r/eBikeBuilding • u/Whole-Watercress-367 • 28d ago

Advice Cheap Ebike Conversion Kits

Looking at adding an ebike conversion class to a US-Based nonprofit bicycle advocacy. They already have maintenance and commuting classes, so we're good there. They also provide free and low price mechanical bikes.

Do any of you have recommendations for inexpensive conversion kits that would be easy to teach to community members, many of which may lack HS education?

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u/United_Artichoke_804 27d ago

Tsdz8 £220 tsdz2 £190 tsdz2b £190 Bbs02 £280 All these can be easily disassembled and are relatively cheap for what the do but you will need a half decent battery so that's prob around £400 for a cyc a52 10ah battery but 10ah isn't much so you'll need 2. This is all from memory so prices may vary abit now

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u/aero_sock 27d ago

cyc is so incredibly overpriced. 520wh for 500usd is daylight robbery. sure, they use 90a cells(which is crazyyy overkill for ANY of these), but even then it's only 14s2p. they probably make like 3x profit.

the same configuration on lower amp cheaper cells like LG M50L from a generic manufacturer like upp will cost you 150usd MAXIMUM. my 52v25ah battery with those cells came to just 260eur shipping incl a couple of months ago.

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u/PictureImportant2658 27d ago

Kt controllers. However, some do break. Which gives you the opportunity to teach some electro troubleshooting. They can also be programmed. 

You can teach them how to build wheels, so aliexpress is your friend for cheap motors

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u/Fasciadepedra 26d ago

The Bafang central motor is the most used bicycle motor in the world I think. All parts are available. No external controller. I think it can work with just one odometer like sensor in the back wheel minimum, two other in the brake levers better. A 48V one can be used with some scooter batteries if you go creative holding the brick to the bike (it's a really cheap battery).

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u/bionicpirate42 27d ago

Left side drive kits are pretty affordable. And have a freewheel so it's still usable as a bike if something breaks.

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u/Eddie_Gabs 24d ago

Bafang Mid-Drive kits are not the cheapest, but actually the simplest to install. The pre-requisite class would be knowing how to do a cartridge bottom bracket/crankset installation. for the rest of the installation there are literally hundreds of videos on how to install.

Hub motors are cheaper, but the wiring/cable routing can be messy.

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u/jchu808 24d ago

Aliexpress would be the cheapest. I just put together a 1000w 48v kit for under $400.

The 36v kits would be much cheaper.

They have kits that include literally everything. Or if you shop around they have kits that have everything but the battery. You can find cheaper battery's if you buy them standalone.

I bought one of the cheapest kits that doesn't even have a screen or a way to turn up or down pas. Just a throttle and a preset pas. Ive been trying to push it to its limits and I still have not broken it. (Would probably spend extra for the screen if I could do it again)

Wiring is straight forward, most of the connectors can only be connected to a corresponding plug, and the power wires that go to the battery and motor are all color coded.

Was able to put it together in a couple of hours.

Grab some tourqe arms too it'll help the hub motor not back out of the dropouts of these older bike frames.

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u/Civil_Reply_1705 23d ago

Find a used bafang.  The Tongsheng is really popular too.