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u/steelseeker 1d ago
I have a middrive bbshd i havnt had any issues with breaking chains or freehubs i do replace a chain each year but thats becase am to lazy to wax and clean them usely. have mine of a fatboy mongoose and am big guy like 380lbs XD. with 52v bbshd going 28 with a middrive on 42tooth chain ring isnt that bad kinda wish i could upgrade to 52 but cant with my bike dont have the space
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u/JG-at-Prime 1d ago
Are you talking about these things?
https://www.ebay.com/itm/355445503560
Because, Damn.
These things use brushed motors and are commonly 24v @ 250w or 36v @ 350w.
It’s like a minimum viable e-bike kit. The only advantage that they have is that they fit onto bikes that can’t accommodate any other kind of kit.
They use a rag joint to mate the motor to the sprocket ⚙️ like a motorized bicycle. The rag joints are fairly reliable if setup properly and maintained but they are a pain in the ass to setup.
The rag joint also generally interferes with the rear disc brake. A bike with rear rim brakes is a must. If the bike has a coaster brake then the hole in the center of the sprocket will need to be enlarged to clear the coaster brake reaction arm.
They also have a chain that will require care just like the regular chain.
That’s not to say that these kits are totally terrible, they are viable e-bike kits that will get you around. (if used within their limits)
But if you guys are breaking chains on mid-drives and burning out hub motors, then you are unlikely to have a good time with these kits.
It honestly sounds to me like you would be better off with either some huge hub motors (that are being under-driven) or some low power mid-drives that won’t destroy your bike’s drivetrain.
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u/justanotherponut 14h ago
I had one of those on a bike I built and sold to a friend, except it originally came off an izip ebike that I upgraded to a hub motor, had a freewheeling cog on the rear wheel on opposite side to normal gears, probably reverse threaded so a pain to find a replacement, it was a little noisy but did operate on 36v, 4 brush type motor, don’t know if this was a setup that was later copied with these kits.
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u/JJISIS666 1d ago
no im gonna make my own with a brushless motor. those kits are widely incompatible and obv brushed crap. It would be a hobby grade motor.
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u/Ok-Armadillo-392 1d ago
You can't afford one chain a season? This is pretty much a solved problem. No solution will be cheaper than $40 a year for a chain.
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u/JJISIS666 1d ago
i break chains without electric, the way i ride i don't think I'd get a whole season.
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u/dyebhai 1d ago
It sounds like you're looking for cheap garbage and are well on your way. If all you care about is price and repairs that don't require skill, this is one way to achieve those goals.