# Electric Motor DH Bike?



## myitch (Jan 25, 2004)

Think of it. No need to wait around for a shuttle or the lift. Just push the trigger and go up, with pedal assist.

I'm looking into this because it's either this or I may have to give up mountain biking altogether. For those of us with spine or pain issues from rock jarring of mtb, this will allow us to get up the hill with a heavier DH bike and still enjoy the speed of DH rocky terrain with less pain and less risk of damaging those vertebrae bone spurs. Less pain=longer riding health. Using a long-travel DH bike has obvious benefits on rough stuff.

So, I'm not looking to get into the hate of "cheaters" using a motor but looking into how to make this happen. Please save all the "its not MTB" comments. An electric motor on a long-travel DH bike, like say a V10 or Demo would be sweet.

There's a few companies out there that sell conversion kits. They go for about $3k+ with battery and charger. Anyone done this to their DH rig or know of someone with one?

Ego Kit Mid Drive E-Bike | ELECTRICBIKE.COM
These guys seem to have done their research and Kranked out of Redwood City CA uses this motor on V10s. But I am not going to pay $12K. I'd buy the kit and install on my own DH rig at a fraction of the cost.


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## Rob-Bob (Jun 11, 2004)

The problem I have with motorized bikes is that it will give the mountain bike haters an excuse to close down more trails because they will compare them to motorbikes.. 
Also , I don't see how not having to pedal as hard uphills is going to save you from the rock jarring descents..


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## meSSican (Aug 8, 2010)

Sorry to hear about your pain but no good can come of these types of bikes. A dh bike won't make your pain disappear, it may marginally help it at best.


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## myitch (Jan 25, 2004)

OK. I've heard all the "anti" comments, please don't bother if that's all you're here for. I'm not interested in getting into any discussions on pros/cons of using these Ebikes. 

As I said, I'm ONLY interested in hearing from those who've actually tried it.


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

What rob-bob said. Sorry about your physical issue but you'll get us all banned. You can still ride shuttle and lift served parks. I can't compete moguls any more due to knee pain, but I don't demand they flatten the ruts and make the jumps smaller so I can . I know you don't wanna hear it but you're on a public forum asking for opinions so there you have it. There's another thread on this playing out right now in Norcal. There always seems to be one on mtbr somewhere.


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## myitch (Jan 25, 2004)

ddprocter said:


> What rob-bob said. Sorry about your physical issue but you'll get us all banned. You can still ride shuttle and lift served parks. I can't compete moguls any more due to knee pain, but I don't demand they flatten the ruts and make the jumps smaller so I can . I know you don't wanna hear it but you're on a public forum asking for opinions so there you have it. There's another thread on this playing out right now in Norcal. There always seems to be one on mtbr somewhere.


OK, now you've voiced your opinion. Great.

Regardless I think this is a great idea and I intend to build one. DH style


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## UTGeezer (May 11, 2014)

I rode an electric motocross bike last year that had remarkable power for electric, and the suspension and speed capability of a motorcycle. The owner claimed about 2 hours of heavy riding time per charge, although I only rode around 15 minutes so I can't verify that. If you're going to stick to trails allowing motorized vehicles why not go for the gusto. Myself, I use my powered toys when appropriate, and for the type of adventure they give, while my bicycles are I use when I want the exercise and somewhat different adventure I experience with them


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## myitch (Jan 25, 2004)

UTGeezer said:


> I rode an electric motocross bike last year that had remarkable power for electric, and the suspension and speed capability of a motorcycle. The owner claimed about 2 hours of heavy riding time per charge, although I only rode around 15 minutes so I can't verify that. If you're going to stick to trails allowing motorized vehicles why not go for the gusto. Myself, I use my powered toys when appropriate, and for the type of adventure they give, while my bicycles are I use when I want the exercise and somewhat different adventure I experience with them


yeah, having motocross bikes AND mtb would be nice for sure. But the accessibility of a mountain bike whilst being able to get up hill easily is also appealing. The best of both worlds actually.

So, again anyone built one up?


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## spinningmagnets (Jun 17, 2014)

*Some mid drive kits to consider*

Myitch, I am new here. I would normally only lurk, but this is one thread where I may have some helpful links. The EGO is very expensive, and it uses a headway motor and planetary geared reduction. It is a well-proven combination that has been used by Cyclone for many years. Many have said it is somewhat loud (cordless drill sound).

Perhaps consider the BBS02 at 48V / 750W, it uses a helical gear in the reduction, and that one change allows it to run much quieter. If you choose this, wait till July and get the 9-FET controller (instead of the stock 6-FET). Its a factory upgrade because the 25-Amp controller has been getting too hot at more than 22A if the max amps are used for an extended time. em3ev.com has it, and is a reliable vendor. $500 plus shipping, minus battery/charger, and bike. Bafang BBS02 48V 750W Mid Drive Kit

If you think you may want more power than that, the LightningRods kit has a motor that has twice the copper mass, so it can take twice the amps at 48V / 1,500W. The primary (high-RPM) half of the reduction uses a toothed belt instead of chain/gears, and the first two users report it runs very quietly. I think it is $800 plus shipping, minus battery/charger and bike. Endless-sphere.com ? View topic - LightningRods mid drive kit

I haven't tried the BBS02 yet, but I will be getting a LightningRods kit this month: 10 Mid Drive Kits for DIY Electric Bikes | ELECTRICBIKE.COM


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## myitch (Jan 25, 2004)

spinningmagnets said:


> Myitch, I am new here. I would normally only lurk, but this is one thread where I may have some helpful links. The EGO is very expensive, and it uses a headway motor and planetary geared reduction. It is a well-proven combination that has been used by Cyclone for many years. Many have said it is somewhat loud (cordless drill sound).
> 
> Perhaps consider the BBS02 at 48V / 750W, it uses a helical gear in the reduction, and that one change allows it to run much quieter. If you choose this, wait till July and get the 9-FET controller (instead of the stock 6-FET). Its a factory upgrade because the 25-Amp controller has been getting too hot at more than 22A if the max amps are used for an extended time. em3ev.com has it, and is a reliable vendor. $500 plus shipping, minus battery/charger, and bike. Bafang BBS02 48V 750W Mid Drive Kit
> 
> ...


Super info. Now THIS is what I'm talking about. Some real experiential advice. Thanks Spring


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## Scotth72 (Mar 15, 2004)

Where would you ride it? Motorized vehicles are illegal on almost all current mtb trails. If you are going to ride your new ebike on motorized use trails, so be it. Just don't think you are going to ride it on mtb trails.


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## pizon (Jul 7, 2009)

why dont you just ride lift served/shuttle? or buy a dirtbike? by the time you finish building your electric v10 you'll have spend enough to probably get 2 motocross bikes, and you wont have people shaking their heads at you


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## Procter (Feb 3, 2012)

And, you won't have moto's laughing at you for taking a puny ebike on OHV trails, which are, the only trails where your bike would be legal in most states.


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## man w/ one hand (Dec 29, 2003)

Pain or no pain, a motorized vehicle has NO PLACE on a mtn bike trail, unless it is being used to get an injured person off of the mtn. They are just light weight motorcycles someone will try to make you believe is a viable alternative to "normal" mtn bikes.
IMO, if you are looking for something motorized to take you up or down then you should get out of mtn biking altogether because you are seriously missing the whole point....just my opinion.


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## .WestCoastHucker. (Jan 14, 2004)

lots of haters, but there always will be, no matter the subject of discussion....

i wouldn't fork over the money personally, but i have ridden them and they are plenty of fun....















i do find it ironic that tools who use their trucks to get to the top of the hill, are the same idiots trying to tell you that you are doing it wrong...


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## RaythePedaler (Feb 10, 2014)

You can get a VERY nice dirt bike for the price of a dh rig. You can get a VERY nice electric dirt bike for less than an electric mtb (and it's faster, with a longer run time, and better suspension). 

Why would you spend more for a half assed hacked together solution? Just so it has a mtb logo on the frame?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk


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## thefriar (Jan 23, 2008)

I rode a haibike with pedal assist recently.

You're still gonna get beat up riding up tech and then down. 

If you're just straight lazy, then its a good solution.

Shuttles =/= ebikes or assist. I get both sides on that point. But seriously, to ignore the access issues where people already want us out... How fast can you get away from the man when your battery dies and bikes have been banned?


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## spinningmagnets (Jun 17, 2014)

I forgot to mention, the LightningRods electric mid drive kit has mounting brackets for 68mm, 73mm, 83mm and 100mm bottom brackets...


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## steve1324 (Jul 12, 2014)

myitch said:


> Think of it. No need to wait around for a shuttle or the lift. Just push the trigger and go up, with pedal assist.
> 
> I'm looking into this because it's either this or I may have to give up mountain biking altogether. For those of us with spine or pain issues from rock jarring of mtb, this will allow us to get up the hill with a heavier DH bike and still enjoy the speed of DH rocky terrain with less pain and less risk of damaging those vertebrae bone spurs. Less pain=longer riding health. Using a long-travel DH bike has obvious benefits on rough stuff.
> 
> ...


Get an inexpensive full suspension MTB off direct bike or used off Craig's list. BBSO2 middrive. Anything more would be jarring your back. Pedal assist mode. You are doing the work just getting help. Use the bike everywhere else too.


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## PeanutButterMax (Jun 15, 2015)

i put the EGO WRP kit on my KONA WO back in June of this year.

Ok, not a DH bike, but i think having the kit installed on my rig has some relevance here.

… All in, it cost me $6,250cad. This includes $200 worth of shipping costs.

Ive used the kit pretty much every day for at least an hour since i got it and have had no real issues with it breaking down or over heating or anything.

However, there is a potential for going through allot of broken chains and bent chain rings, depending on how merciless you are with the throttle. Im usually pretty gentle and have only busted one bike chain to date.

That said, the WRP kit is really powerful, and maintains its power consistently… wether going cross country or uphill.

With electric motors, torque delivery is almost instintanious… so unless you pedall your bike up to speed before throttling up, your front end bucks and can even buck hard enough to really throw you down, especially on flats.

Its fairly easy to install, took me about 1hr and im no bike mechanic.

The kit will get you deep hate from the elitist / purist factions though… so expect antisocial behaviors from these types.

But its easy to brush these entitled objections off.

A few years ago, as I walked along my merry way, I was blind sided by a cyclist who had run a red light… long story short, my hip was shattered and hasn’t been good since. After a hole bunch of rehab, I thought I would still never be able to enjoy a bike ride again without suffering lightning fire pain.

Now im on my bike every day.

My hip still hurts, but I can manage the pain thanks to the extra help.

All in all, if you have the cash to spend, I say get yourself one of these bad boys.

You wont regret it.


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## DHMASTER (Oct 12, 2010)

Pedal assist motorcycles or e-bikes as the marketers would have you call them are just pathetic. Have you been missing your old moped? Get an electric motorcycle and go have some real fun at the ohv parks.


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## shwinn8 (Feb 25, 2006)

No thanks, waiting in line for the shuttle or lift and talking to fellow riders is all apart of the culture, more so. When it's raining!


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## Singletrackd (May 3, 2015)

Zombie thread!!!

Wait you spent 6,000 on a electric dirt bike, why didn't you just buy a fancy KTM?


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## SHIVER ME TIMBERS (Jan 12, 2004)

myitch said:


> So, I'm not looking to get into the hate of "cheaters" using a motor but looking into how to make this happen. Please save all the "its not MTB" comments. An electric motor on a long-travel DH bike, like say a V10 or Demo would be sweet.
> 
> T
> Tt.


the guy gave reasoning for everything....stop the ohh....motorczed bikes and shouldn't be on trail...because then you are all hypocrites....all of you ride illegal trails....all of you....because 99% of good dh trails are illegal


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## B888S (Feb 18, 2013)

This summer, I saw two people waiting in line for the gondola in Mammoth with electric Santa Cruz V10's. They were both pulled out of line before getting on the gondola and told that they could not ride any type of electric bike on the mountain. Both of the riders were very unhappy to say the least. When I got on the gondola, the riders were attempting to get a refund for their lift ticket. As far as I know, they were not offered refunds. I did not see either of them on the mountain that day.


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## Joe Bonner (Dec 29, 2015)

*Lighting Rods on Intense M6*

Spinning magnets mentioned the lightning rods kit which is what I am running on a downhill bike now. I got an intense m6 and put everything together myself. I use the motor to ride firetrails and see a person about 0.01% of the time I ride. I ride very cautiously on blind areas and I am by far a safer person to come across than any mountain biker, for one reason you might hear me a bit better and I don't go down fast to get kicks. I go up fast to have fun. I very rarely use single track and if I do I pedal and again go slower than mountain bikers.

I understand the first poster. You have a dh bike because it soaks up the rough parts. I don't drive to mountain bike parks, I use pedal assist. There are no chairlifts.. I don't use power on single track because that would be where there might be a bit of extra erosion from the extra power.

It gets me out and I exercise, but I don't turn red and almost have a heart attack like I used to get by trying to climb mountains on the bike. I don't have time to push a bike up a mountain or pull it apart and put it back together again in a car. I just ride out of my garage and am back in an hour or two with 100% riding. I am too old to ride dangerously, sorry to all the haters in advance.

Just remember that the great majority of what I ride is firetrail which totally unmaintained 4wd eroded terrain far from where most mountain bikers would ever ride out to. I actually prefer it for fun.

If you'd like to see what I mean

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzqojlpNeKR3t_VglNJXlBRmy_6rz9GuX


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## PeanutButterMax (Jun 15, 2015)

Singletrackd said:


> Zombie thread!!!
> 
> Wait you spent 6,000 on a electric dirt bike, why didn't you just buy a fancy KTM?


The EGO WRP kit offers better performance.

KTM uses the Bosch Performance Line CX drive system (36 volt - 45km/h - 75Nm torque).

It isn't as powerful as the Ego WRP kit (51 volt - 75km/h - 130Nm torque).

The Bafang system also fell short in terms of power, compared to the Ego WRP kit.

Another influence on my choice of e-kits was that I prefer keeping the battery weight on my back, as opposed to keeping it on the bike frame. I have to lug this rig up and down a flight of steps (bike + motor weight approx. 46lbs).

performance wise, the lightning rods big block kit might compete with the Ego WRP kit... I just don't like the way it looks compared to the WRP kit.


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## Danmp (Oct 7, 2005)

Any long term review on the ego? Thx


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