Why do none of the big manufacturers sell conversion kits

[Jiktten]

When I started looking into this I assumed at least someone like Bosch would offer a conversion kit. As someone who really doesn't have the knowledge or expertise to do much home maintenance beyond basic bike care, am I better off getting a Bafang conversion for my mid-range all-rounder or a refurbished eBike from Halfords? Help!

 

[Sparksandbangs]

When I started looking into this I assumed at least someone like Bosch would offer a conversion kit. As someone who really doesn't have the knowledge or expertise to do much home maintenance beyond basic bike care, am I better off getting a Bafang conversion for my mid-range all-rounder or a refurbished eBike from Halfords? Help!

Because if it went wrong they would be spending their time dealing with technical issues that could have been caused by the installer. Not worth the bother. Their core market is selling a fully finished product.

 

[Nealh]

Big manufacturers don't want the end user to be able to access any of their systems as one also needs the programmers/software that go with them.
It would end their monopoly of the closed system and would entail third user right to repair which entails Canbus .

 

[Peter.Bridge]

When I started looking into this I assumed at least someone like Bosch would offer a conversion kit. As someone who really doesn't have the knowledge or expertise to do much home maintenance beyond basic bike care, am I better off getting a Bafang conversion for my mid-range all-rounder or a refurbished eBike from Halfords? Help!

There's plenty of cheap, reliable kits around if you want to convert, alternatively can buy new basic ebikes from ebay / argos with 2 year guarantee - or refurbished from Halfords.

What do you want to do with it ? How heavy are you, what range do you need, how hilly is it near you ?

 

[thelarkbox]

If buying a 2nd use ebike its only common sense to consider any battery as highly suspect and include the cost of a replacement into your decision making process. And named brand mid drives are often a red flag 2nd use as fixes/maintenance can require authorised dealers etc... Not to mention the horrors of sophisticated battery communications that serve only to brick systems prematurely.

Best VFM and future proofing is a diy conversion on a suitable comfy bike (disk brakes).
Hub drives are well suited to most use cases and are virtually maintenance free.
Odd when every advert-article i read before landing here myself had me convinced a mid drive was superior in every way, and the more complex a machine the sexier it is perhaps?

Over 2 yrs on now and my sub £400 rear wheel conversion kit complete with battery and tools to fit from yose-power has worked fine with no motor controller or battery issues at all.

If an active sports cyclist, or have exceptionally long steep climbs to contend with a mid drive might be a viable/better option?? they certainly have their champions..

Best describe what you want from a bike range wise and what sort of terrain your covering, include details of mass to carry for example at almost 90kg (got weighed at the docs ) i can lump back a good 20kg on my bike from the shops with spuds and tins etc..

there are contributors in here given the above info who can point you at either an off the shelf offering or a suitable conversion route for a suitable bike.. If diy is not your thing although its little more than a wheel replacement with added cable management. Both Woosh and Wisper sell bikes without the usual branded gotcha's.

 

[guerney]

Like other big companies of all types, they want to tie you into a product ecosystem to maximise profits, bleed you dry and enslave you.

I wouldn't buy a Bafang mid-drive unless it was UART, and all of the parameters can be changed. Sadly UART is rare, because Bafang now only make CAN bus kits (according to PSWPower). If going this route, @egroover found a UART bare motor, much searching could perhaps turn up complete UART conversion kits?

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/bargains.46309/post-750593

A pricier option is to buy a CAN bus kit, sell the CAN bus controller and peripherals, replacing them with UART versions. Bear in mind even if your controller is UART, it's "Current limit" parameter might be locked/limited, though that appears to be more common on the 48V versions. Also, some 250W BBS01B motors aren't engraved "250W", so you'll need to buy or print your own for legality.