Fun Commuter eBike? Bafang750W or Bomber eBike?

[torqueboards]

I'm stumped on what kind of eBike to choose. I'm looking for a relatively easy to commute eBike one which can get through the Bart San Francisco Traffic during commuting hours. I have recently just purchased a Sondors eBike but it's pretty big, heavy and slow. I'd like something with more umph then the Sondors eBike. Currently, I use an electric skateboard for commuting which is much easier than a bike but an ebike sounds like a fun project.

I've been thinking of using a BMX type bike and/or a 20" Mountain Bike with Disc Brakes (for ease of portability).

1. The friction drive ebike seems like a nice compact solution as well. I'm curious to know if it powers up hills as I'm looking to ride up 20-30% hills in SF. http://www.commuterbooster.com/home

2. The hub drive sounds great I'd look into one that offers 1000W or higher. I'm unsure whether or not these would climb hills.

3. The Bafang 750W BBS02/BBS03 mid drive sounds nice and seems like it will climb much more hills.

My goals and/or things I'd like to reach.
Budget - $1200-$1500
Portability - 20-35 lbs
Distance - 10-15 mile range
Incline - 20-30%

My question is which would be best for what my goals are. I don't necessarily have the first hand experience just yet on which would be best. I'm assuming the following is suggested in this order Bafang, Hub, Friction.

 

[rsilvers]

I think it will be hard to be less than 45 lbs.

With that incline you will need mid drive.

 

[Drunkskunk]

For a 30% incline, you can wipe everything off the list except monster powerful hubs, or some fairly powerful mid drives.
For weight, the mid drive is the best answer. I can't think of a kit that reasonably can do it, either. At least not any faster than a baby could crawl. this is likely something you'll need to engineer your self. Pick a robust motor in the >2000w range, and then build a drive train that can handle dragging your total body + bike weight up something a little less steep than a flight of stairs, day after day without wearing out so you can use it as a commuter.

 

[rsilvers]

Smallest chainring and largest rear cog will go a long way.

 

[Hillhater]

For a 30% incline, you can wipe everything off the list except monster powerful hubs, or some fairly powerful mid drives.......

.??... This is a 500W mid drive...
https://vimeo.com/136277616

 

[torqueboards]

Sweet. Thanks guys. I was thinking I needed the bafang just needed confirmation from people who have had experience riding already.

Will get the Bafang 500W or 750W, maybe 750W.

What kind of pwer do you guys suggest? 48V 72V?

 

[torqueboards]

So, I've been looking and wondering if it's doable to build a Bomber type eBike for around $1500?

Also what would be a better buy? DIY Bafang 750W + DIY Bomber Frame type eBike? Not sure what it's called.

As for frames, I have these in mind.
Vector e-Bike Frame $625 - https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=61259&start=1075
EEB Full Suspension eBike $499 - http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=209
EvelBike $625 - https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=64775

All of these seem like the exact same kit + suspension just rebranded?

What would you guys build? I'm debating on what I want.

I do want it to be easy to carry and relatively lightweight under 40-50 lbs. Should be easy to carry onto Bart/Train for commuting purposes.

 

[tln]

The bomber type frames are pretty heavy. It would be a waste to put a bbs02 on there, those frames are built to hold
lots of battery with a big powerful DD setup. I'd love to try one, with enough power you can get up a 30% hill at
speed. I would guess you would be looking at a 70-80 lb total weight.

I used to go on bart with my BBS02 setup. It is light enough to carry up stairs and gets up anything in granny gear.
My setup was about $800 not including bike, but stuff is cheaper now. The 4s 10000ah multistar is a superb match
for the BBS02 + bafangs are $500 shipped.

 

[torqueboards]

Thanks for the response. I was figuring that the Bomber type ebike was mostly for fun and would be horrible for a commute because of the added weight.

I guess for a commute the Bafang would be most ideal. Nice setup.

Sometimes, I think just using lipos is a much easier setup I guess since I already have a charger for it. I do have (2) 4S 16ah packs just sitting around too.

 

[longwise_suck]

So, I've been looking and wondering if it's doable to build a Bomber type eBike for around $1500?

Also what would be a better buy? DIY Bafang 750W + DIY Bomber Frame type eBike? Not sure what it's called.

As for frames, I have these in mind.
Vector e-Bike Frame $625 - https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=61259&start=1075
EEB Full Suspension eBike $499 - http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=209
EvelBike $625 - https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=64775

All of these seem like the exact same kit + suspension just rebranded?

What would you guys build? I'm debating on what I want.

I do want it to be easy to carry and relatively lightweight under 40-50 lbs. Should be easy to carry onto Bart/Train for commuting purposes.

I am currently debating on the exact same thing, i have a nice comuter but i want something with a lot more capacity and speed so ive started to think about the EEB Full Suspension eBike with a HS 4080 @ 75 volts 40 amps ran with those new fandangaled 6s 16 amp 10c lipos from hobby king, 4 packs 50 volts 32 amps just the weight issue is bugging me, this thing will be purley for touring next summer

 

[Spanglo]

A lightweight commuter was my objective too. Ended up with a bike under 40 lbs with batteries. Settled on the BBS02 with no regrets. That mid drive has good balance of power and efficiency. My commute is 20 miles each way with 800ft of elevation, and I typically arrive with 2 bars on the battery indicator with a 12S 6.6A pack averaging 20mph. So you might be able to save some weight running a smaller battery pack for your short commute.

I haven't tried any steep inclines, but one of the hills by my house has 10% grade for .3 miles... usually average 15mph up it full throttle.