Any UK Bafang hub motor suppliers ?

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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There are many good motors availabale today and they have got smaller and lighter .

I have an front BPM that is a beast also have a rear CST model of the BPM.
The Q128C another v.good motor that I don't use much at the mo.
The yose hubs look to me like a bafang , again I have one of them and it has proved to be very good.
Currently my motor of choice is the Bafang g370 a very light and pokey very capable front hub motor, it has no issue towing a trailer loaded with 100kg and my 80kg weight.
I tend to opt for low rpm motors for torque.
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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What motor is used in the fido ?
 

Topdonkey

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Feb 27, 2015
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Its still available !, nice, but i forgot that they are 48v and my bike only has space for a 36v battery unless i rebuild, but its quite a small battery space onboard, so best to stick with a 36v motor i think.
 

Topdonkey

Pedelecer
Feb 27, 2015
121
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There are many good motors availabale today and they have got smaller and lighter .

I have an front BPM that is a beast also have a rear CST model of the BPM.
The Q128C another v.good motor that I don't use much at the mo.
The yose hubs look to me like a bafang , again I have one of them and it has proved to be very good.
Currently my motor of choice is the Bafang g370 a very light and pokey very capable front hub motor, it has no issue towing a trailer loaded with 100kg and my 80kg weight.
I tend to opt for low rpm motors for torque.
The Fiido D2 has fairly weedy looking front forks, so want to stick with rear hub drive really, but I'll have a look for a Q128c or a G370, but it has to be a 36v motor capable of a 20a peak current
 

Topdonkey

Pedelecer
Feb 27, 2015
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Back again !

I've bought a Bafang rear hub motor from an Ebay seller, and its arrived today, but i have no idea what i've bought !

It has BAFANG cast onto it and a cast forward arrow, then it says BF2103H62077 - 1 which is engraved, then theres a label that says EPAC 25Km/h Voltage 36V Output 0.25Kw CE and Bafang electric Suzhou co ltd then theres a clear sticker that says 20 (assuming 20" wheel ??) and another clear sticker that says QC 09 and it has a 9 pin connector on a short cable.

I'm thinking that i need a 9 pin adaptor cable to get this connected to my controller and it has a freehub (not a freewheel like my current bike) so i need to get a single speed gear with some spacers and a lock ring I guess

Does this sound suitable for my folding bike do you think ?

Also, I need to buy a 16" rim and some spokes which i need to calculate the correct length and find the best lacing pattern, I've built plenty of 26" wheels many years ago, but i guess this smaller wheel will be a bit trickier to build, Any tips ?

Thankyou
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
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We can only guess at the motor rpm/winding so for a 20" wheel at 25km/h ,the wound speed might be approx. 260/270 rpm. Built in to a 16" wheel one might see 13 , 14 mph if you are very lucky..
The answer will only become clear once a wheel is built and tested .

One may have to settle for radial spoke pattern , 1x will likely be to much for nipple angle entry.
What is the hub diameter ?
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
7,044
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Telford
Back again !

I've bought a Bafang rear hub motor from an Ebay seller, and its arrived today, but i have no idea what i've bought !

It has BAFANG cast onto it and a cast forward arrow, then it says BF2103H62077 - 1 which is engraved, then theres a label that says EPAC 25Km/h Voltage 36V Output 0.25Kw CE and Bafang electric Suzhou co ltd then theres a clear sticker that says 20 (assuming 20" wheel ??) and another clear sticker that says QC 09 and it has a 9 pin connector on a short cable.

I'm thinking that i need a 9 pin adaptor cable to get this connected to my controller and it has a freehub (not a freewheel like my current bike) so i need to get a single speed gear with some spacers and a lock ring I guess

Does this sound suitable for my folding bike do you think ?

Also, I need to buy a 16" rim and some spokes which i need to calculate the correct length and find the best lacing pattern, I've built plenty of 26" wheels many years ago, but i guess this smaller wheel will be a bit trickier to build, Any tips ?

Thankyou
Get the cable, then test the speed of the motor with a cycle computer. All you need to do is stick the magnet to the motor, then hold the sensor in your hand and bring it close to the magnet when it's spinning at full speed. You will be able to see how fast it'll go when you set the computer to 16" wheel. Multiply that by 0.8 to get your real life maximum speed. Don't build the wheel or order the spokes until you've done that test. If it is indeed a motor for a 20" wheel, you should get an actual top speed of around 14 mph with very good hill-climbing.

If the above test shows it's a bit slow, you can run it at 48v to get 30% more speed, which would be a better option.
 

Topdonkey

Pedelecer
Feb 27, 2015
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We can only guess at the motor rpm/winding so for a 20" wheel at 25km/h ,the wound speed might be approx. 260/270 rpm. Built in to a 16" wheel one might see 13 , 14 mph if you are very lucky..
The answer will only become clear once a wheel is built and tested .

One may have to settle for radial spoke pattern , 1x will likely be to much for nipple angle entry.
What is the hub diameter ?
Overall diameter is 136cm and center of spoke hole to spoke hole is 122.5cm

Here's the link to my ebay purchase in case it helps ? Its from a Carerra crosscity 20" folding bike

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/256065204117
 

Topdonkey

Pedelecer
Feb 27, 2015
121
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Get the cable, then test the speed of the motor with a cycle computer. All you need to do is stick the magnet to the motor, then hold the sensor in your hand and bring it close to the magnet when it's spinning at full speed. You will be able to see how fast it'll go when you set the computer to 16" wheel. Multiply that by 0.8 to get your real life maximum speed. Don't build the wheel or order the spokes until you've done that test. If it is indeed a motor for a 20" wheel, you should get an actual top speed of around 14 mph with very good hill-climbing.

If the above test shows it's a bit slow, you can run it at 48v to get 30% more speed, which would be a better option.
Nice, good hill climbing power is exactly what I want !, and i'd be totally happy with a 14mph top speed as I broke my leg in 3 places 2 years ago with lots of other injuries after a motorbike crash which have never fully healed, so I err on the side of caution and go quite slowly anyway.

I've put the link to the hub motor purchase in my reply to Neath above, have a look and see what you think ? nut its definitely from a 20" folding bike.

I'll get it wired up at the weekend and do the test you suggest and report back.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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You can get some very cheap cycle computers from Ebay, otherwise Tesco an Wilko normally have them. If your motor doesn't have a speed sensor, you can use the one from the cycle computer so it might not be wasted money.
 

Topdonkey

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Feb 27, 2015
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I've tested it, and its showing 19mph with the cycle computer set to a 16" wheel :):):p:)

So i'm thinking this is a bit faster that i was expecting, but am hoping it will still provide good hill climbing torque.

I can also say, never try to hold a hub motor by its axle whilst testing it, it span out of my fingers instantly on the first try, luckily no damage to me or the hub motor's wiring, I lightly clamped it in my vice for the second (careful) test !

The next problem I am finding, is that no where seems to sell a decent quality (or any quality!) 16" x 1.75" 36 hole rim.
The closest I could find with more than 3 hours google searching was a Stolen Rampage BMX rim that they do in 20", 18" and 16", but the 16" version only has 32 holes and i'm guessing i cant use a 36 hole hub motor with a 32 hole rim ?

Getting all of this working is getting soooo close, but its so much more frustrating than i was expecting, but i'm determined to get it working !
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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I've tested it, and its showing 19mph with the cycle computer set to a 16" wheel :):):p:)

So i'm thinking this is a bit faster that i was expecting, but am hoping it will still provide good hill climbing torque.

I can also say, never try to hold a hub motor by its axle whilst testing it, it span out of my fingers instantly on the first try, luckily no damage to me or the hub motor's wiring, I lightly clamped it in my vice for the second (careful) test !

The next problem I am finding, is that no where seems to sell a decent quality (or any quality!) 16" x 1.75" 36 hole rim.
The closest I could find with more than 3 hours google searching was a Stolen Rampage BMX rim that they do in 20", 18" and 16", but the 16" version only has 32 holes and i'm guessing i cant use a 36 hole hub motor with a 32 hole rim ?

Getting all of this working is getting soooo close, but its so much more frustrating than i was expecting, but i'm determined to get it working !
Be aware that there are different 16" rims with substantially different diameters. Look at your tyre to see what size you have - the metric numbers, not the ones in inches.
 
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guerney

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The next problem I am finding, is that no where seems to sell a decent quality (or any quality!) 16" x 1.75" 36 hole rim.
I have the same problem finding good quality rims for wider tyres, for my 20" wheeled Dahon. I read somewhere on these forums that Litepro manufacture for Brompton... these are 36H, but too narrow etc.

 

Topdonkey

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Feb 27, 2015
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The hunt for a 16" 36 hole rim that will take a 1.75" or 2" wide tyre continues!

I've just emailed a BMX supplier called sourcebmx.com as they have a few 16" rims, but they are 28H so hopefully they might have something in stock or be able to source something suitable in 36H, I'll keep you updated.
 

guerney

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Sep 7, 2021
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The hunt for a 16" 36 hole rim that will take a 1.75" or 2" wide tyre continues!

I've just emailed a BMX supplier called sourcebmx.com as they have a few 16" rims, but they are 28H so hopefully they might have something in stock or be able to source something suitable in 36H, I'll keep you updated.
These 36H any good? Of course they might be rubbish quality.




51689
 

Topdonkey

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Feb 27, 2015
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Thankyou Guerney

But £16 for the rim, £25 for postage and i bet they hit me for import duty (or whatever its called now!) along with a 2 month wait makes it seem like too big a gamble really,

I'm surprised there aren't any UK rim suppliers, but I've struggled to get all sorts of bits for my bikes recently, maybe its global shipping delays and inflation causing the issues, or maybe i'm just building a really obscure bike with difficult to source parts !!!! :oops:
 

guerney

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Sep 7, 2021
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maybe i'm just building a really obscure bike with difficult to source parts !!!! :oops:
The only ready made 16" wheeled bike I've ever seen with 2" wide tyres, is the Dahon Curve with Schwalbe Big Apples. I did consider converting one with a BBS01B, but reckoned it's hub gears would fail fast. Also finding replacement rims for it would be difficult.
 
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saneagle

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Oct 10, 2010
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Thankyou Guerney

But £16 for the rim, £25 for postage and i bet they hit me for import duty (or whatever its called now!) along with a 2 month wait makes it seem like too big a gamble really,

I'm surprised there aren't any UK rim suppliers, but I've struggled to get all sorts of bits for my bikes recently, maybe its global shipping delays and inflation causing the issues, or maybe i'm just building a really obscure bike with difficult to source parts !!!! :oops:
£16 including shipping here:
 
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Topdonkey

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Feb 27, 2015
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I've actually got a Dahon Curve at work, but its a 20" model.

I'm thinking of putting my BBS02 750W crank motor along with my 52v battery on the Dahon just to see what its like to ride, I bet that will get up any hill i can throw at it !!!