Which conversion kit?

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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So this is the bike I would like to convert.
That's a straight-forward conversion with a rear cassette motor and a downtube mounted battery. The drop-outs look a bit flimsy for a front motor, and you have a 9mm axle and lawyers lips on the drop-outs, which mean that you'll have to do some filing of the drop-outs to make them wide enough to accept the motor then deep enough to recentralise the axle.

Those sort of lightweight forks and wheel make the handling effect of a front motor the most noticeable. It's not so bad with heavy suspension forks and a big MTB tyre..
 

Ceiclo

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 4, 2021
21
1
That's a straight-forward conversion with a rear cassette motor and a downtube mounted battery. The drop-outs look a bit flimsy for a front motor, and you have a 9mm axle and lawyers lips on the drop-outs, which mean that you'll have to do some filing of the drop-outs to make them wide enough to accept the motor then deep enough to recentralise the axle.

Those sort of lightweight forks and wheel make the handling effect of a front motor the most noticeable. It's not so bad with heavy suspension forks and a big MTB tyre..
Thanks. Could you recommend parts?
 

Nealh

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Aug 7, 2014
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Most hubs need a tad of filing eps with 9mm drop outs unless they are deep drop outs.
 

vfr400

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Jun 12, 2011
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But no fileing needed for a rear motor?
You can check. Take your wheel out and test the drop-out width with anything that's 10mm diameter, like a 10mm shoulder bolt, or you can use an M6 nut, which is 10mm accross its flats.
 

Ceiclo

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 4, 2021
21
1
You can check. Take your wheel out and test the drop-out width with anything that's 10mm diameter, like a 10mm shoulder bolt, or you can use an M6 nut, which is 10mm accross its flats.
 

Ceiclo

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 4, 2021
21
1
Another option below would be to convert this mountain bike. With a motor I'd be mostly riding it on road although my son rides it off road. It's really comfortable but inefficient on roads due to the suspension but with a motor I guess this wouldn't matter so much. Any thoughts gratefully received.
 

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overlander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 22, 2009
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Another option below would be to convert this mountain bike. With a motor I'd be mostly riding it on road although my son rides it off road. It's really comfortable but inefficient on roads due to the suspension but with a motor I guess this wouldn't matter so much. Any thoughts gratefully received.
In case you are wondering how a kit could fit to a MTB I have enclosed a picture of my MTB with Swytch kit fitted with the Pro battery. The bag at the back is my lunch nothing to do with the kit lol.
41791
 

vfr400

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In case you are wondering how a kit could fit to a MTB I have enclosed a picture of my MTB with Swytch kit fitted with the Pro battery. The bag at the back is my lunch nothing to do with the kit lol.
You've got your motor in upside down. the cable should go downwaeds from the axle.

It's a shame you can't put your battery on the rear rack and your sandwiches in the bag on the front, which would be much better for your bike's handling.
 
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overlander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 22, 2009
532
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You've got your motor in upside down. the cable should go downwaeds from the axle.

It's a shame you can't put your battery on the rear rack and your sandwiches in the bag on the front, which would be much better for your bike's handling.
Thanks, I know the motor is the wrong way up I will change it next time i swap the wheels over. It's rarely used in the rain, i use the woosh Rambletta as my rubbish weather bike.

To be honest you just get used to the extra weight on the front with the pro battery. But with the heavier tour batter you notice it and its definitely too heavy.
 

vfr400

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Jun 12, 2011
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To be honest you just get used to the extra weight on the front with the pro battery. But with the heavier tour batter you notice it and its definitely too heavy.
Yes, I get used to the pain in my broken big toe and in my Kidneys. I can live like it, but if there were a way to make it better, I would.
 

overlander

Esteemed Pedelecer
Apr 22, 2009
532
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Yes, I get used to the pain in my broken big toe and in my Kidneys. I can live like it, but if there were a way to make it better, I would.
Appreciate that but honestly with the small battery you do not even notice it on the move. The only time you notice it is when you are locking the bike up the handlebars swing round. It would be easy to move with an extension cable but like i say its not even noticeable. Not sure of the weight, will weight it tomorrow but its not heavy.
 
D

Deleted member 33385

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I was very excited when BBC Click announced that a forthcoming episode was going to feature an electric bike conversion - this was about a year and a bit ago... and ... to my utter disappointment, the main presenter Spencer Kelly droned on and on about how to do a Swytch conversion - something which wasn't then available to buy in the UK anyway, and it looked terrible: rubbish battery, unbalanced on a bike, too visible (would have encouraged bike-jackings), weird to ride, too proprietary. Why the hell coudn't they have done a useful, informative segment on a widely available cheap but great Chinese mid-drive/rear hub/front hub kit? Too much effort, apparently. I didn't click on BBC Click for a few weeks... Then I bought a Bafang BBS01b kit. :cool:

Here's Spencer's useless little piece - total waste of time and an unnecessary net increase of greenhouse gases, completely pointless, uninformative, zero-effort, candyfloss programming. There's even a twee little "Whee!" at the end. Annoying. :mad:


 
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Ceiclo

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 4, 2021
21
1
Vekkit do a seat post mount for the battery. Are you happy with the Batang?
 
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Deleted member 33385

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Are you happy with the Batang?
Yes, it's brilliant! The only bugbear is that it lets me change top speed to beyond legal, and that isn't strictly legal. If that worries you, then it's best to avoid legal-looking 250W Bafangs. They're excellent kits in all other respects.
 

vfr400

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jun 12, 2011
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Basildon
Yes, it's brilliant! The only bugbear is that it lets me change top speed to beyond legal, and that isn't strictly legal. If that worries you, then it's best to avoid legal-looking 250W Bafangs. They're excellent kits in all other respects.
It's not illegal. Don't scare people or give them misinformation. It's only illegal if you have the speed limit set to above 26.5 km/h actual speed.
 

Ceiclo

Finding my (electric) wheels
Apr 4, 2021
21
1
Great. I am almost certain I'll go for this. I'd like to find a really light battery though, if such a thing exists?
 
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