Mid drives with throttle

[LightningP38]

Looking for a mid drive kit for my recumbent that has a throttle included. Nothing bigger than a 500 watt motor. I ride rail trails with a group, from 11-13 mph, rarely go over 15 mph on these mostly flat trails. Want the motor to do half the work due to health issues. Wondering how well a torque sensing system would do that? With cadence sensing I pedal hard enough to get the bike up to 13 mph, then I can let up a bit and pedal easily to maintain my speed…like cruise control.

I have a rear wheel motor kit with cadence sensing, so I am familiar with that system. I want to get away from rear wheel system so I can go back to the factory wheel setup for ease of wheel removal for flat repair. And the motor wheel has a harsher ride due to its stiffness needed for the wheel torque. With my cadence system I run at Level 2 Assist out of 5 Levels to go about 10 mph on level ground pedaling 60-70 rpm’s.
I have 2 recumbents, so will end up selling the one I have with the e-assist wheel motor, once I get the mid drive set up.

 

[m@Robertson]

I always suggest a BBSHD for this sort of need. Yes, it is capable of much more power than you are asking for, but one of the things you do with these motors is dial the power back, so you end up with a motor running at 20% or 50% of its capacity, but whose electronics and mechanicals are meant to withstand much more punishment than you are dishing out. End result is a motor that lasts trouble-free forever.

https://talesontwowheels.com/2023/08/09/bbshd-settings-for-a-pedaling-cyclist-2023-edition/
I'm in my 60's, a lifelong cyclist and have survived two heart attacks. I set my bikes up so they allow me to work and get exercise on pedal assist, but at higher power levels they let me take a break and pedal easy. Or if I really need it, I can throttle the bike, keep moving and rest up for a bit. Done right, with a cadence-based system that is FAR more nuanced than anything you will find on a hub motor controller (including the KT simulated-torque controllers that are not on/off switches) you end up with a very natural cycling experience, with just enough assist to take the edge off your muscle aches (or lots more if you need it).

This installment of my bike build series has a parts list linked to it. I buy bare motors, not kits. I save money that way but I also get only the parts I want since a) I know what to buy and b) I know what I like. This build sheet has links to the individual parts, too.

https://talesontwowheels.com/2022/05/01/how-to-build-an-ebike-from-scratch-planning/
For a BBSHD built today to what my preferences are now, I would do it as follows:

• BBSHD bare motor from Luna Cycle (30a/52v support with no buggy BS in the firmware). Secondary source: California Ebike
• DZ40 minimalist display (also super cheap at around $30 on Amazon)
• 300X style clamp-on throttle
• Speed sensor from Luna
• Two inner lock rings - Luna
• Triangle mounting plate - Luna
• BBSHD wiring harness. Luna again, or you can go cheap and find one on AliExpress for 1/4 of that price. Same is true for everything else but you will have to wait weeks for delivery.

This pic from the Luna site shows every possible part you could use in a kit.

I am not including things like a better chainring, or crank arms and crank arm bolts, because those are things you can buy on the open market. For instance I buy Lekkie Buzz Bars instead of the cheap Bafang crankarms that are like $20 for a pair. Also I use Magura MT5e brakes, so they have their own levers, and I buy the special wiring harness to match up to them from California Ebike. You could opt to not do brake cutoffs at all, too so no parts to buy.

 

[Chuy]

I have the BBSHD and would recommend it if you ever plan to ride the bike harder. If not the 750-watt BBS02 will meet your needs. They average over 200 bucks less than a BBSHD, and with the right gearing, the 02 can still get you over hills that most 750-watt hub drives cannot. With a ‘programming’ kit you can reconfigure the BBS02’s cadence motor settings that it almost feels like a torque-sensing system. To see BBS02 setups look up videos from Golden Motor and JohnnyNerdOut. Both have online stores as well.