I’d like to share with you something that has brought me an incredible amount of joy, satisfaction and mostly trouble free fun.

Last spring I converted a Marin mountain bike into a moderately powered rear wheel gearless, brushless hub drive electric bike.

I tend to do exhaustive research before taking on a project and while many of the other people building similar kits online were using heat treated aluminum alloy frames I decided to go with good old steel.

Why go with steel? It’s heavy and the ebike kit is already adding weight.

Because steel is real. A quality 4130 chromoly steel frame does not add that much weight compared to aluminum and because the property of steel makes for a slightly more impact absorbing material that in my experience is much stronger and will take many more hard hits before breaking.

Simply put 4130 chromoly is stout.

This narrowed my search down for a base to build off of since many manufacturers have abandoned chromoly steel in favor of aluminum. The overbuilt Marin Pine Mountain adventure mountain bike seemed like a great base. It would turn out to be a fantastic platform to build a 52V 1500+W mountain bike.

2016 Marin Pine Mountain base (I swapped out the stem it originally had an orange one like the 1990. Designed as a go anywhere do anything MTB for camping and adventuring & with a full 4130 double butted and reinforced frame it seemed like a good starting point compared to the Trek & Giant alloy bikes I’ve seen used in other builds online.

The bike I started with: 2016 Marin Pine Mountain 1


CSC Sun Ringle MTB 48/52V 1500W ebike kit


The original build was a bit stiff handling with the hard tail and lack of any front suspension. The original LCD display mount lasted all of two crashes and was eventually replaced by an inexpensive iPhone bike holder from Amazon.

Original rigid set up.




Current set up with Fox 36 fork upgrade.





The color LCD is easy to read at night or during the day.






Overall I am pleased with the quality of the main components of the kit. I have ridden the bike on beginner and intermediate MTB trails full of rocks and roots so it’s held up to having the absolute shit shaken out of it on the trail.

Hub drives are heavy, it is their main disadvantage. The drive I chose is far more reliable than the smaller geared hubs. A brushless, gearless hub drive like mine just loves to cruise at 20-23 mph just sipping 100-250w with very minimal pedaling to assist.

Main advantages for brushless, gearless hub drive in the 1500+W range

-extremely reliable
-efficient cruising motor w/ very little consumption at 15-20 mph
-great range (38.5 miles a charge)
-good torque
-able to climb hills
-no extra wear on the drive train
-a secondary drive unit : meaning if you snap a chain and have juice you can get home on the electric motor alone (this won’t work for mid drive e-bikes)
-battery regen/braking capability

At full throttle and on a fresh battery indicating 58.6V (52V 100% charged) it will spin well past its 1500W rating and go north of 2,400W. It’s shocking how fast you can go from 0-30 if you pedal along at the start.

It now has over 80+ hours & 1,400 miles and climbing. The battery also doesn’t seem to be experiencing much loss of power or degradation that I can notice even after countless charges.

I managed to break a saddle doing wheelies. I went a bit past 12 o’clock and the bike saddle took enough of a smack to knock the chromoly rail out of its mounting place and earn the saddle a trip to the trash can.

The bike has a second brake lever on the left side under the bar that activates the regenerative braking. It’s a neat function but unless you live around a lot of hills and downhill sections it’s probably not worth hooking up. It comes on strong and will slow you down if you are above 30 mph but it will slow you down quickly to 25mph. Because an ebike doesn’t have much mass the battery doesn’t get much regen but it helps your disc brake pads a little at higher speeds.

It looks odd but it’s ergonomic and easy to grab either brake individually or both at the same time.


The most interesting part of the whole project has been the reception from my friends and family. Every single person who was reluctant to give it a try came away with a HUGE smile on their face.

The kits & batteries have gone up a little but for $850-1000 + a donor bike it’s a heck of a lot of fun and not hard to build at all.


I’m waiting on a pair of 220mm rotors and then I’ll begin building a 2nd bike and partially tearing down the current bike to upgrade the brakes. One thing about a 1500W ebike is that it will burn up a set of brake pads with quickness. This will be set #3 but I’ve been using them very hard & regen braking doesn’t do much below 20 mph.

It will be neat having two e-bikes. The new build is getting a larger battery along with bigger tires so it should be fun.

I followed your last post detailing the build and trials. Time flies!!

Maybe in your next life you'll sell kits for these for buyers, with video instructions making it moron proof to build your own bike....

Very cool. This might be something I am interested in retrofitting to a bike I have.

Is the throttle thumb actuated and can you link the kit that you purchased?

Thanks!

Slabsides45,

My friends keep telling me I should build up a few kits and sell them.

I have thought about making a YouTube or Rumble video showing how to build an ebike. It could be fun.

JohnCourage,

There are a few throttle options. The default option is a 1/4 twist throttle. You can message the seller and swap for a thumb style throttle or motorcycle full twist grip throttle.

I would recommend the thumb throttle. It is probably the safest.

Here is a link to the kit I built.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/16417...r=artemis&media=COPY

I have gotten to where I can assemble one of these kits in about one and a half hours.

The wiring part seems overwhelming at first but it is easy. You basically just plug up the components to their color matching counterparts then tuck the connections into the bag that contains the controller.

I’m going to have a friend in Chesapeake Virginia who does great work build a custom triangle frame bag for this next build. The plan is to make it look like a adventure/bike camping bike rather than a high power electric bike. It also gives me an excuse to tour her husbands extensive car & motorcycle collection and hopefully convince him to test ride my ebike. It would be neat to see what a collector of vintage and modern vehicles thinks about the build.

I have both the new battery and new ebike kit sitting in boxes.

220mm Hope two piece brake rotors are inbound along with muc-off tire sealant and a 2.6 inch rear tire.

Once the last few parts arrive assembly will begin.

I am thinking this 29er build with larger wheels and a battery twice the size should result in better performance.

More to come soon.

That's great work, stick. Well done!

I am glad this turned out well for you.

On another subject, where is the loco, and what is it? Looks a big 0-8-0. Maybe a big switcher?

I had my doubts when you first posted about this project as I'm a bit of a purist. As a result my gut tells me bicycles should be pedaled, and pedaled hard, as that's kinda the point. That said, I'm VERY impressed, AND I learned a thing or two...This project was well executed. My hat's off to you on this one!

Oh, and I'm definitely a fan of your SV1000 project too!

An E-Bike is in my future when I'm done with the motocross bikes but not quite yet. Until then I like the access I get with pedal power.

JHE888, I don’t know much about trains but this one is a beauty. It is located at Tanglewood Park, which is a sprawling 1,100 acre park located just outside of Winston Salem NC.

The park has miles of paved trails, beginner intermediate and expert MTB trails, a legit BMX track, a water park, RV camping area, dog park, golf courses and even a soft golf course which they light up at night. Soft Golf is basically a hybrid between real golf and putt putt and it is FUN!

Here are some pics of my daughter and I enjoying Tanglewood park last week. We had a BLAST! The ebike makes 10+ mile rides with precious cargo quite a bit of fun.

When I was a kid my mother rode all over Oahu (Hawaii) on a bike with me on the back just like this. It might be where my love of two wheels originated.







My daughter telling me she is ready to go that way.









nhracecraft, Thank you for the kind words! It has been an interesting experience and one I have enjoyed tremendously. The SV1000 will be getting a new exhaust soon. If I can ever decide on keeping the twin cans and swapping out the heavy exhaust cans for two made of carbon fiber.

My other thought was to make a sleeper of sorts and convert it to a single carbon fiber can & race exhaust. This is tempting because the slower SV650 has a single exhaust can so my SV1000 would look nearly identical to the SV650 to all but the most knowledgeable SV enthusiasts.

I’m leaning towards the twin carbon exhaust option. The cans just bolt on so that would be the easiest way to go. Though slapping a single can race exhaust & SV650 stickers on my SV1000 could be fun.



RyanP225, That’s a great pic! That’s your newer carbon frame bike right? The guy whose YouTube video inspired me build an ebike now sells a mid drive carbon frame full suspension kit. It’s tempting but LUNA makes a similar e-MTB with a good warranty and it blows away the top shelf e-bikes. Both the home built kit and Luna E-MTB have fantastic power and range and are around 35-45 lbs so not terribly heavy for something churning out 2,000-3,000w to the bikes drive train. Unfortunately both run about $4500+ depending on options/ upgrades.

I’m jealous of some of the trails you get to ride. A high powered electric bike sort of bridges the gap between MTB and a dirt bike as far as giving you access to areas you might not otherwise be able to ride without pissing people off.

I really want to build a full suspension ebike that isn’t so damn heavy. The full suspension e-bikes you can buy at a LBS are getting interesting but unfortunately they are also $$$$$$$$.

**edit to add**
My 220mm rotors will be here by Wednesday. I’m itching to get the 2nd bike built and see how much of a difference a proper battery makes.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: stickman428,

The way things are progressing with mountain bikes I wonder how long until 220mm rotors are considered standard size?

Now assembly can begin!!!!

This should hide the hub motor a little and provide a decent amount of stopping power when combined with Shimano 4 piston hydraulic brakes.

Hope is a UK brand that makes superb MTB parts, accessories and complete bikes. This rotor was designed, tested and manufactured in Barnoldswick, UK.

Yeah, the carbon Santa Cruz. It's such an enjoyable bike.
There are some parks that still don't allow e bikes like the one from the picture so that's kind of a drag but you're right. A lot of places that do allow e bikes are a no go for a motorcycle.
Whenever I get tired of hauling it around I'll sell it and use the proceeds for something electric.
Until then I'm having a lot of fun and getting good cardio.

Electric bike build #2

I still need to install the chain as well as the shifter and derailleur but I did test out the electric drive and put 5 trouble free miles on the build.

The wiring and overall appearance on this build is much cleaner than my first ebike.

Update.

I tried very hard to make the ATV/Jetski style thumb throttle work but due to its size and the shifter levers and dropper lever (when I tried the left side of the bars) it just didn’t work out or make sense.

Frustrated after a 15 mile test ride I removed the ergonomically terrible trigger shifter from the left side of the bars and installed a 1/4 grip twist throttle similar to a motorcycle but you don’t have to twist the whole grip.

Unfortunately this also required the removal of the fabulous orange ergo grips. This design is MUCH better and easier to fine tune to your pedaling.



Pretty similar to my first build except this one has regenerative braking hooked up.



My first build wasn’t exactly the cleanest as far as wiring goes.



The new build is a bit cleaner and it’s just mocked up. It will be even better looking with a custom made frame bag.




A shot of the $16 new Shimano Altus 7 speed derailleur set up. I recently discovered 8 and 9 speed wide ratio threaded freewheel cassettes that will fit my hub so this will be getting upgraded soon.


There is still a little more work to do but right now the project has moved on the the most fun R&D aspect. I get to test how much upgrading various parts can improve the ride and performance of the bike.

^^^Does that mean more speed, or more climbing ability?

The 9 speed freewheel cassette will offer both a higher top speed pedaling (which will increase range I bet) and a larger climbing gear so significantly improved climbing ability. There is really nothing lost with that mod, it also hides the big ugly hub motor a little more.

I am also hoping 9 speed shifter options will allow for a better shifting mechanism than what I have now.

It’s early but so far this larger wheeled ebike seems to be about the same as far as speed as my first bike but it’s using less power to maintain cruising speed (17-25mph).

It’s looking like it could absolutely smash the 38.5 mile range of my first build.

Edit to add/clarify:

I am currently using this 14-28 tooth 7 speed Shimano threaded freewheel on my electric hub.



I will soon be updating both e-bikes with a 9 speed freewheel that has a 13-32 tooth range. The lower the teeth the faster you can pedal, the larger/ more teeth each cog/gear has the better it can accelerate/climb.

They are about $13-35 but should really improve the capability of the bike in a noticeable way.

quote:

I have thought about making a YouTube or Rumble video showing how to build an ebike. It could be fun.

This, you should do the videos from design, unboxing, assembly, testing, changing things to work.

You'll make more money on utoob doing that and have several e-bikes to play with, sell off one or two in order to build another and make more digital money.

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:

quote:

I have thought about making a YouTube or Rumble video showing how to build an ebike. It could be fun.

This, you should do the videos from design, unboxing, assembly, testing, changing things to work.

You'll make more money on utoob doing that and have several e-bikes to play with, sell off one or two in order to build another and make more digital money.

You are right. I am glad I did not record this latest build. There were some SPECTACULAR errors made during the build. I learned quite a bit but it was frustrating.

I found a kit very similar to these two that I build BUT it is 72V, 2000W and the controller is roughly 1/2 the size of my current builds. It’s also about $200 less expensive. Which is offset by the roughly $200 more expensive but vastly more powerful battery.

When I pull the trigger on that kit and convert my last chromoly steel frame Marin Pine Mountain over to electric I’ll video the build process and a test ride.

I love the idea of having a YouTube channel covering ebike builds, modifications and trail/test rides.



Here is the current state of the latest build. It looks like I can’t decide on tan sidewalls or black.

I removed the 2.4 inch wide wheel that I borrowed from another bike and reinstalled the original wheel along with an upgraded rotor to match the rear. I’m definitely going to have to upgrade the front brake to a 4 piston hydraulic brake. I might scavenge one off my enduro and upgrade it later on.

I like the feel of the 2.6 tire up front a lot more than the 2.4 that was on there. My other bike has a 2.8 fatty up front so that 2.4 felt weird immediately. With the extra weight of an ebike I could feel a loss of traction when pushing the 2.4 close to the limits. The 2.6 grips better and is a bit more stable but it does require more effort to maintain speed being a wide, heavy enduro tire.

My next project will be to get a new tire for the blue Marin and tear into the other ebike and convert the rear to tubeless and install a 2.8 in wide 27.5 tire to match the front.

quote:

You are right. I am glad I did not record this latest build. There were some SPECTACULAR errors made during the build. I learned quite a bit but it was frustrating.

Those are the videos people learn from and most look for, Failure on my X2000 EBike Build $$$ What not to DO! LOL

You are right HRK. Videos showing common pit falls along with the complete build process would be a great resource for future e-bike builders.

I’ll definitely be making a few e-bike build videos and posting them up on YouTube. One of my bikes needs a tear down for maintenance and new parts/modifications.

I am QUITE TEMPTED by this new 72V hub drive kit. A hot rodded Bafang mid drive motor from Luna would be lighter, more compact and utilize the bikes stock drivetrain/gears so it could be more efficient if used properly.

A direct drive/brushless, gearless hub motor is best thought of as a tank. Heavy but strong.

I’m kinda leaning towards a mid drive build. Maybe a full suspension.

I am also kicking around the idea of a front wheel drive kit with a rigid fork & front rack with a bag to contain & hide the battery, controller and all the cables and bits. In theory if I wanted to swap it over to a standard mountain bike I could just swap off the forks and bars and install a different set. It’s a swap that would take minutes once both configurations are set up.

I’ve got some very interesting and fun projects on the horizon.


My brother was in town and had a chance to test ride both bikes during a brief break in the monsoon season. We rode a nearby river trail and got the bikes a little muddy. No issues though other than getting mud all over ourselves and bikes.