Our Top Pick – Best Electric Bike Conversion Kits

Best Electric Bike Conversion Kits in 2020 – Top 12 Picks

Front Hub Motor (Front Wheel Electric bike Conversion kits)

The most common and simplest way of converting your normal bike into an electric one is the Front hub motor. All you gotta do is to replace the motorized wheel, the rest of the bike remains the same as it was.

In this type of bike conversion, usually, there’s a front wheel with a hub motor, a battery, speed controller, electric brake handles to cut off any power while braking, a throttle which is either a twist throttle or a thumb throttle, and an LCD display. In this type of conversion, you may or may not get a pedal assist sensor, so you will have to look for this feature.

Front-wheel Electric bike conversion kit reviews

1. AW Front-wheel electric bike motor conversion kit

AW front-wheel e-bike conversion kit is the top-notch kit that will serve you more than you will pay for it. It has a really powerful brushless motor with 1000W power which can take you to 0 to 28mph within just 7seconds. Ridiculously amazing!!

This conversion kit features a 26-inch wheel with tire, adding to this the kit includes:

• Battery, time, speed, mileage, and gears are displayed by an LCD Display panel.
• As soon as you start pedaling, a cadence sensor or a pedal system kicks in.
• The AW motor features a dual-mode in order to extend the life span of the motor.
• To cut off any power when braking, there are brake levers.
• A durable 600D Oxford bag for the controller, plus twist throttle.

Adding to all these features, the AW e-bike conversion kit has everything that one can ask to electrify the bike. All you have to do is to buy a battery before going to spin on your new DIY e-bike. Otherwise, it is not so costly to convert your normal bike into an exciting electric bike.

2. Voilamart Front Wheel E-bike conversion kit

Other than the above-mentioned kit, it is from Voilamart. It is one of the well-known conversion kits that you can get for just a fraction of money. It costs around $150 only which makes it the most affordable choice for replacing the front wheel.

There are two options on the front hub motor:

1. 36V 500W motor with approx. 16-22 mph speed
2. 48V 1000W Motor with approx. 28-30 mph speed

So, you can pick up from any one of the above-mentioned motors. Along with this, you will get a front-wheel of 26-inch with Alloy double wall rim and Nylon tire. There’s a Pedal Assistance System (PAS) and brake levers to cut off any power while braking, also comes with a voila mart conversion kit.

Other than all these traits, Voilamart features:

• To produce a large power, the efficiency of the motor is increased by a Rare earth metal magnet featured by the motor.
• The big current supply is ensured by the Aluminium alloy controller.
• Twist throttle, power-cut off button, and LCD to display battery levels.
• For pedal assist, there’s a Voilamart crank speed sensor.

Apart from this, you will get two power modes if you go for the 48V 1000W Motor. It will allow you to switch between full 1000W power and 750W power while using the throttle. On the flip side, you will be getting full 1000W power in PAS mode while paddling.

Note: the battery is excluded.

3. Clean republic electric bike conversion kits

Clean republic is one of the massive names when it comes to bike conversion kits. They manufacture almost all kinds of motor hubs in order to transform your normal bike into an electric one. The most peculiar thing about this kit is that it comes too handy to install and use. So, you will be able to convert your bike or tricycle into an electric bike within half an hour or less and hit the road.

There are two following options in the context of e-bike conversion kits from the Clean Republic:

1. 250W 24V Hill Topper
2. 350W 36V Hill Topper

i- Clean republic electric bike kit 250W 24V Hill topper

This electric bike conversion kit is available in a 24V 250W front motor hub and also features a battery. You have got two choices in terms of the battery; choose either a 12 mile or 20-mile lithium-ion battery,

As compared to the previously reviewed models, this kit does not offer that much powerful motor but it is able to provide you a maximum speed of 15-18mph on throttle only with pedal assist you can easily increase that limit.

ii- Clean Republic Electric Bike kit 350W 36V Hill topper

Clean republic has also made it possible to offer more power under you. It is a 350W 36V which can reach a top speed of 20-22mph on throttle only if you need to accelerate it even faster you can use the PAS.

You have two options for battery apart from the 350W front moto. You can either go for a 20mile or 40mile lithium-ion battery.

4. MegaBrand front wheel electric bike conversion kit

In the front section from Megabrand, the kit is featured with a 48V 1000W motor integrated with a 26-inch wheel. It’s a noiseless and reliable brushless motor with a maximum speed of 28-30mph without spinning the pedals at all. So you will be having enough power to climb those steep hills with throttle only mode.

Along with this, you are gonna get every possible vital thing that you need to electrify your bike including, the speed controller that displays battery level, push throttle, and power brake lever to cut off power while stopping.

Note: this bike conversion kit is available excluding the PAS and the battery.

(Rear hub motor) Rear Wheel electric bike conversion kits

A rear hub motor is way better than the front wheel conversion as it provides you with more control and traction when you push the throttle. Almost all the manufacturers of electric bikes feature a rear hub motor unless it’s a mountain bike.

This kit involves a rear wheel with the hub motor which is negligible as it looks much like an enormous traditional bike hub. Moreover, it features a speed controller, a battery, electric brakes,an LCD display panel, throttle, and almost all rear wheel conversion kits come with a pedal assist.

Rear-wheel electric bike conversion kit reviews

5. AW Rear-wheel electric bicycle conversion kit

If you are intending to buy a rear hub motor, the best option is the AW 48V 1000W motor. You can buy this kit for around $250 and can adjust it on any bike of your choice.

This bike kit features a 26”x 1.75” aluminum wheel with the tire and an electric controller just like the AW Front-wheel electric bike kit. The controller has a dual-mode whose function is to extend the lifetime of the motor by switching between the Hall-effect and Non-hal effect. Other than this, the kit also features an LCD display to indicate the battery level, speed, time, and mileage.

To make the short and long rides really full of joy, the kit is equipped with PAS technology.

6. Voilamart 26-inch rear wheel electric bike conversion kit

When it comes to the Vilamart rear wheel electric bike conversion kit, we have an adequate amount of options. You have given three options of rear motor hubs:

• 36V 500W Motor with approx. 16-22 mph speed
• 48V 1000W Motor with approx. 28mph speed
• 48V 1500W Motor with approx. 34mph speed

Besides all these motor options, voilamart conversion kits are the best kits that give you almost all the best features to enjoy in just a couple of dollars. Voilamart ensures consistency in speed by using the brush less gear less hub motor. Adding to this, it offers the rider an adjustable 5 level intelligent pedal-assist mode and a twist throttle to take off from your stationary position.

The peculiarity of this top-notch conversion kit is the matchless quality and features that it is offering to its customers at such an amazingly reasonable price.

• In order to display the battery level, there’s an LCD display and along with this, there’s a speed throttle and a power cut off button.
• Rear nylon tire with alloy rim and 12Gx2.6mm stainless steel spokes.
• To guarantee consistent current supply there’s an aluminum alloy controller.
• Safety of the rider is ensured by the electric brake levers as it cuts off the power supply when braking
• For assisting the pedal the kit is featured with Voilamart cadence sensors that work with cranks

The only feature that is not included in the package is the battery, so you have to buy one separately. Apart from this downside, this conversion kit is the best one in the market. All you need to install a suitable battery in a proper way.

Battery recommendations

• An electrokinetic battery(Li, lead-acid, NiMH battery, etc) is suitable for a 500W motor. The battery should have nominal voltage 36V and nominal capacity not less than 10Ah.
• For 1000W, the motor requires an electrokinetic cell battery (Li, lead-acid, NiMH battery,etc.) with nominal volatge48V and nominal capacity not less than 11.6Ah.
• For 1500W, the motor needs an electrokinetic cell battery ( Li, lead-acid, NiMH battery, etc) with nominal voltage 48V and nominal capacity not less than 1.45 Ah.

7. EBIKELING Direct drive motor e-bike conversion kit

This is the brand that specifically manufactures electric bikes. So, the best can be expected of it.

They are well-known for designing one of the best and exceptional quality bike conversion kits at a reasonable price, with the build quality of their motors.

Just like the Voilamart, the Ebikeling also gives you three options for hub motors. These are as follows:

• 36V 500WV Motor with approx. 16-22mph speed
• 46V 1200W Motor with approx. 30mph speed
• 48V 1500W Motor with approx. 34mph speed

What’s really exceptional and worth-mentioning about EBikeling is that they really offer you to choose from a front or rear hub motor, or to select a twist throttle or a thumb throttle. You can also pick the display panel of your choice, it can be an LCD display or an LED one. That’s really cool!

The LCD display navigates the features like the battery, your speed, mileage, wattage, PAS levels you’re moving in and it shows you possible error codes for easy troubleshooting in case you encounter any.

Above everything, the kit comes with all the best possible components that one can demand to electrify a normal bike including the brake levers to cut off power from the motor safely, EBikeling PAS sensor, a torque arm, front and rear lights to make you visible on the road.

Tire and battery is not included in the set, otherwise, it comes with all essential components. And most importantly the cost of the kit is not so high. You will get all these amazing facilities at a very reasonable price.

Mid-drive electric bike conversion kits

In mid-drive e-bike conversion kits, the motor operates with bottom bracket and cranks which place the motor at the center of the bike and in turn, evenly distribute the weight of the motor. This is why, for off-road or mountain biking, mid-drive motors are considered to be the best choice. As around these places, you need to maintain the perfect balance of your bike and mid-drive motors perform this function best.

Mid-drive motors are way more expensive than the hub motors. And this is so, because of some obvious reasons, and there’s a reason why most of the people prefer the mid-drive units.

The motor is directly connected to the crank drive in a mid-drive or central system. The motor drives the crank arms while taking better advantage of the range of gears as soon as the rider starts pedaling. Moreover, a torque sensor can easily measure the amount of input from the rider.

So the sensor is supposed to automatically vary the amount of assistance from the motor with the intensity of the rider’s pedaling. It initiates a smoother and bump free riding experience for the rider by just keeping varying the amount of assistance from the motor also, by syncing the amount of intensity of the rider’s pedaling.

Many of the top-notch brands like Yamaha, Shimano, and Bosch are well-reputed in manufacturing the top of the mid-drive units. But the downside of these companies is they cannot be fitted in any bicycle frame. In this case, one would have to go for a specifically built frame for these drive units for availing the superior performance. But sit back and relax as there are many other brands too!

The brand like Bafang or 8fun is highly suggested as they design some of the best quality mid-drive units that can be fitted on any bicycle frame.

Here’s a catalog of some worth trying mid-drive units in the market:

Mid-drive electric bike conversion kit reviews

8. Bafang 8fun mid-drive electric bike conversion kit

The first mid-drive unit kit in this list is the most expensive one but this is an undeniable fact that its quality matches its price. You can purchase it for around $1000 but don’t worry as those on a limited budget do have other affordable options.

But bear that in mind that it is the best option if you can afford it, with a 750W motor and a 48V 12AH water bottle amount Lithium-ion battery you can move it on the road and it is strong enough to put up with everything that you throw on it be it steep hills or mountains; this system is ideal.

This drive unit works on two working modes just like any other powered bike; you can either switch between the pedal-assist or choose the throttle only mode which will give you an immense amount of speed.

Other than these traits, the mid-drive unit conversion kit contains:

• BAFANG LCD display for showing you all the info like speed, battery, mileage, pedal assist level.
• The bike comes with push throttle by default, but you can request the manufacturer to incorporate a twist throttle while placing the order.
• To cut off any power from the motor while stopping, there are brake levers.
• Mid motor controller which controls the various levels of pedal assist.
• Speed sensor and magnet.

9. BAFANG BBS03B Mid-drive electric bike conversion kit

You can blindly rely on this product of BAFANG, as it is the most powerful mid-drive kit. BAFANG has been a part of the biking industry for so many years and has made a well-reputed identity for themselves over these years with satisfied customers.

A central 48V 1000W motor is featured in this mid-drive kit that can be adjustable to all kinds of bike. You can fit it on any normal bike with a 68mm bottom bracket to bulky bikes with 100mm to 120mm bottom brackets. Adding to this, the kit also features three different chainring sizes 42T, 44T, and 46T.

Bafang 8fun mid-drive kit also constitutes:

• Bafang central motor
• 6 various LCD displays
• 1 pair of brake levers
• Aluminum chain wheel and cover with 1 pair of cranks
• Speed sensor and magnets.

This is the best mid-drive electric bike conversion kit on the market if you wanna go with power.

10. Bafang BBS02B Mid-drive crank motor conversion kit

This is another affordable option in the list of this catalog. This mid-drive unit also offers you the same quality and performance. The difference resides in the power only.

There are 90 different pedal assist modes that come particularly with this kit. One is a non-assist mode apart from that you can achieve the maximum power by pushing the throttle at any time in any mode you are riding in.

Bafang BBS02B features two different power options as follows:

1. 36V 500W Motor with approx. 16-22 mph speed
2. 48V 750W Motor with approx. 20-24 mph speed

Other than all these features, this kit contains:

• BAFANG 36V 500W central motor with integrated controller, pedal-assist sensor along with a thumb throttle.
• BAFANG C961 programmable display panel
• Speed sensors and magnets
• Aluminum 46T chainring and cover
• BAFANG power cut-off e-bike brake levers

This mid-drive e-bike conversion kit is available for $500, which is too reasonable for the people who willingly love to hit the road with a sleek e-bike.

11. Tongsheng TSDZ2 Mid-drive motor conversion kit

Although Tongsheng is a Chinese company, its products are way too reliable and highly built. The product under discussion is surprisingly one of the best mid-drive conversion kits that you can purchase for $400. It is not so costly. Despite not having so many features like other mid-drive units that we have reviewed earlier, it gives you an exceptionally good central motor that performs as good as a Bafang motor, but you have to compromise on some features.

The biggest drawback is the absence of throttle mode in Tongsheng TSDZ2. With the serious stats of this bike, you can reach a max speed of 14-20mph which is appreciable.
Tongsheng kit also features the following components:

• Both side torque sensor and a built-in controller
• Battery, time, mileage, and much more is navigated by the LCD display.
• This mid-drive kit fits almost 95% of the standard bike frames with 68-73mm bottom bracket.
• Moreover, the Tongsheng motor comes with a built-in torque and cadence sensor.

So, concluding this we can say that you will get what you pay for. Also, this mid-drive conversion kit is available without any brake lever or battery.

The bottom line about Best Electric Bike Conversion Kits

At the end of the day, it all depends on you which electric bike conversion you choose. Either you go for a hub motor or a mid-drive unit. But before giving a try to either one of these, just ask two questions:

1. Where and how I’ll be riding it mostly?
2. What’s my budget?

Riding

If you are going to ride along the flat surfaces and paved roads where you don’t need that much power of a mid-drive unit to climb the steep hills, then a hub motor is perfect.

On the other hand, if you want to hit the steep hills or you like to take your bike off-road on mountains and all, then a mid-drive unit is perfectly suitable.

Budget

Though the mid-drive units are expensive, in most cases they will work fine in any kind of situation. Hence, when you reach out for an electric bike conversion kit, keep a specific budget in your mind and try to stick to the budget.

Final advice

It is an opportunity for you to build something with your own hands, so try to make it flawless. Instead of putting off by all the e-bike conversion kits available, think of it as something that’s not a bottle opener.