generic e bikes

[hugh]

This may be upsetting to some folks but please bear in mind it's just an opinion. First my experience. About 10 years ago I bought my first e bike, an Evo road bike with a Bion X rear hub motor. It was a great bike. I bought it because it was a Canadian company with good reviews and well I live in Canada. Then they went out of business and Bion X used a system with a propietary battery. From that time forward any e motor for me had to be able to use any 48V battery.

Cut to present day and at the moment I have 2 e bikes each with a Bafang mid drive and 2 home built delta trikes, one with a Bafang mid drive and the other a Bafang front hub. In the ensuing years a few people have contacted me asking for assistance in repairing e bikes they purchased because they were a good deal price wise. Most of the issues seemed to be controllers, one was a problem with the rear hub motor. Often the company had disappeared/gone out of business or whatever so they were out of luck.

So now when friends ask me for advice I mention that and recommend a couple vendors that have been around for a while and who actually keep parts in stock. Realizing that not everyone want's to install a kit or even fewer build from scratch. On the kit idea I have turned a couple people onto that idea and have installed a couple for close friends, for no charge I might add and without exception they have been very happy with the result.

So the takeaway from this is do your research, and realize there may be issues a few years down the road.

 

[Orcasprout]

a good deal price wise

Often the company had disappeared/gone out of business

realize there may be issues

I have started a new life by opening my own repair shop for eBikes and Scooters. I also build custom with kits.

You are describing my life. Lots and lots of guys (a few women but mostly men) coming in with the $600 internet bike that fell apart on them right away.

How to communicate to people that you get what you pay for AHEAD OF TIME? Argh, it's frustrating.

I've sort of built some parts inventory to handle the basics (plugs, wires, controllers, tires, etc.) but I have been hesitant to go deep into inventory because everything that comes in is a rabbit hole of cheap design and cheap part sourcing. Alas.

Bion X used a system with a propietary battery

Have you found Grin/Justin yet? I remember he did a video on those BionX motors.

they have been very happy with the result.

Thanks for fixing your friend's bikes!

 

[ElHegpah]

BionX is the poster child for incompatible hardware. Their BMS would commit suicide if you tried to put new cells in their battery. There were some work-arounds to use aftermarket batteries, but you lost a lot of advanced functions.

Great engineers, excellent hardware, stupid, stupid management. I remember when they went belly-up on the GM deal, just some idiots in charge.

Unfortunately, very few people learned from this lesson. Many companies today following a similar path.

 

[hugh]

I have started a new life by opening my own repair shop for eBikes and Scooters. I also build custom with kits.

You are describing my life. Lots and lots of guys (a few women but mostly men) coming in with the $600 internet bike that fell apart on them right away.

How to communicate to people that you get what you pay for AHEAD OF TIME? Argh, it's frustrating.

I've sort of built some parts inventory to handle the basics (plugs, wires, controllers, tires, etc.) but I have been hesitant to go deep into inventory because everything that comes in is a rabbit hole of cheap design and cheap part sourcing. Alas.


Have you found Grin/Justin yet? I remember he did a video on those BionX motors.


Thanks for fixing your friend's bikes!

I have purchased some products from Grin and often watch their videos. The one Justin did on a Bionx motor was good. I still have the HD Bion X motor, was thinking of mounting it on the wall as a testament to be choosey when buying e bike motors.