My Giant MTB eBike Build

James_Biker

Member
Local time
3:36 AM
Joined
Apr 19, 2023
Messages
36
Location
Los Angeles, CA
I posted an introduction but specifically this is my bike.

I have a KHS Zaca I planned on making into an eBike last year about May, it's a 29er but when I saw a used, ridden only once 2020 Giant Talon 3 for $500, I bought it. I think new it would have been only about $50 or $75 more but it was only two years old and collecting dust, so I bought it. Oh it's a 27.5. Has hydraulic brakes. The Zaca has mechanical brakes. Also the battery wouldn't fit in the frame, although I thought it would because the frame looks bigger than it is. The battery fits in the Talon.

I bought a Bafang BBS02. I did a lot of research and went with Bafang. I knew I wanted a middrive and Bafang seems to be the gold standard. My neighbor is a very talented bike mechanic, not by vocation or trade but he is an avid road bike rider and is talented at bike mechanics. He knew nothing of eBikes but I did my research and with his help we built the bike. With all my research I didn't research enough about cadence vs torque sensing. After having it a year, well, less than a year I decided I wanted a torque sensing motor so I went with Tongsheng and swapped it out. My neighbor once again was kind enough to help me with it.

I can say I love the torque sensor feel better than cadence. My goal is exercise and you may say then why an ebike? Just because I have the option of using it at a low PAS and going farther than with no motor. With the cadence I was still losing weight, it helped despite the motor doing most the work and I bet with the torque I will lose more weight. It should be helpful and fun. When people say torque makes you feel like you got bionic legs they were not kidding.

I can't go to the gym and do stairstepper, elyptical, or treadmill. It's just boring, but biking is fun and will get me to do my exercising and burning of calories.

Here is a photo of it when it was a Bafang eBike. I will write more about specifics but I am at work now and have to do an abdomen x-ray.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_20220721_115429116_HDR.jpg
    IMG_20220721_115429116_HDR.jpg
    420 KB · Views: 147
Finished it. I didn't test it since I tested it a couple weeks ago because I been busy. I'll test out tomorrow. Slowly when I had time I'd do work on it and now I'm done.

IMG_20230422_185238159_HDR.jpg
 
I added a volt meter because this display only has bars that show how approximately the battery is charged. I want volta because with the bars I can't tell when it's gonna die out on me.
IMG_20230422_185209376.jpg
 
Nice build! The profile of the Tongsheng looks way smaller than that of the Bafang. The Bafang hangs out but I can't even see the Tongsheng from the angle you took the photo.
 
Nice build! The profile of the Tongsheng looks way smaller than that of the Bafang. The Bafang hangs out but I can't even see the Tongsheng from the angle you took the photo.
Agreed, the Tonghseng motor looks smaller. I hear it is lighter from what I have read but I am not sure from experience because I have not weighed the motors off the bike and on I never weighed the bike with the different motors. Seems the same but supposed to be a bit lighter.

I took my second ride on the bike and I really like it. I live on a hilly area and I feel like I still get a good workout on this bike on the hills and even flat by going far. With the Bafang it seemed a lot different, a lot less natural. I prefer the torque sensing of this than cadence of the Bafang. That said Bafang is very good also. I have the Bafang still so in the future if I want a second ebike I can use the Bafang on my KHS Zaca that I was going to originally use as the bike for the eBike until I found the Talon for a good price.
 
Funny thing is I use the original stock Tongsheng 42 tooth chainring and I have no issues with chainline angle with the lowest gear on the cassette. I don't see a lot of offset chainrings for Tongsheng but plenty for Bafang, which I have an offset I used for it but with the Tongsheng no offset and it works fine. Shifts and haven't hand the chain fall off or any unwanted noises shifting or being in the lowest gear.

By the way, the original was 8 gear cassette from 8 to 32 but I put on an aftermarket 8 gear from 8 to 40. The 40 really helps on the steep hills BUT I still get a workout because it steep and a torque sensing system.
 
I posted an introduction but specifically this is my bike.

I have a KHS Zaca I planned on making into an eBike last year about May, it's a 29er but when I saw a used, ridden only once 2020 Giant Talon 3 for $500, I bought it. I think new it would have been only about $50 or $75 more but it was only two years old and collecting dust, so I bought it. Oh it's a 27.5. Has hydraulic brakes. The Zaca has mechanical brakes. Also the battery wouldn't fit in the frame, although I thought it would because the frame looks bigger than it is. The battery fits in the Talon.

I bought a Bafang BBS02. I did a lot of research and went with Bafang. I knew I wanted a middrive and Bafang seems to be the gold standard. My neighbor is a very talented bike mechanic, not by vocation or trade but he is an avid road bike rider and is talented at bike mechanics. He knew nothing of eBikes but I did my research and with his help we built the bike. With all my research I didn't research enough about cadence vs torque sensing. After having it a year, well, less than a year I decided I wanted a torque sensing motor so I went with Tongsheng and swapped it out. My neighbor once again was kind enough to help me with it.

I can say I love the torque sensor feel better than cadence. My goal is exercise and you may say then why an ebike? Just because I have the option of using it at a low PAS and going farther than with no motor. With the cadence I was still losing weight, it helped despite the motor doing most the work and I bet with the torque I will lose more weight. It should be helpful and fun. When people say torque makes you feel like you got bionic legs they were not kidding.

I can't go to the gym and do stairstepper, elyptical, or treadmill. It's just boring, but biking is fun and will get me to do my exercising and burning of calories.

Here is a photo of it when it was a Bafang eBike. I will write more about specifics but I am at work now and have to do an abdomen x-ray.
BBSHD and BBS02 can be reprogrammed and get pretty close to how my Torque Sensing bike feels, and makes it easier to get a workout. Stock set up they are s**t for getting exercise. I chose Bafang over the Tonsheng because of the terrible reliability record vs Bafang, so good luck. As for Torque sensing I am giving the Torque Sensing CYC Photon a year or 2 to get the kinks out and then I may swap it in over the BBSHD, right now it is too risky..needs some refining.
 
BBSHD and BBS02 can be reprogrammed and get pretty close to how my Torque Sensing bike feels, and makes it easier to get a workout. Stock set up they are s**t for getting exercise. I chose Bafang over the Tonsheng because of the terrible reliability record vs Bafang, so good luck. As for Torque sensing I am giving the Torque Sensing CYC Photon a year or 2 to get the kinks out and then I may swap it in over the BBSHD, right now it is too risky..needs some refining.
I read about reprogramming it to be close to Torque Sensing but I didn't do that. Maybe I should have. Maybe I will install the Bafang on the KHS and try that so I will have a 27.5 and 29er eBike. Bafang also besides reliability has better aftermarket options as well. Hopefully the Tonsheng lasts a couple years or more.
 
I changed my seat out. The seat I had on it was good and comfortable. It was a comfort seat. I wanted a new seat to try something out. This is not a Comfort Seat but it is not a narrow road bike or MTB seat. They have three styles. A comfort, a MTB and one in between which I got. It makes my bike more sleek than the comfort seat I had on it.

 
Links to Amazon may include affiliate code. If you click on an Amazon link and make a purchase, this forum may earn a small commission.
Back
Top