What hub motor?

[bluemoon]

I am looking for a hub motor (maybe kit) suitable for commuting 20 miles round trip most days of the week. I would like to keep to a tight budget and will probably convert one of my old cycles to try out the ebike commute without spending ££££. The Bike needs to be legal for use in the UK,,

Are the Banfang (8Fun) motors any good?

Seem to have very good prices from BMSbattery for these motors/kits.

Should I consider any other makes?

I am hoping to get at least 2 years from motor is worn out is this realistic? I think I would be doing around 4000miles/year maybe this is just to much to ask?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The 250w Bafang kits are probably the best at the bottom end of the market. The motor's themselves will have no problem with 4000 miles a year. Bazwldo has done about 5000 miles in a year with no problem, and I've heard of 30,000 miles on the ES forum. There's a few places to get them from, but Ithink 8Fun Ltd is probably the cheapest and they give reasonable support and no quibble replacements. Juicy Bike Accessories: add more electric cycle style are also reasonable and could be more appropriate if you live nearby or want guaranteed quality. These new kits are a lot more waterproof than the old ones, but for all-weather use, you might have to get a tube of sealant and go over a few areas.
There are alternative motors. the Cute is not built quite as strong (IMHO) and the Tongxin is also not as robust. Morphix is selling a motor with a lovely LCD display on Ebay, but it's a bit more expensive I think.

 

[flecc]

I did just over 3500 miles on a rear Suzhou Bafang motor in just six months once, I can't see 4000 miles a year causing problems. The only problem that arises over time usually is that the internal nylon gears wear out, but they are replaceable and the better bike and motor suppliers often have them in stock.

The question of how long they last is rather like how long is a piece of string, very variable, but in general they last at the very least 5000 miles and usually much, much longer. In fact for riders who do their bit to assist, especially at low speeds, they can last for years. My current SB motor bike I bought in August 2006, I don't have the precise total mileage but it's in excess of 9000 miles and the motor is all original.

 

[Scottyf]

I'm really impressed by these so called cheap motors and the miles they can clock up.
It also gets me how simple electric motors are compared to the internal combustion engine.

Just wish that earlier development happened. I mean you have have a large electric motor in a car and as long as you drive it sensibly you could get the same comparative mpg as a small er electric car.

As the electric motor would only use up electric thats needed to go that speed.

I could have a top speed of 40mph on the bike but i'd go through juice like anything. I use the same motor do 15mph and my range would more than double. (to a certain degree).



Back on topic.
The bafangs are quite good
Tongxin are quiet same as cute but as D8veh said don't appear to be as robust (unless you go for the larger ones)
There are also Mac / Puma geared motors which are overpowered quite a bit on Endless Sphere. Same as BMC geared motors.

There's loads of direct drives to but they need quite a bit more power to get similar speeds and hill climbing. Also no free wheel.

 

[x332race]

I recently decided to get an electric bike. Although I have been a keen cyclist for many years and have a fair knowledge of bike components, I found it very difficult to find out any information regarding comparative quality of bikes and their motors / batteries / components.

I am thinking about converting one of my existing bikes and I have been looking at the various "kits" on the market ranging from around £400 up to £800 - £900. A lot of the kits seem to use the 8fun / Suzhou Bafang motor and it seemed to me that this was prooven technology. Some of the more expensive kit suppliers indicated that they use other types of motors although I could not find out any information as to why their motors should be any better then the 8fun. Batteries seemed to be virtually identical across the board. Some of the more expensive kits have better handlebar displays.

At the end of the day, it seemed to me that the 8fun / Suzhou Bafang motor is likely to be more than adequate and there seemed little point in paying almost twice as much for a kit. I may be proved wrong, but that is my impression.

There are a number of uk suppliers inc 8funuk and Juicy bikes who should provide good back-up or it is possible to order virtually the same kit direct from China via BMS Battery somewhat cheaper.