Bafang BBSHD vs CYC X1 Pro - Comparing the two most popular DIY ebike mid drive motor systems 

It was following your advice over the last few years that got me interested enough to buy 2 bafang motors a bbshd and bbs02 poor health has stopped me from using them but it looks like I'll be well enough this summer to get on the trails .Thanks for the informative knowledgeable uploads.

OMG! I’m lucky to have found this. So informative and technical yet quick n easy enough for folks. So many out there are just Nerdout talking without substance. Get over here people! ❤️👍🏼

Another great video full of research and knowledge. It is a great time to be alive. Mr. HV got me feeling like a kid again. Cheers mate.

Another great video from Captain Codswallop/High Voltage. I can't thank enough for all the information we receive from these videos.

You make awesome videos Dude, I like the way you give each motor there strength and weakness, I was considering Bafang for my project but when I saw the X1 Stealth I fell in love. So I have no experience in mid drives and I just jumped right into X1 and seeing this video does not make me regret but make me want to convert my fat bike with a BBSHD. Maybe my next project. Keep on producing these very well made videos.

I have a BBSHD on my bike, it's completely stock and it's whisper quiet, compared to the cyc which is quite noisy, plus they still have issues with the magnets falling off on the gen 2, which was why I went for the BBSHD, it may not be as versatile as the cyc, but it is very robust. It is a strange one, bafang have all these motors floating around in DIY builds yet they never seem to issue any firmware updates, what you see is what you get. And now, because they have thought they can make more money, they are trying to restrict the DIY community with their newer versions, trying to make you buy their battery as well, which is a shame, but not surprising.

Thank you very much for this video. I chose the CYC X1 Pro Gen 3, because I admittingly am a noob to DIY and CYC made it easy to get into the game. But I am interested in Bafang as well. Thank goodness for options and the help from the DIY community. I'd love to see more powerful and efficient mid drives being produced with ease of maintenance and quick change of worn parts. Exciting times.

Almost 5,500km on my CYC X1 Stealth in just over a year. As someone who has around 200,000 miles on a road bike over my cycling career I wouldn't even think of a motor without a torque sensor for pedal assist. I normally ride my 2012 Brodie Bandit DIY eBike at an average of 35kph in pedal assist level 1 in Road mode. Occasionally, if the weather turns bad and I just want to get home, I'll switch to Race mode and pedal at up to 60kph. I love to pedal. Having said that I had a time when I had an injury and pedaling was painful. Then my full grip throttle was a godsend. 40km commute is not fun at all with a thumb throttle. When it comes to hills, I live in BC, pedaling uphill at 30kph is pretty nice. As I like to say, having a CYC mid-drive with torque sensor is like getting on a bike to find out you have the strength of a Tour de France rider. I did do one major upgrade though. I added a Box 2 Components eWide drive train for eBikes. HUGE difference. Especially for the mountains I climb here. And I saved a lot on my build because the bike I used only cost me $270 CDN on Facebook Marketplace. That freed up the funds so I could buy a 52V/21Ah battery from Electrifybike. Top speed on flat road with a tailwind is 74.2kph. Just ordered my Gen 3 Stealth and an upgrade for my current Stealth to upgrade the crank. I'll compare them both. As far as the sound level is concerned, like you said, cars are much louder. I don't even notice the sound. The good thing about the sound however is when I am in town or on trails with other people they do hear me coming. That is a plus.

You presented all of this great info really well, thanks! I'm about to make a choice between the Stealth Gen 3 and BBSHD, and I'm consuming as much info as I can to try and avoid as many pitfalls as possible.

Best comparison I have seen. Thanks for your thorough explanation of the differences.

Excellent comparison review. Love your channel!

Man l glad the hotrod bike community has you

I have a modified BBSHD on a tiny Cannondale Trail 8 that uses all 1500 W to haul my fat butt up a very steep hill. I have terrible asthma and would never be able to get around my town without a motor. It helps so much that I was even able to ride a whole 26 miles in one trip, whereas before I couldn't go more than 5 blocks. I really wish there were more DIY brands for these motors so Bafang would be pressured to update their stuff. I don't like a lot of the existing prefabricated ebikes for various reasons.

This is the best comparison video of these 2 very popular mid drives. I think someone far smarter than me should try and make an aftermarket upgraded BBSHD motor, that can match these aftermarket controller power limits. Maybe by doing that, a torque sensor could be fashioned in the remodeled motor core.

Awesome video great seeing both builds. each have a place in my garage, I find the x1 needs high rpm to put down power versus the bbshd which has more go power down low, haven't finished my bbshd bac855 build have the kit ready.

Very interesting. I have been riding a modified BBSHD bike using a Phaserunner for a while now. Despite running it regularly at 5kW (yes it will handle that just fine for short periods), and for over 4000 km, the only failure has been the nylon reduction gear which I have upgraded to a peek plastic gear. I am building a new bike now and was looking at both power plants. I think I will stick with the BBSHD, mainly because of just how much cheaper it is and the value and reliability that you get for it.

I thought you guys were selling BBSHD upgrade kits but I didn't hear anything about it in this video and you made the cyc look pretty good (:

Can’t wait to get my upgrade kit.

i run both and love both, bbso2 for commuter cyc stealth for bike park and single track. yes bafang would be the motor to rule them all, if they had torque sensor.

Thank you HV! You helped me make up my mind. BBSHD FTW!

I think the ultimate game changer would be...use the bbshd as a fixe...to utilize regen. Take out the clutch system and use a torque sensor bottom bracket...while using the asi 855 paired with a lightweight battery. With a gates belt drive 29er plus bike. Only if I had the funds.

bang on the nail even if bafang did 3 or 4 different bottom bracket to motor casings say standard then +20-25mm incriments would make the bafang useful for loads of bike frames it does not currently fit well....Or at all!

Excellent review. Congratulation and thanks so much.

Extremely useful video, thank you!!

Great video! So you are saying if I go with the Bafang Mid Drive Kit... that I should basically use it with 1 gear / sprocket? I just watched another video where a guy was saying he destroyed the back gears while switching with the Bafang. Is that right?

I refer many people to this video to help decide. Cheers Mate. 🥰

I see why you guys are working on your own motor/controller combo. The Surron setup for me is more ideal in design than either of these two. The idea of a big powerful motor/controller + 1:1 gearing is ideal.

Excellent Video- Thank You

I have both motors as well. The bbshd is silent ( close to it ). The cyc is a little noisy. The pedal torque sensor on the cyc I think is better. The ground clearance is better on the cyc ( either way you mount it ). My opinion it’s personal preference, and depends on what your intentions are . My cyc set up has a 60v battery, and my Bafang is 52v . Personally I prefer the build quality on the cyc.

fantastic review, its a bbshd for me.

I like the seat mount on your CYC bike.

Great video comparison. I learned some new things. 🤙 For me I need the installation versatility of CYC for my bike. However it’s also about $250 more expensive. Also CYC has not responded to any of my emails. If they’re not responding to presale communications I have doubts about the support they will give after the sale.

you hit the nail on the head about there needing to be a kit that combined the quietness/ruggedness of the bbshd and torque sensing of the x1 pro. bafang are fools not to make a bbhd with torque sensing. there is obviously a big market gap. is it too much to expect a quiet 1500w motor with torque sensing. i for one am put off from buying either kit due to their massive inherent flaws.

Nice comparison video! I am looking at options for a CYC build. Have you seen anyone use a 3 speed hub with this motor? looks like a .75/1/1.33 ratio. Would this be a wide enough gear range?

In comparing these interesting parameters one missing category I'm interested in and curious about, and that's implementation cost / bang for the buck. A cursory glace appears to show one costing about three times the other but I realize that's not the end of the story because you mentioned that with one, more additional parts needed to be purchased. Another curiousity is the comparative ease and comfort of peddling a distance in the case of power being unavailable.

You should do a video for the spare parts you should buy for the bbshd.

You could add another crank on the other side so the side can charge your battery while the other crank can switch gears or use the throttle

One year on from this and im just wondering if you could now only choose of if these motors stock which would you go for? Great channel 🍻

Hi Mr. High Voltage ! i am building my own e-bike . i like the look of the egg rider v2 display . my frame is a old mtb non suspension frame from bianchi . i want to use the bbshd motor too on my build . can you recommend the missing parts in example the controller , the battery ? do you still prefer bafang setup before cyc setup ?

Hello, thank you for your expertise on these motors. I plan to use my bike for food delivery around the city, traveling at least 80mi/day. Which of the two would be best for long term, daily use? Or would you recommend a newer motor from cyc or bafang or anyone else? Thank you for your time.

I wish you can do a comparison of the phase runner vs asi bac 855. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.👍

It’s cool that there are options, but we need a refresh of the current line up. Bafang is disappointing because of everything you said and yet they ignore a community that is free R&D. I love my BBSHD and it’s on stock controller at 52V. I am building a Bafang Ultra M620 Chinese carbon fat bike, I wish I had options on that Ultra…It would be cool if someone made parts to reduce the weight of the BBSHD and the Ultra M620. Cool video

I’m still loving my Cyc Captain.

Great video! Torque sensing is absolutely crucial for me, so I’m hesitating between the x1 Stealth and the TSDZ2. The Stealth addresses all the shortcomings of the TSDZ, except for noise. But these are 2 different motors. One is 750w, the other is 1500w. I wonder how they compare in sound if the x1 is restricted to 750w. What are your thoughts? (Btw, since you have a gen 1, they have since come out with brass gears, which I’ve read seems to help with noise).

Sounds cool. Are they both good with hill climbing? I'm getting this for hauling a trailer and going across town. Bike touring is something I'd like to do too.

I like CYC but the chainring options the largest chainring was still small, what if I sometimes want to just pedal... I want chainring to be like 48 or more!

One day i'll try cyc. Testing the crap out of the BBSHD right now.

Perhaps you should team up with cyc to build that dream motor that we all want taking the best of both worlds of bbshd and x1 pro and combining them into a new motor but just leave bafang the company out of the equation since they turned their backs on us DIY'ers

Hello high voltage and viewers. I love my bafang mid drive except when I turn it off or set PAS to 0. Then I feel a lot of drag in the pedals. Has anyone else experimented with this to get home on a dead battery?

I know this question is unrelated to your video. I had a clutch failure, 3 miles from home which wasn't ideal. I have a BBSO2, I was wondering if there are other options of clutch available. As the design isn't great, for example if there was 4 Pawls instead off 3 and it was designed like the Hope rear hub it would be bomb proof. What are your thoughts.

Where did you get that suspension seat post? I want one

im considering x1 stealth because its newer than bbshd and comes with up to date hardware compared to bbshd so does x1 stealth have same problems like this x1 pro?

There must be a limited market for these high powered bicycles, many countries limit what is allowed and places to ride them.

Will a 42 t 28 t be okay on a standard 1000w Bafang 52 v 27 inch wheels ? If I make it single speed

I have a felt brougham fixie/single speed I want to convert and then get a trek dual sport 3 and convert it. Probably will go with bbshd that comes with 46t and will get the 52v 21ah battery, what single rear gear should I put on my single speed so I do not to overheat the motor and at the same time able to be pretty fast and go uphill on asphalt?

I wonder what people think or experience people have with running the cyc at full power through an internal geared hub like the shimano alfine 8, or ebike design Shimano 5 speed IGH hub, or a Rolhoff 14 speed(at 7x the cost of a shimano Alfine 8), or even a thru axle compatible Enviolo / Nuvinci 380° IGH ($500 and supposedly only rated for 500w)? The strength of the drive train/ chain being the most common hesitation I read about the high power motors being the reason I'm wondering. I've run the weaker Shimano nexus 8 Sg-8R31(not the redband) and the Shimano Nexus 3sp SG-3R40 as the drive train with a shift kitted(jack shafted) 50cc 4 stroke motorized bicycle with no problems. I ran the KMC EHX Z1 1/2" chain, which is super beefy, strong, and heavy... as strong as some 415H chains, and I would argue possibly even nearly on par with some 420 chains. Also there is the fact you could run a 415H chain on most if not all of these hubs(it may not allow you to use the smallest cogs[13t, 14t, or 15t] on the hub cassette but you can use this heavy duty rated chain on IGH hubs). Granted, I know how to service internal geared hubs and keep them maintained. I also know how to shift the hubs to make sure the torque from the motor doesn't quickly cause wear the internal parts or all out destroy them... It's a bit like driving a manual transmission motorcycle or car. You just dont have a clutch to engage... you completely let off the throttle, then upshift or downshift to the desired gear. Once the hub has definitely engaged the desired gear, you engage the throttle again. Making sure you use quality shift cables that are set up correctly(and monitored to make sure the cable(s) stay set up correctly), following through on the shifting method I mentioned, and maintaining the lubrication of the hub... I believe make them easily capable of handling the high-powered middrive ebike motors with the chains I mentioned... thoughts?

Do you have any thoughts on Tongshen TSDZ2 kits?

I'm seriously considering the CYC. Anyone know what the main differences between the pro and the stealth are? In terms of actual use, not just specs. I assume the stealth will have a lower effective top speed, but would it also be less capable going up hills?

I have the Sobowo A8-R mountain bike and wondering if CYC photon would work on this ebike

12:40..Yup..love that noise...sounds like a jet

Which creek's rubber is yr favourite (for comfort)?

Does the setup menu show an option for 24" wheels? Im building a 24" and I want to be sure before I order a CYC Stealth that it can be setup for 24" wheels. Thank you.

Do you think the Juggernaut XD from Biktrix is essentially what you were talking about in having the best of both worlds?

The Kranked Hyperdrive looks so much cleaner and I believe it produced more power-performance.

I just received an x1 stealth after waiting months only to discover that my controller is bricked. Customer service has been a joke, it took a week to get back to me and I was nagging them. Now I need a new controller and it's not clear how that will proceed. They seeem to have known there was a controller issue because the manual discusses Bricked controllers and it now appears that they shipped the controllers without testing them probably because there was a backlog of orders. It took 3 months to get my kit and now I don't know what will happen with the controller replacement. Good times 😭😭

Interesting comparison

Can you set the settings low on the cyc bike so you get a workout still?

I had to choose the cyc because the bafang would not fit in my frame. Im very happy with my decision

You seen that newest motor? Like big Bottom Bracket..made my guys who make mars rovers.. small in our terms.. but will get bigger..

Hello, high voltage I have a question would it be possible to pair the CYC X1 PRO with a Rhollof e14 rear gear ???

Excelent

Yass you rock queen 🪨 👸

The cyc looks like a beast...the bike I mean...so clean. Is there anyway to get it to run quieter☹️

im pretty new to diy ebikes, im about to build my first one, but couldnt you just put both motors on one bike to get the best of both worlds and end the comparisons??

so the cyc is much the same(more refined obviously) as the cyclone except the cyclone has nylon reduction gears which makes it almost silent and a cheap controller, i'd love to run something like the 219 chain drive on my cyclone (needs to have a choice of tooth count tho) 219 chain ring with the ability of the 130BCD spiders 👌👌👌 even a belt drive might be cool for that part of the drive system because that's kinda where the cyclones fall on there ass, they use a free wheel bmx style sprocket on the motor an while it's good allowing you to peddle with the motor off an not turn a dead motor it does get annoying swapping them out plus that cog is designed for 1/8 chain an i run 415 EK mc chain for reduced chain stretch issues ......... thanks for the review 👍👍👍

Is the noise of the cyc that loud or irritating. Can you talk to the person riding with you or is it too loud for that

Can you run these on bikes with out gears?

How does Cyclone 3kW compared to them?

If the BBSHD is pulling 3.5kW at just 55kph, that means it's losing 2 - 2.5kW to field weakening. That seems hard to believe. Would a stock BBSHD that hasn't been hot-rodded be able to reach near 55kph maxing out at 1kW?

One problema with bbs02 and bbshd its the diference in offset to get pedals centered underneath you. I have bbs02 and I think its the worst caracteristic of this type of motor.

Your comments on how best to waterproof the Bafang BBSHD would be appreciated.

Is the low end torque improved?

Off the start I will say the Bafang is the quietest of them all - because they designed it with helicon nylon gears. I do not tolerate loud winning motors. Also, may I add, Bafang's cadence advance or downshifting is natural and smooth. Unfortunately you will not get this experience on the CYC. Thirdly, the Bafang's "mean time before failure" is much longer than many other electric motors 0 and parts are easily obtained. Fourthly, the control back-lite large color monitor is un-matched. Fifthly, you have a wealth of 3rd party added value products and accessories. OMG, do I need to go on? Ok, let me go on for just one more, do you think Bafang is standing still? There are 2 new versions of motors on the drawing board - one will make its appearance this year, 2023. These will have an upgraded internal mechanism, and controller. I think Bafang should allow an open-source platform (encourage mechanical and a API (application development interface) ) for certain motors that will allow 3rd parties to get in the mix - this would be great for overall product development for both the 3rd party and Bafang while creating "all roads lead to Bafang." It just makes business sense to do this. The point you make on motor use efficiency at: 7:15 is true with the configuration you show. Overall, the Bafang has a superior armature/field magnets design regardless of "field weakening." Dude, I am sounding like a salesperson - please stop me. The controller is smarter to know when things are getting hot and will give the heads up and adjust. About Torque sensing: CYC has the clear advantage here.

You forgot to mention great overheating of X1Pro compared to BBSHD. Many people have cooked their X1 rotors

We’re do I find a bac controller for decent money

How many km is the maintenance of bbshd?

Bbshd mı en fazla ne kadar yükseltebilir ?

is that a Bafand BBSHD 1000w? or 500 or 750

So you are saying that the cyc will rip apart a drive train

I don't think you've flexed hard enough. I think you need a third X1 😉

Well Gen 3 is already out and magnets are not falling out anymore, or so they said.

it's such a shame Bafang have the attitude they do towards their products. If they offered more options over their controllers it would be great. I have a stock 52v and it's locked at 28amps and even the programming cable can't change that. The motor has so much headroom it's crazy. They seem to want to completely discourage home builds - their updated motor is locked to their own battery via can bus and their own battery is stupidly large for many applications. I am surprised so few alternative controllers are available. I am sure one that fits exactly like the stock one but offered more power would sell like hot cakes

I took a chance and bought 2 bbshds. I lose money if the bike is off the road for any reason. 30kph is more than I need inner city wise. Really, lectric bikes I use because they reduce injury and recovery time for the job...

The War 10 k for lithium bike batteries in a year

BBSHD !

Why not put the CYC motor on your Fat Bike so you have a true experience comparison?

13:10 Lightining Rods is the answer lmao

More moving parts more problems I use theBBSHD no problems

Ya have to get the Bafang motor from Luna Cycles 1500w if you want upgrades.

We are going back to 12 volt Which got