Which Donor Bike to start with?

[Klang180]

The yosepower 350W rear wheel kit was what I got, I shoved it on a bog standard Halfords "hybrid" bike that I got for £200 and I'm absolutely loving it! The motor is tiny, you can barely notice it's there.
I tried someone else's front wheel kit and it was awful, like a skittering hamster and not good through the front shocks on the bike. Definitely worth the extra effort to put it on the rear wheel, it's like it pushes you up hills from behind.

20mph is plenty as others have said any faster than that and you risk both motorists not anticipating your speed and also the police inspecting your potentially not street-legal bike.

Sorry to follow-up but what battery did you go for with the Yose Power 350w kit? I actually don't need massive range (25miles tops) but I don't want to compromise on performance and know that a smaller battery will require more charges and so may be a false economy.

 

[Klang180]

I understand that a branded battery is best i.e. LG, Samsung, Panasonic etc. but how does one ensure that they are what they say they are and what would you expect to pay for a 48v 12ah+ battery with branded batteries?

Would this work and is it a good price?

Electric Bike Battery Pack 48V 36V 12Ah/17.5Ah built-in Samsung Cells Motor Kit | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electric Bike Battery Pack 48V 36V 12Ah/17.5Ah built-in Samsung Cells Motor Kit at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Klang180]

Or this?

USB 48V11.6AH E-bike Lithium Battery Downtube SAMSUNG Battery for 1000W Motor | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USB 48V11.6AH E-bike Lithium Battery Downtube SAMSUNG Battery for 1000W Motor at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

 

[Nealh]

Both appear to use 29E's doing the math's, ok as long as you don't derestrict the speed the cells are good if treated well. They don't like to be abused by to much current 15a is plenty in 4p config/11.6ah.
YSB is the trusted seller or

USB Down Tube 48V11.6Ah(558Wh) Electric Bicycle Lithium-ion Battery Black | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USB Down Tube 48V11.6Ah(558Wh) Electric Bicycle Lithium-ion Battery Black at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

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The China battery could be fake or poor cells plus you will have duty to pay.

 

[vfr400]

USB 48V11.6AH E-bike Lithium Battery Downtube SAMSUNG Battery for 1000W Motor | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for USB 48V11.6AH E-bike Lithium Battery Downtube SAMSUNG Battery for 1000W Motor at the best online prices at eBay! Free delivery for many products!

www.ebay.co.uk

This type is easier to install because the fixing holes normally line up with your bottle fixings. The other type has the fixing holes further up, so you have to add another rivnut to the frame and drill the battery mount.

 

[Klang180]

Thanks to you both. Looks like I missed out on their 48v 350 motor now so I might have to wait before I order the yose kit. Once you've made up your mind it seems harder to wait all of a sudden!

 

[Klang180]

I'm right in thinking 48v is much better right and it's not worth even considering this kit?

Hub Motor 36V350W Black Hub Motor for Rear Wheel 26" & HL1 36V12.5Ah Battery Conversion Kit DIY E-bike

<p><span style="font-size:14px;"><span style="font-family:Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">*Powerful, Smooth, Silent, Economical<br /> *100% pre-shipment inspection<br /> *18 months warranty for motor, 12 months warranty for other parts<br /> *local after sale service center<br /> *10 years...

www.yosepower.com

 

[Klang180]

So I was wrong and they do still have a 48v. So in all the 36v system with battery will be £340 whereas the 48v system would be £425, worth the extra?

 

[vfr400]

48v is always better. You get 30% more torque and power from the same motor. It can make the difference between comfortable pedalling up hills and getting off and pushing.

 

[sjpt]

Remember too that a 48v battery with the same amp hours as the 36v has 1/3 extra capacity, which is probably a large factor in the price difference.

Yose often seem to be out of stock of things. One thing to consider is that most of their kits are nominally 350w and hence technically illegal on UK (or most other EU) roads as a Pedalec. (Pretty arbitrary rating; most 48v 250w kits will almost certainly deliver more power (continuous as well as peak) than a Yose 36v 350w one/)

 

[Klang180]

48v is always better. You get 30% more torque and power from the same motor. It can make the difference between comfortable pedalling up hills and getting off and pushing.

very good to know, thanks for the info, will go 48v and make a proper investment.

 

[Klang180]

Remember too that a 48v battery with the same amp hours as the 36v has 1/3 extra capacity, which is probably a large factor in the price difference.

Yose often seem to be out of stock of things. One thing to consider is that most of their kits are nominally 350w and hence technically illegal on UK (or most other EU) roads as a Pedalec. (Pretty arbitrary rating; most 48v 250w kits will almost certainly deliver more power (continuous as well as peak) than a Yose 36v 350w one/)

I understand the Yose Power kit is not road legal and that is a concern but am now interested in what you say about the arbitrary nature of it especially as the only Yose kit available has a freewheel and not a cassette so am looking elsewhere for the kit. Which 250w 48V kits would likely have more continuous and peak power? I'd like to stay on the right side of the law if possible, not that I would be riding like an idiot anyway.

 

[Nealh]

You will find it hard to get a 48v marked motor unless you buy from Woosh.

 

[vfr400]

I always buy my parts separately, but that makes it a bit more expensive.
Q128C motor wheel(48v 328 rpm) from BMSBattery in China (£197 plus maybe VAT or other duty)

Q128C-135mm 500W Rear Driving EBike Hub Motor Wheel RPM 201 Voltage 36V

Q128C-135mm 500W Rear Driving V-brake, rim-brake, Disc-Brake compatible E-Bike Hub Motor Wheel. Waterproof hall sensor connector.

bmsbattery.com

15A or 17a controller kit (LCD, throttle, PAS and speed sensor) from PSWPower in China (around £70 - never paid duty on a controller)

Sinewave Controller-Controller - PSWPOWER.com

www.pswpower.com

48v 11.6Ah Dolphin battery from Eclipese Ebikes UK. (£275)

EclipseBikes

eclipsebikes.com

Get a pair of 10x12 torque arms from BMSB while you're there. Probably around £600 all up

 

[Klang180]

I always buy my parts separately, but that makes it a bit more expensive.
Q128C motor wheel(48v 328 rpm) from BMSBattery in China (£197 plus maybe VAT or other duty)

Q128C-135mm 500W Rear Driving EBike Hub Motor Wheel RPM 201 Voltage 36V

Q128C-135mm 500W Rear Driving V-brake, rim-brake, Disc-Brake compatible E-Bike Hub Motor Wheel. Waterproof hall sensor connector.

bmsbattery.com

15A or 17a controller kit (LCD, throttle, PAS and speed sensor) from PSWPower in China (around £70 - never paid duty on a controller)

Sinewave Controller-Controller - PSWPOWER.com

www.pswpower.com

48v 11.6Ah Dolphin battery from Eclipese Ebikes UK. (£275)

EclipseBikes

eclipsebikes.com

Get a pair of 10x12 torque arms from BMSB while you're there. Probably around £600 all up

Thanks for this. Not sure i am quite up to buying it all separately as I am not sure what i am looking for and this is my first build. I see that you linked to a 500w rear hub, can i ask why you would do this over a 250 or 350? I realise that neither the 350 nor the 500 are legal but I thought one might "get away" with the 350w?

Would I be better off looking at a Bafang 500w rather than the 350 Yose kit as they are both illegal so may as well go for the higher power right? I was kind of sold on the Yose Power until i realised they only had freewheel models left and I considered they were illegal anyway. What is the very best legal motor i.e. the one that spins the fastest?

 

[Klang180]

You will find it hard to get a 48v marked motor unless you buy from Woosh.

Oh really? So if it is hard to stay the right side of the law should i just get a more powerful motor than the 350w given i am effectively illegal anyway?

 

[Nealh]

Woosh now have all there new motors 250w marked, the old BPM is 350w.
The Yose hubs are etched on the side plate 350w, the Akiema Q128C is 500w the sticker fall off and the motor is small like the Yose.

 

[Nealh]

Oh really? So if it is hard to stay the right side of the law should i just get a more powerful motor than the 350w given i am effectively illegal anyway?

There's no effectively about it, it is marked above the 250w rating.
The Akiema I have has 250w engraved label, tbh I don't think anyone would be able to prove it isn't.
My feeling is that all 350w motors are the same as 250w ones , the bigger markets like the Yanks don't like 250w as they feel it is inferior so China marks them 350w to suit them better.

The Akiema Q128C is about 3.2kg for 36 holes , the Akiema Q100c is 2.2kg for 32 holes.

 

[Nealh]

I forgot about GBK in China they sell a silver 250w Q100c 36h cassette hub and are a very reliable seller, 201 or 328rpm and other 250w hubs all though 36v.

e-bike cassette freewheel hub motor with light weight and high speed, 36V250W bldc engines-Greenbikekit.com BBS, ebike batteries, Bafang M620, Bafang M600, Bafang M500, Bafang M510, KT controller with display-GreenBikeKit.com

e-bike cassette freewheel hub motor with light weight and high speed, 36V250W bldc engines for electric bike kit.

www.greenbikekit.com

 

[Klang180]

There's no effectively about it, it is marked above the 250w rating.
The Akiema I have has 250w engraved label, tbh I don't think anyone would be able to prove it isn't.
My feeling is that all 350w motors are the same as 250w ones , the bigger markets like the Yanks don't like 250w as they feel it is inferior so China marks them 350w to suit them better.

The Akiema Q128C is about 3.2kg for 36 holes , the Akiema Q100c is 2.2kg for 32 holes.

I reckon you could be right about the 350w as your rationale stacks up.

I like the look of the Akiema but I can only find them as just hub motors which means building the wheel around it. I am pretty good mechanically with bikes but building a wheel is not in my wheel house (sorry). Do you know if anyone makes them on wheels already or am I scared of this step unnecessarily?