What is everyone's opinion on this set up?

[joshl91]

Hi all,

I'm new to the site and just looking for some help

I've seen the below on Ali and just wondering what is everyone's thoughts. I have a Carrera Vengeance 2020 XL 27.5. I've been after an ebike or ebike kit for a long time but unfortunately my budget hasn't been the greatest - bought a house then my little girl was born when lockdown happened and the house has had to be gutted meaning everything I have/had has had to go in to this. It is still way above my budget but going to see what I can manage as I've been putting it off for so long and it would cut down my work expenses on fuel (or so I keep trying to kid myself anyway as I am working from home!!).

I'm not exactly hands on with stuff like this but watching YouTube videos it doesn't seem too bad to install.

The cost is around £465 dependent on the exchange rate.



Bafang BBS02B BBS02 48V 750W mid drive electric motor kit with 48V 52V 13AH 17.5Ah Li-ion down tube ebike battery
Color:48V 13AH
Ships From:China
Display Model:C965
Brake Type:Brake Lever

 

[jimriley]

Not legal on the roads. I fitted a Bbs01b, 250w, it's fine.

 

[Surf_Wonder]

IMHO a kit is a kit is a kit, I'm a hacker so if there's an issue after 6months or a year I'll not be crying to the seller to repair anything. If that's not you - that's something to consider.

I don't have a mid drive, I have a rear because I like knowing that I can get home with a busted chain in the pouring rain if I need to, I like to bunny hop my front, so front drive didn't suit me or my needs. My bike is mainly for used for commuting and hauling weight - and if I wanted a motorbike/scooter I'd go purchase one.

750w 48v means yes- you do need to put the sticker provided on your hub (and you know why), but that sticker won't mean jack if your bombing it and riding it like a scooter. Battery wise if a 52v battery is in the kit ... go for that rather than 48v.

 

[joshl91]

Not legal on the roads. I fitted a Bbs01b, 250w, it's fine.

would it not just be illegal to go over the 15mph? im happy to stay legal but wanted more power due to my weight/uphill routes id be taking, thanks

 

[joshl91]

IMHO a kit is a kit is a kit, I'm a hacker so if there's an issue after 6months or a year I'll not be crying to the seller to repair anything. If that's not you - that's something to consider.

I don't have a mid drive, I have a rear because I like knowing that I can get home with a busted chain in the pouring rain if I need to, I like to bunny hop my front, so front drive didn't suit me or my needs. My bike is mainly for used for commuting and hauling weight - and if I wanted a motorbike/scooter I'd go purchase one.

750w 48v means yes- you do need to put the sticker provided on your hub (and you know why), but that sticker won't mean jack if your bombing it and riding it like a scooter. Battery wise if a 52v battery is in the kit ... go for that rather than 48v.

thanks for the reply, do you have any recommendations for a rear, i was just looking in to bafang mid's due to the good reviews
im 30 next month so however much id love to be bombing it, id get some strange looks haha!

 

[Surf_Wonder]

would it not just be illegal to go over the 15mph? im happy to stay legal but wanted more power due to my weight/uphill routes id be taking, thanks

It would need to be limited - the motor capability is normally capped to ensure that it's not possible but myself I fitted an inline fuse between the controller and the battery... the fuse I use is 10amp but I carry smaller fuses so that if the motor ever got tested the fuse would blow instead.

 

[Fordulike]

would it not just be illegal to go over the 15mph? im happy to stay legal but wanted more power due to my weight/uphill routes id be taking, thanks

You can stay legal by going for a BBS01 250w instead. There are certain tweaks that can be done with a programming cable, that will improve hill climbing whilst keeping it legal.

See link below for cable reference, plus other additions that can make the BBSxx series nicer to ride:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/after-market-bbsxx-crank-drive-gear.32691/page-4#post-603162

Also:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/why-a-bafang-bbsxx-programming-cable-is-a-worthy-investment.30828/

 

[Surf_Wonder]

thanks for the reply, do you have any recommendations for a rear, i was just looking in to bafang mid's due to the good reviews
im 30 next month so however much id love to be bombing it, id get some strange looks haha!

Not really - I knew my spec so I knew what I could forgive and what I couldn't ... I knew 250w was out of the question because of the inclines and weight hauling I do, research told me the higher the wattage the heavier the motor, together with the battery weight ... that mattered, so by elimination 500w and a motor that had a reasonable NM rating was my deciding factor .

Speedwise I don't - because my backside does feel heavy so 15km ph really is my average.

I don't have a visibly identifiable battery - it's intentional and fits me, and my batteries were a whole joyous escapade in itself (100% worth the hassle I went through :-/ )
Choosing a kit is personal to you and the bike, choosing one is like similar to choosing a car.

I'll PM my kit link

 

[joshl91]

Not really - I knew my spec so I knew what I could forgive and what I couldn't ... I knew 250w was out of the question because of the inclines and weight hauling I do, research told me the higher the wattage the heavier the motor, together with the battery weight ... that mattered, so by elimination 500w and a motor that had a reasonable NM rating was my deciding factor .

Speedwise I don't - because my backside does feel heavy so 15km ph really is my average.

I don't have a visibly identifiable battery - it's intentional and fits me, and my batteries were a whole joyous escapade in itself (100% worth the hassle I went through :-/ )
Choosing a kit is personal to you and the bike, choosing one is like similar to choosing a car.

I'll PM my kit link

thank you mate, appreciate the help

 

[vfr400]

It's £473 from China, but you'll probably have to pay duty on it, which could be as much as £100. These motors are relatively easy to fit, but there can be a lot of messing about afterwards. From unknown Chinese suppliers, you often get daft software settings, so you need the programming cable to fix it, then you figure out that you can't get all your gears because the chain-line is miles out, so you have to get the bling-ring chainwheel, then you hate the crunchy gear shifting, so you have to get the gear sensor, and so on. They're OK when everything is sorted, but don't try and do it on a budget. You should get a cheaper kit or wait until you can afford at least £700 for that kit, otherwise you might end up very disappointed.

Also, you might need some extra tools to fit it. The picture of the battery shows the earlier type with the high up mounting holes, so you'll probably have to drill your frame and the controller box to add two more rivnuts in order to hold it securely. The Dolphin type batteries and the later Hailong type will fit directly to your frame, but it's always better to add another fixing.

I wouldn't trust the reviews. These motors are OK and they do the job, but they're not particularly reliable. The shortcomings will eventually show themselves if you're a commuter. It wouldn't bother me to have to strip down a motor, replace some part, regrease it and do another couple of thousand miles, and consider that routine maintenance.

I'm not ashamed to say that I think a crank-drive is the wrong motor for a commuter. Hub-motors are more reliable, more durable, cheaper, have lower running costs and are more user-friendly.

It's very hard to make an economic case for buying an ebike unless you get rid of a car or motorbike. The break-even point is around 3000 miles on the bicycle for a £600 kit, but then you start buying extra stuff, like panniers, rack, clothing, winter wear, lights, tyres, mudguards, and before long you've doubled the cost, so it goes up to 6000 miles.

Having said all that, there's nothing that beats commuting on a bike for your general well-being. I don't mean just fitness. It's more that it just seems to give you a more positive feeling about life. It probably saved my life, when only my very strong and fit heart helped get me through a recent medical emergency.

 

[joshl91]

It's £473 from China, but you'll probably have to pay duty on it, which could be as much as £100. These motors are relatively easy to fit, but there can be a lot of messing about afterwards. From unknown Chinese suppliers, you often get daft software settings, so you need the programming cable to fix it, then you figure out that you can't get all your gears because the chain-line is miles out, so you have to get the bling-ring chainwheel, then you hate the crunchy gear shifting, so you have to get the gear sensor, and so on. They're OK when everything is sorted, but don't try and do it on a budget. You should get a cheaper kit or wait until you can afford at least £700 for that kit, otherwise you might end up very disappointed.

Also, you might need some extra tools to fit it. The picture of the battery shows the earlier type with the high up mounting holes, so you'll probably have to drill your frame and the controller box to add two more rivnuts in order to hold it securely. The Dolphin type batteries and the later Hailong type will fit directly to your frame, but it's always better to add another fixing.

thanks for the advice mate! ill definitely be looking around now