Front or rear hub motor?

[sjc]

I'm looking to get a conversion kit from Woosh (probably - are there any other good kit suppliers out there?) for commuting on the flat.

I'd like to get a hub motor instead of CD. I'd also like to get a rack battery over a downtube one, which leaves me with a choice of either a front or rear motor. Which would be best of these two?

I'd think rear would be best for power but from what I read, going for a front motor would give better weight distribution. Can anyone advise me?

 

[Nealh]

Down tube is much better as C of G and general weight distribution is better.
Rear hub handles better and is a nicer ride, sticking a battery also at the back makes it tail heavy.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Front motors affect the steering a bit and they're noisier, but the worse thing is that there are a lot of safety issues. That's why I'd always recommend a rear motor if you have the choice.

 

[KwikFold]

I'm looking to get a conversion kit from Woosh (probably - are there any other good kit suppliers out there?) for commuting on the flat.

I'd like to get a hub motor instead of CD. I'd also like to get a rack battery over a downtube one, which leaves me with a choice of either a front or rear motor. Which would be best of these two?

I'd think rear would be best for power but from what I read, going for a front motor would give better weight distribution. Can anyone advise me?

Front hubs and batteries can feel like you're being pulled as opposed to pushed. For that reason I would always recommend rear hubs.

When turning on corners on a front hub motor using the motor assistance if road conditions are slippery it can often result in accidents.

 

[Marwood Hill]

I have a very nice front wheel drive bike with great hill climbing power. I have now fitted a rear wheel motor and the difference in ride and handling is amazing. Rear wheel drive every time for bikes with powerful motors.

 

[KwikFold]

I have a very nice front wheel drive bike with great hill climbing power. I have now fitted a rear wheel motor and the difference in ride and handling is amazing. Rear wheel drive every time for bikes with powerful motors.View attachment 24692

When we first launched KwikFold we featured a front wheel motor, but quickly made the decision to change it to rear wheel, as it provides more control on roads.

Nice bike by the way.

 

[Marwood Hill]

When we first launched KwikFold we featured a front wheel motor, but quickly made the decision to change it to rear wheel, as it provides more control on roads.

Nice bike by the way.

Some dealers will not agree with me for sure. Fitting a motor into the front wheel is the easiest, cheapest and worst place to put the motor. It’s ok i suppose for the low powered 24v type bikes. Poweful motors in front wheels are absolutely dangerous and should not be allowed.

 

[KwikFold]

Some dealers will not agree with me for sure. Fitting a motor into the front wheel is the easiest, cheapiest and worst place to put the motor. It’s ok i suppose for the low powered 24v type bikes. Poweful motors in front wheels are absolutely dangerous and should not be allowed.

It should be about the customer when making such changes though, not what is quickest and easiest for you as the service provider.

Well our bike is a 36v motor so no chance no matter how cost cutting would we use front wheel hubs.

 

[WallyM]

Front hubs and batteries can feel like you're being pulled as opposed to pushed. For that reason I would always recommend rear hubs.

When turning on corners on a front hub motor using the motor assistance if road conditions are slippery it can often result in accidents.

mmh, from the logic pushing is more unsafe in my humble opinion. Its almost like the age-old discussion on cars, front or rear wheel driven. But they all ended in 4-wheel drive nowadays.
But I am open ears for practical experiences. Negative and positive.
For me the list is already as follow: (lets add)
Rear 1. better grip on hills and loose underground 2. Front: easier to repair and handle, "pulling" is considered as an advantage by me. Slightly better cooling. Easy to install additional gearshift

 

[sjpt]

But they all ended in 4-wheel drive nowadays.

An e-bike with front hub is 2 wheel drive. With the two wheels powered differently you don't get all the advantages a synchronized 2 wheel drive would have (equivalent to a car 4 wheel drive), but you do get traction if either wheel slips; on our tandem it is more often the rear that slips than the front. (We are very sedate riders on the whole, it only happens on wet grass or mud with a slight uphill.)

 

[vfr400]

People making theories. I can tell you after around 20,000 miles of using every type of motors, including 2WD bikes and even one with three motors, that there's no question that a rear motor isn't the best by far for normal riding on the road.

You should only fit a front motor if you have no chance to fit a rear one.

 

[Scorpio]

I have a rear hub with rack mounted battery, the bike rides fine but is very tail heavy especially with shopping in the panniers.
The rear tyre carries a lot of weight, rear punctures are common but never had a front puncture.

I'd expect a down tube battery to give better weigh distribution but then it would be obvious it's an e-bike, with panniers mine just looks like a normal bike.

I have used a town bike with 24v 250w front motor / rear rack battery. Balance and handling were just like a normal bike. This might not be the case for a high powered bike.

 

[vfr400]

I have a rear hub with rack mounted battery, the bike rides fine but is very tail heavy especially with shopping in the panniers.
The rear tyre carries a lot of weight, rear punctures are common but never had a front puncture.

I'd expect a down tube battery to give better weigh distribution but then it would be obvious it's an e-bike, with panniers mine just looks like a normal bike.

I have used a town bike with 24v 250w front motor / rear rack battery. Balance and handling were just like a normal bike. This might not be the case for a high powered bike.

Rack batteries always make bikes feel tail heavy, wherever the motor. It's the height of the weight that does it barbecue it gives more leverage to the weight.

Rear wheel punctures also are nothing to do with rear motors because it's the same with motorbikes, where front wheel punctures are not very common. One theory I read is that the debris is lying flat when the front wheel goes over it, and that wheel then throws it up into an angle where it has a better chance of sticking in the rear tyre.

 

[Bikes4two]

Oh dear, all those adverse comments about front hub motors - did anyone mention this to SWYTCH BIKES - their business model is all about front hub motors - and of course, our estimeed forumite @Woosh sells front hub motors too - I can't imagine he'd knowingly sell something 'dangerous' or 'hazardous'.

They do get used successfully on some tandem DIY conversions it seems ?

Anyone else prepared to raise their head above the parapet in support of front hub motors?

 

[Nealh]

They have there uses.
It depends on the bike and the terrain ridden on.
I have two one a 4.4kg BPM never gave me any real issues, only thing with it was unsensored and a bit loud also some torque steering.
The other hub is alight weight new Bafang G370, the bike isn't finished yet.

 

[vfr400]

Oh dear, all those adverse comments about front hub motors - did anyone mention this to SWYTCH BIKES - their business model is all about front hub motors - and of course, our estimeed forumite @Woosh sells front hub motors too - I can't imagine he'd knowingly sell something 'dangerous' or 'hazardous'.

They do get used successfully on some tandem DIY conversions it seems ?

Anyone else prepared to raise their head above the parapet in support of front hub motors?

Front hub motors are the only choice when you have hub-gears and weird cranks. In those circumstances, a front motor is the best choice.

This thread is about what's best.

Have you tried a Swytch kit? I have, and I didn't like it at all. The lighter battery version might be better.

My first electric bike had a front motor. I loved it and did about 2000 happy miles on it. By comparison with what I have now, it was terrible, and I wouldn't recommend anybody to get something similar unless there were special reasons.

Any electric bike is better than no electric bike provided it's safe. Front motors are safe as long as they're installed thoughtfully and correctly. I have personally seen three sets of broken drop-outs due to front motors, and one of them was a guy crashing right in front of me when his wheel broke out of the forks. I have known two other guys break their drop-outs just by tightening the axle nuts when they didn't understand the importance of adverse pressure on the lawyers lips. As far as safety is concerned, there's a big difference between an OEM bike that was deigned to have a front motor and a guy trying to install a high torque motor into his magnesium forks.

 

[WallyM]

Some dealers will not agree with me for sure. Fitting a motor into the front wheel is the easiest, cheapest and worst place to put the motor. It’s ok i suppose for the low powered 24v type bikes. Poweful motors in front wheels are absolutely dangerous and should not be allowed.

An e-bike with front hub is 2 wheel drive. With the two wheels powered differently you don't get all the advantages a synchronized 2 wheel drive would have (equivalent to a car 4 wheel drive), but you do get traction if either wheel slips; on our tandem it is more often the rear that slips than the front. (We are very sedate riders on the whole, it only happens on wet grass or mud with a slight uphill.)

Thanks, I meant cars with the 4 WD, but it is an interesting point- with the front-wheel drive and the human powered rear pedal one theoretically would have 2 WD or All-wheel drive. Now honestly, I have done 2 test rides on E-Bikes when I was in Amsterdam last Month (albeit they were S-Pedelecs) and could not really see a difference, but remembered that each owner said that his drive is the better one.
Just like with cars all the years
If I use my frontal lobe, I tend to get the front hub a plus point, simply to the fact that I can change wheel /tire, even Engine quickly.
And what you say about wet grass and loose gravel as well. I don't drive on either, at least I would not recall where that would be in my surrounding.

 

[WallyM]

Rack batteries always make bikes feel tail heavy, wherever the motor. It's the height of the weight that does it barbecue it gives more leverage to the weight.

Rear wheel punctures also are nothing to do with rear motors because it's the same with motorbikes, where front wheel punctures are not very common. One theory I read is that the debris is lying flat when the front wheel goes over it, and that wheel then throws it up into an angle where it has a better chance of sticking in the rear tire.

On me old Honda CB500 I had only front wheel punctures (6 of them!), but that might be kinda Murphy law related. What I read in another E-Bike forum was that one should pay real good attention to the tires, because they are far more used due to the higher average speed and therefore more prone to punctures. A 50 % wear increases puncture risk by tenfold. Unlike motorbikes or cars the objects are not centrifuged out right away at high speed, so the chances that they work their way through is much higher. Indeed, that was also what the dealers said to me, to have a good eye on the tires, should be quality kind. I gues there is a thread about this here also somewhere.. Have not found it yet though

 

[Woosh]

we shouldn't overlook one particular quality of front hub kits.
I have never seen a damaged gearbox in a front motor.
They are generally more durable precisely because they unlikely stall.

 

[WallyM]

we shouldn't overlook one particular quality of front hub kits.
I have never seen a damaged gearbox in a front motor.
They are generally more durable precisely because they unlikely stall.

Thanks, that is a good point, I assume you base that on reliable observation and since you offer both kinds of bikes you can be considered neutral