I've been very happy with my conversion so far. I went with a Bafang BBS02, a 52V 8ah battery and an 860C controller. The battery fits in the pannier with room to spare for other junk. I started with a very solid, well-built bike in good condition and I think that really helped. The only issue has been that gears 1-3 are now a bit squirrelly because the motor pushed the chainring slightly out of line, but I knew that could happen. I'll probably order a Lekkie chainring to address the issue.
I don't think I'd chance taking a motor off a pre-made E-bike and putting it on a different frame. You never know how a proprietary motor and other parts will fit on a different bike. I think I'd stick with kits that are made for that purpose. I probably could have bought a cheap pre-made E-bike for what this kit cost me with bike tools and accessories, but I'm not sure it would have been as good. This bike is smooth and powerful. Hills have ceased to exist. No more hill aversion. I'm a happy camper. Besides, I learned a lot about how a bike is put together through this process.
Kudos to the
Electrify Bike Company for all their support. They're great people to deal with and it's nice to have somebody to call if you get stuck with a conversion. There's also a wealth of information on their website.