Bafang geared hub motors

[Fordulike]

The general consensus on Bafang geared hub motors is that the nylon gears wear out fairly quickly.
What kind of mileage are we looking at before an overhaul is needed?
I realise that it does depend on the usage of the motor, but are we talking monster miles or a pitiful amount?

 

[Tommunbeig]

The general consensus on Bafang geared hub motors is that the nylon gears wear out fairly quickly.
What kind of mileage are we looking at before an overhaul is needed?
I realise that it does depend on the usage of the motor, but are we talking monster miles or a pitiful amount?

By way of this being my first post to the forum, and being in the painful process of acquiring a pedelec, the first of which is too weak, I have seen several posts refer to the Bafang etc giving a URL. I tried this with blind alley results, BUT persevering I got access through "http://www.szbaf.com/" to the 8-Fun etc motors.
I hope this helps somebody!
regards,
Ken.

 

[Fordulike]

By way of this being my first post to the forum, and being in the painful process of acquiring a pedelec, the first of which is too weak, I have seen several posts refer to the Bafang etc giving a URL. I tried this with blind alley results, BUT persevering I got access through "http://www.szbaf.com/" to the 8-Fun etc motors.
I hope this helps somebody!
regards,
Ken.

Firstly let me welcome you to the forums. You will get all the answers you need from a bunch of very knowledgeable riders.
As for info on the Bafang range of hub motors, for some unknown reason they don't give away much on their website.
In fact their main website is very poor.
But we can only hope they improve... Enjoy

 

[flecc]

The Suzhou Bafang internally geared hub motors are highly thought of with good reason, at the top of that market and widely used by manufacturers.

The internal gears are indeed nylon but robust and last for thousands of miles normally and can be regreased after many miles, but not normally before 5000 miles and I've used them well beyond that without problems. Once in a while a gearset fails early, one I had failed in week two, but that's rare and suppliers replace immediately. If they get through the early months as they nearly all do, they go on for years.

The gearset is easily replaced, even by owners, the hub internal rack and gearwheel sets usually available from the bike supplier if a well known bike make. Here's photos of the gears and hubshell rack on a typical SB model:

 

[mechaniker]

the sprocket is not a problem, if you use the bike as an electric-bicycle,
20000km is no problem.
If you use the bicycle as an Motorbike and dont use the pedal it keep maybe only 500-1000km
But price for the sprocket is cheap, around 5euro

regards
frank

 

[flecc]

If you use the bicycle as an Motorbike and dont use the pedal it keep maybe only 500-1000km

A bit low in my experience Frank. There are many eZee Quando single speed e-bikes on the road, using one of the most powerful SB setups. The single gear is only 69" on the later model so pedalling barely catches up with it's top speed, meaning that most users ride them in moped fashion without pedalling.

The earliest version only had a 54" single gear so pedalling with the motor was impossible most of the time, and there are many of those still in use since 2004. I run a support website for them and haven't heard of one gear failure on that model.

I'd expect several thousand miles without attention from those normally.
.

 

[mechaniker]

sorry flecc,
i forgot to say that this very much dependent on controller-setup.
Many of my former customer, ride by 25Ampere and more. Some crash the sprocket after only 200km with 60Volt-45ampere.

of course, if the bike have a setup under 20ampere you can ride maybe more as 1000km without pedal in flat terrain.

My experience is that a MAC-Motor (BMC-Shanghai) or a bafang Motor or ezee, used by rough customer, the sprocket have a short lifetime if you use more than 25ampere and if you use more than 30ampere it reduce again a lot

I always tell the new electric-biker if you want ride a motorbike, then buy a motorbike and not an e-bike.
If you ride an e-bike you have to support the motor and in this way the motor support you.
Many customer have problem in understanding this two sentence and go wondering when the sprocket have tooth-ache

The 60Volt-30ampere customer is one of the reason i stop selling e-bike stuff to private customer, you can´t controll them but you must give warranty.
Sure i sit in China and must not give warranty but i´m not strong enough to say no, and so i stop selling to privates, it is a bit of my fault.

regards
frank

 

[Mussels]

The general consensus on Bafang geared hub motors is that the nylon gears wear out fairly quickly.
What kind of mileage are we looking at before an overhaul is needed?
I realise that it does depend on the usage of the motor, but are we talking monster miles or a pitiful amount?

My standard 905 managed over 10,000 miles before it went wrong, all three nylon gears needed replacing at the same time.
It was also a relatively simple job and failed over a slow period so I had plenty of time to get the replacements.

 

[flecc]

I always tell the new electric-biker if you want ride a motorbike, then buy a motorbike and not an e-bike.
If you ride an e-bike you have to support the motor and in this way the motor support you.
Many customer have problem in understanding this two sentence and go wondering when the sprocket have tooth-ache

regards
frank

Yes that is a permanent problem Frank, I say one way is a low powered motorbike with pedal assist, the other is a bicycle with motor assist, and I ignore those who want the first way. They should get a driving licence and ride a moped.

The Quando bikes I mentioned run within 20 amps and usually much lower, and they have the mechanical advantage of a 20" wheel for climbing.
.