Electric Bike Conversion Kits: The Difference Between Front And Rear Hub Motors

Electric Bike Conversion Kit: Front Hub Motor

Electric Bike Conversion Kit - Switch Hub Engine

The front hub motor is by far the easiest kit design to install, with the fewest potential compatibility issues with the receiving bike.

There are a few considerations when installing a front hub e-bike kit:

– Is there enough space between the forks? If it's narrower than the fork dropout, you can usually use stuffing washers to make it fit. If the motor is wider than the chainstays it may not fit at all, if yes you are looking for a fork spread this may work fine but may void any warranty on the fork and can be dangerous if done incorrectly or too What a faulty fork design; in other words, it's a "last resort" solution to be wary of. If the slotted fork chainstay itself is narrow, you may need to file it - but we're only talking a small amount here, and you could be weakening the fork.

Fork design is also important. Their profile should allow the motor to spin freely in the hub with some play.

– The width of the fork prongs should allow the axle shoulders to slide in without any noticeable sideways movement, and the prongs should be deep enough for the important non-return (anti-torque) washers to fit snugly in them.

– Is there enough room for the battery to fit where it should? Cytronex has once again produced a template that allows you to determine this unique bottle battery design for you.

Electric Bike Conversion Kit: Rear Hub Motor

Electric Bike Conversion Kit - Rear Hub Kit

– If installing a rear hub motor, is there enough space between the dropouts? For single speeds, the chain line also can't deviate too far, and the derailleur gear also needs to have a compatible sprocket on the motor.

- Also consider if the rear hub motor will give you the gear you want. You may need to replace the hub gears of your derailleur system. Does the rear hub allow freewheel or freewheel (cassette) gearing? If so, it's important to know which is formed to allow for a smaller range of gears, and the latter to accommodate more modern wide-range rear derailleur gearing systems.