Total newbie looking to buy an eBike, want some advice on a model!

[Karliah]

Hi all,

I am looking to buy an eBike, I have an offer of a Shengmilo MX05 for £750 Brand new in box, I'm not sure if I should take it or not or look elsewhere, my budget is definitely around that price point.

Some additional information:

I have a normal bike already that I love, so I am totally open to getting a conversion kit although it is more hassle, I do have the capacity to build my own lithium ion 18650 battery with the help of a qualified electrician, if it will save me a significant sum of money.

- The shengmilo has a really long range, My health is quite bad so I would want the comfort of knowing I can get back without pedaling much of that makes sense.

One person has told me that the MX05 is not road legal, looking for some advice on this as it says it conforms to UK law, can be limited to 15mph etc, looking for some advice on that.

If you need any more info please let me know, as I said I know nothing about this sector, so all advice is welcome

 

[soundwave]

bosch batts are can bus locked and why they are a rip off as can charge what they like for them i can get a 20ah batt for a bafang for around 400 quid so double the capacity.

also the motors on these things are not meant to be serviced believe it or not but have been working with others for years now and get a service option available bar shitmano.

just because you pay top dollar for anything and comply to the law just means you are a bitch and just dont own it cant buy parts to fix just bin it and go get a new one for 10k

 

[soundwave]

Cube Trike Family Hybrid 750 2024 eBike – e-bikeshop.co.uk

Introducing the 2024 Cube Trike Family Hybrid 750 electric bike, a versatile and family-friendly ride designed for ultimate E-Bike comfort and convenience.

www.e-bikeshop.co.uk

was looking at this for my aunt but sorted another one tho non electric for now but the fkn thing is 75kg 2 kids and a rider that motor is just not up to it.

 

[Karliah]

Cube Trike Family Hybrid 750 2024 eBike – e-bikeshop.co.uk

Introducing the 2024 Cube Trike Family Hybrid 750 electric bike, a versatile and family-friendly ride designed for ultimate E-Bike comfort and convenience.

www.e-bikeshop.co.uk

was looking at this for my aunt but sorted another one tho non electric for now but the fkn thing is 75kg 2 kids and a rider that motor is just not up to it.

lol This whole ebike world is a maze and hard to navigate. I thought I'd found a good deal for that shengmilo MX05 at £750 new, but now I'm not so sure.

opinion on something like this?

Ebike Motor Kit High Speed Brushless Gear Hub 36V 48V 350W 500W Electric Bike Conversion Front Cassette Rear display P6 ZEMAKE - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

and what is the difference between front and rear motor? which is best and will I notice much of a difference between the two?

 

[soundwave]

all the just eat riders ect use rear hubs at about 1000w as that gets you over 30mph with a throttle i can add 500w from my legs and add 800w from my motor.

a rear hub will push you along a front one will drag you forward so need steal forks for the drop outs.

tho m8s bafang on throttle only can nuke a 20ah batt in 17 miles the 30a has to come from somewhere.

 

[Az.]

flecc described above, using a pedal cycle on the road is technically illegal

I believe Flecc didn't say such a thing.

You already have a bike that you like. Why won't you just convert it?

 

[Az.]

a rear hub will push you along a front one will drag you forward so need steal forks for the drop outs.

Aluminium alloy is just fine for legal kits.

 

[Woosh]

If you go for a front hub, you need to keep the weight of the motor to below 3kgs. Heavy motors will break the relatively fragile aluminium fork jaws with their inertia.

 

[Woosh]

lol This whole ebike world is a maze and hard to navigate. I thought I'd found a good deal for that shengmilo MX05 at £750 new, but now I'm not so sure.

I take it that you are quite handy with bikes. In that case, the best route is probably a conversion which will fit in easily with your budget and you can afford to pick and choose your motor and battery too.

opinion on something like this?

Ebike Motor Kit High Speed Brushless Gear Hub 36V 48V 350W 500W Electric Bike Conversion Front Cassette Rear display P6 ZEMAKE - AliExpress 18

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com

www.aliexpress.com

and what is the difference between front and rear motor? which is best and will I notice much of a difference between the two?

That's a pretty good kit for the money but it does not come with battery and rim so you have to buy the rim and lace the motor to it.
As for front, middle or rear motor, there are proponents for each type. Front hub has best reliability record, on wear and tear of the drive train, on water ingress, on spokes breaking, on ease of fitting but worse on traction especially on wet surfaces. Rear hub is best for traction, good on wear and tear but worse on spoke breaking. Middle motor is good on traction and spokes breaking but worse on wear and tear and on price. My guess the choice is down to your exact requirements, your weight and how hilly where you live. If you are heavy and live in a very hilly area, you have to spend more on motor and battery.

 

[flecc]

I originally asked if a 500w limited to 250w was legal and he said no.

Unless what you are saying is that the motor is not legal but the sticker says it is?

Soundwave is confusing you with irrelevancies.

The position in technical document ruling EN15194 is that the motor has to have a nominal rating of no more than 250 watts continuous maximum.

But that doesn't mean they can't produce more for lesser periods than continuous. In practice they commonly output up to 400 watts and some can even output circa 600 watts or more nett power at times.

But that doesn't matter, it's only the legal rating that counts. The reason for this apparent complexity is the way these electric motors work, if they were truly held to 250 watts under all circumstances they would be useless for the purpose, so the law has to incorporate flexibility. The laws of physics and the laws of man are not aligned.
.

 

[Woosh]

I reckon a lot of members are confused by the EN15194 250W specifications.
The fact of the matter is that the test conditions are precise but impossible to fail if your bike is conformed to the rest of the specifications.
You don't practically need as much as 250W to ride assisted at 15mph unless you have gale force 9 or 10 blowing straight into your face. The test only requires flat road, no headwind, total bike + rider weight = 100kgs, 10% allowance for road surface friction. If you ask a phycicist how much power would I need? The answer will be something like you only need about 200W to maintain 25kph, this level of needed power is even smaller if you are a good pedaller. The important point for conformity is this: the bike needs to cut off the power when you exceed 25kph.

 

[Az.]

Personally I find 250W motors and 15mph limit as very reasonable. I don't really need more. Maybe only with an exception of serious MTB, but for that application I use my non electric bike.

You mentioned something about health problems? The good thing about conversions is you can install a full throttle. You might find it useful

 

[AndyBike]

What a complete troll thread

 

[Woosh]

What a complete troll thread

I find his questions typical of newbies.
He understands pedelecs law OK. However, as there is practically zero police interest in ordinary e-bikes, he unsurprisingly like many people on here, tend to pick and choose how much they respect the law. I blame the libertarianism.

 

[StuartsProjects]

like many people on here, tend to pick and choose how much they respect the law.

Absolutly, a lot of people (in the UK) seem to treat a lot of laws as voluntary.

 

[flecc]

Absolutly, a lot of people (in the UK) seem to treat a lot of laws as voluntary.

The French know how to deal with this, the latest change in their pedelec regulations is a penalty of up to €30,000 for breaching the rules.

That's eye watering enough to really focus minds and get compliance.
.

 

[Karliah]

I find his questions typical of newbies.
He understands pedelecs law OK. However, as there is practically zero police interest in ordinary e-bikes, he unsurprisingly like many people on here, tend to pick and choose how much they respect the law. I blame the libertarianism.

I do apologise for it all, just trying to learn and have some input from people on here as to how much they tow the line and it seems a mixed bag to be honest. I was just looking for some advice firstly on the MX05 and additionally on the specifics of the law.

And @AndyBike No trolling at all, just a genuine interest to learn before diving in, genuine apologies for the mithering, but people here have been extremely helpful and I appreciate that.

 

[Karliah]

I take it that you are quite handy with bikes. In that case, the best route is probably a conversion which will fit in easily with your budget and you can afford to pick and choose your motor and battery too.

That's a pretty good kit for the money but it does not come with battery and rim so you have to buy the rim and lace the motor to it.
As for front, middle or rear motor, there are proponents for each type. Front hub has best reliability record, on wear and tear of the drive train, on water ingress, on spokes breaking, on ease of fitting but worse on traction especially on wet surfaces. Rear hub is best for traction, good on wear and tear but worse on spoke breaking. Middle motor is good on traction and spokes breaking but worse on wear and tear and on price. My guess the choice is down to your exact requirements, your weight and how hilly where you live. If you are heavy and live in a very hilly area, you have to spend more on motor and battery.

I'm completely new to bikes in general, I understand the basics and a close family member is a veteran who is available should I get into a pickle.

My main query now, is do I go for the Shengmilo MX05 that is Brand new in box for £750, with a BAFANG 500w and a 15Ah Battery, or get a conversion kit with a battery that is going to cost me around £650 from what I can see?

The bike seems a no brainer to me, but what do I know? I was hoping I could have a definitive answer but evidently its more complicated than I thought.

 

[flecc]

do I go for the Shengmilo MX05 that is Brand new in box for £750, with a BAFANG 500w and a 15Ah Battery

Is that from a genuine source? They seem to be about £1500 from all the sources I've seen, including Amazon.

However, I'd advise you stick to a legal pedelec, especially since your requirement seems undemanding, use of pavements, legal speeds, health problems etc.
.

 

[soundwave]

Pardon our interruption...

 

[Karliah]

Is that from a genuine source? They seem to be about £1500 from all the sources I've seen, including Amazon.

However, I'd advise you stick to a legal pedelec, especially since your requirement seems undemanding, use of pavements, legal speeds, health problems etc.
.

I believe it is genuine. apparently the person has died so are selling of his possessions prompto, I am close by so will be able to view it brand new in box before purchasing if that helps.

And my requirements are undemanding I suppose, my budget however is right around that mark, and it saves quite a lot of time having it already done, especially if the price is similar to that of a conversion kit with a battery. that's my line of thinking.