Okay this is my opinion only and may not reflect anyone else's experience. My first e bike was a BionX equipped road bike using 700c tires. Very reliable and being torque sensing quite nice to ride. Used that one for a few years, wound up putting the motor which was a direct drive 500 watt on the back of a homemade tadpole trike. After a few years the battery started to degrade then Bion X went out of business. I still have the motor hanging in a shed.
Bike number 2 is a KHS fat bike that I put a BBSHD 1000 watt mid drive on. Still have that bike and it get's used summer and winter but once the temp drops below minus 20C it is parked. The nice thing about this motor is it's reliability and the fact any 48V battery works on it. This bike is going on 7 seasons now.
Bike number 3 and motor number 4 was the road bike that had the Bion X motor, it got a 750 watt Tongsheng motor and was for my wife. After a crash it was sold and I assume it's still working. When I bought the Tongsheng I ordered 2 motors on Ali expresses singles day, Nov 11. That's the Chinese equivalent of Black Friday. That motor sat on the shelf, was sold to a friend and his son is currently using it on a Trek bike.
Number 5 was a Bafang BBS02 put on an enclosed delta trike equipped with 26 by 4" tires. It performed flawlessly but being enclosed while great for rainy days was just to hot to take on any long rides unless the temp was below freezing. That motor was removed and put on another homemade delta trike equipped with 20" wheels. Still in use and has been reliable for several thousand km's. However this fall the motor has been removed because I want to try it on a 2 wheeled full suspension recumbent currently being built.
Number 6 was a geared hub rear motor 500 watt used on another enclosed delta trike. The trike was way overbuilt because our roads are not in the beast shape and I felt the weight was too much for the motor. This trike had 26" rear and one 24" front wheel. That motor was sold to a friend who put a bike together for his adult son, still working good as far as i know.
Number 7 was a Magic Pie 1000 watt direct drive put on the previous enclosed delta. It was very nice for about 1000 km's then it died. I think because of the weight of the trike and the rough roads. It's going to get a teardown to see if if can be repaired.
The BBS02 is to be installed on my 2 wheeled full suspension recumbent based on an Atomic Zombie plan for a Voyageur long wheelbase.
Number 8 was just ordered and is a 500 watt geared front hub motor. It will be put on my delta trike with the 20" wheels. With me powering one rear wheel and the front with e assist it will be 2wd
My takeaway from all this is that while e bikes are fun it seems the mid drive versions are more reliable than the hub motors but i havn't given up on the hub drives just yet.
Bike number 2 is a KHS fat bike that I put a BBSHD 1000 watt mid drive on. Still have that bike and it get's used summer and winter but once the temp drops below minus 20C it is parked. The nice thing about this motor is it's reliability and the fact any 48V battery works on it. This bike is going on 7 seasons now.
Bike number 3 and motor number 4 was the road bike that had the Bion X motor, it got a 750 watt Tongsheng motor and was for my wife. After a crash it was sold and I assume it's still working. When I bought the Tongsheng I ordered 2 motors on Ali expresses singles day, Nov 11. That's the Chinese equivalent of Black Friday. That motor sat on the shelf, was sold to a friend and his son is currently using it on a Trek bike.
Number 5 was a Bafang BBS02 put on an enclosed delta trike equipped with 26 by 4" tires. It performed flawlessly but being enclosed while great for rainy days was just to hot to take on any long rides unless the temp was below freezing. That motor was removed and put on another homemade delta trike equipped with 20" wheels. Still in use and has been reliable for several thousand km's. However this fall the motor has been removed because I want to try it on a 2 wheeled full suspension recumbent currently being built.
Number 6 was a geared hub rear motor 500 watt used on another enclosed delta trike. The trike was way overbuilt because our roads are not in the beast shape and I felt the weight was too much for the motor. This trike had 26" rear and one 24" front wheel. That motor was sold to a friend who put a bike together for his adult son, still working good as far as i know.
Number 7 was a Magic Pie 1000 watt direct drive put on the previous enclosed delta. It was very nice for about 1000 km's then it died. I think because of the weight of the trike and the rough roads. It's going to get a teardown to see if if can be repaired.
The BBS02 is to be installed on my 2 wheeled full suspension recumbent based on an Atomic Zombie plan for a Voyageur long wheelbase.
Number 8 was just ordered and is a 500 watt geared front hub motor. It will be put on my delta trike with the 20" wheels. With me powering one rear wheel and the front with e assist it will be 2wd
My takeaway from all this is that while e bikes are fun it seems the mid drive versions are more reliable than the hub motors but i havn't given up on the hub drives just yet.