We have reviewed the best electric conversion kits for bicycles. If you are in a hurry, the table below gives a quick snapshot. Or you can scroll down for detailed product reviews.
Contents
E-bikes have recently started gaining a lot of popularity since they are a low-cost, motorized, non-polluting vehicular option for people who want to travel green but don’t want to break a sweat while doing it.
Another reason for the recent increase in usage is that biking has gained a reputation as a calorie burner, and a lot many people have taken to biking as a hobby. Having the electric option available when you are biking is always a good thing, in case you get tired and want to head back without having to pedal all the way.
Thirdly, with the kind of traffic in large metro cities today, biking to the office has become more than just a fad, it is indeed a legitimate way to commute, and no one wants to enter the office huffing and puffing after having pedaled all the way from home.
Knowing all of this, we are aware that many of our readers are asking the questions: what is the best way to go about getting an electric bike? Well, one simple way is to of course go out and buy a ready-made e-bike. There are several options available, each more powerful than the other, and all of them are expensive as hell!
The other way is to take a standard bike that you like, strap on an e-bike kit that fits your bill for the dream e-bike that you always wanted, and you’re ready to hit the streets!
While it may not give you the most optimal and powerful e-bike out there, this is a practical, relatively inexpensive, and working method to go about getting your dream e-bike.
What Are the Different Types of E-Bike Kits?
E-bike wheels
This entails replacing either the front or the back wheel of a regular cycle with an e-bike wheel, a battery case, and a motor and gearing box.
Unless the battery pack can be mounted on the bike’s frame, it makes sense to have the front wheel be used for the e-bike. This is because the battery tends to make the cycle imbalanced and can cause great damage. If you are planning to use the bike mainly on the road, then this is the method for you.
However, if you are planning to use the bike for dirt-biking, or other off-the-road activities, then you might be better off using a back e-wheel.
Mid-drive conversion
Mid-drive conversion is also a popular way of converting your normal bike into an e-bike. A mid-drive uses a battery + motor assembly mounted on to the frame, with the motor attached to the bottom of the assembly most of the time.
Mid-drive conversion is the standard form of assembly used in professional e-bikes, so we’re in good company if we are using this method. The drawback, however, is that the motor remained exposed (especially when driving off-road). This can lead to damage and the assembly retiring a bit earlier than it was intended
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Friction drive
A friction drive involves a motor and a roller installed above the rear wheel and uses friction to move the wheel along. This is not a very efficient method to make an e-bike, which is why this method is rarely used.
Concealed method
The concealed method of creating an e-bike uses a motor and battery that is run through the tubing of the frame of the bike.
Other components
Apart from the motor and the battery, the following other components are also of interest if you are looking to make an e-bike using an e-bike kit.
Controller: The controller is a digital display that shows you important information about the bike – the current speed, distance covered, battery power left etc.
Throttle: Some e-bike kits come with a throttle, which can then be pressed to move the bike without having to use your legs at all. If instead, your kit has a pedal-assist instead of a throttle, then you will need to engage your pedals in order for the motor to power the bike
Brakes: Some e-bike units have special brake levers that will cut off acceleration the moment you apply your brakes.
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Best Electric Conversion Kits Reviews
#1 TongSheng 36V/48V 500W Torque Sensored Electric Bicycle
The Tongsheng torque censored e-bike kit is a universal kit that fits almost every bike in the market. It has a 68-73 mm bottom. It has one of the best torque and cadence sensors on the market, can be easily installed via installation videos online, comes with a free head-light, tail-light, wrench and y-splitter extension pack.
No products found.The kit has 3 modes – e-bike, pedal bike and pedal-assisted bike, giving you the choice to use your bike for exercise or for commuting purposes.
The Tongsheng motor is almost 30% lighter than a bafang motor, making this one of the lightest kits in the market.
The kit comes with a 1-year, 100% no-risk satisfaction guarantee.
Pros
- One of the lightest motors on the market
- Free headlights and taillights included
- Extremely responsive torque and cadence sensors
- 100% satisfaction guarantee
Cons
- The speed sensor of the e-bike kit needs to be adjusted perfectly
- No instruction manual is available for the product
No products found.
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#2 AW 26″x1.75″ Rear Wheel Electric Bicycle
The AW rear-wheel e-bike kit is a powerful system that runs on a pedal assistance mechanism. It comes with a handy LCD display that depicts your ride time, speed, distance and gears so that you can track your progress in real-time.
The motor of the AW rear-wheel e-bike works under both the hall and non-hall effects, which gives the e-bike a longer life. The bike can reach a top speed of 45 km per hour, which is fairly good for this range.
Pros
- One of the best motors in the e-bike kit segment, very powerful and can cover large distances easily
- Handy LCD display for tracking all key metrics
- Top speed of 45 km per hour which is very good
Cons
- Takes a fairly long time to assemble
- The recommended battery for this product has quite bad reviews, it conks off easily
- The tire quality is also not very good.
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#3 BAFANG BBS02B 48V 750W Mid Drive Electric Bike
This Bafang e-bike kit is a mid-drive motor that is one of the most well-respected products in the e-bike market. The product comes with clear and simple instructions for assembly, and it can be installed in a fairly short time by using very few tools
No products found.The kit has a dual riding mode for e-bikes and pedal bikes. This means that the bike can be used both for physical activity as well as for commute purposes. The 750W motor provides for medium wattage which provides stable power to the bike for a long time
Pros
- Easy to install as per instructions
- Dual riding mode
- 750 W motor provides for stable power to the bike
- Several users complimented the customer service of Bafang
- 1 Year warranty
Cons
- Apart from a single complaint of motor failure, there are very few complaints against this product
Here we have a product demonstration.
No products found.
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#4 JAXPETY 36V 500W Electric Bicycle Cycle
The Jaxpety 500W e-bike kit is another super powerful bike, which has a road-legal default mode (750W and 19.88 miles per hour top speed) built-in. The brake levers have a crank speed sensor for pedal assist, which lets them cut off the power supply to the throttle immediately.
The tires are made from stainless steel spoke, and the motor has been optimized for maximum power using special metal magnates.
The throttle has a battery level display and power cut off option on it for better control over the bike’s battery and performance.
Pros
- Powerful motor
- Stainless steel spoke tires
- Battery level display and power cut off option on the throttle
Cons
- Documentation for assembly is quite poor
- The recommended battery seems to not work properly for many people
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#5 Voilamart E-Bike Conversion Kit
The Voilamart e-bike kit has a powerful 500w motor with an approx top speed of 16-22 miles per hour.
It comes with Pedal Assistance System (PAS), which can be used in both pedal mode and automatic mode.
The brake levers are designed to cut off power supply safely and the twist throttle displays the battery level for easily recharging
Pros
- Powerful motor with a top speed of 22 miles per hour.
- Pedal assistance system
- Battery level display on twist throttle
Cons
- There are a few complaints about the controller not working after a few days of installation
Conclusion
Riding an electric bike can be a fun and non-polluting way to commute to work, travel to a nearby destination, or just shoot the breeze. The best way to make an e-bike, if you are not willing to spend a bomb on buying a readymade one is to use an e-bike converter kit from the market. In this article, we have explored the world of e-bike kits and some of the considerations that you need to take before getting into buying one for yourself.
The e-bike kits that we have referred to in this article are all durable, strong and perfect for making your bike into a great e-bike. Our final recommendation, however, is the TongSheng 500W torque censored e-bike kit.
