Bafang Ultra bikes available on Alibaba (other than Frey) — has anyone done research?

[Dave Sloan]

I’ve been researching hard into Bafang Ultra bikes, especially for ones with 21 amp batteries. I have found several on Alibaba but haven’t found any reviews or trustworthy commentary about the companies (other than Frey. Electrek.co has covered them extensively). None of the bikes compare to Frey’s top end bikes, but some are close to Frey’s low end bike. Most have components comparable to Eunorau, except that Eunorau is BBSHD instead of Ultra. The price, even after shipping (which costs $550 by sea) would be comparable to Eunorau, or somewhat cheaper ($1,900 — $2,200) but you would get both Ultra and 21 amps.

Price is a major constraint for me, but I’m leaning toward paying more for Frey to get better components and credibility. Still, I’m wondering if anyone has investigated these Ultra bikes sold on Alibaba?

I realize that the preference on this site is for bikes sold by US dealers. I realize that means much better support. But a quality bike doesn’t need lots of support. Other than brake pads I haven’t serviced my Fuji ebike in almost 4,000 miles. If I can save a bunch of money, I can spend some of it when necessary getting service at a local bike shop. There are some good ones near me that service ebikes.

Thanks in advance for any info you may have.

 

[Ebiker33]

I’ve been researching hard into Bafang Ultra bikes, especially for ones with 21 amp batteries. I have found several on Alibaba but haven’t found any reviews or trustworthy commentary about the companies (other than Frey. Electrek.co has covered them extensively). None of the bikes compare to Frey’s top end bikes, but some are close to Frey’s low end bike. Most have components comparable to Eunorau, except that Eunorau is BBSHD instead of Ultra. The price, even after shipping (which costs $550 by sea) would be comparable to Eunorau, or somewhat cheaper ($1,900 — $2,200) but you would get both Ultra and 21 amps.

Price is a major constraint for me, but I’m leaning toward paying more for Frey to get better components and credibility. Still, I’m wondering if anyone has investigated these Ultra bikes sold on Alibaba?

I realize that the preference on this site is for bikes sold by US dealers. I realize that means much better support. But a quality bike doesn’t need lots of support. Other than brake pads I haven’t serviced my Fuji ebike in almost 4,000 miles. If I can save a bunch of money, I can spend some of it when necessary getting service at a local bike shop. There are some good ones near me that service ebikes.

Thanks in advance for any info you may have.

Yes look at this thread,
Bikes with Ultra Top Ten

 

[TomD]

I've been looking at Ultra bikes for 2+ years. I recall a guy who posted on ES and had a youtube video of an Ultra FS bike he bought on alibaba. Since then he took the video down but the topic is still up:

I bought a Bafang Ultra full suspension fat bike from Alibaba.com

So I recently bought a full suspension fat ebike with a 1000 Watt Bafang Ultra mid drive from a seller on Alibaba.com. At the time there were not many options for a fat bike with the ultra, either that or I didn't search enough, probably a little bit of both. I have to admit I didn't do too...

endless-sphere.com

This may or may not be the same person:

Purchased an Ebike on Alibaba, taking questions.

I purchased a fat tire ebike from Alibaba. I’ve learned a lot about the benefits (saving $$$) and drawbacks (time and frustration!) to ordering a bike directly from China. I’m happy to answer any questions people have. The bike has a Bafang Ultra (with torque sensor) mid-drive. It cost...

electricbikereview.com

My two cents, I wouldn't risk it. FREY is reputable and will take care of you if something goes sideways. I think it's worth paying a premium to know what you are getting. I'm not sure you'll save more than $750 if you compare apples to apples.

I would not roll the dice with Eunorau. Just one example of what you might be in for:

AVOID EUNORAU on Aliexpress

Great seller until the controller on a new BBSHD crapped out after a week. The motor started cutting out, then would come back on. The time between recoveries got longer. By the next day only the display turned on with a "30" error. I tested the connections and changed displays. I tried to...

endless-sphere.com

 

[tomjasz]

I wouldn’t roll the dice with Alibaba. Unless you’re prepared to trouble shoot and make repairs.