First ebike build – advice wanted!

C

CompletelyAmbiguous

1 µW
Joined
Jun 8, 2018
Messages
4
Location
Duluth, MN, USA
Hi everyone! I’ve been lurking on Endless Sphere for a while and finally decided to say “Hello!” I’ve been planning out my first ebike build for a while now and finally have worked out most of what I think I’m going to go with. I decided it would be better to be safe than sorry, so I thought I should run my thoughts past the subject matter experts. :)

I’m planning to build out a commuter ebike to get to work and home, with the option to take a small detour to stop at the store on my way home if need be. I’d ride my regular road bike if I was strong enough to, but there’s one hill on my commute that I’m just not strong enough to get up yet. I expect that I over-engineered a bunch of it, but I’d rather have an over-engineered bike I can keep a long time (and use it more than I planned) than a shoddy one that falls apart the first time I ride it.

First, my Functional Specifications/Requirements:
  • Desired max speed on level ground: I looked at my regular bike trips from last season, and I don’t expect to want to go much above 20 mph (plus that will keep it road-legal!). If I do go faster than 20 mph, I want it to be because I can do it unassisted, so I guess that makes it a moot point.
  • Desired max range: My commute is 8 miles each way. Add a mile or two for grocery trips. I do have access to power to charge all day at work without issue.
  • Preferred bike wheel size, or wheel size of bike you want to convert: I have a bike I picked up this season I will be converting. It is a 2018 Giant Roam 2 Disc XL (https://www.giant-bicycles.com/us/roam-2-disc). Tire size: 38-622 (700 x 38c – 28 x 1 5/8 – 1 ½). ETRTO/ISO 622 x 19.
  • Brake type: Disc brakes.
  • Rider weight: I weigh just over 220 lbs. Hopefully the new bike will let me shed some of that off! :)
  • Terrain: On my way home from work, it is a fairly consistent 2-2.5% grade uphill. There is a mile stretch that is just under a 7% grade. This hill is what I can’t do unassisted…
  • Budget: I believe I have all the parts I need figured out. The total amount for the bike upgrades will come to around $1,100. If I end up needing to swap out parts, I’d ideally like to keep it around the same amount or less.

The Bike Parts
After doing a bunch of research and simulations on the ebikes.ca website, I’ve decided to go with a 9C+ Front Kit:

Motor -- 9C+ Front 2707 Disk Compatible Motor with 0.35mm Laminations and Thermistor. 9 rpm/V for Standard 24"-700c Wheels
Rim -- 700c (29") DM18 Alex Rim, 24mm Wide
Spoke Choice -- Black
Controller -- 36-48V, 25A Sinewave Controller with ON/OFF switch, Proportional Regen, and CA3 Connector. For both Sensored and Sensorless Brushless Motors
Cycle Analyst -- V2.4 Direct Plug-in Cycle Analyst, for Controllers with Direct Drive Hub Motors or Geared Motors with Internal Speedometer
Throttle Choice -- Right Handed Half-Twist
TorqArm -- TorqArm_V2 GRIN Front Torque Arm for Mounting on Forks with Fender Eyelets. Thick 1/4" Stainless Plate
eBrake -- None
Tidy Wiring Kit -- No
Statorade -- No
Total for bike parts + wheel build labor: $542.40

Of the three options in the kit, this one has the lowest rpm/V and thus the highest hill climbing ability. I’m going to have them build the wheel for me, since I’m not too keen on the idea of spoking this one out myself. Maybe next time.

My rationale for choosing the 25A-36V controller--Looking at ebike.ca’s simulator and this other simulator, it seems like these are appropriate Wattages for various speeds (without me pedaling at all) with my weight, bike selection, and % grades:
750 W Appropriate for 15 mph on a 7% slope
650 W or so appropriate for 20 mph on a 2% slope
425 W or so appropriate for 20 mph on a 0% slope
450 W appropriate for 10 mph on a 2% slope

The Battery
I’m also going to be making the battery pack. After playing with the above two calculators/simulators, I am planning to make a 10s6p Li-Ion battery pack, for a total of 60 cells. The battery cells will be LG MJ1 3500 mAh 18650 cells that I intend to buy from here: https://vruzend.com/product/set-of-2-lg-mj1-18650-battery-cells/. The specification document is here: https://vruzend.com/SpecificationINR18650MJ1.pdf.

Other relevant info about the cells:
Nominal capacity: 3500 mAh
Nominal voltage: 3.635 V
Standard charge: 1700 mA (0.5 C)
Max charge current: 3400 mA (1 C)
Standard discharge: 680 mA (0.2 C)
Maximum discharge current: 10 A
Cycles until 80% life remaining: 400 cycles

Thus, in the final configuration, this will have a nominal voltage of 36.35 V, a nominal capacity of 21 Ah, a standard charge of 10.2 A, and a maximum discharge current of 60 A. With this capacity, the simulator estimated that I could cruise around town at full throttle without pedaling for about 19 miles (2% grade) and climb the 6.8% grade hill for 10 miles (but I would have to give the motor time to cool off between runs, as it will overheat in about 15-20 minutes). If I helped it out with 100 W of pedaling, it would increase to a 23-mile range around town and a 12-mile range up the hill.

I intentionally underestimated range/over-engineered the battery by assuming the whole trip is uphill at all times, to try to account for any other variables, like low/high outside temperatures, start/stop traffic, etc. And also this way I can use just the middle section of the battery capacity and have some buffer to continue to use just the middle section after the cells start to degrade from age.

In addition to the cells, the other parts needed for the battery will be a BMS, pure nickel strip, shrink wrap, electrical tape, some foam for the BMS, and various tools (hot glue gun, scissors, the spot welder, etc).

Question for you: I’m not sure what BMS to use for this battery pack. (Okay, that’s technically a statement and not a question. :wink: ) I haven’t been able to find much solid information on what numbers I should be looking at. I know I need a 10S 37V Li-ion BMS, but I don’t know what the appropriate maximal continuous charging current and discharging current should be. I found a thread here where flippy says
pro tip: overspec your bms by at least half. If you need 50A you need to buy a 100A bms.
Click to expand...
What amperage do I need? It looks like some people are just picking whatever, so long as it is higher than their controller is drawing.
  • 60 A to match the battery pack’s maximum discharge current?
  • 55 A to have a little buffer before hitting the battery pack’s max?
  • 35 A to match the controller? <- Seems unlikely since most batteries are plug-and-play as long as it has enough voltage
  • 40 A, so that it’s enough for the controller and prevent the cells from getting maxed out?
  • 4.08 A to match the pack’s standard discharge? <- This one seems incredibly unlikely
I have the same question regarding the BMS’s max continuous charging Amps as well.

I’m planning to go with one of the BMS’s from bestechpower.com. These are a smattering of them I’ve been looking at, but I’m not sure what the differences between these are, since they look like they all have basically (or exactly) the same specs. These are assuming I should pick a BMS near to the controller draw:

And assuming I should be looking at a BMS closer to the battery pack’s maximum discharge, this is one I found that has a max continuous charging current of 20 A and max continuous discharging current of 50 A. The rest seem to all allow a charging current of 50 A!

Amount for cells: $ 299.70
Cost of BMS: ??? <- bestechpower.com doesn’t have any of their prices listed. I’ve heard they’re around $30-45 each, with a minimum order size of 2. Sound accurate?
Nickel: about $3 / meter or so
Heat-shrink: about $5 / meter or so

The Battery Charger
To charge the battery, I’m going to go with the Charger Cycle Satiator 48V 8A. This is actually the first part I picked out, long before I knew what anything else was going to be. :)

Extras:
3-Pin XLR Adapter <- I’m not sure what to choose for an adapter, but I assume this needs to match up with whatever my BMS has on it?
TTL_USB Adapter

I had a lot of fun playing with ebikes.ca’s charge simulator. This is the profile I plan to use for everyday charging:
Everyday use
Custom Battery -- LG 18650 MJ1
Series Count -- 10S (37V)
Parallel Count -- 6P (20Ah)
Lead+Tab mOhm -- 30
Percent Charge -- 80%
Bulk Current -- 2 A
Charge Complete -- 0.15
Total -- 8.55 hr

Since I’d only be using the middle section of my battery pack, hopefully I’ll be able to get more than the 400 cycles they’re rated for. Every month or two I will charge it all the way up to let the BMS do it’s balancing.

I’m not entirely sure what values to use for mOhm or charge complete, though, so I left them at default.

Total for charger: $318.00

Miscellaneous Other Parts
I’m in the process of looking at a container to hold the battery pack in. Any suggestions? The dimensions of my triangle are approximately 16” (height) x 21.5” (length) x 26” (hypotenuse). I kind of like the idea of an over-the-frame bag like this one, but the side bags on this one isn’t large enough to hold the battery. If I did my math right, if I make my battery pack roughly rectangular prism shaped, it’s going to be around 4” x 7” by 3”.

Upgrade Path

I happened across ElectricGod’s post “Schwinn S1000 build - how to build your own EV”, and like the idea of the LED lights. I’ll have to look into all that again after I get the core bike put together.

Maybe I’ll put regenerative braking on it at some point too. I’ll have to do more research.



So what do you all think? Doable? Anything glaring that I missed?
 
Even if the fastest road you drive a car on is only, say 55 mph, you don't want a car that only does 55.
I have been riding bike lanes here for years and I sort of classify speed ranges as follows;
1) 20 mph and under-boring, but some bike don't have the gearing to pedal along at much faster speeds. A nice thing about your donor bike is the 11T X 48T final gearing, which w/ the big whl.s, you should be able to pedal along up to 25 mph.
2) 22 to 24 mph-the "sweet spot". Fast enough to be entertaining and to feel like you are covering some ground.
3)25 mph and above-25 mph is about the max I feel comfortable. At higher speeds, cars can mis-judge your speed w/ bad results. If the roads are less than perfect, your hardtail may be a limiting factor and even in the lower-mid 20's mph range, you may start thinking about some sort of seatpost suspension.
You will probably get bombarded w/ a multitude of opinions, but I question your choice of motor and mounting location.
Both geared motors and DD motors have their pluses and cons. Certainly, if you are trying to stay with an all Grin system, the 9C is the most economical motor choice, but I am in the camp of using geared motors. I like their smaller form factor and their slightly better free whl.ing
To over-simplify, stop and go driving, lower speeds and lower Volts favor geared motors, while longer stretches, higher speeds and higher Volt systems(they love lot's of Volts)favor DD motors.
I have an Ezee geared and I know that they are a serious chunk of change, but there are others worth considering. The Mac and BPM to name two.
The BPM CST is a popular motor that allows the use of the donor bike's cassette, rather than spending extra money on the Enoch DNP free whl.
https://bmsbattery.com/ebike-kit/492-bafang-36v500w-cst-rear-driving-hub-motor-ebike-kit.html
It's a mid-speed motor and according to the Ebike CA sim. should top out around 23 mph on 36 V, while still be able to climb decently
I'm really not pushing one type of motor over the other, but you will notice I am pushing a rear mount.
I rode a frt. mount the first three years of Ebiking and I'll telling you, you don't want a 1000 Watt system on the frt, especially a motor that weighs as much as a 9C.
I understand the attraction, they are easier to mount, but when I put a 25 Amp controller on my MXUS, things started to get exciting. It wasn't very hard to get the tire spinning, fun if you are ready for it, but not so much if you are not. And the weight of the DD will definately effect the handling. Remember, the weight of the motor is forward of the steering stem axis and it's swinging back and forth gets amplified.
The last three things I might mention are;
1) The throttle-You might consider a left-hand, half-twist throttle. If you are like 90% of ebike riders, you wont use the frt. chainring and may even consider removing the shifter, making a great space for the throttle.
2)If you look at the BPM motor @ BMS Battery, you might scan their batteries. Personaly, building battery packs is not my idea of a hobby, I spend too much time on my ebikes as it is, but that's just me.
3)Lastly, budget for tires. Flats are bad enough on a reg. bike, but on a hub mounted ebike, they can put you out of action. Think about quality tires w/ a "flat guard" feature and extra thick tubes. Many like the Schwalbes, but I"m a big fan of the WTBs.
 
My neighbor very recently picked up a 48V 14.5A battery from ama zon for about $350. At that price it seems kinda silly to build yer own and like motomech implied (paraphrased somewhat and adding words that wasn't said) "building a battery pack with 18650's isn't exactly fun"

That said I build my own battery packs using multiple 16A multistars because I chose to build my personal bikes (trikes, actually) around a particular case size, so I could quickly exchange battery packs.
All trikes use the same battery case (and sometimes the same battery packs... lol)

Over the years I've built several bikes with small geared-hub motors in the front wheel that would meet your range and speed requirements.
The bikes are still on the road, as I see them occasionally.
...and I've installed DD hubs in front wheels of trikes... never on a bike.
The forks on the trikes are either modified or use dual torque arms. (important safety features when regen is activated on the DD)
The trikes are also still on the road.
 
I went pretty much this exact route when I did my hard tail MTB conversion last year. Yes, I’d say this is certainly doable. As you are planning on doing, I also built my battery pack using LG MJ1 cells, only mine is 8P 12S configuration running at 44 volts. I did not use a BMS but instead monitor and balance cells manually. So far, no problems. I get enough speed, range and hill climbing ability for my needs.
My front drive 9C motor runs on Grin’s 35 amp controller, my CA is a V3 and regen braking is simply awesome. I’ve pulled 37 amps on steep hills, the battery pack is fused to 40 amps. So far, I’ve encountered no issues with front drive (I run 2 front torque arms). A factor for me with front wheel drive was simplicity and better weight distribution. I’m also in the 220 lb. range and am retired so commuting is not a requirement. I do a major amount of pedalling during rides and do not notice any motor drag while doing so.
As part of my conversion, I designed and built a battery and controller box from a half sheet of 4mm acrylic sheet. I have been told that the box will crack and break from vibration and shock but no problems so far. I stick to pavement and groomed trails most of the time.
In case you are interested, I did a few progress videos during the conversion... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpXtkRu-xMfxFjI7xSaDQt_j1K0Q-Hip4
Good luck on your project.
 
Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far. I knew there had to be something I was overlooking! I hadn't considered the weight/size of the motor and how it would affect the handling of the bike. It also didn't help that I don't know anyone around that has an ebike yet, so I definitely appreciate hearing your personal experiences.

I will take a closer look at the Bafang and eZee rear motors -- is there a considerable difference in build quality between the two (i.e., will the eZee last a lot longer than the Bafang would), or is it simply capable of taking more power?

I was originally going to make my own battery since that way I'd have a better idea of the quality of the cells that were used. Most of the big-name ebike stores in the US seemed to be charging about $600-1000 for this type of battery, and I didn't really feel comfortable buying from Mr. China Factory yet. But if the BMSBattery batteries/other retailers that you guys could recommend hold up really well for these prices, I think I might go ahead and buy rather than build. I do eventually want to build some for the experience, but now that everything's starting to come together I'm itching to get on it and start riding around. I can be patient and build batteries later. :D

Doing a quick scan through the batteries at BMSBattery, this one seems to be significantly less expensive per Watt-hour than the others; is it just because it doesn't have a hard case? 36V 20Ah Li-Ion Shrink Tube EBike Battery Pack.

Motomech, your suggestion about a left-hand throttle absolutely makes sense to me. LH half-twist it is!
 
I strongly suggest a geared hub motor for the bike you've described. A Q128 front hub is in the right power range and has minimal effect on the feel or function of the bike when you're not using the motor.

Don't use a direct drive motor unless you want to use it all the time. It will bum you out.
 
is there a considerable difference in build quality between the two (i.e., will the eZee last a lot longer than the Bafang would), or is it simply capable of taking more power?
Click to expand...
There is a difference in quality, but if it has a bearing on service life depends. The made in Taiwan Ezee is what one would expect if the Japanese made ebike motors. The insides are beautiful w/ perfectly straight windings and it just exudes quality, while the Chinese made BPM looks kind of sloppy in comparision. But that does not necessarily mean the Ezee will last longer. The real difference, especially to you, is the Ezee and BMC (and maybe the MAC, not sure)have dedicated rubber seals on the axle, where as the BPM does not. If you plan to ride in the winter, this could be important, as they help in keeping water and crud(salt)out of the motor. At moderate power levels(your intent, right?) and for fair weather riding, they all will last for years.
Chalo mentioned the Q128, a hubbie that is becoming more popular, but to describe it we need to talk about hub motors in general.
1)Mini's-The Q100(Cute), the sm MXUS geared and lot's a Bafangs. Weighing between 2.0 Kg. and 2.4 Kg.s, their form factor is wide and squat, sm. enough to hide behind the brk. rotor. They are good up to around 1000 Watts, but they usually mean a compromise. Sustained climbing produces heat and shedding heat requires mass, so mini's often present the user with the choice of decent climbing and low top speed or a higher top speed and poor climbing performance. Mini's are good for frt. mount systems.
2)The larger geared motors(but not the largest) like the Ezee, Bafang, etc., weight 5 Kg.s and are tall and narrow.
The Q128 falls in between and retains the shape of the mini's, and there can be a rub(literally). Like the big MXUS mini, their width can sometimes create fitment issues. Their side covers can get close to the brk. caliper and in applications that require whl. "dishing"(CST models especially). their width means they can't be moved back and forth and they may need "extreme dishing". The Q128 is the hot lick for roadie types who want a powerful and stealthy system. But if you don't mind that your motor is a little more visible, I would recommend the 5 Kg.s motors. They are, in general, easier to fit.
The next thing to talk about is motor speed and how it relates to pack Voltage. In general, a system that uses the lowest speed motor w/ higher Volts to achieve a desired top speed will be more efficient than the system that gets there w/ a higher speed motor running on less Volts. Given that almost all controllers are dual (36v/48V)Voltage and there is little difference in price between a 36V pack and a 48 V pack, there is little reason to go w/ a 36 V system.
Motor speeds-the are basicly three levels w/ some motors offering increments in between.
1)Low speed or the "201" that is to say, a "no load" speed of 201 rpms rated @ 36 Volts.
2) Mid-speed motors in the range of 250 to 270 rpms.
3)High-speed motors, called the 328's.
The UEB's(Universial EBike's)
W/out the gears that a mid-drive provides, all hub systems will have some compromise. If one looks back thru the extensive archives here, one build scenaro keeps popping up, the mid-speed 5 kg.s geared rear hub w/ a 25 to 35 Amp controller running on 48 Volts. There's a reason they are common, they seem to offer the best compromise of speed vs climbing and power vs smooth throttle response. These are usually bikes w/ 26" whl.s that top out around 23 to 24 mph. W/ your big whl.s, you could use a low-speed 201 motor on 48 Volts for a top speed in the 21 to 23 mph range. A 52 Volt pack would add a couple of mph. If you are interested in the BPM, you might consider this one, since the CST is not available in the 201 speed:
https://bmsbattery.com/ebike-kit/350-bafang-bpm2-36v500w-rear-driving-e-bike-hub-motor-ebike-kit.html
You would have to purchase an Enoch DNP free whl, which if you read back thru older posts, people disparage. But I must say, the last one I got shifts great and is smooth and quiet.
If this is something you want to pursue, then we can talk about controllers and PAS and what BMS Battery pack you might consider.
 
Hmm... so it sounds like I have a decision to make.

To answer your question motomech, based on what I think you are defining as moderate power levels sounds like what I'm looking for. Enough to help me get around, but by no means going highway speeds! I read the wiki article I'M A NOOB AND I WANNA GO 50MPH. I don't want to go there. :shock: I whipped out the GPS speedometer on my ride yesterday to see how I felt at different speeds, and your speed ranges sound spot on.

It looks like I would be best off going with one of the following:

1. eZee V2 (250RPM) Rear Hub Motor

With this option, I can still get the kit from ebikes.ca. In this case, they would put the rear wheel together for me, which includes spoking out the rim and installing the cassette. It would also include a Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire and tube (along with including the other stuff like a cycle analyst, torque arm, and throttle that I would still need to get). This motor contains rubber seals on the axle, which will prove useful--its the middle of June and the road sweepers are still going through town cleaning up the salt and dirt from the last snowfall off the roads. I passed one on my way to work yesterday morning. Comes with a 2-year warranty period on pretty much all the bike parts, which I'm hoping I'd never have to use, but its nice to know its there. The most expensive option.

2. Bafang BPM2 Rear Hub Motor

Least expensive of the options, this would be purchased from bmsbattery.com. I would need to spoke out the rim on my own, true the tire, and install a new cassette. I would need to use my own rim, tire, and tube and pick up a stronger set of tires like a set of WTBs or Schwalbes. Doesn't contain the rubber seals that the other motors have to keep crud out of the motor. This would be the 201 rpm winding.

3. Bafang CST Rear Hub Motor

More expensive than the BPM and less than the eZee, this would also come from bmsbattery. This one too I would need to spoke out the rim, etc. This one comes with the same rubber seal that the eZee motor has. This would be the 270 winding.

4. BMC Motor

I haven't had a chance to look into this one much, so I don't have a comparison yet.


They all are around the same weight, and would get me where I want to go. Based on the various reviews I happened across on the motors, they all seem to be about the same noise level as well. I'm going to avoid the Q128 for now, since the "difficult to fit" part doesn't sound that appealing. Anything else I've missed in my overview?

The eZee is the most expensive (and more so than the 9C+ that I originally intended to go with), but it sounds like I'm going to end up spending less on the battery than I originally budgeted for (I've abandoned the idea to build, so no need to acquire any of the tools now!), so its not necessarily that far of a reach.

And you've talked me into it, I'll go for the 48 Volts. :D The only consideration I would have to make is that my back-of-the-envelope math shows [strike]that I'd be at 1200W, which might void the eZee warranty if I went with that. I'll check my math again in the morning.[/strike] EDIT: I forgot that battery power output != motor power input. On their site they say "Power at 48V: 750W" so it should be good.

In any of the three/four cases, at this point it sounds like I'm going to get a battery pack from BMS Battery and the Cycle Satiator from ebikes.ca, so the packing things into minimal shipments is "six of one, half a dozen of the other" now. I'll put together my thoughts on the different battery packs tomorrow too.

Thanks again for all the help!
 
Hmm... so it sounds like I have a decision to make.
Click to expand...
Wait till you start considering controllers :D
This motor contains rubber seals on the axle, which will prove useful--its the middle of June and the road sweepers are still going through town cleaning up the salt and dirt from the last snowfall off the roads.
Click to expand...
That stuff is not going to get in to the motor. That takes water, lot's of splashy water. As I said, winter riding is the determining factor as to whether or not you need concern yourself w/ this.
I can still get the kit from ebikes.ca. In this case, they would put the rear wheel together for me, which includes spoking out the rim and installing the cassette.
Click to expand...
BMS Battery offers built ASM's too. The whl.s are assembled, but the spokes are not real tight. Since the BPM should not require much dishing, it should just be a matter of "tightening" the spokes, something you could do yourself. The built whl adds to the freight, bit there is nothing wrong w/ the components they use. On the other hand, the Grin built wheels are the best I have ever used. I don't think I have ever had to take a wrench to one of them.
I think you are confusing cassettes vs free whl.s. The Ezee Requires a free whl, which does not come w/ the basic kit, but does w/ the advanced kit. Only the CST models can accept the cassette off your donor bike.
Really at this point, rather than detail all the options(almost endless) that each vendor offers, you need to make a deccission as to which primary vendor you want to go with.
It's best to go into this w/ the idea that by buying everything from one vendor will help to reduce shipping costs, although it seldom works out that way.
Now I like the Grin stuff, I've used a lot of it over the years, but the basic rear kit you would want is $900, plus the basic PAS stuff($24), plus shipping. And you still need a battery.
If you went w/. a Grin battery-Since the Ezee is a mid-speed, 36 Volts is ok to get to the low 20's mph. That opens up the possibility of using the, in frame, downtube mounted 36 V/14 Ah battery-$425. So, for about $1350, plus shipping you get a nice "plug and play kit, w/ very little in the way of extras to buy.
A note about Cycle Analysts and info/displays in general- I've had 2 CA's and they were great learning tools. But over time, running the same routes, the info gets repetitive and these days I run a Voltmeter, that's it. But I carry so much batt. capacity, I never really worry about range. If a guy was continualy exploring new horizons, yeah it is needed. In your case wanting PAS, it's needed.
On the other hand, let's look at a typical "Chinese vender" build, in this case from BMS Battery;
Start w/ this motor built in whl.
https://bmsbattery.com/ebike-kit/585-bafang-bpm2-36v500w-rear-driving-e-bike-motor-wheel-ebike-kit.html
This adds some to the freight, but if a battery is ordered, most of the freight cost would be determined by it's weight.
Controller-I don't feel that BMS Battery has the best controller for the BPM. What they offer seems to be either too sm. or too big.
A popular controller/display combo is the 20 Amper sine wave from PSW Power;
http://www.pswpower.com/ven.php?cargo.2016-3f-33c0
Lot's info and they have the "torque imitation" feature, which offers the best PAS interface short of going w/ a pricey actual torque sensor.(Lot's of studying can be done on these).
Add one of the two Panasonic 48V/14.5 Ah batteries and a few accessories from BMS Battery and we have a total of about $750, plus freight. Freight is usually about half the product cost.
My only reservation about this combo is the controller is a little under-rated. Ideally, it would be a 25 to 30 Amp unit. But it would be a super smooth set-up and there is a way to mod it out to 25 Amps.
And we haven't even touched on a Em3ev/Mac build. The Macs come in many speed ranges and a low-speed motor on 52 Volts and a Infineon 30 Amp controller would be a real hot Rod.
I wish I could go into more detail, but I leave, pulling my toy hauler(w/ ebikes:), Baja today.
If you study up on these and decide, perhaps I can suggest some of the detail stuff, like what accessories and how to deal w/ BMS Battery. There triangle batt.s and frame bag would be perfect for your bike, not cheap, but excellent quality.
Over the years, I have had good luck w/ BMS Battery, but something to consider is their warranty process can be sketchy. But then again, Grin did me a dirty when i bought some used motors from them that they told me they were fine, but in reality, both needed repairs.
 
Thanks motomech, you've been a huge help and have given me a ton of great info. I'm going to go with the Grin Ezee system with the 36V 14Ah Hailong battery (+ their Cycle Analyst). I'm also planning to pick up some spare tires.

but I leave, pulling my toy hauler(w/ ebikes:), Baja today.
Click to expand...

Hopefully Baja was a blast!
 
First post here. :)
This was a great beginner read, thanks to all who contributed. I'd like to hear about your build when you get it going.
 
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500wattz
500wattz
Mckecknie
Looking for help please I'm wanting information for the correct upgrades(battery and/or motor)! Motor/Battery Picture Added!
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wolf421
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How to balance LFP in series?
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Michael9dk
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