LimboJim
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
In all candor, I've never been a fan of Bafang - it seems to me that they ALL come with throttles (though I know they can be removed or disabled).
Luna's "Ludicrous Mode" Bafang-equipped bikes - and several other "ebike" sellers' too - are eMotos, not e-bicycles. And they're downright DANGEROUS, IMO.
Plus I'm fighting like heck to gain MTB trail riding rights on my Class 1 eMTBs, and those machines only serve to give the e-Haters a semi-legit argument for banning ALL ebikes from natural surface trails.
Still, when I saw a like-new, Bafang-converted TerraTrike recumbent on Craigslist at a great price, I couldn't resist snatching it up.
It has a 350W BBS02 w/840Wh and a throttle. It's not an off-road machine but can certainly handle dirt roads and the like.
At 100Nm of torque, it got me up Mt Holyoke's paved road with 800+ feet of elevation gain in a little over 2 miles. Of course I pedaled too - no throttling for this curmudgeonly old dude!
I also serve on the Board of a local non-profit that provides outdoor recreational opportunities for folks of all ages and abilities. Recumbent trikes are one way we help those folks enjoy cycling.
TerraTrike's first stab at pedal assist technology used a Dapu hub motor, and it ended up being recalled due to "runaway acceleration" issues (read "injuries").
My organization experienced this firsthand, and swore off pedal assist technology as a result. It seems a tad ironic to me, mostly because I'm such an electric bicycle enthusiast...
TerraTrike has since introduced a Bosch-equipped version, but it lists at ~$4500, which even at wholesale rates are a bit too rich for us and most of our clientele.
The shop that did the conversion on the trike below charged $3200 for the whole kit and caboodle; the trike by itself lists for $1500 so do the math.
I figure we can do the same conversions for under $2500 total - even less if we can get the trikes wholesale!
My point is that this thing has shown me that Bafang conversions can be awesome. I just don't like them on so-called eMTBs...
That's my story and it's stuck to me like duct tape...
Luna's "Ludicrous Mode" Bafang-equipped bikes - and several other "ebike" sellers' too - are eMotos, not e-bicycles. And they're downright DANGEROUS, IMO.
Plus I'm fighting like heck to gain MTB trail riding rights on my Class 1 eMTBs, and those machines only serve to give the e-Haters a semi-legit argument for banning ALL ebikes from natural surface trails.
Still, when I saw a like-new, Bafang-converted TerraTrike recumbent on Craigslist at a great price, I couldn't resist snatching it up.
It has a 350W BBS02 w/840Wh and a throttle. It's not an off-road machine but can certainly handle dirt roads and the like.
At 100Nm of torque, it got me up Mt Holyoke's paved road with 800+ feet of elevation gain in a little over 2 miles. Of course I pedaled too - no throttling for this curmudgeonly old dude!
I also serve on the Board of a local non-profit that provides outdoor recreational opportunities for folks of all ages and abilities. Recumbent trikes are one way we help those folks enjoy cycling.
TerraTrike's first stab at pedal assist technology used a Dapu hub motor, and it ended up being recalled due to "runaway acceleration" issues (read "injuries").
My organization experienced this firsthand, and swore off pedal assist technology as a result. It seems a tad ironic to me, mostly because I'm such an electric bicycle enthusiast...
TerraTrike has since introduced a Bosch-equipped version, but it lists at ~$4500, which even at wholesale rates are a bit too rich for us and most of our clientele.
The shop that did the conversion on the trike below charged $3200 for the whole kit and caboodle; the trike by itself lists for $1500 so do the math.
I figure we can do the same conversions for under $2500 total - even less if we can get the trikes wholesale!
My point is that this thing has shown me that Bafang conversions can be awesome. I just don't like them on so-called eMTBs...
That's my story and it's stuck to me like duct tape...
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