bafang 750 watt hub motor,

[cmugler]

thinking about a Rize X or a biktrix juggernaut with the bafang 750 watt hub motor, will these realistically get the bike to 28 mph or should I go with the 750 watt middrive

 

[PedalUma]

If you can get the mid-drive, do. A mid-drive is at least 20% more efficient so you can use a lighter battery and travel faster and farther.
Also the fat kid is in the middle of the teeter-tauter so handling is balanced. Hub-drives can't even go up curbs and they cannot do sustained climbs.

 

[cmugler]

if I did go with the 750 hub can they realistically go 28

 

[harryS]

I suppose they can. I have a Bafang 500W G60 (fat tire) motor running on a 25A controller where the speedometer has claimed to read 28 mph.

 

[Cyklefanatic]

Speed is not a problem for hub drives but hills are. You can climb with a hub drive but you have to give up speed to do it. Hub drives love high speed flat work. However I have never ridden a 750 watt motor that’s 3 times more than most ebikes so I doubt you will have any problems.

 

[Dave Rocks]

Hub-drives can't even go up curbs

Why not?

 

[m@Robertson]

Hubs can go up curbs just fine. I've certainly never had a problem. Also a fat Bafang G060 with a 52v battery will hit 30 mph on flat ground with a 250 lb rider (me) sitting in the saddle. this assumes a fat bike with fat tires, which pushes the outside diameter of the tires up to 29-30 inches. Over 30 and the motor starts hitting its rpm limit. Put that same motor on a 20-inch wheel and the diameter loss reduces the top speed. Use a 48v battery and same deal (speed on that 26" fat bike will go down to about 26...27 tops). Put your petite 100 lb girlfriend on it and speed will go up a bit. Put a 60v battery behind that same fat motor and no matter what you weigh, you have a 40 mph bike (the G060 can take it).

If on the other hand you have hills to climb, then forget about the hub motor going fast. Think on this: A hub motor powers the bike thru the axle. So its single speed. A hub motor hates life going up a hill singlespeed for the same reasons you would if you had no gears. Mid drive for the win there.

I build both mid drives and hubs and I've got a lot of experience with both from the ground up. Neither is great at all things. None are the best for all solutions. But if I had a choice I'd go with a mid drive. Its the most versatile but also requires the most out of the rider in terms of intelligent gear selection and not doing dumb stuff that will snap the chain or saw off chainring teeth.

 

[PedalUma]

Why not?

The back end is heavy. Try it and you will see pinch flats, loose and broken spokes and bent rims.

 

[m@Robertson]

First and foremost I don't often go up curbs cuz I am not 12 years old anymore. But I have done it without issue many times. On a fat bike with no suspension I might add. On a 2wd fat bike... when you hit a curb under 2-wheel power I guarantee you its a memorable impact and you had best have done it on purpose.

Approaching 8000 miles on this bike's wheels (3rd bike build I have used them on). Like anything in this world, if you build with junk its going to break. These are Origin8 double-wall 80mm rims and DT 2.0 Champion (13 ga) spokes with 16mm brass nipples. Still absolutely true. So if someone has issues on curbs its not the hub motor its the quality of the wheel surrounding it.

 

[stanmiller]

The back end is heavy. Try it and you will see pinch flats, loose and broken spokes and bent rims.

I go up curbs all the time. But I do lean forward and stand on the pedals to assist. Never had a problem with pinches, broken spokes, or bent rims. Though like m@Robertson, I have custom built wheels (Sapim strong 14 ga spokes).

 

[mradel]

First and foremost I don't often go up curbs cuz I am not 12 years old anymore.

You made me laugh out loud. I'm 50 and ride over curbs with a fat tire hub motor from time to time, not often and I've never had a pinch flat - although I take them at one mile per hour.

 

[ExPatBrit]

Why not?

I wonder about that as well.

My hub drive had no problem with "kerbs" and my 10 mile return commute from work was 80% uphill. With the hub-drive on trail you attack slopes as fast as you can go to build momentum.

My mid-drive is better at going up hills slowly, which is nice when on trail and you are unsure of the terrain or what lies around the next corner or over the ridge . You feel more in control.

Mid drive is slower on my commute, including the hills.

 

[m@Robertson]

You made me laugh out loud. I'm 50 and ride over curbs with a fat tire hub motor from time to time, not often and I've never had a pinch flat - although I take them at one mile per hour.

When I got back into cycling with a Stumpjumper several years back, I would tell people "Its freakin' great. I am 3 for 4 going straight up curbs!" What I didn't say was #4 was very.... very very bad. I have found to do curbs I need a suspension fork. And speed. Just did one yesterday. Straight up the curb and then straight up a hillside trail. Bluto on the front and a mid drive so different bike entirely from the one pictured above.

 

[Scarlet/Fire]

if I did go with the 750 hub can they realistically go 28

35 is the potential (as per the review)

 

[Scarlet/Fire]

if I did go with the 750 hub can they realistically go 28

28 it’s true-

 

[AHicks]

The back end is heavy. Try it and you will see pinch flats, loose and broken spokes and bent rims.

That's not even close to being the truth. OK, so they aren't balanced as well as a mid (not even noticeable by a majority of riders I'm sure), and they may not do as well on an extended climb (as measured in miles here) but the rest of your claims are from fantasy land. There is no more chance of a broken spoke, pinch flat or bent rim with a geared hub, direct drive hub, or a mid drive. Exact same potential for all 3 incidents among them.

 

[AHicks]

if I did go with the 750 hub can they realistically go 28

I would say yes. But I would add that once you've done that a few times to prove to yourself it's able, you're going to see what that kind of speed does to your battery life, and the 28mph thrill will be gone....

 

[Scarlet/Fire]

I would say yes. But I would add that once you've done that a few times to prove to yourself it's able, you're going to see what that kind of speed does to your battery life, and the 28mph thrill will be gone....

True that maintaining top speed is gonna drain that battery,but after 5K my battery is still always ready to rock if needed - no loss

 

[Dave Rocks]

The back end is heavy. Try it and you will see pinch flats, loose and broken spokes and bent rims.

Come on man it's not that heavy if you are able. It's about technique. I gear up and slow down approaching the curb,
lift the front wheel up and bunny hop and feather throttle the back wheel. The back hub drive wheel barely or doesn't even touch the curb.

 

[PedalUma]

Hubs require heavy spokes and extra-strong rims for good reasons. It is easier to change a flat on a mid-drive. Would you rather put a chain on a mid-drive than change a flat on a hub-drive?

How to build a hub-drive at home.