Help! Are there any thru-axle compatible hub motors similar to the akm-75?

[Katrina]

I came across the akm-75 motor on the conversion kits forum, and it seems like a great fit for my needs with its weight and torque.
However, it doesn't support thru-axle, which is a significant drawback for me. I'm curious if there are any similar motors out there that do support thru-axle?
Thanks a lot!!!

 

[saneagle]

Mahle do one that's part of their system and is quite expensive. If you could get hold of a motor connector, you might be able to run it with a standard controller if you like to gamble.

https://www.tradeinn.com/bikeinn/en/mahle-smartbike-systems-x20-engine/141015297/p?utm_source=google_products&utm_medium=merchant&id_producte=143760308&country=uk&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA57G5BhDUARIsACgCYnxjDEWUfpC7UUfYRnOPy8GvHoJ77_U7slZ2xr7eu4KDlV-VNV54rVkaAgG4EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Grin do one, but it's heavy and powerful - probably not what you want:

All-Axle Hub Motor - Grin Products - Product Info

The All Axle motor takes the simplicity and robustness of the direct drive hub motor, and optimizes it for the modern bike platform. This hub is fully compatible with all quick release and thru-axle bike forks, it is over 30% lighter than standard generic hubs of similar power (4kg vs 6kg), and...

ebikes.ca

Bofeili have also started making one, though I've not seen it for sale yet. You could probably get a sample if you contact them directly.

 

[Katrina]

wow!!! I've noticed that several electric road bikes come with the Mahle X20 motor. It's indeed a good one, quite lightweight and compact. I'm just curious, what kind of performance does a peak torque of 23Nm represent?

 

[saneagle]

wow!!! I've noticed that several electric road bikes come with the Mahle X20 motor. It's indeed a good one, quite lightweight and compact. I'm just curious, what kind of performance does a peak torque of 23Nm represent?

They're OK for a rider of your weight, but it's a very expensive system. A forum member had the X35 system and needed a new battery after a relatively short time because such a small battery is under a lot of strain. The replacement cost was around £800, which is about £200 more than you could build a whole decent bike with a Q100 rear motor, and then have £150 replacement batteries.

I've just seen this. It might be worth giving them a call. I'm not sure how good it is at dealing with the torque reaction:

Boost Through Axle Conversion | Boost Bikes

Tips, tricks and FAQ about your Boost system

boostbike.uk

 

[Katrina]

Gosh, why is this happening? Is it because of the quality of the battery? Or something else?
I've seen the boost bike products too...

 

[Raboa]

Grin technologies do ship to the UK.

All-Axle Hub Motor - Grin Products - Product Info

The All Axle motor takes the simplicity and robustness of the direct drive hub motor, and optimizes it for the modern bike platform. This hub is fully compatible with all quick release and thru-axle bike forks, it is over 30% lighter than standard generic hubs of similar power (4kg vs 6kg), and...

ebikes.ca

 

[Katrina]

Grin technologies do ship to the UK.

All-Axle Hub Motor - Grin Products - Product Info

The All Axle motor takes the simplicity and robustness of the direct drive hub motor, and optimizes it for the modern bike platform. This hub is fully compatible with all quick release and thru-axle bike forks, it is over 30% lighter than standard generic hubs of similar power (4kg vs 6kg), and...

ebikes.ca

Thanks for the recommendation! It's a bit heavy, though.

 

[saneagle]

Gosh, why is this happening? Is it because of the quality of the battery? Or something else?
I've seen the boost bike products too...

Some manufacturers include their controller in the battery, which adds a lot to the cost. Add to that relatively low quantities to manufacture so the cost of tooling becomes relatively more expensive, pushing up the cost further. It's always best to stick with standard Chinese stuff unless you don't care about the cost and just want stuff like you want it.

 

[Katrina]

Some manufacturers include their controller in the battery, which adds a lot to the cost. Add to that relatively low quantities to manufacture so the cost of tooling becomes relatively more expensive, pushing up the cost further. It's always best to stick with standard Chinese stuff unless you don't care about the cost and just want stuff like you want it.

I get what you're saying. Are you saying that these types of products are prone to breaking and have high replacement costs?

 

[sjpt]

I get what you're saying. Are you saying that these types of products are prone to breaking and have high replacement costs?

There seem to be quite a lot of problems with expensive Mahle batteries. They tend to be favoured more by users of the Cycling UK website than this one; you will see a string of problems at https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=156980&sid=867561bd8aac0d512d88b8e4956e9b52

 

[saneagle]

I get what you're saying. Are you saying that these types of products are prone to breaking and have high replacement costs?

What I'm saying is that if you have separate controller and battery and either one has a problem, you can replace just that item, but if they're combined and either fails, you have to replace both.

This is the problem with Bosch type and other ebike motors with controllers in them. When water gets in, the electronics get a problem and you have to replace the whole unit at huge expense. The worst case was the All-In-One motors that had the battery and controller inside the motor. Naturally, it didn't work out very well for the owners.

 

[Katrina]

There seem to be quite a lot of problems with expensive Mahle batteries. They tend to be favoured more by users of the Cycling UK website than this one; you will see a string of problems at https://forum.cyclinguk.org/viewtopic.php?t=156980&sid=867561bd8aac0d512d88b8e4956e9b52

Omg, I'm going to take a look.

 

[Katrina]

What I'm saying is that if you have separate controller and battery and either one has a problem, you can replace just that item, but if they're combined and either fails, you have to replace both.

This is the problem with Bosch type and other ebike motors with controllers in them. When water gets in, the electronics get a problem and you have to replace the whole unit at huge expense. The worst case was the All-In-One motors that had the battery and controller inside the motor. Naturally, it didn't work out very well for the owners.

You're right, All-In-One motors can be a pain to repair and replacement costs can be high.
While I was looking up information, I learned that these All-In-One wheels raised a lot of funds on crowdfunding platforms in the past, but it seems like they've since faded away... It looks like only the Zehus All-In-One wheels are still in the game, partnering with some brands.

 

[funkylemon]

I've seen two small thru-axle hub motors pop up recently on aliexpress, a "Truckrun RN04" and a "AKM Inner Rotor Hub Motor" (elsewhere I see it as a "Suringmax SR85TX"). They look slightly different from each other but both are around ~$180 USD, 250 W power, 2 kg weight. I haven't seen any reports of them being used but I am curious how they perform.

 

[saneagle]

I've seen two small thru-axle hub motors pop up recently on aliexpress, a "Truckrun RN04" and a "AKM Inner Rotor Hub Motor" (elsewhere I see it as a "Suringmax SR85TX"). They look slightly different from each other but both are around ~$180 USD, 250 W power, 2 kg weight. I haven't seen any reports of them being used but I am curious how they perform.

I think you're looking for the wrong things. You have some idea in your mind about what you think is best, though you haven't tried anything. If I were you, I'd go for a quick and simple solution. Just get a cheap catalogue MTB with 26" wheels, a triangle frame and disc brakes. Add a Q100 motor, any battery you want and a 15A KT controller. You will then have a happy ebiking experience without ruining your present bike. Every time you think of a way to make it better, you make it harder to achieve.

When I started with ebikes, I spent £20,000 on every type of battery, motor, controller and bike to try to get the best solution. After 14 years, I figured out that the £340 Argos bike is bloody good.