Rear hub motor off roading- is it waterproof?

[Martboy21]

I since have bought a 27.5 mtb. Soon to do a conversion but wanted to know whether or not a rear hub motor Is water/dirt proof?
If the controller and batterys are in a waterproof bag am I able to hose the rest of the bike down after I've finished for the day on muddy trials etc

Or am I better of with a mid drive system? Reluctant though due to cost

Thanks in advance!

 

[MadRhino]

It is OK to ride dirt and wet with a hub, I do it all year long. Some even do it with a motor that has cooling holes but that is probably at the cost of shorter life expectancy. A mid drive is better off road only if you build low power, that wouldn't be enough to make a hub a good climber. With power enough, a big DD hub can't be beaten in the trails because it is faster than mid drives and you don't need to shift gears. If you build well balanced with good brakes, even motorcycles can't keep up in mountain trails because of their heavier weight and longer wheelbase, that are a handicap in handling and braking performance.

 

[amberwolf]

wanted to know whether or not a rear hub motor Is water/dirt proof?

None are totally waterproof. If you look at the Grin Tech blog page http://ebikes.ca then maybe 2-3 years back is an article and video about testing this, and why this is the case, and what you might be able to do about it. This info is also here on ES, by Justin_LE, but is easier to find on Grin.

 

[Martboy21]

Cheers lads

Was just worried after a freshly built bike I'd take it to its first off road adventure and come back needing a new rear hub motor.

I'm not talking about going through huge puddles and jumping off cliffs but didn't want to get to a muddy section and have to get off and walk round.

Also after I wanted to wash it , I guess I'll have to let it dry and brush it off with a soft brush . Any way to silicone up the rear hub between the face plates?

Cheers

 

[MadRhino]

Any way to silicone up the rear hub between the face plates?

This is done already, on new DD hubs. Some better than others, but like I said: even with holes, it will ride wet. The only problem with water that I've had was enough water frozen hard inside that it was stucked. Yet It was riding as usual the next day, after a night inside the garage.