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In my quest to build the perfect #cargobike I learned something kinda depressing. All these hot shit bikes with center drives don't have a standard bottom bracket, but instead a gaping hole the shape of whatever proprietary drive system they were built around. This means that when the motor makers ultimately go out of business these $5k frames are left unsupported and are worthless aluminum scrap. #biketooter #cycling
#cycling #biketooter #cargobike
in reply to Eitan

Eitan
Eitan
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I mean, what happens to all these bikes when Bosch decides to ditch ebikes and go back to its core business of building tank components for Nazis using forced labor? #biketooter #cycling
#cycling #biketooter
in reply to Eitan

Andres Salomon
Andres Salomon
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This is part of the reason I installed a Bafang mid-drive onto an existing cargo bike, after having owned an overpriced (and very proprietary) cargo bike w/ bosch mid-drive previously.
in reply to Andres Salomon

Eitan
Eitan
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@Andres4NY
I have an aftermarket bafang middrive as well. Didn't realize how these conversation kits are the exception and not the rule. Thought there was a standard bracket hiding under those Bosch motors. Nope.
@Andres Salomon
in reply to Eitan

rawe
rawe
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I got a spare motor from a scrapped bike with ~3000km on it for ~100€. Its important that it is for the same wheel diameter (or smaller so it will go faster...) as as an end user I have no access to manufacturer or dealer tools.

Afaik Bosch tests its bike motors for 25000km, my bike is over 20000km now and I re-greased the gears at approx 12000km because they started to make noise. Its not possible to repair the motor, because the components are calibrated during the manufacturing process and if I take two broken motors to build one working one it will run badly as the calibration data is wrong.

At least the mounting points stayed mostly the same, so I could theoretically upgrade from a gen2 active line to a gen3 performance line motor.

But yeah... proprietary system is not cool. Its like modern cars.

in reply to Eitan

Emile Snyder
Emile Snyder
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it's super depressing. As far as I can tell though, it's not like bafang mid drives are following some standard; just, no standardization exists? It's not just the motor; batteries (both physical connectors and management system electronics), motor controller protocols, sensors and sensor protocols. 😒
in reply to Eitan

Elliot
Elliot
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I wonder if any will become popular enough to be a defacto standard
in reply to Eitan

billy joe bowers is tired 🇺🇦
billy joe bowers is tired 🇺🇦
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I'm afraid of that with a lot of ebikes. A lot of proprietary components, can't be practically ridden without the assist, bought by people who aren't that interested and don't want to maintain them.

Seems like a formula for a lot of landfill waste.

I am not saying this as a strike against ebikes in general, just that some of these issues should be thought about instead of just pushing things out there.

in reply to Eitan

Geoff Mackenzie
Geoff Mackenzie
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this is part of the reason my ebike has a front hub motor (so the rest of it is just a bike, and a replacement motor can probably be found when needed) and I just went with a non-electric cargo bike just so this wouldn't be a concern. I like ebikes; I really wish I could be more enthusiastic but I really don't like all the proprietary stuff, apps etc
in reply to Eitan

𝕂aleb
𝕂aleb
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I agree that this isn’t ideal, but anyone with a milling machine and some experience should be able to make a retrofit BB shell enabling you to convert back to a manual bike or to mount a Bafang-style motor.

I don’t think it’s really that dire.

⇧