Best VALUE front hub conversion kit

[erleichda]

Hi folks, I've read a ton and searched here and other sites. (this is the best!)
I've been a bicyclist for decades, but with blown lower back have rented a few ebikes and think it is time. I have multiple road, mountain, cyclocross bikes in steel, alum and carbon. I'm looking to build a commuter bike with a simple as possible front hub conversion.

However, first I'd like to experiment on my kids. They have rigid fork mountain bikes. I'd like to help them with the 800- climb from the train station to our house. I would personally love a Grin, and don't mind spending close to $1k. But not on my kids. Hoping to buy a front hub kit for their bikes in the $200 range plus battery.

What kit would you buy off of Amazon, Ebay, Alli?
Geared or not?
500W? 750W?

 

[Lightning P38]

Hi folks, I've read a ton and searched here and other sites. (this is the best!)
I've been a bicyclist for decades, but with blown lower back have rented a few ebikes and think it is time. I have multiple road, mountain, cyclocross bikes in steel, alum and carbon. I'm looking to build a commuter bike with a simple as possible front hub conversion.

However, first I'd like to experiment on my kids. They have rigid fork mountain bikes. I'd like to help them with the 800- climb from the train station to our house. I would personally love a Grin, and don't mind spending close to $1k. But not on my kids. Hoping to buy a front hub kit for their bikes in the $200 range plus battery.

What kit would you buy off of Amazon, Ebay, Alli?
Geared or not?
500W? 750W?

500 watt motor is plenty. 10 amp battery. Hub kit is fine.

 

[tomjasz]

Geared, but the cheapest will be an adventure. Find other builders and learn from their mistakes. Amazon has lots of deals. Just make sure it’s an amazon fulfilled order. To many China sellers with crap support.

 

[indianajo]

One of the reputable geared hub motors, MAC, says their motor will burn the winding in 15 minutes at full power. Can the kids get up 800' in 10 minutes? I've a $221 1200 W 48 v ebikeling geared hub that gets me up 77 hills in 30 miles, but our hills are short rollers, 200' overall rise.
DD hub motors waste watts at low speeds but cool better. The windings actually connect to the case. Geared hub, there is a 1.5 mm gap. I've ridden up a 10% grade with my 1000 W DD motor. Gross weight was 240 lb. It cost $189 with throttle controller, brake handles, from ebay. 48 v LY 1000 it says on the side.
electric-bikes.com cancelled my order for a MAC when he found out we have 15% grades in S. Indiana. He suggested I buy a crystal DD motor. His was overpriced, about $800.
I'd say buy the generic 1000 W power wheel from any ebay seller that has US stock. If it burns, $200 is no big deal. Buy a battery from somebody real, not ebay or amazon. Grin is in canada, that makes any warrenty worthless to a US resident. I bought my working battery from Luna, its good after 2 1/4 years. Ebikeling.com has a decent reputation, although his products are very low end. I bought a 48 v 1200 w geared hub motor from him, still running after 2 1/4 years. He only sells 36 v geared hubs now, probably because of the burnout problem with long hills.
Your profile says pacific NW. If you're in Canada, buy from someone who has Canada stock. Grin has a great reputation, but is pricey. The battery might be worth it, I got 2 piles of garbage called batteries from Amazon & Ebay.
You see left my battery is mounted in an aluminum angle shell, wrapped in foam & green plastic. Inhibits theft, takes 20 minutes to get it off the bike even if you know what your doing and have the right tools. 2 special ones are an 8" shaft screwdriver, and a nail puller to pull the bolt heads out of the frame.
Use US made crimp terminals on 14 ga wire to connect the battery to the controller. ****ese crimp terminals will melt at 30 A. I use either insulated .250" flags, or .157" bullet connectors. Reverse male & female on + & - to avoid blowing the controller.

 

[AHicks]

Geared, but the cheapest will be an adventure. Find other builders and learn from their mistakes. Amazon has lots of deals. Just make sure it’s an amazon fulfilled order. To many China sellers with crap support.

2nd vote for geared, and agree on the Amazon fulfilled advice as well. If that's not possible (Amazon fulfilled), I'd be asking a few questions of the seller to see what kind of response you get. See if you can understand them, the accuracy of the info they share, and see how quickly they respond. It would be only after I felt comfortable with them that they would get my order.

 

[WilliamT]

I just recently purchased this kit from Amazon. It did take 3 weeks and 1 day to arrive.

Amazon.com : 8fun BAFANG 48V 500W Front Wheel Hub Assembly Motor Kit with Battery Electric Bike Conversion Kit for 20 26 27.5 700C Inch Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit with LCD Display : Sports & Outdoors

Amazon.com : 8fun BAFANG 48V 500W Front Wheel Hub Assembly Motor Kit with Battery Electric Bike Conversion Kit for 20 26 27.5 700C Inch Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit with LCD Display : Sports & Outdoors

www.amazon.com

Everything came as expected and it worked right out of the box. I tested the kit before putting it on the bike. I got it without a battery as I have many at home.

The only thing I don't like about it is the programming. Throttle only takes you to a speed limited by the assist level.

On my previous kits, the throttle is independent of the assist level.

I had to file down the fork a little because the axle is a little wider than the 10 mm dropouts that I have. I also have 2 grin torque arms attached.