Generic MD 1000 and HD 750 ebike model discussion

[RC001]

They are in the process of testing a new IGH for the MD 1000. Not sure if they are currently selling that model with the SRAM. You might consider the MD 750 model. It comes with SRAM 9 speed standard and is the same bike/motor.

Did you contact Leili? I suggest you use Alibaba for all your communications with them. Good to have an audit trail and the Alibaba contract will ensure you get a functional bike on time.

What is the essential difference between the MD1000 and the MD750? I would be interested to know if the cutout is a feature on the MD750, and if the motor can be programmed to peak 1000w since it's the same motor.

 

[RMK!]

What is the essential difference between the MD1000 and the MD750? I would be interested to know if the cutout is a feature on the MD750, and if the motor can be programmed to peak 1000w since it's the same motor.

They are essentially the same bike. Both have the cutout and the Bafang G510 Ultra Max Mid Motor can be unlocked to get the 1000W. The SRAM cassette chain drivetrain, front shock and tires are the minor changes.

 

[RC001]

They are essentially the same bike. Both have the cutout and the Bafang G510 Ultra Max Mid Motor can be unlocked to get the 1000W. The SRAM cassette chain drivetrain, front shock and tires are the minor changes.

Thanks. Appreciate your help.

 

[carp]

If you are looking for an upgraded rim/tire/rear hub that you can trust, reach out to Mike Curiak at www.lacemine29.com. He is building me new rear wheel with a DT Swiss Big Ride Hub with a better/stronger rim & spoke setup. Would be worth a shout out to him if you dont want to trust the hub and rim setup from Leili..

 

[Terry777]

If you are looking for an upgraded rim/tire/rear hub that you can trust, reach out to Mike Curiak at www.lacemine29.com. He is building me new rear wheel with a DT Swiss Big Ride Hub with a better/stronger rim & spoke setup. Would be worth a shout out to him if you dont want to trust the hub and rim setup from Leili..

I’m gonna try the 9 speed cassette set up they are sending me. See how that goes. There seems to be a few here have that set up now too so we’ll see if it’s a stronger set up for the Ultra motor.

 

[RMK!]

I’m gonna try the 9 speed cassette set up they are sending me. See how that goes. There seems to be a few here have that set up now too so we’ll see if it’s a stronger set up for the Ultra motor.

Hi Terry, no question it is miles better than the SA IGH and you are going to love it. I've got +/-300 miles on the bike since the SRAM swap out and it is a whole new riding experience. In high gear it is faster than the IGH and no more worries about the Sturmey Archer literally falling apart. I felt like a friggin Beta Tester and if this were a US company's product, it would have been recalled. Unfortunately, we have to pay for their mistake in pairing that delicate IGH with the powerful Bafang Ultra motor.

That said, I was warned that the SA IGH would not hold up but stubbornly (stupidly) refused to heed those warnings. It's a live and learn situation and now with 1800+ miles on the bike it is finally working as I had originally hoped it would. The concept of an IGH is still a strong draw for me and the Rohloff 14 may be the answer but I'm going to let someone else blaze that trail.

After spending some time reading in the Riese & Müller thread here I feel a bit better about my MD 1000. Imagine spending $12K on an ebike and having many annoying problems and lot's of downtime related to drivetrain. They use the Rohloff 14E on some of their most expensive models and there have been quite a few issues. Seems leading edge is indeed the bleeding edge.

 

[carp]

I’m gonna try the 9 speed cassette set up they are sending me. See how that goes. There seems to be a few here have that set up now too so we’ll see if it’s a stronger set up for the Ultra motor.

I have the same setup coming from Leili, BUT, I omitted the rim, and the steel front chain ring. Saved me a little over $120 bucks (mainly shipping savings). I really dont trust the hub that they are sending to haul my 265 lb body up steep steep hills without it falling apart. With that being said, I had them send me a rear hub that will serve as a potential backup. That I will put on the existing wheel the IGH was on since its a 36 hole rim/hub which is next to impossible to find hubs for that configuration it turns out.

 

[RMK!]

One thing of note is overheating the motor. If I ride balls-out for an hour or so in 85 degree plus weather the motor will go into what I assume is a protect mode. The motor case is HOT to the touch. It still provides some PAS but power via the throttle is severely limited. After cooling down it returns to a normal state but I'm thinking that heat isn't good for the motor. Anyone else notice this?

 

[Sierramoe]

One thing of note is overheating the motor. If I ride balls-out for an hour or so in 85 degree plus weather the motor will go into what I assume is a protect mode. The motor case is HOT to the touch. It still provides some PAS but power via the throttle is severely limited. After cooling down it returns to a normal state but I'm thinking that heat isn't good for the motor. Anyone else notice this?

I just got home from a short ride, 7 miles 3.5 uphill and the same down. My brand new Warthog HD750 did fine for the first 3 miles going up but then started losing all power to PAS and throttle. I would turn the control screen off then back on and I could then get power again but only for another minute before I lost PAS and throttle again. I’m wondering if the motor is overheating? Seems a little similar to your issue but I lost total power not just reduced.
I rode the downhill with the control panel off and then did a steep mile hill climb in PAS 4-5 and had zero issues. The motor didn’t seem hot to touch at all when I had the power loss. I’m hoping Bolton responds soon with some ideas.

 

[RMK!]

I just got home from a short ride, 7 miles 3.5 uphill and the same down. My brand new Warthog HD750 did fine for the first 3 miles going up but then started losing all power to PAS and throttle. I would turn the control screen off then back on and I could then get power again but only for another minute before I lost PAS and throttle again. I’m wondering if the motor is overheating? Seems a little similar to your issue but I lost total power not just reduced.
I rode the downhill with the control panel off and then did a steep mile hill climb in PAS 4-5 and had zero issues. The motor didn’t seem hot to touch at all when I had the power loss. I’m hoping Bolton responds soon with some ideas.

That seems like a battery or controller issue more than the motor. You have the hub drive motor which is a very well vetted unit. Do you have dual batteries and were they fully charged? In any case, I'm sure Kyle will take care of you and get this resolved quickly.

For max visibility, you may want to post this on the Bolton Facebook page. There is a Bolton Thread here on EBT but it's not very active.

 

[Terry777]

Hi Terry, no question it is miles better than the SA IGH and you are going to love it. I've got +/-300 miles on the bike since the SRAM swap out and it is a whole new riding experience. In high gear it is faster than the IGH and no more worries about the Sturmey Archer literally falling apart. I felt like a friggin Beta Tester and if this were a US company's product, it would have been recalled. Unfortunately, we have to pay for their mistake in pairing that delicate IGH with the powerful Bafang Ultra motor.

That said, I was warned that the SA IGH would not hold up but stubbornly (stupidly) refused to heed those warnings. It's a live and learn situation and now with 1800+ miles on the bike it is finally working as I had originally hoped it would. The concept of an IGH is still a strong draw for me and the Rohloff 14 may be the answer but I'm going to let someone else blaze that trail.

After spending some time reading in the Riese & Müller thread here I feel a bit better about my MD 1000. Imagine spending $12K on an ebike and having many annoying problems and lot's of downtime related to drivetrain. They use the Rohloff 14E on some of their most expensive models and there have been quite a few issues. Seems leading edge is indeed the bleeding edge.

That’s awesome news! I know you give it a real world test that’s gonna be true and trustworthy info.

It seems the IGH was a duffer. It sucks but if we get a great bike by spending a few extra quid I’d still go with it. It’s great there are a few here who can all help each other with this stuff now too. I’m happy you’ve got the MD1000 so you can trust it now and get worry free rides as I know how much you love it as a bike and just wanted it to work properly and be solid.

I’m happy for you bro!

 

[Terry777]

I have the same setup coming from Leili, BUT, I omitted the rim, and the steel front chain ring. Saved me a little over $120 bucks (mainly shipping savings). I really dont trust the hub that they are sending to haul my 265 lb body up steep steep hills without it falling apart. With that being said, I had them send me a rear hub that will serve as a potential backup. That I will put on the existing wheel the IGH was on since its a 36 hole rim/hub which is next to impossible to find hubs for that configuration it turns out.

Nice one buddy! You’ve just got to go with what’ll work for you. I hope you get it to where you can just ride it with no worry about how sound it is. I think it’s a great bike otherwise buddy.

 

[Terry777]

One thing of note is overheating the motor. If I ride balls-out for an hour or so in 85 degree plus weather the motor will go into what I assume is a protect mode. The motor case is HOT to the touch. It still provides some PAS but power via the throttle is severely limited. After cooling down it returns to a normal state but I'm thinking that heat isn't good for the motor. Anyone else notice this?

You could use an infrared thermometer to check the temp of the motor when this happens and if it is near enough to what the cut off is set to in the programming you’ll have a yes/no answer. It for sure sounds like it’s a temp cut off.

 

[RMK!]

You could use an infrared thermometer to check the temp of the motor when this happens and if it is near enough to what the cut off is set to in the programming you’ll have a yes/no answer. It for sure sounds like it’s a temp cut off.

I posted the temp issue on the Bafang section of the Forum and got an interesting response that related to riding style. I have been so pleased with the now reliable drivetrain, I've been riding much faster so I was leaving it in high gear much of the time. It was using PAS 3 while pedaling and pegging the throttle to get up some long inclines that caused the overheating. I was reaching 30-35 mph on the inclines and although I was pedaling, the motor was being over worked by the high gear which led to overheating.

I have found that by down shifting and increasing my cadence it takes a load off the motor and I'm still able to get to high speed for short bursts which has eliminated the overheating. I am shifting more often now but always without power and paused pedaling during the shifts. Babying the SA IGH for the past four months has made me a very careful shifting and so far the SRAM gear changes have been smooth and silent.

I just passed 2000 miles today and 400 have been on the SRAM. That's a pretty good test and I am really pleased with the switch.

 

[Terry777]

I posted the temp issue on the Bafang section of the Forum and got an interesting response that related to riding style. I have been so pleased with the now reliable drivetrain, I've been riding much faster so I was leaving it in high gear much of the time. It was using PAS 3 while pedaling and pegging the throttle to get up some long inclines that caused the overheating. I was reaching 30-35 mph on the inclines and although I was pedaling, the motor was being over worked by the high gear which led to overheating.

I have found that by down shifting and increasing my cadence it takes a load off the motor and I'm still able to get to high speed for short bursts which has eliminated the overheating. I am shifting more often now but always without power and paused pedaling during the shifts. Babying the SA IGH for the past four months has made me a very careful shifting and so far the SRAM gear changes have been smooth and silent.

I just passed 2000 miles today and 400 have been on the SRAM. That's a pretty good test and I am really pleased with the switch.

As much as the IGH turned out to be a PITA, being used to operating it will put you in a good place for treating your cassette as it should be used and mean a long happy life for it and you.

 

[RMK!]

As much as the IGH turned out to be a PITA, being used to operating it will put you in a good place for treating your cassette as it should be used and mean a long happy life for it and you.

Yeah, that's my take away from the Sturmey Archer IGH experiment. Logged another 45 miles today and the SRAM X5 continues to do what its supposed to do. I suggest that any MD 1000 owner with the SA IGH seriously consider this option.

In order to switch to a conventional chain cassette drivetrain, you'll need at a minimum the derailleur hanger (12MM) from Leili (they call it the "tail hook"). i preferred to go with the complete kit from Leili but you could supply your own wheel, cassette, axel, derailleur, shifter, chain and do the work to make sure it all fits.

 

[Terry777]

Yeah, that's my take away from the Sturmey Archer IGH experiment. Logged another 45 miles today and the SRAM X5 continues to do what its supposed to do. I suggest that any MD 1000 owner with the SA IGH seriously consider this option.

In order to switch to a conventional chain cassette drivetrain, you'll need at a minimum the derailleur hanger (12MM) from Leili (they call it the "tail hook"). i preferred to go with the complete kit from Leili but you could supply your own wheel, cassette, axel, derailleur, shifter, chain and do the work to make sure it all fits.

I got the kit from Leili but am still waiting on delivery... there’s a shock eh!! I think the one I got has everything in it to convert to chain and cassette but we’ll see when it gets here. I also think I’ll be able to change everything over and fit it myself, the chain and cassette looks so much easier to work on and set up. Even servicing the whole unit looks very easy. Thank god! I found the IGA a real pain to work on. Even with the IGA put back together I’ve hardly been out on it, scared in case it breaks again. It’ll be nice if I receive the kit from Leili in time to enjoy some of our summertime. Fingers crossed!!

 

[RMK!]

I got the kit from Leili but am still waiting on delivery... there’s a shock eh!! I think the one I got has everything in it to convert to chain and cassette but we’ll see when it gets here. I also think I’ll be able to change everything over and fit it myself, the chain and cassette looks so much easier to work on and set up. Even servicing the whole unit looks very easy. Thank god! I found the IGA a real pain to work on. Even with the IGA put back together I’ve hardly been out on it, scared in case it breaks again. It’ll be nice if I receive the kit from Leili in time to enjoy some of our summertime. Fingers crossed!!

The shipping of the box with all the replacement SRAM parts you need to do the swap out is shipped by air the US where transit time is like 2 weeks at most. Here are the nicely packaged contents I received from Yeili. The 2 aluminum mounting blocks are un painted and I just used some flat black paint I had around: The chainring has a narrow/wide tooth configuration so that's a bonus.

 

[Terry777]

The shipping of the box with all the replacement SRAM parts you need to do the swap out is shipped by air the US where transit time is like 2 weeks at most. Here are the nicely packaged contents I received from Yeili. The 2 aluminum mounting blocks are un painted and I just used some flat black paint I had around: The chainring has a narrow/wide tooth configuration so that's a bonus.

Cool, could you take a close up pic of the hangers orientation for me when you get a min please? Looks easy enough to do and set up but a photo of how the hangers should look won’t go wrong. I should get mine in the next week or two and I recon it should only take a couple of hours to do. I think the chain and cassette will be so much easier to work on too. When the time comes to service these parts it should be a breeze too. Thank god after the PITA of the IGH!

 

[RMK!]

Cool, could you take a close up pic of the hangers orientation for me when you get a min please? Looks easy enough to do and set up but a photo of how the hangers should look won’t go wrong. I should get mine in the next week or two and I recon it should only take a couple of hours to do. I think the chain and cassette will be so much easier to work on too. When the time comes to service these parts it should be a breeze too. Thank god after the PITA of the IGH!

Sure, the mounting brackets will only go on one way as they have the rectangular pop outs that seat in the frame for the fore and aft IGH adjustment. The SRAM gear set has been a dream thus far illustrating how really inappropriate the Sturmey Archer IGH was for this, or for that matter any ebike. It is an inexpensive acoustic bike drivetrain and I'm sure it's fine in that application.

The Rohloff looks like the IGH that will work with the MD 1000/750 but after a few hundred miles with the conventional SRAM setup, I'm convinced the $2K premium for the Rohloff just isn't worth it. Also, I don't use the 9 gears of the SRAM cassette so the 14 gear Rohloff is really overkill. It would quickly become a hassle shifting through all those gears with their tiny incremental ratio changes and I could see it becoming an adjustment nightmare over time. The Rohloff 14E is probably the way to go but it only integrates with the Bosch mid-drive motor. After having used the Bafang Ultra for awhile now, the Bosch is by comparison very weak sauce ...