48v hub drive bike - (not UK legal)

[Peter.Bridge]

This popped up in my feed, seemed alright for the money although manual disc brakes and not UK legal

GUNAI GN29 29 Inch 750W Motor 48V 15AH Electric Bike for Adult Electric Mountain Bike 21 Speed

The Gunai GN29 Electric Bike Offers A Perfect Fit For A Variety Of Riders With Its Single Frame Size. Equipped With 750w Motor, 48v Battery, 21-speed Gear System.

www.gunai-ebikes.com

Someone did a review here

 

[Wayners]

E bikes cheaper than kits

 

[guerney]

Those mudguards are rubbish. The battery and controller will be splashed.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

E bikes cheaper than kits

Yeah, £722 on AliExpress

GUNAI GN29 Electric Bike 750W City Bike 48V 15Ah 29*2.1 Inch Off-Road Ebike ... https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/GUNAI-sepeda-listrik-GN29-pit-gunung-kecepatan-750W-48V-15Ah-29-2-1-inci-gigi-21/912691018_1005005780131134.html

I think it would be ok, but manual disc brakes, quite basic gearing. The customer reviews are very good. The biggest issue for me would be the controller, 3 rotations of the pedals before the pas kicks in. Not sure that headline speed is very realistic, apart from being illegal you'd soon use up a 15ah 48v battery and it would be quite dangerous to ride on the road at that speed, other road users would misjudge your speed.
On balance, if that was my budget, I'd probably get a 48v Bafang rear hub kit for £250 , a battery for £250 and spend £200 on a second hand bike. I like putting the kit together and learning about bike mechanics, and being able to maintain my own bike. The Woosh kits are better quality again, with good quality controller and customer service and advice for a bit more

 

[flecc]

This popped up in my feed, seemed alright for the money although manual disc brakes and not UK legal

Obviously originally intended for the US market in Connecticut and Idaho where 30mph is permitted with 750 watts. Maybe even hoping for dodgy sales in Louisiana and Pennsylvania where 25mph is the limit. More recently class 3 e-bikes have been adopted by certain states, Maryland and Virginia for example and they permit 28mph but only with a number of other restrictions on age and how or where they can be ridden. But no good for anywhere else in the USA or world.

No doubt over produced for that very limited market so trying to flog off the surplus cheaply here where policing is so lax.
.

 

[Az.]

It is not cheaper than kits. It is emtbso. Every component is of very poor quality.
I know it is not fair comparison, but Woosh recently posted link to used £300 full sus with good components. Add mid drive kit and you can have good emtb for £750. You get what you are paying for.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Riding an illegal e-bike at illegal speeds on public roads is one thing... filming yourself doing it is an act of gross stupidity. Like the guy who drove his Ferrari all the way around the M25 at a consistent 130mph+... Plod lifted the speedo serial number off his YT footage, tracked him down and prosecuted based on his own filmed evidence. Stupid twat.

Anyone care to forward this video to Plod?

 

[guerney]

At this point in the video, he was breaking the law at this location.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Tmt5rXZc1bGiS7R17

I hope he's clapped in irons in a dawn raid, bludgeoned with telephone directories in a small room, and accidentally thrown falls down multiple flights of stairs. If the will was there, he could be traced. I doubt five-oh-no-don't-tase-me-aaarrrggghh will bother.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

I was slightly worried for him on this skateboard thingy (click to see) !

 

[StuartsProjects]

At this point in the video, he was breaking the law at this location.

Well it is a 'driving' offence so;

https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/bob-e/dangerous-careless-driving

 

[guerney]

I've found his business address, I'm sure the cops could do that too.

 

[Peter.Bridge]

It is not cheaper than kits. It is emtbso. Every component is of very poor quality.
I know it is not fair comparison, but Woosh recently posted link to used £300 full sus with good components. Add mid drive kit and you can have good emtb for £750. You get what you are paying for.

Was there some concerns in particular ? The basic Shimano gears - my mother in law has them and done thousands of miles (although changing between the front cogs takes a bit of getting used to )- seems OK ? The chaoyang tyres have a pretty good reputation for the price - the manual discs seemed to stop ok on the video

It's not really an eMTB, more a commuter bike that can go on roads and light trails, I'd probably fit some decent mudguards and possibly at least a front hydraulic disc brake

 

[Az.]

Was there some concerns in particular ?

No, nothing specific apart from it being not legal, but you already know that. I am just surprised you are considering buying it, that is all. I would say it is a quite expensive bike for what it is.

 

[saneagle]

The only things that really matters on cheap bikes are the brakes and the forks. None of the other parts give any problems. The cheap shimano Tourney gears work really well and are extremely reliable. They're a good match for any electric bike with a hub-motor. The cheaper forks can give a harsh ride and the chrome tops will go rusty if you use it in winter and leave it outside. As long as it has disc brakes, they can be upgraded for as little as £40, so don't spend too much more for a bike that already has hydraulic ones unless you're scared of screwdrivers. Another problem you can get is badly built wheels, so always worth checking the spokes and adjust if necessary.

You can set the speed limit on that bike in the LCD settings and unplug the throttle if legality worries you. Like that, it's still not strictly legal, but I don't think anyone will care. You might be able to switch the throttle to dpendent on pedalling in the settings to make that legal.

 

[Az.]

Ha... I have found the link:

Rocky Mountain Element Mountain Bike | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rocky Mountain Element Mountain Bike at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

£300 for a bike like that, £450 for a kit with 48V 17.5Ah battery and it is completely different class.

 

[saneagle]

Ha... I have found the link:

Rocky Mountain Element Mountain Bike | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Rocky Mountain Element Mountain Bike at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products.

www.ebay.co.uk

£300 for a bike like that, £450 for a kit with 48V 17.5Ah battery and it is completely different class.

Can you give a link to that kit? I must have missed it when I looked.

 

[Az.]

Can you give a link to that kit? I must have missed it when I looked.

I didn't have any specific kit in mind, but for example:

Electric Bicycle Battery Hailong 21700 18650 Cells Pack 48V 36V 13Ah 20Ah Powerful ebike Lithium Battery for bafang tsdz2b tongsheng motor

Electric Bicycle Battery Hailong 21700 18650 Cells Pack 48V 36V 13Ah 20Ah Powerful ebike Lithium Battery for bafang tsdz2b tongsheng motor

www.pswpower.com

TSDZ2B tongsheng 48V 500W 350W 15A tsdz2 electric bicycle mid motor with torque sensor VLCD5 VLCD6 XH18 VLCD13 VLCD10

TSDZ2B tongsheng 48V 500W 350W 15A tsdz2 electric bicycle mid motor with torque sensor VLCD5 VLCD6 XH18 VLCD13 VLCD10

www.pswpower.com

 

[Peter.Bridge]

No, nothing specific apart from it being not legal, but you already know that. I am just surprised you are considering buying it, that is all. I would say it is a quite expensive bike for what it is.

No, I'm not allowed any more e-bikes ! and if I was I would get a second hand bike + kit
Just thinking that might suit some people as a commuter bike and seemed quite cheap for a 48v bike

 

[Az.]

No, I'm not allowed any more e-bikes !

He he he.... How many e-bikes do you have?

 

[Peter.Bridge]

He he he.... How many e-bikes do you have?

I got my boardman 29er fitted with a BBS02b kit (that I got before I knew about pedelecs) which I use for off road
I fitted a Claud Butler step through with a Woosh XFO8c kit (that my niece has borrowed to go to uni)
I fitted a Carrera Vulcan , with a bafang g020 rear hub kit (which I use the same battery as my boardman) that I use on the road
My wife has a Wisper 705
It's a strict one in one out policy now !
I have learnt a lot about bikes since I joined here and I do like the idea of being able to maintain and service my bikes - so much of modern technology is throw away and can only be maintained by specialists (if at all!).

What about you ?