For each bike or kit listed on this site, we offer a way to purchase; just follow the link(s) at the end of the description. The dealers we list are
trustworthy and provide good customer service. If you find that's not the case, please contact us so we can make appropriate adjustments.
"Bargain Buys"
Most electric conversion kits priced less than $400 on-line and at big box retailers are aimed at the kid/teen/toy market. They generally
lack the performance and durability that people want and expect. Also, parts and service can be problematic with both sources. We
urge you to invest in a quality kit, preferably from a local dealer, that will serve you (and others) for many years. If you choose a cheap e-bike, read our quality control and
final adjustment guidelines. Remember, if it's poorly constructed and you can't get repair parts, it's likely to become land-fill material. Save, beg, or borrow the money to get a quality kit.
BMC Hub Motor Kits
BMC (Brushless Motor Corp.) offers light-weight (9 lbs.), brushless, planetary-geared hub motors that are reliable, quiet, efficient, high-torque and affordable.
Features:
- Motors use internal planetary-gearing to provide torque rivaling 1000W gearless motors.
- Hall-effect throttle includes power-on indicator.
- No-drag freewheeling and better torque combine for more efficiency and longer range.
- Additional options include choice of front or rear hub motor, controller power and voltage, battery type and size, wheel size, and flat-tire protection.
This hub wheel is built in-house to desired sizes of 16", 20", 24", 26", and 700c by Electro Ride™ LLC.
The wheel build features high quality spokes and a durable spoke pattern often seen in touring bikes carrying 200 lbs of cargo.
For added protection from flat tires, you can request thorn resistant tubes or Kevlar tires.
BMC Motors
- BMC V1 is a geared, brushless hub motor that handles 400 watts or more continuously.
- BMC V2 is a high power, high torque brushless hub motor that handles 600 watts or more continuously.
Due to larger gauge windings and more durable internal gear assembly, the V2 series is able to handle much more power and deliver speeds up to about 30+ mph.
- BMC V3 is a high power, high torque brushless hub motor that handles 1000 watts continuously - enough for very high speeds (30+ mph) on relatively level terrain.
- All are disc-brake compatible with a 6-bolt disc mount screw pattern on the left side.
Controllers - Various controllers work with 36V, 48V, and 72V battery packs to provide varying levels of performance.
Battery Packs - Both sealed lead-acid (SLA) and Lithium ferrous phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) battery packs are available in various voltage (power) and amp-hour (range) ratings.
Compare Geared Hub Motors vs. Direct Drive (BMC vs. Crystalyte),
and learn more at this in-depth BMC Geared-Hub Motor Review.
To sort through the many options, we recommend using the BMC shopping cart .
There you can explore the options, capabilities and pricing of various motor, controller and battery combinations.
Available from:
Crystalyte
Crystalyte offers 6 models of the powerful Phoenix II hub motor kit.
Wheels builds are available on 20", 24" 26" and 700c wheels.
Warning: The Phoenix II (and BMC V2 and V3 ) are the most powerful off-the-shelf systems available for bikes.
The Phoenix II motor is about 200 mm in diameter and weighs either 10 lbs. (for the front version) or 16 lbs. (for the rear).
It offers great torque and top-end speed - and can handle the current of larger controllers. The Phoenix II 26" front
wheel motor with fully inflated street tires and a 180-lb. rider can reach 25 to 36 mph on a dry, paved surface.
To compare performance of the various motors, check the graphs.
Click here for photos.
Crystalyte electric wheels require no periodic maintenance. There are no belts, chains, sprockets
or pulleys. The spokes of the wheel are directly connected to the electric motor. Direct coupling eliminates losses in the
transmission of power to the wheel.
Crystalyte electric wheel systems come complete with everything you need to convert a pedal bike to an
electric bike. The installation guide takes you step-by-step through the conversion process. If
you have questions, you can call your dealer or the parts and service number included with your kit. Crystalyte encourages builders to
get creative with their electric power systems.
Street Legal
To meet US Federal law as it defines bicycles, electrically powered vehicles cannot exceed 750
watts or 20 MPH, and must have functioning pedals. Check your local laws and choose your power system accordingly if you intend to ride on-road.
Above Street Legal
Crystalyte systems exceed limits that define a bicycle under US Federal law. As with all
power systems, their use and suitability to a given application is the responsibility of the buyer. Crystalyte is an advocate of
all electrically powered vehicles, regardless of their use. Choose a bike with good brakes, inspect them often, and replace worn
shoes or pads as needed. You'll be putting a lot more miles on a bike powered by Crystalyte than a pedal bike, and brakes become very
important at the speeds you will reach.
Compare Geared Hub Motors vs. Direct Drive (BMC vs. Crystalyte),
and learn more at this in-depth Crystalyte Hub Motor Review.
Retail prices range from $1250 to $1600.
Available from:
- Electro Ride™ LLC, 110 #11 Glenn Way, San Carlos, CA, 94070, 650-222-0378 (call to arrange a test ride), brian.howell@comcast.net,
Electro Ride™ LLC. Or use this online cart
to explore the options, capabilities and pricing.
- ElectricRider, 628 North 2nd St., Lawrence, KS 66044, 866-807-4337,
http://www.electricrider.com/crystalyte/index.htm
- Cycle 9 Sports, 601 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510, 919-636-5909, http://www.cycle9.com
- Electro Ride Bikes and Scooters (sponsor of this website), Milpitas, CA 95035-6913, 408-262-8975 (call to arrange a test ride)
Ridekick power trailer
Although not technically a kit, the Ridekick power trailer performs the same function of attaching to your existing pedal bike to create e-bike performance.
Ridekick is your fun, versatile tool to free yourself from the limitations of bike riding. Need extra space to store your stuff?
The Ridekick power trailer is a motorized bike trailer that hooks to almost any bicycle and propels the bike up to 19 miles per hour
for a distance of about 12 miles and carries about 2 grocery bags of cargo.
It is designed in Fort Collins and assembled in Northern Colorado.
In addition to building a culture that respects people, they also focus on programs to respect our environment. This includes participating
in local sustainability efforts and proactively providing recycling options for Ridekick products.
Ridekick power trailer features include:
- The rider chooses the amount of "boost" applied to the bike through an easy throttle action.
- Power assist up to 19 mph (less than 20 mph is legal for all bike trails and bicycle regulations.)
- Powering a bike up to 12 miles on one charge; farther with a battery upgrade.
- Power controller includes scrolling diagnostic display and battery damage protection.
- Can be hitched/unhitched to any bike within seconds. First-time installation takes 10 minutes.
- Versatility; upgradeable storage shells attach easily and securely to carry rider gear, bags, etc.
- Weather resistant storage is lockable.
- Designed to be safe, stable in turns, when stopped, and when carrying heavy loads.
Available from:
Electro Cycle E-4 Kit
for Recumbent Cycles
Combine a Sun Bicycles EZ-1, EZ-3, EZ Sport, X1, X3 or other recumbent
bike with a 500-watt drive system to get an extraordinary
electric bike we call a "betterbike". The lowered seat and feet-ahead design of these
bikes provide a comfortable, stable and safe ride. The Electro
Cycle E-4 takes advantage of the bike's long chain to deliver power through the gearing of the bike/trike. Using the bike's gears provides great
hill-climbing ability along with higher speeds - not just one or the
other like most fixed-gear drive systems that
directly drive a wheel. The E-4 mid-drive motor system works in
tandem with the rider's pedaling through the variable-speed rear derailleur,
significantly increasing motor and battery efficiency for higher
assisted speeds, better pulling power and longer range. The throttle controlled
drive system means no pedaling is required. When you do pedal, your effort will
extend the range and increase the speed. The stock E-4 battery
pack can be fully re-charged in about 4 hours using the included charger.
The comfortable and streamlined
recumbents from Easy Racers are excellent for transportation.
The recumbent design reduces wind resistance and greatly increases
comfort and safety over a standard upright bike. Recumbents
are safer in two important ways: 1) sitting closer to the ground
means that falls to the side hurt much less and 2) in a
head-on collision, your feet in front provide shock absorbtion and
reduce the likelihood of a head-first fall over the handle bars. It's long frame also allows for additional
batteries, if needed, for longer range.
Two- and three-wheeled recumbents from Sun Bicycles
are popular due to their low price and Taiwanese quality.
The three-wheeled EZ-3 Classic
provides the same great features with a stable, no-balancing-required configuration.
[Editor's note: The EZ-3 Classic has replaced the original square-tubed EZ-3 and the X3 model.]
Other Features:
-
24-volt High Output Battery Pack
- 18 MPH Cruising Speed (without pedaling, faster with pedaling)
- Unassisted range up to 10 miles with the standard battery pack
- Quick Acceleration
- Excellent Hill-Climbing ability
- Weight: motor and gearing = 7 lbs.; battery pack = 20 lbs.
- Warranty: motor drive system = 6 months; batteries = 90 days
Click here for more E-4 information and photos.
Click here for E-4 installation instructions for Sun X3 trike.
Available from:
- ElectroPortal,
236 W. Portal Ave. # 510, San Francisco, CA 94127, call first to arrange an appointment, cyclesales@electroportal.com, 415-564-6378 or 800-522-8513, www.electroportal.com
- Electro Ride Bikes and Scooters, Milpitas, CA 95035-6913, 408-262-8975 (call for demo appointment)
If you find this website useful and want to express your "thanks",
please make a small (or large) contribution.
E-BikeKit™
The E-BikeKit brand electric bike conversion kit empowers you to easily convert your own conventional bike into a battery-powered electric bicycle with our high quality electric bike kit. This electric bike conversion kit with SLA e-bike battery pack offers both e-bike novices and experienced electric bike riders safety, power, convenience and reliability.
With the E-BikeKit Conversion Kit you get everything you need out of the box to convert your own conventional bicycle into a quiet, efficient and economical hybrid electric bike.
The E-BikeKit electric bike conversion kit system will work with any 36v or 48v e-bike battery pack.
Please be aware that at 48 volts the system is capable of speeds (30MPH top speed at 26”) that exceed Federal EBike Laws and your bike may become classified as a “motor vehicle”. At 36 volts the E-Bike Conversion Kit is within the speed limitation guidelines (20MPH unassisted on flats with 150 pound rider) established by the U.S. Federal Electric Bike Law, and in most states, no license, registration or insurance is required.
Latest Features:
- NOW with “Eyeletted” Double-Walled Rims!
- Quick Connect/Disconnect on Every Motor!
- NEW Easy Connect Water-Proof Connectors!
- “Left, Right or None” E-Brakes w/ TRS Connectors!
- 3-Wire Intelligent Controller with On/Off Toggle!
- BOTH Thumb & Split-Twist Throttle in Every Kit!
Available from:
eZee
This is the same high-quality geared hub motor kit used on eZee bikes.
Combining the 400W power (700W peak) of the motor with internal gearing provides incredible torque for hill climbing.
This is one of the few disc-ready front hub motors available.
It comes with throttle, 20 amp controller, Li-Ion 10AH 36-volt battery, battery bag, Schwalbe Marathon tire, disc rotor, and all the wiring to hook it up and go. Just add your bike!
Other details:
- The top speed of the eZee kit with the standard 36V battery is around 20mph.
- The controller comes pre-wired for direct plug in of the Cycle Analyst .
- The eZee geared hub motor is much lighter than the comparable Crystalyte, Forsen, etc. The whole wheel is about 10.5 lbs, compared to about 17 lbs for the Crystalyte 406.
Available from:
- NYCeWHEELS, 1603 York Avenue, NY, NY 10028, (212) 737-3078,
www.nycewheels.com
- Electric Vehicles Northwest, 110 N 36th, Seattle, WA 98103, 866-349-2743,
http://www.electricvehiclesnw.com/
- Cycle 9 Sports, 601 W. Main St., Carrboro, NC 27510, 919-636-5909, http://www.cycle9.com
EcoSpeed Kits
(Mountain-Drive and Mid-Drive)
EcoSpeed makes high-performance electric bicycle conversion kits. With their patented Electric Mid-Drive kit (used primarily on recumbents) and the new Electric Mountain Drive,
users can turn high quality bicycles from other manufacturers into high performance electric-assisted bicycles.
EcoSpeed electric conversions are made with extreme attention to detail and quality. The systems are designed to compliment the styling of your bike.
They use the largest motors the law allows with external controllers to shed heat efficiently and crank out the power reliably.
A key factor in their performance is that they drive a bike's chain which enables use of most or all of a bike's gear range.
Using the bike's gears provides great hill-climbing ability along with higher speeds - not just one or the
other as with most fixed-gear drive systems that directly drive a wheel. The EcoSpeed motor system works in
tandem with the rider's pedaling through your bike's variable-speed rear derailleur,
significantly increasing motor and battery efficiency for higher
assisted speeds, better pulling power and longer range. Yet, when the motor is idle, there is absolutely no motor drag on your pedaling efforts.
With the EcoSpeed EMD (mid-drive), a recumbent bike has enough performance to match door-to-door time of a car in around-town driving.
Upright bikes are not quite as aerodynamic as recumbents, so the EMtnD (mountain drive) equipped bikes won't be as fast.
Instead, the EMtnD is deliberately geared lower for stump-pulling low gear performance. Put one on your long cargo bike and carry passengers up hills!
Or, put one on your mountain bike, and stop pushing it up the steep trails.
Legal maximum speeds for electric bicycles vary by jurisdiction. To use the higher speeds available with EcoSpeed kits,
you may need to register your bike as a moped, operate off road only, or stay under the radar (literally).
In practice and in most locations, pollution-free transport is encouraged.
Obviously, courtesy to other road users - especially pedestrians - will reduce unwanted attention.
To simplify ordering, the basic EMD Unit is sold with an appropriate frame adapter that customizes the unit for different bikes.
Parts are CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminum for rock-solid durability and then anodized for sharp appearance and scuff resistance.
However, frame adapters are available for only a limited number of recumbent bikes. Visit the online cart for details. If your recumbent bike is not listed,
the Mountain Drive set-up might work for you.
Use this mountain-drive cart or the mid-drive cart
to explore the options, capabilities and pricing.
Available from:
- Electro Ride™ LLC, 110 #11 Glenn Way, San Carlos, CA, 94070, 650-222-0378 (call to arrange a test ride), brian.howell@comcast.net,
Electro Ride™ LLC.
- EcoSpeed, 3450 SE Alder St., Portland, Oregon 97214, 1-866-Ecospeed (1-866-326-7733),
http://www.ecospeed.com/index.html, call for appointment.
- find a local dealer at http://www.ecospeed.com/dealers.html
EPS BionX
The EPS (Energy Propulsion
System) BionX has taken electric kits to the next level. The
BionX kit is the most sophisticated and well integrated electric kit
available today. Using advanced batteries and a
totally silent, brushless motor, the EPS kit is lightweight and
extremely unassuming. In pedal activated mode, the power is
applied seamlessly and intuitively, and the throttle
allows the BionX to be used without pedaling on flat terrain.
BionX offers a number of models to match the diverse needs of different cyclists.
Any BionX product will provide you with four assistance modes and four regenerative modes,
giving you extra energy to climb a steep hill, overcome a strong wind or just to ride your bike with more ease.
The BionX System consists of a console, a battery and a special wheel-based motor.
- Easy to use and easy to read, the BionX console is a multifunctional meter similar to a bike computer, displaying your speed, remaining battery
charge and your level of assistance or regeneration. Viewable day or night, rain or shine, it is even equipped with an antitheft alarm.
- The battery is easily installed using water bottle mounts or a rear rack, and can be removed within seconds. Several battery sizes are available.
- The 250- and 350-watt motors can boost your pedal power by 25%, 50%, 100%, or 200%,depending on the assistance level selected.
Although the BionX motor has no internal gearing, the SinDrive technology keeps the motor silent and vibration free while increasing its efficiency and power.
Whether you're a serious off-roader or everyday commuter, use
this guide
to help determine your needs.
Learn more at:
http://www.bionx.ca/
Price = $1200 - $2200.
Available from:
- The New Wheel Electric Bikes, 420 Cortland Ave, San Francisco, CA, 415-524-7362, http://newwheel.net
- Electric Cyclery, 910 N. Coast Hwy., Laguna Beach, CA, 92651, 949-715-2345, electriccyclery.com
- NYCeWHEELS, 1603 York Avenue, NY, NY 10028, (212) 737-3078,
www.nycewheels.com
- Electro Ride Bikes and Scooters (sponsor of this website),
Milpitas, CA 95035-6913, 408-262-8975 (call to arrange a test ride)
- or to find a local dealer, go to
http://www.bionx.ca/en/buy.html
Also available in combination
with the Dahon and Xootr folding bicycles: www.nycewheels.com
Currie/IZIP Electro-Drive
Currie has offered electric bikes and scooters since the late 90's.
Now, they also offer the Currie Electro-Drive® Conversion Kit with either lead-acid or Lithium 10Ah battery packs.
These kits convert most 26” bicycles into electric bikes. The Lithium version (left) uses a 250-watt hub motor wheel that replaces the front wheel of a bike.
The sealed lead-acid (SLA) version (right) uses a 400-watt motor and gear reduction wheel that replaces the rear wheel of a bike.
Also included with in the kits is a rack-mounted battery pack with rack, charger and throttle. Both the SLA ($400) and Lithium ($800) versions are available.
Learn more at the Currie website or from their descriptive flyer on the Lithium kit.
Available from:
Electric Bike Factory
At last an Electric Bicycle that is affordable. If you already have a bike or tricycle,
the new Electric Bike Factory kits come with instructions for EASY assembly
for the do it yourselfer, or can be installed by any bicycle shop. The
kit is made right here in the U.S.A. With all U.S.A.-made parts. The kits are available direct from the Electric
Bike Factory in Florida. The new Electric Bike is made with a battery that will provide constant power to the motor at top speed of 15 MPH
for two wheel bikes, 10 MPH for the tricycle.
They manufacture electric motor kits for bikes, trikes and joyrider. They designed their own kit, so the motor is not an exchange for ZAP's DX kits.
It is a friction drive that mounts on the front wheel and rear wheel model.
It is a simple one bolt bracket that mounts our motor to a trike or
bike frame. Our motor fits all trikes and most bikes. We make 2 metal
size rollers. The large roller on bikes gives about 14-15 mph and on
trikes 12-13 mph.
The small roller on trikes gives about 8-10 mph. We
also make a double motor. It is
not faster, but it is ideal for trikes and bikes that need extra power for steeper inclines.
The powerful dual motor kit is has quickly become our most popular kit for trikes and bikes.
Our kit is the easiest kit to install and Trailmate Co. is recommending us to
their dealers.
Electric Bike Factory, 14250 A & W Bulb Road, Fort Myers, FL 33904
Tel: 239-415-2223, Fax: 239-415-1121
http://www.electricbikefactory.com
Heinzmann Kits
Heinzmann of
Germany builds a variety of hub motors both in wattage rating and
gearing for both front and back wheels. Unlike many kits that perform
to specification only on 26" wheels, Heinzmann offers 16"-
and 20"-wheel kits. The quality and dependability of their
system is excellent. They sell a complete kit or individual
components. Their hub is used on the EV Global bike as well as
others. Their controller is a twist grip throttle that comes both in
a Pedelec, (must be pedaling) and an EBike version. NiCad and
NiMH battery packs are available.
Light Electric Vehicle
Technologies provides service and warranty work on Heinzmann motors
sold in the U.S. To contact the National Service Center, e-mail Light
Electric Vehicle Technologies
with technical questions.
Heinzmann Motors is more than
100 years old. The company has been building electric motors for 40
years, and electric bicycle motors since 1994.
Here's a note
from someone who seems to know: "You are correct in that the
Heinzmann hubs with high torque have lower top speed. However,
Heinzmann is the best electric choice I know of for good torque. They
are being used on Pedicabs that haul up to 4 people around fairly
steep environments. You can select the gearing and voltage options
you wish from about 12 configurations now available from dealers in
North America. These include hubs with very high torque and ones that
achieve high top speeds as well as good compromise units."
MANUFACTURER: Fritz Heinzmann
GmbH, zHd. Frau Geppert, Am Haselbach 1, 79677 Schönau, GERMANY
Tel +07673 - 82 08 22, Fax +07673 - 82 08 94
http://www.heinzmann.de
Available from:
- EV Gateway, 404 S Arthur, Pocatello, ID, 83204, 888-314-5388
- Kinetics,
54 Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1AE, Scotland, tel/fax:
0141 942 2552, int’l: +44 141 942 2552, http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/price_list.shtml
Review/Background
on Heinzmann
Stokemonkey/Xtracycle Cargo Bike
Stokemonkey is an electric motor assist kit exclusively for cargo bikes built to Xtracycle's open source longtail standard (which extends the rear of the bike).
Xtracycle's hitchless trailer concept gives bikes amazing cargo capacity, and Stokemonkey gives you the power to haul it over mountains or swiftly across town.
Most electric bike products are designed for people who don’t, won’t, or can’t ride regular bicycles, even without passengers or cargo.
Stokemonkey is different, designed for avid bikers who will continue to ride on their own power most of the time, but want a more capable car alternative some of the time.
We don’t believe in replacing human power with electricity; we believe in replacing cars for work that even the strongest cyclists seldom if ever choose to handle without a car.
Developed in a car-free household, Stokemonkey is for fellow riders who want to become more completely independent of cars in their daily lives.
How it works When you want help, you turn a variable throttle on the handlebars to activate the motor. The motor drives the pedals, just like the stoker of a tandem bicycle helps the captain.
You cannot use the motor without pedaling, but you can pedal normally without any motor resistance, and coast whenever you let go of the throttle.
As you shift gears to maintain normal pedal speeds, you keep the motor operating between its most powerful and efficient speeds, for several times the torque,
higher top speeds, and much better range than typical electric bike products lacking variable motor gearing.
Stokemonkey’s exceptional torque moves heavy loads off the line quickly, helps you walk your grocery-laden bike up stairs, and enables you to haul adult passengers up the very steepest streets.
We've managed 480 pounds gross up the steepest block in San Francisco (31.5% grade). This extreme torque capability distinguishes Stokemonkey from
electric bike products not designed for cargo applications.
Stokemonkey comes with a six-week money-back guarantee, and a two-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship. Our batteries are warranted separately for six months.
We advise you to purchase an Xtracycle, set it up, and become accustomed to it before ordering, so you will have the full guarantee period to install and evaluate Stokemonkey.
Click to learn more about the Stokemonkey and the
Xtracycle.
Available from:
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please make a small (or large) contribution.
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