Budget Bike Build

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nadair20

1 mW
Joined
Jan 12, 2017
Messages
15
Hi everyone,

I am a long time lurker, have been wanting to get an e-bike for 3 years now. I just can't bite the bullet, everything is so expensive! I am a big guy 6'8" 225 lbs, so no stock bike will really fit me. I have my own hardtail MTB that fits me well and would be good for a conversion. What I really want is a BBSHD with a 52V battery, from everything i've found Lunacycle seems like the best source for support and price. But it will come to nearly 2000$ for the kit! Any advice for getting the price down? I dont need huge range, 20km would be sufficent.

Should I go with the BBSHD and a backpack full of SLA's? Or a cheaper hub motor?

This bike would save me a lot of cash, just hard to stomach the upfront cost. Biggest problem is convincing the wife its a good idea.
 
Sorry im in Canada so 2000$ cad by the time you factor in shipping and exchange. With the extra bits I would need in the kit. What i'd really like to find is a used BBSHD, maybe use the cheapest "mighty mini" off Lunacycles.
 
Isn't the BBSHD illegal in Canada or is that a consideration? The BBS02 will support your weight, cost less and require a smaller battery. Another possibility is a 48V, 1000w hub system which, still illegal, should provide what you need (unless your route is very hilly).
 
6'8" 225lbs isn't fat, or that big weight wise. Assuming a 700c/29er bike.
http://www.goldenmotor.ca/products/700c-Rear-Black-Magic-Conversion-Kit.html
10ah of 12s rc lipo. Total cost ~$600. If you could order from the US, you could probably save more.
 
Rear Hub motors are cheaper, and you can lace up the wheel yourself, there are threads here on E.S. that go into that.
There is a person in England that has tested many Hub Motors and a Mid-Drive and where he lives both have about the same performance and even climbing ability. However note that I think that the hills in his town are neither very steep and / or steep for long.

From my own experience that at or under 8% gradient for 1/2 +/- mile or so climbs , that a rear hub motor works fine.

I have only had to change a couple of flats, I carry a wrench to take off the wheel, one time it was such a small hole ( staple ) that I did not even have to take off the wheel, I just took off one side of the tire , found the hole and patched it up,
another time I ran over a 2 inch drywall screw that went all the way to the rim, so I had to take off the wheel.

So the big question is , where do you live ?
How steep and for long are the hills you have to go up ?

For only 20 Km's if you stay with a 500 watt or lower motor you will only need a smaller ( read cheaper ) battery.
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, wesnell that build of yours looks very affordable. I am not very concerned about the BBSHD being illegal here, i'll just keep my speeds around 32km/hr. Wesnell your build looks very affordable. I looked into the rc lipo batteries, got scared off by the potential danger and concerns about longevity. I need to research them further. My main concern is pinching pennies now just to cost me more down the road.

I am on the west coast of BC, fairly flat commuting save a couple big hills. (Say 13% for 400m). I will be carting around a fair bit of gear, around 100 lbs worth on a trailer. What really drew me to the BBSHD was the reliability, I want my motor to last a long time. Originally I wanted to go with a hub motor from golden motor but became concerned by some reported issues with reliabilty. I do spend a lot of time on the trails, the idea of an electric MTB is very appealing to me.

I'll have to get the calculator out and see where I can cut costs...

Neglected to mention my bike is a 29'er with the biggest frame I could find. (23" or 25" cant remember)
 
Will you use the bike on hills? If not then go for a hub motor,otherwise get a BBS02 and a 48v battery since you only want go at speeds lower than 45kph.

Sent from my SM-N920C using Tapatalk
 
13 % grade is steep, but since those hills are only 400 meters/1,200 feet long , you could go with a hub motor for a cheaper build.

If you do go with a hub motor you want/ will have to have with a 13 % grade, the slowest speed/highest torque hub motor you can find, and put it on a 26 inch or 24 inch wheel if your are pulling a load. Alex makes a 24 inch rim with 36 hole spoke count, it is the Supra BH , I was told that Kenda , and Maxxis makes tires for 24 inch wheels.
or
you could go with an even smaller wheel , this thread here ... https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=85838
 
$582 for an HD RPE Las Vegas big sale they say.

https://ebikemarketplace.com
 
Hey bud, I'm in the same boat as you right now. I live on the west coast in Canada too, but I haven't purchased my kit yet (not enough money saved, almost there!)

However, in the meantime, I've been messing with combinations trying to bring the price down because the conversion rate is awful for us Canadians. The lowest I've managed to bring it down without huge compromise is about $1600 CAD.

With $1600 CAD, on Luna, you can get a BBSHD, no gear sensor, no luna wrench, no programming cable, default universal throttle, default display, default chainring and then include a 48V Panasonic PF Shark Pack w/ a cheap $30 3 amp charger. Personally I'd splooge a little more for a better charger but this is for sake of cutting away the luxuries and having just the basics.

All of this totals to $1,099 USD which comes to about $1461 CAD according to Google, minus taxes and shipping which you can prob add on another $100 for.

If you want it to be any cheaper than that, you'll have to be patient for sales or resort to a hub motor like others have suggested. Or you can opt for the less robust, less powerful BBS02 w/ 48V shark pack for $1169 CAD
 
Trailering some more weight makes a mid dive a good choice,, regardless of your weight. 225 is not too heavy for hub motors, but an extra hundred on a trailer can be, on longer hills.

300-350 pounds is a reasonable weight limit for typical bike hub motors, on long hills. you 225, kit as much as 30 more, bike perhaps 35-40 pounds. So that puts you at 300 ish. you could then tow 50 pounds, including trailer weight, with hub motors, with no problems.
 
If you're looking to save some money you may want to consider a Chinese supplier. Is the exchange rate worse from China? It's best to order from one supplier to save on shipping costs. BMSbattery is usually the least expensive but it looks like they don't carry the BBSHD, only the BBS02. EM3ev has the BBSHD. I have heard that the battery packs from BMSbattery are better constructed than Luna, and they offer Panasonic cells. You can check out pictures of the pack internals on the BMS website. I'd bet that Luna just buys packs from China and marks them up anyway. I have also read good things about the batteries at the Ali shop linked below. Looks like they have removed all of the products from the store during the Chinese New Year, but last time I checked you can get a Panasonic Dolphin pack for $359 USD shipped, and a Samsung one for even less. They may carry the BBSHD too, I'm not sure, check back in a few weeks after the holiday.

https://unitpackpowerelectricbikebattery.aliexpress.com/store/1178407
 
Hi guys, looks like I will be getting a BBSHD and 52v 13.5ah GA pack. Lucked out and found a set in Canada that had been returned to Luna. With our exchange and then the UPS fees and tax the cost of ordering from the US is just crazy. I will still have to order some bits for the install from Luna but it will be a smaller order and I can avoid UPS. Certainly has been a tough sell to my wife, though it will have paid for itself within 8 months.

I plan on doing a lot of trail riding, as well as towing up to 125 pounds ish so I think mid drive was the way to go for me. I felt like the extra cost of the BBSHD was worth it for the reliability. By the time I add lights and upgrade to hyrdaulic brakes I will be at about 2000$ cad all in. Ouch.

I am a little worried about the cops pinching me for an illegal motor. I plan on keeping my speed reasomable and putting an "official" sticker on. I've come up with this so far:

THIS VEHICLE IS A POWER ASSISTED BICYCLE AND MEETS ALL THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER SECTION 2(1) OF THE CANADA MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY REGULATIONS. 500W BAFANG BBS02

CE VÉHICULE EST UNE BICYCLETTE ASSISTÉE ET RECONTRE LA NORME 2(1) DU RÈGLEMENT SUR LA SÉCURITÉ DES VÉHICULES AUTOMOBILES DU CANADA. 500W BAFANG BBS02

Will get that made up with silver lettering on a black background. I figure I can program PAS 9 to a 32 km/hr limit if the police actually want to ride my bike to test max speed. A "turbo" switch would be nice but I dont know how to do that.
 
Looking back, I'd do the best hub motor I could afford. If I had some hills, not to drastic, I'd buy a geared. Probably a MAC. BUT I have a relatively inexpensive 1000W Mxus direct drive, and I like the bike, I'm kinda bored by the BBSHD, I don't need the speed and power.

Slowly I will move to Mac 10T and 9fet programable controllers. I like that the mac can run on 36v, 48v, and 52v.
 
Hi nadair20... Toronto here, but originally from Canadas Wet Coast (Victoria)... "Budget" bike? Oh oh. Suggest saving your pennies (now nickels)... Lots of threads here/there from folks buying a "cheap" ebike (Sondors) about "Upgrades"... and "Add ons"... So thinking is, to "invest" in a "more expensive" kit of parts to save costs and troubles later. Might think of this as buying a battery using cells w/lithium versus sealed lead-acid. SLA "much cheaper" to buy... over and over and over... and over.

;)
 
LockH said:
Hi nadair20... Toronto here, but originally from Canadas Wet Coast (Victoria)... "Budget" bike? Oh oh. Suggest saving your pennies (now nickels)... Lots of threads here/there from folks buying a "cheap" ebike (Sondors) about "Upgrades"... and "Add ons"... So thinking is, to "invest" in a "more expensive" kit of parts to save costs and troubles later. Might think of this as buying a battery using cells w/lithium versus sealed lead-acid. SLA "much cheaper" to buy... over and over and over... and over.

;)
Click to expand...
I know so many Sondors buyers that are happy, and I have no digs towards them, but many end up spending considerable dollars upgrading, kind of negating the savings. But it is fun!
 
If theres one thing ive learned from my old man it's that pinching pennies initially often costs you more in the long run. Thats what im trying to avoid with this build. Having said that I can see all the pending upgrades down the road....new suspension fork, suspension seat post, chainring, tires, cassette and derailleur...atleast its nice working on bikes. Cars can be such a b!tch!
 
HI, I found this thread and have read it with great interest.

I am in a similar situation. I am a few inches shorter and a few pounds lighter (which means I need to lose weight!). I live on a very hilly Island (basically 3 mountains) on the west coast of Canada and need a bike that can commute 60km over some very steep hills. I'd also like to be able to tow at some point.

I was basically thinking of the same setup as nadair20 except with a bigger battery for longer distances. Not to worried about the speed as the max speed limit on the island is 30 or 40km/hr depending on the location.

How have you found the BBSHD so far?

Any thoughts especially regarding the hills and distance?

Thanks!
 
Hi there,

I upped my budget a bit and went with the BBSHD with a 52V 13.5ah battery. Unfortunately the battery has yet to arrive. Very frustrating but it is mostly puralators fault. Would have been nice to know it was going to take over 2 months to get it but what can you do. I will post up a review of performance when I get it....hopefully any day now.
 
That's too bad about the battery! If it's possible for you and you are close, the next time you can ship to Blaine or Point Roberts and avoid Canadian shipping altogether. Should save on money too.

Good luck with the build!
 
What MTB do you have that fits you at 6'8"? That's my height, and I can only think of a couple of recent examples.

I mostly make do with 68cm road bikes from the '70s and '80s.
 
I have a Trek X-Caliber with the largest frame they make for it. (23" or 25") can't remember which size. Got it for a smoking deal since it didn't fit most people.
 
I find myself riding my rear hub more than my bbs02 for some reason, it's just easier to ride and less hassle/maintenance.
 
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