Converting an Old MTB to an E-Bike Using a Bafang Conversion Kit | $700 Kit With Battery
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- Welcome to the channel!
In this video, I unbox, install, and test out the BAFANG 48V 500W Rear Hub Motor into eight parts so it's easier for you to watch, if you need to.
I'm part of Amazon Affiliates, so it would be great if you used my link below. Thanks!
LINK: amzn.to/3RYQUnV
Timestamps:
Part 1 - Unboxing 00:00
Part 2 - Installation and Problems 05:23
Part 3 - Road Test / Pedal Assist Problem 13:53
Part 4 - Fixing and Testing the PAS 16:36
Part 5 - Fixing Problems 24:20
Part 6 - The Final Test 29:19
Part 7 - Finalizing Brake Sensors / Conclusion 37:22
Part 8 - A Few Weeks Later 38:56
It's a 26" Electric Bike Conversion Kit with 48V 17.5Ah Rear Battery for 26 Inch Rear Cassette Wheel with P860ML Display & PAS, Ebike Kit for MTB Road Bicycle.
The price was around $700 with the battery with the display and battery I chose. They give you some options. The kit itself was about $279 without the battery on Amazon. I chose a battery that came with the kit, after doing some research on Bafang batteries. They seemed fine and not many people were having problems with them.
I own a 24-speed old GT MTB that I use for my daily dog hikes, so I figured it would be a great test to spend a lot less on the e-bike conversion kit than multiple thousands on a new full-suspension e-MTB.
I truly wanted to learn all about them: how they work, how they're installed, how they function, how they're adjustable through software, etc. I also needed to know exactly how slow you could go on one, so I could not outpace my dog pack that I walk with for hours daily off-leash on the trails.
Everything was very challenging, but in the end, I figured it all out and got the bike working perfectly except for the weight distribution issue. Not much I can do about it for now, and it's kind of fun being able to pop up the front very easily as long as I'm careful. Since I'm only out with dogs, I don't really ride the bike in a crazy manner. Some of the trails are extremely rough, so the bike does take a regular beating. It's a steel frame, so I'm hoping it keeps up for a while.
Someday, if I can get my hands on a newer frame, I'll convert everything over to it and make a video on it. I'd love a stronger frame, but for now, it does the job.
This was a very fun project, and I'm extremely pleased with the results, especially for the price. We'll see how it lasts over time.
Thank you for watching and reading, and please subscribe if you're into this kind of thing. Peace.
#ebike #ebikes #ebikeconversion #bafang #mtb #mtblife #mtblove #mtbbike #diy #bikerepair #cycling #cyclinglife #bicycle #electricbike
Awesome video. Thanks for sharing your experience. keep the video coming. Subscribed!
Thank you for the explanation on the Pedal Assist. I've watched tons of videos on converting my bike and nobody explained PAS better than this.
You're welcome! I'm glad to help. I watched a few vids before, and didn't understand it either. I feel your pain! Thanks for watching and for commenting.
The Bafang mid-drive is good. It goes straight through the bottom bracket hole; great design! But if you can get hold of a cheap Kona Process 134, it's a good bike for conversion. Just use all the Bafang kit; it comes as a package with a Bafang Samsung battery and charger! These non-branded batteries and chargers scare the heck out of me!
Oh hell with that! Charger making that noise already get it out the house!
This was wholesome.
Thanks for watching! You rule for commenting!
You should be able to get a USB connector to reprogram your PAS levels so that you've got better control at each level. Changing the power curves I believe.
Thank you. I am planning on doing that soon. That is the next step and I will make a quick video about it. I appreciate the comment. Thanks for watching.
I was gonna as a side project get that back battery as a seat + a triangle and normal battery hooked up to a 3000w and 48-72v controller
That's pretty cool. They say to keep the battery cool with plenty of air flow so hopefully sitting on it won't be too hot. That motor must be a beast compared to mine. I think that's what some of those electric dirt bikes have. Saw one go up that steep incline easily the other day. I was in awe.
Just bite the bug and buy one honestly totally different feel with the new geometry and alot safer! I had one these GTs years ago i know its not the best ride i went and boght a Bosch emtb with the smart system after watching alot these amd then getting a shot on someone's home mader and a real ebike the difference was a no brainer totally different
Lol i get it that question before seing that it on the internet people wouldnt understand and act like the internet must be broken lol
The chargers are very delicate aka cheaply made if you move them when its on they can break the insides and little bits of plastic damage the internals of it be careful
Good to know. Thank you. I will be very careful with it in the future. It definitely feels very light and cheap. I'll research better chargers at some point.
It has allways like this also big ballast' for big hps lamps it is the same thing if they get the slightest chok / when warm after use they break inside
@@Kirt44 Good to know. I'll be very careful with it after use. Thanks.
Did I miss how much this all cost?
$693.56, to be precise. I'll update the description. I may have mentioned it in the video somewhere, but I forget where. I ordered it with one of the battery options that came with it. Thanks for watching!
Just watched this today and I want to convert my bike too am a youtuber I do cycling content too but my question is ? Where did you buy this kit
I watched a few YT vids and read some forums only to notice people were using the Bafang ekit without many problems. I just looked it up on Amazon and ordered it from there. I think the kit was around $275 and the battery came with it for a total around $700 or so here in 2024. Thanks for watching!!
@@iforgotilikebikes8543 welcome I'm kenyan language we say karibu sana 😅 means welcome 🙏
full suspension😐
You may have issues with them stupid sensors on the breaks alot people do with these kits! Don't know why they even use these they don't on manufactured ebikes
mid drive is better
no it's not, it's worse for your sprockets and chain
Felt like I would have smashed it into a log or rock since I pass over so many. Sorta wanted to play it safe for my first build, but I am very curious about those motors and I'd love to install one on something, someday. Thanks for the comment, though.
@@kristofsomers2020 Interesting. I wonder why.
@@iforgotilikebikes8543 Better feedback from pedaling, regardless of if you have a torque or a cadence sensor. Your center of mass is also not offset by the weight of a hub motor. Also it lets you run gears rather than being stuck at a single speed of the hub motor, you'll be ghost pedaling a lot more if you go top speed. I upgraded from a 1000W direct-drive rear hub motor to a Bafang BBS02 750W Mid-Drive and it's like night and day. Installation is also way easier due to the bafang having standardised (and waterproof) HiGO connectors. The only upside to a direct-drive style hub motor is being able to regenerate power when you brake. (you can still use e-brake cutoff on other styles of motors but it won't add charge to your battery). Also without a torque arm your hub motor puts wear on your bike's dropouts as compared to the mid drive wearing your drivetrain which is easier to replace and with maintenance should last a long time.
Absolutely! 100%
Super-interesting topic, and I really wanted to, but the constant cutting made it physically uncomfortable for me to watch your video. (Example: Around 7:50 when you talk about connectors, there's something like 5 cuts in just a couple of seconds.) Guess I'm just getting old... :-/
Haha. You think you're getting old? I'll say a word, then a minute passes, then I'll say a few more words, then another minute passes, then I'll finish the sentence, but I'll studder 4x in the sentence. I can barely watch my own footage back like that, so I was just chopping out any and all "nothing" parts due to my own problem with not speaking very well and thoroughly yet. I'm working on it, but I appreciate the comment. I'll try to be much smoother in future videos with speaking so there won't be a need for so many cuts. It was a lot of just staring at the bike with nothing going on in many of those moments. It would have been a very long video if I kept em all in. Super helpful comment, though. I'm a progress at work, first year making vids really. Thanks for your interest!
See if it has cruise control. Then you just have to steer.
Bro, make sure, you stretch or do mobility after a hard workout lol. Great video, very instructive. Thanks
I do! Morning calf cramps are hitting me lately, so I'm drinking more water and doing full-body stretches more often, usually earlier at the gym during the day, then before bed at night. Crazy how my calves can cramp up when I first move them right after I wake up in the mornings. Thank you for the advice and the compliment! I appreciate it a ton.