Hub or mid mount motor ? Fat or regular ?

Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
Hi there, I'm looking at getting into the e-bike world, but I'm unsure on to go for a rear hub mounted, or a mid mounted motor ? with the little research I've done, mid drive give better performance over the hub style, along with better torque, as well as having the controller built in ?

That's the first part over, onto fat or thin. If you had a fat bike and a regular bike that weighed the same ( stay with me it will make sense ) and you added the correct model of the Bafang bbfhd, for each bike, would the fat bike version have less power/torque, than the regular bike due to the wheel thickness, or wouldn't it make much of a difference ?

I would prefer a kit over a pre built option mainly due to knowing the ins and outs of the whole thing, so if anything goes wrong, I will have a pretty good idea of where to start, I've been build custom water cooled PC's, and racing quadcopters, for years so when it comes to adding the kit to a bike it should be a doddle, Oh and the price, comes into it in a big way, kits are way cheaper.

I should add, it will mainly be for road use, travel either 5 miles daily to my grandads, or every now and then 5 miles the other direction to my local city, Newport, depending on traffic I might do either journey along the c roads, that run along the South Wales coast, I will also be going out at least once a day, off road with the dog, along my local sea wall. So it is a good mix of A road, C road, and off road riding.

Thanks in advise guys.
 

D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
With the quads you should know about lipo. I have 16ah of 10s10c multi star it cost around £100. Combined with a BBSO1 that's cheap.
 

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
Hi there, I'm looking at getting into the e-bike world, but I'm unsure on to go for a rear hub mounted, or a mid mounted motor ? with the little research I've done, mid drive give better performance over the hub style, along with better torque, as well as having the controller built in ?

That's the first part over, onto fat or thin. If you had a fat bike and a regular bike that weighed the same ( stay with me it will make sense ) and you added the correct model of the Bafang bbfhd, for each bike, would the fat bike version have less power/torque, than the regular bike due to the wheel thickness, or wouldn't it make much of a difference ?

I would prefer a kit over a pre built option mainly due to knowing the ins and outs of the whole thing, so if anything goes wrong, I will have a pretty good idea of where to start, I've been build custom water cooled PC's, and racing quadcopters, for years so when it comes to adding the kit to a bike it should be a doddle, Oh and the price, comes into it in a big way, kits are way cheaper.

I should add, it will mainly be for road use, travel either 5 miles daily to my grandads, or every now and then 5 miles the other direction to my local city, Newport, depending on traffic I might do either journey along the c roads, that run along the South Wales coast, I will also be going out at least once a day, off road with the dog, along my local sea wall. So it is a good mix of A road, C road, and off road riding.

Thanks in advise guys.
A 4" fat bike tyre on a 26" rim will have a greater circumference than a 2" on a 26" rim, but it wouldn't make much practical difference, especially with a crank drive.



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Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
Yes I do mate, I also vape, so I know enough about batteries to get by. I was thinking about going down the Lipo route, But to start with I'm probably going to go with the Dolphin 48v 11.6Ah, just because it looks neater, once the bike is all done, I'm planning on building an ally box, to fill out the frame, like the Sondors, it will give me more freedom for frankensteining some Lipos. Am I right in thinking the mid drive systems have the controller built in ?
 

Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
A 4" fat bike tyre on a 26" rim will have a greater circumference than a 2" on a 26" rim, but it wouldn't make much practical difference, especially with a crank drive.



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The only thing that has me curious about the Fat bikes, is the whole look more than anything, but if I use my head a regular 27.5" bike with the bbshd, would be the way to go.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319
the bafang mid drives have the controller inside the motor a 1000w can get to 80kph batt not last long at those speeds tho.
 

Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
I'll mainly be using pedal assist to be honest mate, unless I'm feeling extremely lazy, the max distance I'll be doing each day will 25 miles, so with the emergency battery mod, I've got planned, I should be golden.
 

Alan Quay

Esteemed Pedelecer
Dec 4, 2012
2,351
1,076
Devon
The only thing that has me curious about the Fat bikes, is the whole look more than anything, but if I use my head a regular 27.5" bike with the bbshd, would be the way to go.
I agree. I think fat bikes look a bit weird on the road.

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D8ve

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2013
2,142
1,294
Bristol
It's simpler with a legal 36volt kit.
There is plenty power can be around 700watts peak. and you can adjust that too with a programming cable. Perhaps not as much as SW might like but I'm boring that way.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319
you can get hub motors that will pee all over any mid drives mind tho not cheap and very heavy at 9 kg but get to 100mph :) and need a 60a plus controller tho.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319
hang on ill have a look prob be from usa tho only got a pic.


last 1 on right woof ;)
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319

Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
Holy ****, that things a beast. I've just found the Cyclone 3000w mid drive, they look messy as hell though.That monster isn't a bad price, right up until you factor in import tax, and shipping, you've planted a seed now though, and it's going to grow.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319
just because a motor says 1000w dont mean thats the max you can dump in to it.

thats what the controller is for :)

watch the amps and the power draw ;)
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319
1 problem with a hub that size you will want a very strong dh frame to use it with that you can slot it in from the rear.
 

soundwave

Esteemed Pedelecer
May 23, 2015
16,198
6,319

if you want faster than this then the above hub will do it but batt size and waight start to add up.

plus i dont think plod will be impressed going 90 mph down the road lol
 

Paul Young

Pedelecer
Jun 20, 2016
40
7
49
Magor, South Wales
Yea that's the problem, that's when things start to look messy, my ocd couldn't cope, that's why I'm leaning towards the Bafang mid kits, with a Dolphin battery, it works out a bit more expensive than a hub, around a grand for the kit, battery, hydraulic brake sensors, programing cable, and the few tools that I don't own to take out / put back the bottom bracket. Then the bike is about £500ish. So all in it's not too bad, it's either that or the Dillenger Hunter for 2 grand, http://dillengerelectricbikes.co.uk/featured-products/hunter-bbs-electric-mountain-bike-by-dillenger.html