I am now at the point of staring at the bike and motor components on the floor. Did not expect to feel so intimidated and overwhelmed. The bike and components are just staring back at me
I am not very mechanically inclined and know almost zero about electricity but it didn’t stop me from converting two bikes into 1000 watt ebikes. RU-vid videos can show you step by step. You can do it!
Ive been seeing all these comments thanking johnny after helping them and i bit the bullet. Been riding my converted bike for 2 days and i cant thank you enough, from telling me exactly what i needed, to sending and helping me through the build, thanks John. You have made my life with leg pain easier.
@@m.d.498 oh yea! Over a year now and she's still as strong as ever! I'm in the current process of fitting 2 batteries to my bike now. Got my splitter and waiting on my 2nd 52v. Not only do I still reccomend jhonny. But when you build your own you get an understanding of the bike. I've only had to replace my break pads and chain once during routine maintenance. And I got a new ebike special chain that can put up with the torque so I imagine this one won't stretch over 4 months.
in 2019 i converted my diamond back MTB overdrive into an ebike with the bafang HD 1000 watts mid drive. This was the best investment i ever made. i love this bike, i just love riding this bike, sometime i hit the trails or just go off into the woods and try to get lost. or just ride around town. it been over 2 years years and still going strong, and i think i have many years left in it. good jobs on spreading the word about ebike conversion.
@@heroryan7859 I got my kit from Banfang USA at the time they had the HD 1000 watts with the Jumbo shark battery . Everything you need cames with the kit
@@heroryan7859 If you have hydraulic brakes you will need the brakes sensors. It’s a good kit did over 2000 miles and still going strong Last month I took it apart and re lube the gear box, not sure why I did it. I saw somewhere that’s it not a bad idea to re grease every couple of years Good luck on you build
The nerdiness continues. Thanks for all you do. The details make the difference. Your the only dedicated ebike channel out there that digs deeper. The e-books and ebike video pay channel for free from the ebike nerds nerd.
Johnny, watching you I converted my Trek full suspension bike that has a 89.5 bottom bracket using 100mm BBO2, 48volt 17.5 ah battery, shift sensors, and a 32 tooth front sprocket, thank you it rides amazing, good distance if you peddle, but you get drunk with the throttle and the speed, I've hit 38mph on the down hill, plenty fast for me, again thanks for your video guides.
I know mate its awesome, i had a go on one the other day and now i cant ride a normal bike .... but they are so amazing being drunk on speed is very dangerous especially in the hills by me
thanks for all the info john have a great ebike because of your info have center pull breaks think about putting disk because when it gets wett and need to stop
I've recently converted my giant talon 1 to an ebike with a bbs02. The bike comes with a 32 tooth chainring so I ordered the smallest bafang chainring the seller had which was a 44. I've had to knock up a DIY 4 mm spacer as the bafang chainring took a chunk out of my chainstay. I'm waiting for an adapter now so I can fit a smaller narrow wide chainring and remove the spacer and get the locking ring to fit. Just another thing worth checking.
Top one Jonny concise ,very helpful information so glad I found your channel and subscribed, after owning three e bikes over the past 12 years you have inspired me to build my own at last.. its going to be epic thanks t your info...many thanks mate.
Hey Johnny, I recently purchased a Pedego Boomerang Plus (48V 15ah 500W) from a family member for $1300. For that bargain price I also got a tow hitch, helmet, pannier bags, and a cable lock. I just wanted to say thank you for all of your expertise, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought a used bike and most likely would’ve dished out $2000+ for something comparable.
Hey Johnny, I'm 6'3 and 65yrs old. I have a Kent 32 bike. Can I convert this bike into an e-bike? I don't need to go extremely fast, but with pedal assist. If this is possible, what do you suggest for a kit $1000 or less. My friends all have Bafangs
Great basic info which was what I needed ,as I was thinking of buying an e bike here in Canada.Not as much selection up here and I dont want cheap hardware.I am a tall big guy and have a Cannondale Trail 2, hardtail 29 incher,that I am thinking of converting to a Basang 750 or 1000 watt drive.Will check out your site and see whats possible for combined street and groomed trail riding.
He is right about a Hard Tail Mtn Bike,I would recommend one that you can put a heavy duty rack on the back and put your battery back there.A lot of bikes won't except a battery in the frame triangle because of not enough room!
I think the most important thing when you are selecting a bike for an ebike project is the frames battery mounting options. Most full suspension bikes do not make good ebike candidates as there is insufficient room in the frame triangle for a battery. A good hydroformed Al alloy frame has a square downtube that will provide a very secure mounting surface for a hailong type battery. IOW, a round downtube can present "quite" a challenge when you are trying to mount a 10 lb battery to it. Once you have the battery mounting worked out, the rest is just a function of your pay grade..
Curious... Which company makes the frames you are referring to? I have a full suspension stumpjumper, and I can't fit 99% of the batteries that I would like to... Who makes a good hyroformed AI alloy frame with square downtube? Model? Carbon Fiber?
I’ve been watching your channel, & built a rear drive, and a front drive. I’m getting this delivered today. Now I have to decide which donor bike. TSDZ2 48V500W/750W
So what about some e bike hacks like over volting the motor with up to double the battery voltage and a larger controller to handle it. Is this just something that’s not possible or are their cheats or hacks actually out there that work? I’m not worried about being street legal as it would be rode on private land it’s entire lifespan. Thanks for your videos you make for us bro👍
Good video Johnny. I would also say don't buy a bike with rim brakes thinking you will convert it to disc brakes even if has caliper mounts. You will probably need new wheels as well.
Hey man, just wanted to say that your channel is a great resource. Just graduated college and I'm looking to get an ebike- not going to drop $2400 on a Bosch, just going to build my own. :))
I am not mechanically inclined or know much about electricity but it didn’t stop me from converting two bikes into 1000 watt ebikes. One is now a hub motor and the second one is now a mid or bottom bracket motor. I sold both but will order another Bafang mid drive soon to install on my son’s mountain bike.
I bought a ebike with out doing real research and learned alot out of that mistake, so it may be little to late for me cause now I not only rebuilt my Ebike with a different kit but I have learned alot more, and suggest to anyone that ask me about my $1k bike that is now $2k cause I learned hard way do some research and this guy sounds like he knows whats going on.
Thanks for helping me, because I didn't know about how much oil to use on the chain and derailer. I like to use solvents, so I didn't know what kind of oil to use and before I want take a ride I wipe off the all the joints. If I clean the axle, I should clean the inside with WD-40 and some silicone , then soak the chain in oil and paint thinner. Only use grease on the headset and the pedal gears. I will try using Goof-off next time or acetone, or naptha, or mineral spirits. That cuts the grease, then soak it in oil. WD-40 lubricates, but doesn't clean up. For tight spaces I use a hair-dryer and melt the grease into the seams.
johnny i am your biggest fan!!!! i am gonna build a mountain ebike !!! i am subscribed to your channel and cant wait every day for your new videos to come out!!! you are the greatest!!!!
Not a pro: planning… I build my first e-bike conversion.. that the good news.. decided to bite the bullet, a week later I’m fully committed.. Slapped it all together.. Controller came with a canvas soft case with side exit for wires, this did not work for me I wanted a hard case for controller so I purchased Stripped out all my wiring, case wrong sizes.. Purchased another soft case, haphazardly connected wires, disconnected controlled without bleeding off power shorted out controller, brought another controller You get the point Plan, listen to ppl with the experience I’m here know weeks after I nearly shocked myself/ran out of power because I did not plan..
Nicely said. Pretty much agree with all it. To your audience, when I built my electric roadbike with dropbar, 28mm tire width, BBSHD for speed and rim brakes, my biggest concern was the braking power of the rim brakes. Turned out to be a complete non issue. I have Ultegra road bike rim brakes and the bike stops just fine even with 20 + more pounds of motor and battery and riding above my typical road bike speed which the motor allows. I am about Johnny's size. But, and this is important and what Johnny said, selection of build components which includes, frame, wheels, brakes, tires size etc, is 'geography specific'. I live in FL where its flat. I ride only on pavement for this bike. I generally do not ride over 30 mph or the upper range of what a performance cyclist can ride without a motor. So rim brakes work fine for me. Disc brakes I believe are almost universally preferred with one caveat. Disc brakes suck for maintenance. If you live in a relatively flat place, rim brakes are ok but if you live around a lot of hills or in the mountains, disc brakes and it you need a 30mm + tire width, go disc as well. PS. Because I didn't need big climbing gear inches and I wanted to keep my legs involved in the pedal stroke at higher speed, I went with 52t Lekkie chainring with 11-36 rear cassette and locked out of the 36t biggest cog with derailleur inboard stop adjustment due to less than ideal chain line on the 36t cog. 32t is enough to get up the steep stuff with 52t chainring. Again, consistent with Johnny's advice. Gearing is personal and specific to riding conditions.
Sounds like a sweet ride. With that power on a light bike not pulling that much of a load I think you'd be surprised at the mountains it could climb. I wouldn't even worry about the rim brakes on the way down, as long as the pads are good and the rims fairly clean.
@@michaelsprinzeles4022 Thanks Michael, appreciate your comments and agree. This bike has been a blast. It is almost like an amusement park ride. I am old but fit and just came in off of my carbon road bike hammering with friends where we pace line over 20 mph. My e-road bike is another order of speed but will less effort. Just a blast and for those considering a Bafang motor, this bike in the drops with skinny tires will do 40mph. I really don't have any need to go much over 35 and rarely that so I haven't upgraded my controller with field weakening and more amps for more watts. I rarely ride the bike at full power. Generally when going for big power I select 4 out of 5 because 5 is crazy fast and I used to race motorcycles as well. Just don't need that level of power on a bicycle and in fact to do it all over again for 'skinny tire' roadbike with low rolling resistance, I may choose the BBS02 set at 25amps. Would still do 35mph. Fatter tired bikes with higher rolling resistance and increased drag coefficient of fatter tires I believe would benefit from the BBSHD which is super powerful and very silent. Freaky quiet in fact at full power. I can tell countless stories of tangling with elite roadbike racers in my area because I come from this walk. I can drop the fastest guys in my town on my e-roadbike but fun to play with them. They try like hell to hold my wheel at 30 mph. That is how they got fast, they can really suffer. 😁
@@lukewalker1051 I'm old and look fit but that's as far as it goes. As I approached 50 the hills around me grew larger and my knees cried louder so I embraced "cheating" & added a motor to my bike. As I read this I'm putting together a fatty for conversion with a BBSHD, down the road. My first build was an HD on a mountain bike and I blew the controller (climbing in the wrong gear). I upgraded to a 50 amp controller and it was total overkill, once I started using the gears properly as I did prior to conversion. Now it's set to 30 amps but can handle 50. I couldn't blow the controller now without great stupid effort;) For my second build I used a cheap flat bar hybrid bike with skinny(ish) tires and rim brakes with a BBS02. For just getting around my local area the 02 is more than adequate (if you use the gears properly;). To be honest my cheap bike probably couldn't handle the full power of an 02. I tried a speed test and got up to 32 mph but it was rattling the bike and my fillings so I never saw what top speed was. The rim brakes sucked out of the box but replace the pads with something decent and they have no problems locking up the wheels at any speed (if you so desire). I think if you ride it like a bike and aren't throttle happy the BBS02 is a little beast of a motor that will tackle anything (given the right bike for the job). Ride on & enjoy;)
What about rack mounted batteries? In particular those rear racks with the battery mounted to the lower rack with a rack above for “luggage”. Having the battery in the triangle is not an option for me. Btw this video was extremely helpful.
Will affect the Center of gravity , but plenty of bikes have a rear battery. I say put the battery in the rear if that’s your only option. You might need extension cables for some of the wiring if the rear placement is further away. I wouldn’t try to use one of those 20$ seatpost mounted rear racks from Walmart to hold a 600$ battery, make sure its strong !
I built my self an ebike it took ages too pick the kit I wanted I went for a hub motor 1500w 52v battery top speed is 40mph 64kph I love it but as miles keep increasing I’m starting too get little bugs I’m almost 4k miles on the clock I loved the first ride and still love jumping on it now
@@heroryan7859 I’ve noticed in wet weather that the bike cuts out lose all signal too the throttle and in winter the battery don’t hold charge I’m not sure if there’s away of preventing this as it’s my first winter with the bike so I’ve only just had the issue arise but overall the kit I brought from Ncyclebike on aliibaba is great the issues I’m sure have solutions but I have too find out what they are I’ll give an update if I manage to find a fix
@@heroryan7859 and just go make more sense the battery loses around 5 miles range in winter and my range with the 20ah battery I have normally gets me around 24 miles ok a full charge so 5 miles is a massive lose
I tried to order an ebike after thinking about it over a year and fed ex could not get it delivered to my house. I tried telling them to deliver it after five when i got off work and they wouldn't do it. If you are an ebike company i would think about using a different company to ship your ebikes. They only use a call center in India as there customer service. You can not speak directly to a FedEx representative. They are terrible at getting a package delivered to there customer, beware. Now they are saying the label is scratched and it can not be scanned. i can not even go pick it up. I should of had it almost a week ago. Now it has to go all the way back to the warehouse.
Ya it's so daunting.. i wish i could just send the bike off and have it come back built and reliable, which i was trying to plan before my trucks transmission bill hit.. 5.3k latter i need to park it and get My Ebike built
Hi and I took my bike for a long ride and it stopped working in the battery ran low and will not work after recharging and can't seem to find the correct replacement battery
wow man cool stuff thank you for all of the great videos,s I don't have a bike yet but Im checking out your stuff before I do anything///// Thanks guy good stuff
I currently ride an ebike with a 48v/500 watt rear hub motor. My riding is 100 percent on a paved rail trail that’s basically flat with no hills. I am thinking about getting a recumbent tadpole trike and doing the e-assist installation myself. Based on what I have read online, I think a hub motor would be better for my style of riding (no hills, paved rail trail). I am 72 years old with limited use of my right leg. I usually maintain a 12-14 mph speed on my current DF ebike. I am 6’4” and weigh 225 lbs. I am considering getting a 48v or 52v / 750 watt hub motor with a thumb throttle. I only use the throttle to cross intersections and pedal the rest of the time in assist level 1 or 2. Any suggestions on what kits are available for my project?
Plenty of kits! From my personal opinion, a mid drive system will be more natural of a feeling when riding and less prone to burning out (when ridden properly). Either way, whether you go with a hub or mid, bafang has a lot of kits out there for a good price. I personally like them unless going with a higher powered system.
looking into the bafang for a diamondback mtb bike so i can get to work without paying for gas when i have the money to buy all my parts im going to contact you so be ready boi
Hey @JohnnyNerdout have u ever done a surrey bike 4 seater (2-benches) conversion? Just got one and it’s heavvvvy. Would love recommended kits/tutorials.
Excellent video. Thank you so much. I recently bought a new Giant hybrid style. It has disc brakes but I'm not sure if they're mechanical. I'd very much like to turn it into an e-bike. I think the 750w kit is going to be fine. But I'm not sure yet. I may sell my car and use the bike for getting around town. Everytime that car payment comes around I just cringe, lol. Plus I'm retired and don't need the car hardly. Online shopping has made for a lot less trips. I may need a consultation if I get stuck on the build. I'll get in touch with you. Thank you.
That's simple no brake fluid no juice breaks no brake fluid equals mechanical sounds like a good bike platform to start simple 750w Bafang & 52volt battery.Go for it!
Living in Ca I am looking at a 750w max motor. Funny, electrical motors perform based on load and I am #100 heavier than the average weights shown for testing 150-165 so I would think I would need a 1000w+ motor to see the same performance.
Hey Johnny what's up. Looking to build my first e-bike, I have a Genesis Nexus bike that I'm looking to transform. I was looking at the 52 V 1000w bafang. Now I'm really not sure if I need that much power or not. But of course looking at more power means more money LOL. Right now I just use the bike for hobby riding around town on pave roads but eventually I would like to take it when I go camping or something and doing some trail riding. My question is would you think that the 48 volt 750w would be more than enough but still get me that exciting ride LOL. Also would like to know about the chainring what should I get? I was thinking the 42t. On the set up with the bike now it's something crazy like a 27 speed with frontman gears and rear axle gears
Definitely need at least two front rings. Hills kill the battery.need lower gear ratios. I've done 7 thousand kilometres this year on mine. Turn off battery for 3 kilometre high climbs. Hard. But saves drain.
Johnny thank you so much for your videos..I was about to buy my first e bike and likely spend $2500..After watching just one of your videos I was like, screw that I am building my own! I am not mechanically inclined but I am also not a moron. Can a guy who hasn't had much experience with this stuff do this? Can I buy plans off of you?
The conversion kits are pretty self explanatory. Buy a donor bike (or use an old bike), you dont have to spend stupid money on 'ultra light' bikes as the weight of the bike will be pretty irrelevant once you put the battery pack on it, buy a conversion kit (1000 watt rear hub kits are really cheap nowadays), and buy a battery - you want a 48v/52v Downtube/Hailong style battery, they have a frame you screw to your water bottle holder on the bike or you can drill your own holes for it, then the battery itself simply slots in and is retained by a key so you can easily take the battery off to charge it. As this guy says, the 10ah batteries are good for 15-30 miles range, the 20ah batteries are good for 30-60 miles (lower end is pure throttle, upper end is with pedaling). For tools, a few allen keys and screwdrivers, a small socket set, a crank puller (a bike tool you can get for less than the cost of four cans of beer from any bike shop) and a couple of adjustable wrenches is all you need for a basic installation. You *can* upgrade the brakes, display, gears, etc., but you dont have to, the bike will be perfectly rideable with what is in the box, they all already comes with a display telling you your speed and state of charge. Its also pretty cheap before you start all these upgrades - the cheapest 1000w/20ah bike I made, without cheating and using stuff I already had, was given, or bought second hand, was £100 for a bike, £100 for a conversion kit, and £150 for a battery - total £350, which is $430 in American dollers, and took a couple of hours to build.
@@DrBKBade I am talking about hub motors, not mid-drive. On a hub motor, there is no connection between the motor and the sprocket, so the conversion is far easier and there is no problems with throwing chains if they are out of alignment.
Slowly doing my build now. One thing I haven't heard you address is programming the motor. Eggrider lets you do that via Bluetooth, which is why I ordered one from the UK (everybody seems to be out of them in the US). There's also the USB cable, which sounds like it has its own techie issues. Are the default Bafang motor settings going to work for most folks? I dove into the deep end before asking because that's what I do.
I’d say stick settings will work for most people. But if you ride a lot the program cable is a no brainer to really dial in your ride. I have the EggRider too and like it. But it does need a lot of updates and is more intense to initially setup with your phone.
I watch all your videos & find them useful since I just go into e mtn bikes 2 months ago . I’m trying to learn all I can . I already know I’m gonna put a bafang 1,000 mid drive in my new himiway cobra . ( hub motors suck ) my opinion. With you videos I can trust what you say . Time comes here soon I’ll buy my motor kit from you .
Hi Johnny, I’m from Sydney Australia, can you please tell me what bike is a good one to put a mid drive kit??? I have been watching your RU-vid videos and your channel and I really appreciate all your videos and your help in all electric bikes etc. Cheers mate. Joe
I got myself a Bafang BBS kit, and realised i I really would prefer having a torque sensing crank motor. Does the Tongsheng(?) use the same peripherals as Bafang? Specifically, the brake sensors, since mine are now epoxy glued to the brake handles... :-P
I love your videos. Because you did them so well I'm thinking about doing a conversion kit on my 2019.. Kona Satori DL full suspension bike suspension bike. I'd like to have lots of power and range so I'm thinking about 1000 watt motor. Have you done one of these do you have suggestions please?
Have you ever ridden/converted a tongsheng? After watching a million ebike videos, I've determined I really want torque sensing as I've been mtbing for years and want that ability to do techie climbs.
I have a Pacific Coast Chopper Bicycle! I want to convert to full electric, as I am disabled and unable to pedal! Front tire size is 26 x 2 the rear 20 x 4! Would very much like your input as the best way to go! PS I'm a speed demom!
Hi, I’m planning on converting my specialized fatboy fatbike, what is the best kit I should get? And also I just want a pedal assist, I’m not a fan of a throttle mode
All of my kits come with a throttle and pedal assist. You can choose to use the throttle or not. I'd love to help you spec out your build- the best way to do that is to book a consultation on my website. www.johnnynerdout.com
Mid drive..all.day...another thing I have incorporated into my 3 builds so far is shimano 9 speed..firstly it's very strong chain . But mainly the only used a few years..."dual control " uses brake lever to shift like turn signal to allow throttle on right side . You can find 9 speed dual control nos in all levels unto.and including shimano trx. Super cheap on eBay. . Antiquated now but great for ebike
Johnny - I am elderly and have a 24" Vevor Adult Tricycle from Walmart that I want to motorize for riding and exercise around the neighborhood. We have some steep grades but only about a block long at most. What mid frame motor - battery and specific accessories would you recommend? Riding for an hour or less per day. Please reply as all info is still coming slowly as I visit channels like yours and websites for info. Thanks neighbor. DRT
I so badly want to do this conversion to my bike especially with the middrive motor but I just cannot stand long crank arms I like shorter crank arms so it'll be easier on my knees I wish this company that made the middrive bofang motor wold think of comfort rideing 😞 I've tried looking online to find just cranks without the sprocket connected no luck
Hey Johnny, I have heard you say on a few videos that you wouldn't use a fat bike for conversion for commuting... I'm pretty over weight and I bought a fat bike because I was thinking I would need the extra stopping power of rubber on road... (I bought a BBSHD kit...) is my thinking sound??? I got hydraulic brakes....
Hi Johnny thanks for the delivery of the BBS02 kit. I wish you would cover how to install the brake sensors because my bike comes with hydraulic and the brake sensors are hard to position. I already know to use epoxy glue but hydraulic brake levers move differently on my Urbano 5 I noticed you were selling those also I am wondering how you position the brake sensors...and maybe do a how to on this Thanks.
Hi Johnny, thanks for the nice video. Just to clarify, when you mention using the stock chainring, you meant the existing one from the bike right? This is something I was wondering as I saw every videos people changed their chainring and cranks with the one from Bafang, I really don’t wanna do that as I wanna keep the original style of my bike. Thanks!
Stock chainring that comes with the motor kit. You will delete your current front chainrings and go to a single chainring that is designed to fit the motor face.
Torque sencing and twist throttle. Im looking for a 48 volt 17 amp hour. I want it to fitt a large frame hyper viking pro. Plus rear shock is in place. Looking for a battery to fit it.
So i have a surly fat tire bike. 100mm BB. I use it on fire roads and rutted roads. Wandering what chain ring i should run and if i should change my cassette from 11 to a 7 . Want to get the right parts when i order a Bbshd .
