Ebco 3l ebike

[robdavis]

My wife just bought this and finds it bit hard is it possible to put thumb throttle on this bike

 

[matthewslack]

A quick search says it is Bafang M200 mid-drive motor, which is cadence sensor, not torque sensor.

All the rider should need to do is turn the pedals, no need to put in any effort.

Unless you do the paperwork and test for single vehicle approval, a legal throttle makes no difference because above 6km/h, the rider still has to pedal.


Also, it is a mid-drive, and needs the gears to be used, which cannot be changed unless pedalling. Adding a throttle will not change that.

You would be better selling the bike and buying a hub motor bike instead.

 

[cyclebuddy]

From what I've read, the M200 is torque sensor, not cadence. As the baby of Bafang's M range with 75nm torque (it's since been upgraded to 80nm as the M215), the way it's been programmed as standard is for economy/minimal assist rather than aggressive/power as it's intended for city riding. It's CANbus, so you'd need a dealer with Bafang's BESST software to change how it's been programmed rather than the Speed App users can use with Bafang's UART systems... but you should at least be able to improve user settings to offer more assist at the expense of battery life.

I don't know about a throttle, but as Bafang exports product all around the world inc. countries where throttles are allowed, it should at least in theory be possible.

 

[matthewslack]

From what I've read, the M200 is torque sensor, not cadence. As the baby of Bafang's M range with 75nm torque (it's since been upgraded to 80nm as the M215), the way it's been programmed as standard is for economy/minimal assist rather than aggressive/power as it's intended for city riding. It's CANbus, so you'd need a dealer with Bafang's BESST software to change how it's been programmed rather than the Speed App users can use with Bafang's UART systems... but you should at least be able to improve user settings to offer more assist at the expense of battery life.

I don't know about a throttle, but as Bafang exports product all around the world inc. countries where throttles are allowed, it should at least in theory be possible.

I didn't look very hard, and didn't write very clearly earlier. Breakfast related calorie deficit disorder.

I thought M200 cadence, M215 torque sensor, and M200 65Nm.

But a big issue is unless there is a freewheel between pedals and chain wheel, pedalling at full chain speed is necessary, as is use of the gears. Torque sensor adds the need to put in real effort.

I think this is a case for a hub motor.

 

[cyclebuddy]

Unless the OP's wife's bike is so new she can exchange it at the shop as she's "just bought it" changing it for a hub-drive might be expensive/easier said than done. It is a £1700 e-bike...

There's a couple of reviews of other e-bikes out there that use this same M200 motor... IIRC both comment the assist is set to be minimal, but the upshot is it achieves great range. 75nm (Bafang figure) should be plenty for a town bike like that, but as a CANbus system it needs a dealer to change how that power is applied.

My own (old) 80nm M400 mid-drive can be lazy or a sprinter depending on how you program it; the torque sensor doesn't demand "you need to put in real effort" if it's set-up right, which on my older Bafang with UART programming can be done with the same Speed App as guerney uses with his BBS. AFAIK on the newer BBS versions and all the M's, you need the BESST/CANbus software.

 

[guerney]

I don't know how accurate this is, but I read somewhere that "BESST Pro" has an offline mode which doesn't require a dealer's online account credential login, in order to make changes to most parameters (apart from Start Angle), whereas the "BESST" version does (I've read Start Angle can't be changed without Pro). I've seen sellers on AliExpress advertise they provide login credentials if you buy the programming kit for £124.99+VAT - you'd be well peeeved, if it didn't work after paying £149.99. Over £140 more expensive than the programming cable for the BBS series. Gotta say, those new controllers look miniscule, making me wonder if they're easier to burn out. There's no mention of the M200 in the link below, best clarify compatibility with sellers if going this route. Apparently "BESST Pro" works with newer "M" series motors only, and "BESST" only with older MXXX.

E-Bike Motor Programmer BAFANG BESST Programming Downloader Tool for Bafang Motor M510 M600 M620 UART/CAN System BBS BBSHD - AliExpress 18

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