike models. However, I think your bike mechanic is wrong and it wasn't the motor power that caused the shifting problem since you don't normally shift under power anyway. So no matter what bike you get, you may still have trouble getting into the gears that are not somewhat close to aligning with the front chain wheel, unless you get something with an IGH.
 
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