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Best buys are selected because they work well, come from solid companies and get high marks from users. In addition to these kits, consider one of the many e-bikes available. Generally, users can opt to install the kit themselves on their bike, or pay an installation fee to their local dealer or bike shop.

Hub motor kits power the bike using a hub motor built into the bicycle wheel.
Mid-drive kits modify the bike's chain path to transmit both human and motor power to the gearing at the rear wheel - which provides the user with both high speed and good hill-climbing. (Click for details.)

BEST BUYS - KITS    In the table below, conversion kits are listed (roughly) by increasing price and quality.

Brand Name power (watts) btry. type gearing motor cntrl. price
Currie Electro-Drive (SLA) 400 SLA fixed throttle $400
Electric Bike Factory 200-400 SLA fixed throttle $500-$1000
Crystalyte hub motors 300-1200 SLA none throttle $500-$1500
Cyclone mid-drive kits 350, 500 SLA, LFP varies throttle $650-$1000
Go-Hub hub motors 450 SLA none throttle < $700
E-4 mid-drive kits 500 SLA, LFP varies throttle $700
Currie Electro-Drive (LFP) 250 LFP none throttle $800
E-BikeKit 500 LFP none throttle $1000
BMC hub motor kits 300-1200 SLA, LFP fixed throttle $1000-$2000
Heinzmann hub motors 450-600 NiMH, LFP fixed throttle $1000-$2000
eZee hub motor kit 400 Li-Ion, LFP fixed throttle $1200
BionX hub motor kits 250, 350 NiMH, Li-Ion none both $1200-$1800
EcoSpeed mid-drive kits 750 SLA, LFP varies throttle $1500-$2000
Electric Motion E+ 1000 NiMH, LFP none both $2000-3000
Stokemonkey/Xtracycle mid-drive 500 SLA varies throttle $1800
Do-It-Yourself (DIY) 400-850 SLA fixed throttle < $500
Watts: average Joe or Jane = 100-150W, Lance Armstrong = 300W, pushing air out of the way on an upright bike at 25 mph = 700W.
Battery Chemistry: SLA = Sealed Lead-Acid, NiMH = Nickel-Metal Hydride, Li-Ion = Lithium Ion, LFP = Lithium Ferrous Phosphate.
Gearing: none (many hub motors), fixed gear reduction for more torque, variable drives the chain through the bicycle gears which provides better hill-climbing and top-end speed than direct drive systems using motors of similar wattage.
Motor Control: pedal-assist (assists when you pedal), throttle control (thumb or twist throttle on handlebar), or both.

Here is another useful comparison chart (fewer models but more details).
Solar Bike Project - design and build a solar-electric recumbent touring bike

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.
This hub wheel is built in-house to desired sizes of 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 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.

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:

Go-Hub Hub Motor Kit

Designed for "Plug & Play" and reliability, kits are available for either 26" or 24" wheels. Wiring for the 24" kit was measured specifically for a trike but will work on a regular bike with 24" wheels. The controller on the 26" kits is mounted on the front of the bike with an aluminum clamp. This allows for better controller cooling and eliminates running the motor and throttle wires along the frame to the rack.

The Go-Hub kit uses the highly regarded B&B SLA batteries and Soneil charger. The hub motor is laced into an alloy wheel with heavy duty stainless steel spokes. The 26" kits use the 408 motor and the 24" kits the 409. The motor operates at 36V from three 12ah batteries. All of the connections, except for the battery, are inside the controller box. If components need replacing, then they are unplugged from inside of the controller box. This eliminates any external connector problems and gives a very neat "factory installed" appearance. The only wire running along the frame is the battery wire going to the trunk. All components are already factory connected except for the battery wire. Batteries and charger comfortably fit within a Topeak Super Trunk. The trunk slips into a track on the included Topeak Explorer rack and clips in place. No velcro or straps are needed. The trunk also has large side pockets to carry other items.

Installation is simple:

The Go-Hub kit uses the high-tech Soneil 2-amp charger which is equal to an ordinary 4-amp transformer type charger. The batteries, sitting on the bottom of the trunk, are covered by a 1/8" divider board upon which rests the charger. With the onboard charger you can charge anywhere by pulling out the AC wire and plugging into an standard 110VAC outlet. The ignition key is located at the front/top corner of the trunk for easy access. There is also a 30A inline fuse on the pack.

The 24" trike kits will also come pre-connected but the controller is mounted onto the rear of the seat post since the front center pull brake runs in front of the steering tube on trikes. The trunk used for the trikes mounts between the rear basket and seat tube and velcro straps to the basket. The trike kit will use a twist throttle which works better on 3 speed trikes. (Click here for an example.)

Warning! Only mount Go-Hubs on front forks made of steel or Cro-Moly, not aluminum. The torque-stress of the Go-Hub's axle can break the drop-outs on some aluminum forks, potentially leading to serious injury. Also, fork spacing is important. Click here to see required fork dimensions.

For more Go-Hub photos, visit:
http://www.electric-bikes.com/bikes/go-hub.html

Installation instructions for the Go-Hub kit:
http://www.largoscooters.com/go-hubinstructions.html

Go-Hub Motor Kits are priced comparably to the RoadRunner kits from http://www.electricrider.com/crystalyte/index.htm
Available from:

Crystalyte

offers a wide selection of hub-motor kits to power your bike. Choose from 2 models of the Sparrow (20+ mph, brushed motor), 2 models of the faster Road Runner series (20+ mph, brushless 408 motor), or 6 models of the powerful Phoenix (25 to 36 mph). Sparrow models are available on 16", 20", 24" and 26" wheels. Other models come mounted on 700c wheels. To compare performance of the various motors, check the graphs.

Warning: The Phoenix (and BMC V2) is the most powerful system available for a bike. The Phoenix motor is much larger in diameter (200 mm vs. 130 mm) and weight (23.5 lbs. vs. 15.5 lbs.) than the RoadRunner and Sparrow hub motors. So, it produces greater torque, greater speed, and can handle the current of a larger controller. The Phoenix Racer 26" front wheel with fully inflated street tire is about all a 180-lb. rider can manage on a dry, paved surface. 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. You will find parts you need for your own project on our PARTS list.

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
Some 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.

Retail prices range from $600 to $1100. (Check for current prices.) Available from:

E-BikeKit

If you own a conventional bicycle, you can easily replace your front wheel with an E-BikeKit™ brushless hub motor conversion kit wheel. The E-BikeKit™ wheel uses battery powered electric current to electrify rare earth magnets inside the hub motor to assist your natural pedaling. Using either a thumb or twist throttle, you control the flow of electric current from the battery to the hub motor. With an intelligent 25 Amp controller regulating the current between the brushless hub motor and the battery, you are in command of how much or how little propulsion power to use at any time.

The E-BikeKit™ Complete Conversion System offers the ultimate electric bicycle conversion solution. The complete system has everything you need "out of the box" to convert your conventional bike into a high-quality electric bike. The Complete System Includes both the E-BikeKit™ Conversion Kit and the E-BikeKit™ brand LiFePo4 battery and charger. With this system you can expect to go from 12-30 miles on a full charge depending on the weight of the rider, the amount of pedaling and the route.

This complete conversion system with LiFePO4 battery pack offers both e-bike novices and experienced electric bicycle riders safety, power, convenience and reliability. Engineered to comply with USA Federal guidelines, the E-BikeKit™ system is "Dealer Friendly" and requires no insurance or licensing in most states. If you are deciding whether to convert your existing bike or to buy a complete electric bike you should know that bikes converted with the E-BikeKit™ Complete Conversion System are comparable to complete electric bikes costing more than $2500.

Other details: 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: Available from:

Electro Cycle E-4 Kit
for EZ-1 and EZ-3 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 X3 provides the same great features with a stable, no-balancing-required configuration.
[Editor's note: The EZ-3 has been replaced by the X3.]

Other Features:

Click here for more E-4 information and photos.

Available from:

Cyclone Mid-Drive Kit
for upright bikes

Cyclone-USA introduces an electric bicycle motor kit with brushless DC motor and integrated planetary gearbox that significantly multiplies the motor torque. The result is fantastic climbing and cruising power from a small, efficient motor.

The Cyclone system works with the bike's rear deraileur to take full advantage of your bike's gearing system. The kit can be installed on bikes with 6 to 8 speed rear cassettes. The result is a motorized bike with great low gear power and a comfortable high-end cruising speed.

The motor kit is available with either a 360 watt or 500 watt motor. It comes complete with a universal mounting bracket and all parts necessary to convert most standard or folding bikes to e-bikes within just a few hours.

The 360 watt kit is your best choice for low cost and maximum range on level ground or low to medium grades. The Cyclone 500 watt kit is the performance champion. By using your bike's gearing it can climb steep hills, accelerate faster and achieve higher cruising. Both kits are easily mounted on most diamond frame bikes with the supplied mounting hardware. Both also include a freewheeling chainring, bottom bracket spindle and 170mm left and right crank arms to ensure rider safety with a freewheeling crank. Without this important feature, the rider would be forced to pedal as the motor turned the pedals as it turned the rear wheel. Find installation instructions at http://www.cyclone-usa.com/

Available from:

EcoSpeed Mid-Drive Kits

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. Parts are CNC machined from 6061-T6 aluminum for rock solid durability and then anodized for sharp appearance and scuff resistance. They use the largest motors the law allows with external controllers to shed heat efficiently and crank out the power reliably.

The key feature of the Electric Mid-Drive and Mountain Drive is that they drive a bike's chain. This allows the motor to use most or all of a bike's gear range. What that means is that performance is radically increased compared to single speed drives such as hub motors. You can climb any hill and go as fast or faster than the law allows* -- all with a small and light motor that doesn't detract from pedaling performance. With our fully decoupled drive systems there's absolutely no motor drag when it's shut off.

With the EcoSpeed EMD, a recumbent bike has enough performance to match a car in around town driving. Upright bikes are not quite as aerodynamic as recumbents, so the EMtnD equipped bikes won't be as fast. Instead, they deliberately gear the EMtnD 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 carrying it up the steep trails.

* Legal maximum speeds for electric bicycles vary by jurisdiction. To use the higher speeds available to mid-drive owners, 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 and no one seems to notice if you go a bit fast now and then. Just be courteous to other road users - especially pedestrians - and wear a helmet.

To simplify ordering, they sell the basic EMD Unit and a series of Frame Adapters that customize the unit for different bikes.

Available from:

Electric Motion E+ Kits

Add E+ Electric Power to Your Bike! The incredibly powerful, smooth, and feature rich E+ propulsion system available previously only on E+ Electric Bikes is now available to you as a conversion kit. As its name suggests, the E+ Flex Kit is flexible. It can be fitted onto just about any bike, so you can now create your own personalized, high performance electric ride! The kit comes with all you need, except standard tools and your favorite bike.

The E+ takes you where you want to go. Through city streets or wooded bike trails, you don't need to worry about protecting the E+ from the elements because it is highly resistant to water, mud, sand intrusion, and to shock.

Choose from two motor power ratings (750W and 1000W) and two battery chemistries. Learn more at the EMS website.

Available from:

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 chemistry NiMH 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 addition of a throttle also allows the BionX to be used without pedaling on flat terrain.

The EPS BionX kit consists of a wheel-mounted motor, battery pack, command console, and the wiring needed to install it.

Learn more at:
http://www.bionx.ca/
http://www.electric-bikes.com/bikes/bionx.html

Price = $1000 - $1450. Available from:

Also available in combination with the Birdy 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:

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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