How to build a quality eMTB using Dengfu frame and Bafang motor

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Rob from E-MTB forums in the UK has an interesting channel and he just released this video today. He put together a build I think that will help many DIY folks.
So, thought of sharing it here. Hope it helps.

 

[JRA]

Well I wouldn't call it the cheapest by a long shot but it's good practice to do a full build of a bike I feel to fully understand their workings, especially in the position Rob is in with his online presence as he should have more confidence in his technical knowledge. He gets to ride alot of different bikes these days and it will be interesting to see how he compares the overall bike to others.

 

[pennybags]

I spoke with someone at this company and they won’t sell it to me in the US.

Any idea why? Is Luna getting an exclusive on this for their X2?

 

[reed scott]

Rob from E-MTB forums in the UK has an interesting channel and he just released this video today. He put together a build I think that will help many DIY folks.
So, thought of sharing it here. Hope it helps.

Hmmmmmm, looks familiar somehow.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

Well I wouldn't call it the cheapest by a long shot but it's good practice to do a full build of a bike I feel to fully understand their workings, especially in the position Rob is in with his online presence as he should have more confidence in his technical knowledge. He gets to ride alot of different bikes these days and it will be interesting to see how he compares the overall bike to others.

I agree. It is not the cheapest and I think that is only because he used RockShox Ultimate and higher-end DT Swiss wheels and retail prices.
But, the build looks far cleaner than most DIY builds with wires dangling around. Will be interesting to see his ride video in the next episode.

 

[reed scott]

I agree. It is not the cheapest and I think that is only because he used RockShox Ultimate and higher-end DT Swiss wheels and retail prices.
But, the build looks far cleaner than most DIY builds with wires dangling around. Will be interesting to see his ride video in the next episode.

I think the title would have been better if it had said "I built the cheapest high-end, Chinese carbon framed ebike". Or something to that effect. That bike would cost $7k at least to buy.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I think the title would have been better if it had said "I built the cheapest high-end, Chinese carbon framed ebike". Or something to that effect. That bike would cost $7k at least to buy.

Well, the main skeleton is still the Chinese carbon frame and the Bafang motor, so it is not high-end by any means. Except for the suspension and DT Swiss wheels, the rest are average.
But, it will offer a much cleaner DIY bike than the chaotic-wire-mess we see on many DIY builds.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

I spoke with someone at this company and they won’t sell it to me in the US.

Any idea why? Is Luna getting an exclusive on this for their X2?

That's interesting. I am sure Luna has some kind of agreement.
They sell their X1 bike, made by the same Dengfu company. So, it would not surprise me if they stuck some agreement.

 

[Mike_V]

Why pay for ultra light 'carbon' frame members on a powerful full suspension eBike for riding power assisted ?
~10# ?

 

[reed scott]

Why pay for ultra light 'carbon' frame members on a powerful full suspension eBike for riding power assisted ?
~10# ?

Good question. The 'market' is presently all atwitter over carbon ... or so it is believed. But this is brought about by the strong enthusiast crowd. Personally I could care less. A lot less. But if they only make 'super bikes' in carbon I'll give it a whirl. The way I ride I'll never break a frame and I certainly will not miss the shed weight.

 

[reed scott]

Well, the main skeleton is still the Chinese carbon frame and the Bafang motor, so it is not high-end by any means. Except for the suspension and DT Swiss wheels, the rest are average.
But, it will offer a much cleaner DIY bike than the chaotic-wire-mess we see on many DIY builds.

That bike is high end to me. The bikes you favor have no appeal to me. I'm no racer nor am I young enough to be a wild enduro or downhill rider and do not follow that crowd.

 

[pennybags]

Well, the main skeleton is still the Chinese carbon frame and the Bafang motor, so it is not high-end by any means. Except for the suspension and DT Swiss wheels, the rest are average.
But, it will offer a much cleaner DIY bike than the chaotic-wire-mess we see on many DIY builds.

Not sure what you are implying - a vast majority of top Carbon frames are made in China and Taiwan. Even if you pick specialized sworks, that’s a small factory in Taiwan and the EPS actually comes from China. YT makes in China, Cube carbon is in China, hell even RM makes their aluminum frame in Taiwan and some in China. To my knowledge from German forums, even the new Nicolai frames are carbon from China (not Taiwan) - not sure if they are from Dengfu but it’s the same.

Based on what I’ve rearight now there’s really no world class carbon frame maker outside China and Taiwan. And if they are, their quality is nowhere near as good. That’s the reality.

Also I wouldn’t sleep on bafang necessarily- they are kludgy but they have worked with Forestall to put out a better engine / motor. Ditto with what Watt Wagons and Innotrace are doing with the controller. It’s pretty much as high end as you can get with current tech - leaving the Bosch and Broses of the world behind.

World class isn’t a static title. It evolves and right now for world class carbon frames, it’s China and Taiwan.

 

[McCorby]

Also I wouldn’t sleep on bafang necessarily- they are kludgy but they have worked with Forestall to put out a better engine / motor. Ditto with what Watt Wagons and Innotrace are doing with the controller. It’s pretty much as high end as you can get with current tech - leaving the Bosch and Broses of the world behind.

So let me see if I have this straight......Bafang has left the Bosch and a Broses of the world behind, but they require customers and bike manufacturers to upgrade their controllers and software to do so???

How much do the Innotrace controllers cost btw?

 

[reed scott]

So let me see if I have this straight......Bafang has left the Bosch and a Broses of the world behind, but they require customers and bike manufacturers to upgrade their controllers and software to do so???

How much do the Innotrace controllers cost btw?

I just got a bike with Bafang Ultra. A rebadged Frey AM 1000 from Bolton Ebikes. Runs like a clock. A real powerful smooth clock. I suspect the controller or the controller software has been improved. Either by Frey or Bafang. Wattwagons has done their own improvements with the Innotrace controller but it is in no way required to make an Ultra run like a striped ass ape. Let us not fight about all this. We have different camps that do things differently and they do not need to disparage each other.

 

[McCorby]

I just got a bike with Bafang Ultra. A rebadged Frey AM 1000 from Bolton Ebikes. Runs like a clock. A real powerful smooth clock. I suspect the controller or the controller software has been improved. Either by Frey or Bafang. Wattwagons has done their own improvements with the Innotrace controller but it is in no way required to make an Ultra run like a striped ass ape. Let us not fight about all this. We have different camps that do things differently and they do not need to disparage each other.

Who’s fighting, and how did I disparage anyone?

 

[reed scott]

Who’s fighting, and how did I disparage anyone?

Oh, OK. I always thought when someone makes a blatantly false and misleading statement they had nefarious intentions.

 

[McCorby]

Oh, OK. I always thought when someone makes a blatantly false and misleading statement they had nefarious intentions.

I didn’t make a statement, false or otherwise. I quoted someone’s post and asked a question regarding said quote.

Actually, I asked two questions.....

I apologize if I upset you or hurt your feeling with my questions.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

The final verdict from Rob [ See video below]

Frame
Good and the geometry is decent. Longevity and durability are not known at this point.
The frame could take some beating!

Motor
Underwhelming. Even though Bafang claims 95Nm, it was less punchy than Bosch or Brose.

Battery
passed for now. There is some concern regarding the longevity but looks ok for now.

 

[Ebiker33]

If he uses the M600 with 120 NM in that Ebike I think it would get him where he wants to be for power, or the WW X1.
I rarely see the M500 used by various Ebike companies it's mostly the BBSHD, M600, and the Ultra's now, if your going to use a Bafang it should be one of those three.

 

[Akrotiri]

J

Oh, OK. I always thought when someone makes a blatantly false and misleading statement they had nefarious intentions.

Just put him on your ignore list like I did, problem solved.