Has anyone done business with BPM Imports: Trike I'm interested in...

[Gfmucci]

HERE is the trike that ticks off most of my boxes: https://www.bpmimports.com/shop/bike-model/t950a/t-950a-750w-black-20-in/

The "boxes" include:

*Cargo trike; fat tire is preferred
*Brakes on BOTH rear wheels
*Fenders
*At least 500 watt moter; 750 is better
*At least 6-speed shifter
* 48-volt pack, easy to reach
*Decent battery make and A/hr rating
*Decent price -less than similarly equipped

I don't mind assembly.

This will be a "go" if I can get confirmation about the seller's reputation. They sell direct and on Amazon. HERE is an EBR Forum review of the company.

I'm assuming I would be pretty much on my own if repairs are required. Any other thoughts?

 

[MikeDD]

My wife has a Liberty Trike. While I would not say it is comparable to this trike, I would question their quoted weight of 60 lbs. You might want to do a weight comparison with other trikes. This weight must be without the battery. My Rad Mini weighs over 60 lbs. Always get the larger motor with a trike.

 

[Gfmucci]

Thanks, Mike. Yeah, this trike comes with a 750 watt motor. I think the battery is also a critical component. They say it is a 13 A/hr Samsung. The cells might be Samsung, but the other integrated electronics...who knows?

With my weight (190) and the bike weight likely around 70 lbs. I don't expect to acheive any speed records and battery endurance tests. This goes for any make/model fat trike. I'll be doing mostly hard surface riding, so the tires need to be kept near max. pressure.

Still welcoming comments about the distributor, BPM Imports.

This is a "bike features" vs. "customer service/seller reliability" question. Most fat tire trikes likely are built in China a few miles from each other, if not in the same plant. So I really have no serious concerns about the bike itself, weather an Addmotor, Electrictrike.com, or another brand of like style.

 

[Omaha Action Man]

I have an Addmotor tandem with 200 miles on it that is broken down with zero help from the factory. If you buy Addmotor you need to be very handy. The bike is great....until its not.

 

[Gfmucci]

Omaha...

...which makes me lean more toward a trike from a company with a great customer service reputation/4-year warranty, like Evelo. But do I want to spend an extra grand?

What component(s) of the Addmotor are broken down? And how do they respond - or not - to your requests for assistance?

 

[Gfmucci]

...but then on second thought, here is another perspective:

Scenario:

Option 1: Trike for $3,000 from a dealer known for great customer service, e.g. Evelo Compass

Option 2: Trike for $2,000 from a dealer NOT known for great customer service, assuming the trike features are acceptable, e g. BPM Imports T-950A...

The Evelo trike is a mid-drive. I'm guessing that a mid-drive with a diff on the rear axle is more complex to fix in the event of failure than a front wheel hub motor.

All components on the BMP trike are most likely generic/universal. Plus there is a YouTube video for repairing just about anything in a bike. I just watched a couple of videos on how to true wheels, even without rim brake calipers. All I have to do to enjoy doing that is AC my Ocala garage to avoid the 95 degree temps.?

So, what I'm saying is saving a thousand bucks by buying from a company that has demonstrated less than stellar customer service and accepting the idea of learning and doing basic bike repair IF the need arises is a worthy tradeoff. Even if the services of a local bike shop were required for a repair, such customer would still come out ahead.

 

[Dave P]

One video which inspired me to purchase tools and repair my own trikes was Bike Garage:

I ended up buying the DVD on ebay. However, like you said there are many available videos online which provide steps in repairing or changing out various parts of your trike. In regards to addmotor which you mentioned I haven't had any breakdowns in components other than changing out breakpads. However, other than their battery and controller (includes display) their components are common names such as Shimano, Bafang etc.

If a display or controller goes bad then your trike is virtually immobile electronically. I have had such good relations with Addmotor (through emails) that I am confident that they would respond to any problems in warranty or out of warranty. A controller or display are not going to break the bank nor is a bafang hub motor for that matter if you buy them outside of warranty. Batteries are expensive and even Evelo starts prorating their batteries for replacement after a time period and their extra battery prices for the Compass are insane at $800.

Let me address your options...I think you need to list better options, at least for me. Evelo Compass doesn't check any boxes for me other than warranty. Pedego doesn't check very many boxes other than service but I don't like their trike anyway because of the plastic basket and low speed. Mid-Motor doesn't do anything for me in fact I don't like them because if you have any failure in your chainring you're dead in the water-can't pedal and can't use power.

Of course I wouldn't purchase the Addmotor trikes at their current prices either (okay, maybe the M-330...outstanding trike---it checked all the boxes for me...I could ride that trike all day long...in fact I purchased a 2nd battery---an upgraded battery at $550). However, I was able to purchase Addmotor trikes at their "crowdfunded" entry prices which were excellent deals. I would do it again at those prices. So, yes, for me price matters. I would look for sales in any case.

Bafang motors have a low failure rate and are widely used and can easily be purchased. Shimano components--ditto. Controllers are generally not very expensive. If a trike checks all the boxes for you and it is cheaper with universal components then go for it over proprietary components and expensive trikes even with good customer service. I don't know anything about BMP but their rickshaw trike is intriguing if not over the top: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) If it checks all the boxes for you then you need to pull the trigger.
Maybe I have helped but if you have any questions let me know.
Dave

 

[Gfmucci]

Thanks for your thoughts on this, Dave.

I'm now also looking at the Voltbike Trio.
https://www.voltbike.com/voltbike-trio.html
But I have yet to confirm that the rear brake lever stops BOTH rear wheels, which is important to me. But Voltbike doesn't have a great track record for sticking to promised availability dates for "available next month"-type items.

 

[Dave P]

The Voltbike Trio components look good except for the Shimano Tourney. Why they didn't use the Altus I can't understand. The Tourney is noticeably of less quality than the Altus. Good luck.
Dave

 

[vincent]

Wanted to point out that even though bafang motors, controllers etc are easily sourced almost none of these parts are going to match wiring wise with your trikes unless you are able to buy the same exact controller whatever from the company you bought from

In theory you would think all this stuff would be swappable but it is not

Your brake cut off switches etc will not match and you could end up rewiring the whole bike

I would definitely pay an extra 1000 for evelos very good warranty

 

[Gfmucci]

I don't know anything about BMP but their rickshaw trike is intriguing if not over the top: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists) If it checks all the boxes for you then you need to pull the trigger.

Dave

I wonder if the rear seat folds forward to access the basket - or what's involved in removing it - probably 4 bolts. I'll have to ask BMP Imports. It might be worth it for the 17 amp hour battery. But will it fit in my garage??

 

[Dave P]

I wonder if the rear seat folds forward to access the basket - or what's involved in removing it - probably 4 bolts. I'll have to ask BMP Imports. It might be worth it for the 17 amp hour battery. But will it fit in my garage??

Fitting it in your garage is certainly a serious consideration. No online dimensions. I would think the lower part of the back seat just lifts up.

 

[Dave P]

Wanted to point out that even though bafang motors, controllers etc are easily sourced almost none of these parts are going to match wiring wise with your trikes unless you are able to buy the same exact controller whatever from the company you bought from

In theory you would think all this stuff would be swappable but it is not

Your brake cut off switches etc will not match and you could end up rewiring the whole bike

I would definitely pay an extra 1000 for evelos very good warranty

If a Bafang motor fails it is most likely going to be a result of its hard plastic gears breaking or shearing and not its electronics. All I would do is replace the gears which are not that difficult to do. Bafang has continually increased its motor's quality which is why it is so popular and their fail rate is low. BTW---the Evelo Compass has a Bafang 500W mid-motor for goodness sake. If you're worried about Bafang motors failing....if their mid-motor fails you are done...because of the way mid-motors are set up your chainring is entirely dependent upon your motor thus if they fail unlike a front or back hub motor---you won't be able to pedal and you can't use your power---walk it home.

Controllers are another issue but usually you can obtain a new controller from the manufacturer and they are not very expensive. Evelo Compass comes with a Shimano 3-speed Nexus and you're going to pay $3000 for that hardware and only a 3.2inch display to boot. Why didn't they go with a 5 speed Sturmey Archer if they wanted an internal hub? I had a 3 speed Nexus on my Biria a few years back...not very good. Once you purchase it you are stuck with its components. The rest of their components you can find on most electric trikes but $800 for an extra 11.6Ah battery is unbelievable even if it is Panasonic. Even if I had the money and I do I wouldn't buy it. I can see an elderly couple who have some extra cash who want to trike around their neighborhood but probably wouldn't put very many miles on it purchasing it but not any serious trike rider. For goodness sake, the tires are 24" X 2.4"...hardly a fat tire. But people will buy it for the 4 year warranty because if makes them feel safe and I get it but I don't buy it.

 

[Gfmucci]

Good points.

By the way, Emojo wrote me back clarifying why a dealer specified a 6 speed, and the Emojo factory site indicated one speed for the same trike. They replied that they had issues with the Sturmey because of the configuration of the trike frame and went to a single speed trike.

Anyway, I wonder if similar "frame configurations" might present gearing issues on other brands with the same frame. I have no idea why that would be the case.

 

[Dave P]

Good points.

By the way, Emojo wrote me back clarifying why a dealer specified a 6 speed, and the Emojo factory site indicated one speed for the same trike. They replied that they had issues with the Sturmey because of the configuration of the trike frame and went to a single speed trike.

Anyway, I wonder if similar "frame configurations" might present gearing issues on other brands with the same frame. I have no idea why that would be the case.

An interesting point and I guess frame configurations are always a consideration when installing internal derailleur hubs. However, going from a 6 speed to a 1 speed seems a little steep of a change. Shimano has the bigger name and more companies align themselves with Shimano and then you end up with the Nexus---as you can tell I am not a fan but I do like most of Shimano derailleurs on e-trikes--not the Tourney--- don't plan on changing the gears on a consistent basis.

 

[vincent]

I would not be worried about the motor going out so much, And out of everything it would probably be the easiest thing to replace

would be more worried about controllers, throttles etc. and not being able to get parts, as long as all these trike companies are still in business you will be fine

My point was all of these bafang parts are not interchangeable so do not think that they are

 

[rich c]

If a Bafang motor fails it is most likely going to be a result of its hard plastic gears breaking or shearing and not its electronics.

My Bafang gear hub motor failed at 1,700 miles because of a Hall sensor. Gears looked like the day they were made. As an example, Sondors went to a custom protocol language with their controller and display. It looks like standard Chinese hardware, but you must buy them as Sondors parts, or buy both as generic units when either of them fail. I have no idea if other companies have done this.

 

[Dave P]

My Bafang gear hub motor failed at 1,700 miles because of a Hall sensor. Gears looked like the day they were made. As an example, Sondors went to a custom protocol language with their controller and display. It looks like standard Chinese hardware, but you must buy them as Sondors parts, or buy both as generic units when either of them fail. I have no idea if other companies have done this.

I am not familar with Sondors e-bikes or e-trikes and I don't recall looking at any trike they may have available. Presumably if you can't fix a part you probably will need to go back to the company you purchased the trike from to see if they can replace it. From there is anybody's guess.