menvert - I am pleased to hear that the added volts provided the necessary boost to get the performance that you had hoped for.
I think that BBS02 option is very nice and would probably work out well - fortunately I think I can match the required cadence - but I am thinking the XD motor is the way I will go. The BBS02 would get me up the hills and would provide a higher top end, but that top speed is really not important to me and I know the energy required increases exponentially with speed as you get up in the 20s which leads to more battery needed, more weight if you really want to run at those speeds much. I prefer the simplicity of the hub motor set up but it takes a little more effort, it seems, to spec the appropriate set-up.
I like the idea of having a perfect chainline and never shifting (except for the two speeds of the XD and I suspect that I will operating in high most of the time). With my target of 18 mph @ a cadence of 90 I am going to spec a 44t chainring and 17t cog. I will probably investigate this further because if I go with a larger chainring and cog I can still hit my 18 mph @ 90 target and the the drive train will last longer. In any case, the drive train will last much much longer than with a BBS02.
I have taken a closer look at that 36V table and I am trying to see if i can interpret it and apply it to the real world - anyone please correct me if I am wrong. I am planning to build my bike with 650B rims and 38mm (or maybe 42mm tires). I have calculated the corresponding speed in mph for a given rpm of the motor for wheels and tires of that size. For example, when operating in low, near the peak efficiency value, the XD turns 116.6 rpm and puts out 151.9 W, operates at an efficiency of 82.9 and the corresponding speed on the bike would be 9.0 mph. Does that more or less mean that for the conditions of slope, wind, etc. if X watts are required to go 9.0 mph, I need to provide X-151.9 watts and the XD provides 151.9?