Review of OneMotor for Brompton

Alec C

New Member
Review of OneMotor Brompton package
Hi,
I am a Brompton-rider based in London, UK. I recently purchased a OneMotor friction drive conversion kit after reading some user reviews here and decided to add my own.
I purchased the OneMotor Brompton Kit with couple of other mounts for other bikes about 2 weeks ago. I have a 17-mile commute to work and I have been using the OM pretty much every day since, in rain and shine. OM has performed amazingly well. Those who have read about OM will know the advantages: ease of conversion (took me about 30 mins with standard tools); ease of attachment (takes about 20 s to remove/attach the battery, motor, controller and pedal assist sensor); fantastic design and build quality (the fit with the Brompton frame is perfectly engineered); and light weight and no impediment to the Brompton fold. But it is the performance that surprises the most for a friction drive. My route to work has a 550ft climb with some sections briefly hitting 10-12%. The OM performed remarkably well even on moderate settings (using the EU mode, which is limited to 250w and 15mph). There was no slippage at all in dry weather. In wet weather, most slippage was quickly eliminated by the clever circuitry which senses slippage and increases pressure to improve traction. It's a great design and works really well. Battery performance was decent for such a compact battery (130wH). The range is stated to be 10 to 20 miles and I reckon that's probably fair. Obviously you would get nowhere near that on full power going up a steep hill all the time, but the OM suits riders like me who prefer to use power for assisting my own pedalling rather than replacing it. Using a mixture of the lower P1 and P2 settings (or retracting completely) for the flat sections and going up to P4 or P5 for the hills (with about two minutes on P8 (out of a max of P9) for the steepest section, I had enough power for the whole commute, one way. The larger battery (300wH) would easily cover my return journey but I need to save up for that!
The OM is not a cheap conversion, coming out at over $1400 (plus import duty for me) but after 2 weeks' usage I would say that it's not bad value at all. That's because the OM is a well-thought out product that is engineered and built to a high standard. Little details, like the magnetised power leads, spring-retracting cable, bluetooth controllers and the easy carry system, make it a joy to own. However, the main value-adding characteristic is that owning the OM means that you can have two or three or four electric bikes for the price of one. I use the OM mainly on my Brompton but I also used it on my hybrid today and next week will try it out on my tandem. See the pictures of the unit attached to both my Brompton SL6 and my trusty (30-year old!) Marin hybrid.
Brompton OM.jpg
Hybrid OM.jpg

I haven't seen anything else on the market that can do that. If like me, you are a Brompton-rider who also owns other bikes, then the OM is definitely worth a try. I should mention that I do not usually write reviews and have no interest in or connection with OM other than as a purchaser. I just like the product. Before I go, I should mention the customer service. I was helped by a lady called Grace, who really went the extra mile to reassure and assist a slightly nervous overseas purchaser. It certainly made the whole buying experience a lot easier.
AC
 
Fellow OM owner here. Yes, the thing that differentiates OM from everything else on the market is the ability to move it from bike to bike. If you have 2 bikes, that puts the cost in the same range as 2 hub motor kits. If you have 3 or more bikes, then you're really saving money, lol. I've had mine for more than year now. I'm as happy with it now as I
was when I first got it - there has been very little deterioration of the main battery (about 3%). I'm just now thinking
it might be time to replace the controller batteries (OM has them available). It also has one other advantage not specifically mentioned by this reviewer - the ability to lock up your bike while you quickly remove the expensive e-assist components and take them with you for safe keeping. If you live in a major city, and you ever lock up your bike, this is a HUGE bonus. Leaving a motorized system on the street can be nerve-wracking at best, wondering if your bike
will be there when you get back or will you have to replace both the bike and the e-assist system if stolen. I love being
able to stick OM on my beater bike when I know I will be locking up, take OM with me, and know the worst that could
happen is replacing a beater bike for a couple hundred bucks (not replacing an expensive e-bike).
 
I'm a newbie. I've just installed my OM on my Bike Friday NWT Silk and it is impressive. I installed the motor within the rear triangle using a specially designed mounting block that Jeff at OM designed "on the fly," built and shipped. The people at OM are very helpful. Here's a pic of the install. I got the larger battery, shown mounted on the crossbar. The motor tucks nicely into the rear triangle.
IMG_0837.jpg
 
I'm a newbie. I've just installed my OM on my Bike Friday NWT Silk and it is impressive. I installed the motor within the rear triangle using a specially designed mounting block that Jeff at OM designed "on the fly," built and shipped. The people at OM are very helpful. Here's a pic of the install. I got the larger battery, shown mounted on the crossbar. The motor tucks nicely into the rear triangle.
View attachment 57274
I have the rear triangle mount on my BF pakiT! I love that it doesn't interfere with the quick fold at all. I personally think this is the best solution out there for Bike Fridays. Everything else adds too much weight.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_0298.jpg
    IMG_0298.jpg
    2.4 MB · Views: 598
I have the rear triangle mount on my BF pakiT! I love that it doesn't interfere with the quick fold at all. I personally think this is the best solution out there for Bike Fridays. Everything else adds too much weight.
I agree, and orange is the best!
 
I have electrified my Brompton, using the German velogical system. You barely see it: it looks like it forms part of the rear brake. It uses two model airplane motors which contact the rim of the wheel.
I ordered the potentiometer also: then you dial in the assistance from 25% to 100%.; at 100% it has enough power to propel myself without assistance, but you must pedal for the system to work; it does not matter if you pedal forward or backwards: the sytem needs to see that a pedal action is going on. The standard Li-ion rechargeable battery has 100Wh energy (allowed on airplanes), which on 25% assist is good for some 28-30 km. The battery measures 120x75x45 mm and fits in a tiny bag under the saddle which looks like it contains some spare parts. Outsiders cannot see that it is actually an electric bike. It has a sophisticated very small programmable electronic system and works only when the pedals are moving, forwards or backwards! ; when not: the bike slows down given the resistance of the motors: the braking action is lineair with the assistance dialed in.
You manually start the system with a mechanical switch on the steering bar (or wherever). The system does not regenerate (that might come in the future?). It can be used on any bike for that matter.
What I like the most is, when the motors are disengaged, they do not touch the rim and you have your normal original bike back with no motor resistance.
The entire thing weighs less than 1 kg plus the battery @ 626 grams. I have used larger batteries to extend the range: standard Li-ion batteries from Alibaba It comes with a dedicated charger.
I have the system now 2+ months and works as advertised. The electronics can be configured through bluetooth; I have mine set at a maximum of 27 kph (maximum is 30 kph); for a brompton that's enough.
The negative: it is not cheap, but you can install it yourself, saving expense.
 
I have electrified my Brompton, using the German velogical system. You barely see it: it looks like it forms part of the rear brake. It uses two model airplane motors which contact the rim of the wheel.
I ordered the potentiometer also: then you dial in the assistance from 25% to 100%.; at 100% it has enough power to propel myself without assistance, but you must pedal for the system to work; it does not matter if you pedal forward or backwards: the sytem needs to see that a pedal action is going on. The standard Li-ion rechargeable battery has 100Wh energy (allowed on airplanes), which on 25% assist is good for some 28-30 km. The battery measures 120x75x45 mm and fits in a tiny bag under the saddle which looks like it contains some spare parts. Outsiders cannot see that it is actually an electric bike. It has a sophisticated very small programmable electronic system and works only when the pedals are moving, forwards or backwards! ; when not: the bike slows down given the resistance of the motors: the braking action is lineair with the assistance dialed in.
You manually start the system with a mechanical switch on the steering bar (or wherever). The system does not regenerate (that might come in the future?). It can be used on any bike for that matter.
What I like the most is, when the motors are disengaged, they do not touch the rim and you have your normal original bike back with no motor resistance.
The entire thing weighs less than 1 kg plus the battery @ 626 grams. I have used larger batteries to extend the range: standard Li-ion batteries from Alibaba It comes with a dedicated charger.
I have the system now 2+ months and works as advertised. The electronics can be configured through bluetooth; I have mine set at a maximum of 27 kph (maximum is 30 kph); for a brompton that's enough.
The negative: it is not cheap, but you can install it yourself, saving expense.
That system is unfortunately not available in the US, but I recall being very interested. I'll be interested to hear how the rim holds up, other than that it seems brilliant.
 
The steel rim doesn't notice so to speak. The motor rim is supposed to last between 8000 and 10000 km and is easy replaceable and cheap.
 
The steel rim doesn't notice so to speak. The motor rim is supposed to last between 8000 and 10000 km and is easy replaceable and cheap.
The brompton has steel wheel rims? Well, that explains some of the weight then. I'd be curious how quality alloy rims would last, like a Velocity rim on my Bike Friday. I'm just thinking that caliper brakes/v brakes wear down
wheel rims and that's why they have wear indicators so it makes me wonder how they would hold up to the motor. I'd use the motor a lot more than I use my brakes.
 
Back