BBS02 Build

[TML]

After spending a few months with a 2014 Prodecotech Phantom X2 in a very hilly area; I decided its time to get a bike with a rear rack and a mid drive. All of the options with the range and speed I wanted were way out of my price range. I spent a good bit of time comparing battery builders and settled on Em3ev due to their build quality and cost. I just ordered everything for the build and will be updating this thread as the parts arrive and build continues.

Current order: Total: $1,495.0
BBS02 48V 25A Kit × 1: $379.0
DCP14 (TFT Colour Display) × 1: $85.0
Throttle Type - Right Half Twist × 1: $8.0
Ebrake Type - 1pc Generic Sensor (Hydraulic Brakes) × 1: $10.0
Chainwheel - 46T × 1: $10.0
Lekkie Buzz Bars BBS Crank Arms: $90.0
Universal GearSensor (IGH And Derailleur) × 1: $45.0
50V 25.7Ah High-Energy Pack With 60A Smart BMS (14S9P-PF) × 1: $649.0
58.8V Charger (with 90/100% Switch) × 1: $60.0
Shipping: 159.00

Since it is after business hours on Friday in China right now I don't expect the parts to ship until the end of next week. The motor has been programmed to have full throttle available at every PAS setting including 0. It also has the speed limit removed (although I may re-set it around 30mph once I get it. That is plenty fast for the side streets in my area.)

I'm looking for a front suspension donor bike with hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano Acera or higher grade componentry. One option I found locally is a 2013 Giant Talon 29er 1 for $300. If its in good shape; I hope to pick it up Monday. My goal is to keep this thread fully up to date with all of the steps for anyone else considering a similar sub $2k mid drive build.

The battery is a large triangle. I don't want to have to remove it from the frame when I'm gone, so my plan is to build a custom box to fit in the triangle of the frame and screw it together using Torx Security screws. Since there are multiple bottle cage bosses, I may use washers and extended bolts in the boss holes to keep the box stabilized. We'll see after I pick up the bike, but weight will be centered/low and it is the most secure option I can think of other than removal. Any suggestions are highly appreciated!

 

[Amish David]

Just curious how many miles you can get out of it, the battery per charge? I live up in the mountains and on a bike that I built I run 12 to 15 miles on a charge but can get 20 probably 25 with more pedal assist. Like you I cheated a little bit the bike will actually do 33.2 miles an hour however I keep it around 15 miles per hour it's just good to have the extra energy there to get up the huge hills, oh mine is a rear hub not mid-drive by the way.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

After spending a few months with a 2014 Prodecotech Phantom X2 in a very hilly area; I decided its time to get a bike with a rear rack and a mid drive. All of the options with the range and speed I wanted were way out of my price range. I spent a good bit of time comparing battery builders and settled on Em3ev due to their build quality and cost. I just ordered everything for the build and will be updating this thread as the parts arrive and build continues.

Current order: Total: $1,495.0
BBS02 48V 25A Kit × 1: $379.0
DCP14 (TFT Colour Display) × 1: $85.0
Throttle Type - Right Half Twist × 1: $8.0
Ebrake Type - 1pc Generic Sensor (Hydraulic Brakes) × 1: $10.0
Chainwheel - 46T × 1: $10.0
Lekkie Buzz Bars BBS Crank Arms: $90.0
Universal GearSensor (IGH And Derailleur) × 1: $45.0
50V 25.7Ah High-Energy Pack With 60A Smart BMS (14S9P-PF) × 1: $649.0
58.8V Charger (with 90/100% Switch) × 1: $60.0
Shipping: 159.00

Since it is after business hours on Friday in China right now I don't expect the parts to ship until the end of next week. The motor has been programmed to have full throttle available at every PAS setting including 0. It also has the speed limit removed (although I may re-set it around 30mph once I get it. That is plenty fast for the side streets in my area.)

I'm looking for a front suspension donor bike with hydraulic disc brakes and Shimano Acera or higher grade componentry. One option I found locally is a 2013 Giant Talon 29er 1 for $300. If its in good shape; I hope to pick it up Monday. My goal is to keep this thread fully up to date with all of the steps for anyone else considering a similar sub $2k mid drive build.

The battery is a large triangle. I don't want to have to remove it from the frame when I'm gone, so my plan is to build a custom box to fit in the triangle of the frame and screw it together using Torx Security screws. Since there are multiple bottle cage bosses, I may use washers and extended bolts in the boss holes to keep the box stabilized. We'll see after I pick up the bike, but weight will be centered/low and it is the most secure option I can think of other than removal. Any suggestions are highly appreciated!

It's going to be a powerful bike!
Why not use your Prodeco X2 and its front triangle? You could just swap the rear wheel for a normal one.

Lots of good used bikes on eBay if you want to pick a used one. I saw some really nice Salsa and Trek bikes...

 

[tomjasz]

Simply one of the best battery builders. My first BBS01 came from Paul. I have several batteries from him as well.
If you need any help with the install, just ask. The fella I work for does their warranty service on Bafang mid drives. I spend a couple of hours every day supporting BBSxx builds.

 

[TML]

It's going to be a powerful bike!
Why not use your Prodeco X2 and its front triangle? You could just swap the rear wheel for a normal one.

Lots of good used bikes on eBay if you want to pick a used one. I saw some really nice Salsa and Trek bikes...

I'm hoping to be able to ride anywhere I want without having to worry about the battery constantly. In the prodeco I was using 30wh/mile and I plan on going faster with the new bike. I'm guesstimating 40wh/m when I'm pushing hard.

My prodeco doesn't have a triangle that would fit a battery.

 

[TML]

Simply one of the best battery builders. My first BBS01 came from Paul. I have several batteries from him as well.
If you need any help with the install, just ask. The fella I work for does their warranty service on Bafang mid drives. I spend a couple of hours every day supporting BBSxx builds.

Thank you so much! Any tips before I get started? I'm sure it'll be weeks before the parts arrive.

 

[tomjasz]

Thank you so much! Any tips before I get started? I'm sure it'll be weeks before the parts arrive.

Zip ties and blue Loctite. A Shimano BB socket and a lock ring spanner.

 

[TML]

I purchased a 2013 Giant Talon 29er 1 with a rack as the donor bike for $300. (Deore derailleur, Alivio trigger shifters, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes).

Unfortunately after mocking up a fake battery out of paper, I found the lower triangle is WAY too small to fit the battery. Since its hard to source a mountain bike with a decent fork, hydraulic brakes and decent derailleur here for the $, I've decided to keep the bike and do a different mounting solution for the battery.

I wanted something weather resistant that would be permanently mounted to the bike and difficult to steal. After looking at many options, I decided on a small hard case from Pelican. The 1450 case has an interior dimension of 14.66" × 10.24" × 6.12" which is enough for half an inch along one side and one to one and a half inches of foam along the other sides. Right now my plan is to permanently mount it to the top of the rear rack. (I'll probably end up bolting it down.)

Once The case arrives and I get it mounted; I'll upload a pic. Hopefully it will fit on the rack and I'll be able to run the cable up from the drivetrain to the rear rack as stealthily as possible. This may look a bit goofy though as its a large case.

 

[TML]

All of the parts from Em3ev come in tomorrow so its time to get the case mounted. I purchased a set of fifty fifty fenders for the front and back for $20 on Amazon. Had to make a pit stop for $5 worth of mounting hardware at the local store. Used pipe holders doubled up with washers and bolts to keep the pelican case mounted to the rear rack. I measured out enough space for the battery and a few locks to keep with me.

Hopefully the bike will be built over the weekend. I'll get more pics up Monday once that's done.

 

[TML]

The bike build was "finished" over the weekend.

After putting about 2 miles on it I decided there was no point in keeping the throttle. I took this off and replaced the grips (as I had already cut into the previous one.)

Another five miles in and I sheared a screw that was holding on the rear rack. (The battery case is quite heavy.) I've replaced both screws with a machine bolt that runs through the pipe secured by two nuts.

At this point, I reset the display to factory default and configured all the settings the way I like them. One problem I've found is the display won't power on if I leave the bike off for a day. I have to disconnect and re-connect a bullet connector then the power switch works. (I'll be emailing Em3ev to see what they advise.)

With around 12 miles on the bike since the reset; I've found a few things.

1) I'll be needing a wider saddle. This one isn't very comfortable for up-right riding. (I'm used to 20-30 miles per day, so I don't think its just fatigue as you feel it after about a mile.)
2) I'll probably go to a lower tooth chain ring. Using the 46 tooth ring I am getting 35mph on the 7th out of 9 gears. I haven't gone faster than that as I tend to run out of road and it would cause me to break the speed limit.)
3) Major hills I'm able to do about 10mph up with limited effort. (These are seriously steep long hills.)
4) My 8 mile commute to work used 12% of the battery with me barely putting in any effort. (I was hurting due to the saddle so I kept the speeds at 20-25mph rather than 30-35mph.)
5) I want a kickstand. This is a big pain without it as the bike is heavy. I've got one on order that should come in tomorrow or Thursday.
6) PAS is so much better than throttle only!!! Seriously loving this mid drive. It feels a lot more like a bicycle than my Prodecotech did.
7) With the power the motor puts out I don't notice the weight over the rear wheels at all. I've added my chain to the frame. I'll try more aggressive cornering once the seat is more comfortable.

 

[TML]

Just realized I never posted the finished build. Yesterday while riding I sheared an arm on the rear rack. Apparently I had too much weight to do jumps at 20+ mph. Bike is in the shop to get a new rack and kickstand. Will get pics posted once back on the road.

After increasing my commuting range; I think I'll keep the higher tooth chainring. The hills are more of a workout at first, but the rewarded top speed is excellent on 30-40 mile days.

 

[tomjasz]

The bike build was "finished" over the weekend.

After putting about 2 miles on it I decided there was no point in keeping the throttle. I took this off and replaced the grips (as I had already cut into the previous one.)

Another five miles in and I sheared a screw that was holding on the rear rack. (The battery case is quite heavy.) I've replaced both screws with a machine bolt that runs through the pipe secured by two nuts.

At this point, I reset the display to factory default and configured all the settings the way I like them. One problem I've found is the display won't power on if I leave the bike off for a day. I have to disconnect and re-connect a bullet connector then the power switch works. (I'll be emailing Em3ev to see what they advise.)

With around 12 miles on the bike since the reset; I've found a few things.

1) I'll be needing a wider saddle.

I just popped for a. Brooks b190. Wow!

 

[TML]

Its been forever since I updated this, so here is the bike in it's nearly finished state. (I've got some lights that I need to install and will probably add a water bottle holder.)

I'm going to add up everything that has gone into the build and tally it up in a minute.

 

[TML]

2013 Giant Talon 29er 1: $300
BBS02 48V 25A Kit × 1: $379
DCP14 (TFT Colour Display) × 1: $85
Ebrake Type - 1pc Generic Sensor (Hydraulic Brakes) × 1: $10
Chainwheel - 46T × 1: $10
Lekkie Buzz Bars BBS Crank Arms: $90
Universal GearSensor (IGH And Derailleur) × 1: $45
50V 25.7Ah High-Energy Pack With 60A Smart BMS (14S9P-PF) × 1: $649
58.8V Charger (with 90/100% Switch) × 1: $60
Shipping: $159
Labor for install: $90
Bike / Conversion Cost: $1877

Ortlieb Back Roller Classic Pannier: $198
900 lumen headlight / taillight: $25
Front / Rear Fender: $25
Phone mount: $20
Kryptonite 1217 New York Chain w/ Evo Series 4 14mm Disc Lock: $100
Bike Rack w/ strengthened bolt: $30
Portable Tire Pump: $30
Specialized FatBoy Tires: $65
Cruiser style saddle: $30
Accessories / Upgrade Cost: $523

Total Investment: $2,400

 

[TML]

After riding around with the Pelican case on the back; I quickly got tired of not being able to use the sides of my rack. Anything I wanted to haul had to be in a back pack. My solution was to remove the Pelican case and purchase a high quality waterproof set of panniers. They hold a LOT. I replaced the rack with one that is rated for 60lbs and have hauled about 35lbs on it so far.

After a couple hundred miles; I replaced the tires with Specialized FatBoys. These are significantly quieter and much easier to get to high speeds.

Keeping the assist level on 9 (max) I average just below 30mph on flat grounds with little effort. If I'm on a 35mph street I put in moderate effort and can keep up with traffic at 35-36mph on flat ground. This is my general pace when commuting and I'm averaging about 65 miles before the battery gets down to 15%. (I haven't let it go below that yet.)

The twist throttle was removed almost immediately b/c the pedal assist is so easy/so much fun. You can always ghost pedal if you're feeling lazy and it works almost as well as a throttle.

I'm considering listing the bike for sale, but know I'll take a huge hit on the investment. I may just see what offers are out there. I'm in no rush to get rid of it. The bike is such a blast to ride!