BAFANG BBSHD CONVERSION KIT BUILD
I have been passionate about bicycles for many years, and I love to customise them. I always enjoy applying the new technologies on bikes during the experience in converting bicycles into electric bicycles. There are many types of conversion kit on the market, which means there are now many combinations available for converting E-bikes. Bafang is now firmly established as the one of the biggest exporters to the European and American markets, and there is no doubt about their quality control.
To build this E-bike, we selected Bafang’s 48V 1000W mid-drive motor kit BBS-HD, which has been highly rated by users in both Europe and the United States. With the growing maturity of these kits, E-bike conversion enables more diverse groups to enjoy the fun of riding. In addition to normal riders who want to gain a bit more speed to increase their fun, it also means that the elderly, or those in poor physical condition, can make use of the electrical assistance, so that they can enjoy the fun of riding this converting E-bike without increasing the burden on their bodies.
The bicycle we installed it on this time was the Carrera Subway 2, (Voted in Britain, as one of the best budget bikes in UK), upgraded with the SRsuntor EPICON air fork, which makes the original 27.5-inch front and rear wheels more comfortable and better off-roading, and the original hydraulic disc brake is also a benefit. The most important thing with this bike is the universal 68mm square taper bottom bracket, which can be easily fitted to, and not interfere with, the electric motor.
The following is a brief record of the converting process:
First of all, I would recommend removing the left outer cover of the motor and covering the large reduction gear with moly-grease, in order to protect the seal and the nylon gear. Then start to remove the chain, both pedals and crank. The only issue I had is the seized thread of the pedals, but all the other parts were removed smoothly.
After removing the front derailleur and the bottom bracket, the motor is about to fit on. Because there is only one chainring, the front derailleur is unnecessary. It can be left in place, however the shift lever takes additional space for the motor switch. Under the bottom bracket, there is a cable guide. Some of the thicker versions designed for the mountain bike, it need to be thinned or replaced to the narrower road bike version. So there is enough space for the motor to pass through.
When the motor is attached to the bottom bracket, it needs to be fixed into position, install the fixing plate with notches, then tighten the M33 nut with a torque wrench. If there is no special socket for the M33 nut, try to use a C-wrench to ensure the motor will not come loose.
To install the battery pack, each different battery has a different configuration and an installation. In this case, the battery is installed using the bottle cage mount. Our battery is made by SAMSUNG 35E cells which have high capacity and also help to reduce the weight. When installing the battery, it is recommended to drill an extra hole for a rivet thread nut. Thus three mounting points are more reliable to share the weight.
Put the battery back on and switch on the power, now it is time for testing! The motor and the battery pack installations are the two main processes in this build, and the rest are relatively easy. The final part is to connect all the wires and try to keep wires hidden and invisible to make the work looks tidy and clean. It may take as much as time on installation but it is worth it.
The final step is to test it on the road! Bafang claims that the BBS-HD has a maximum torque of 160 N*M, which is very exciting on a small bicycle with a total weight of less than one hundred kilograms. Therefore, there are nine levels of assistance, that allows users tuning the motor power. Overall, the motor is rated at 1000W 48V, so it has a maximum output of 1500W with a fully charged lithium battery. And even on a mountain bike with a 2.5-inch rear tyre and 46T front teeth, the acceleration is surprising. Imaging riding uphill feels like going on flat, and pressing the throttle easily takes you past 45km/hr. It seems like riding a moped, but it’s more agile and light.
