7 Problems Mid Drive Ebike Motors Have That No One Tells You

Thinking about investing in a mid-drive eBike motor? Before you make your purchase, discover the 7 hidden drawbacks and problems that often go unnoticed. From maintenance issues to unexpected costs, this video uncovers the truth about mid-drive eBike motors that you need to know. Don't miss out; watch now to make an informed decision!

[southernebiking]

I would say first off you need a gearshift sensor. Secondly, always have a chain breaker and a master link. I agree that the ground clearance could be an issue on a mid drive that you have built yourself. It is not an issue on factory built ones though. efficiency, I would argue mid drives are much more efficient with the battery. I do have both. A more simple system, I will give you that one. But I honestly think the decision comes down to the person that it is for. If someone typically shift gears to be in the most efficient gear, that person is going to be better off with a mid drive. If someone wants to just stay in one gear and use the throttle when they need, that person would be better off with a hub Drive. I prefer a mid drive myself. But I would say, for every advantage that the mid drive has for me, I could name an advantage that hub drive would have for someone else. So it really comes down to the person, knowing how they intend to ride.

[kamaka]

1. Carry a multi tool with a chain breaker and a quick link.

2. Not really a reason.

3. It's a motor + controller. How is one more complex than the other?

4. Not all hub motors are compatible. Many complaints online about hub drive not fitting frame.

5. BBSHD is way quieter than hub drive of equal wattage.

6. Ground clearance is rarely an issue. CYC PHOTON sits higher up than chainring.

7. This is a very subjective reason. Pedal more?

Changing a flat is way more difficult on a hub than mid.

Hub drive rotational mass makes it feel like driving a school bus rather than a sports car.

Sincerely,
A mid-drive fanboy. 😉

[jaybjornbjornintheusa]

I love how you make a video after you break a chain, this can’t be very unbiased

[WybremGaming]

Thanks, my left ear enjoyed this video

[projectrenaissanceman]

😅 sir you went into the mountains without an extra chain? That sounds like user eer to me
All of your other points where informative thank you

[martintammo]

I have the bafang750w mid drive motor on both of my Trek bikes for about 3 years now and i haven't had not one problem with 32 mile range and top speed around 35 mph...
Happy with my setup...

[jimfederico]

Looks like you do not have a gear shift sensor. That will cause chain breakage as the motor is not shutdown during shifting. I see the plug not connected and I do not see a sensor. Mid drive will climb hills way better.

[sbdr.]

Never switch gears while powering on mid drive or kiss chain goodbye, I have both mid drive & hub I’ve learned to never shift under load just like a motorcycle don’t shift while rev’d up, my mid drive is old 7, 500+- it’s a gng mid drive 500 watt with a literal ton of torque & loud like electric chainsaw but got me thru everything nature threw at me including deep snow on 26x2.5 tires

[timrandenso]

There's always a fix for a broken chain and of course you would have extra links with you wouldn't you? Don't hubs hubs snap spokes with great regularity. I know which I would prefer.

[TheMrdrew]

I run a G62 geared hub motor locked for regen along with a mid drive bbshd. such a fun build for climbing steep trails and on the way down I can use the motor for braking which saves my brake pads and it gets a little charge back to the battery too. Thinking of building a new bike with G62 and CYC X1.

[hambernat]

I hate hubs bc changing punctured tube is a hell of a problem. Especially in self-made ebikes.

About broken chains in ebikes:
-was it strengthen chain for ebikes ?
-was properly maintained & lubed ?
-do you have properly regulated rear derailleur ?
-do you shifted it properly ?
-do you shifted it in inappropriate situation?
-is your chain old, used and stretched ?
-do you ride on combination of gears that curves your chain sideway?
-do you rode on proper cadence ? human recommended is 80-90, anything lower will make your knees hurt over time (lower cadence = higher torque)

I really doubt chain will broke on its own, without a reason.
Power isn't that dangerous for it, but torque & side-curving-gears with a little bit of wear make things happen.

[Hybrid]

BBSHD's are super quiet compared to all the others. Quieter than the integrated ones that pre-built e-mtb's come with and way quieter than CYC ones.

[waltersmithat]

I have a mid Drive motor on my mountain bike and I absolutely love it. As far as if the chain breaks when I'm out riding I have a chain cutting tool and even carry a few extra links you can always shorten the chain up to get you back home. It just requires having some tools with you which I carry all the time on every ride no matter long or short. Mid Drive motors do require more maintenance than they do have more wear and tear on the chain and the cassette but chains and cassettes are very inexpensive, I was able to get a thousand miles out of my first cassette and chain and just changed it out the other day.

[chrisregister]

I will agree for reliability the hub is better. There are advantages to being able to use your gears and it looks way cooler.😊

[rdkuless]

I have ridden over 10k miles on my Bafang BBSHD mounted on a heavy recumbent trike with a Rohloff speed hub. This combination allows me to keep the motor spinning fast and avoid overheating. I tow a 200lb solar trailer and i use a 30T lekkie chain ring, Narrow/Wide... Keep the motor spinning fast, never lug down a motor (whether is a mid or hub motor is key). I use high quatlity ATB red chain lube because it is the best for my conditions. And i clean/relube the chain each week. My chains last 3 times longer than other riders for that reason alone...
If your chain is breaking, it is because you put too big a chainring on the mid drive. or you didn't maintain /clean relube your chain with the correct lube..

[Alex-uhmj]

So they have one advantage if the chain snaps.. for everything else a mid drive is better. Just buy a kmc chain. Video is just click bait

[jaybjornbjornintheusa]

Carry an extra chain, and use pedals on take off, chains break due to user error 99% of the time. Mid drive is the only way for off road as the weight is in a better place for balance

[Shindinru]

Ok, let's talk these in order.

1) This is a problem mainly affecting Mid-drives with cadence sensors (bafang bbs02/bbshd, for example), not Mid-drives over all. This is also quickly reminded by carrying a spare chair and a few quick links.

2) Number 2 is a non-issue and a can of worms. A hub drive is not directly comparable to a Mid-drives and vice versa. What matters is torque, a hub motor needs about 2 to 3 times the wattage to produce the same torque.

Put simple, a hub drive needs 2 to 3 times the wattage to produce the same power (torque).

3) Complexity. Having worked on both I can say, not really. There are 4 basic components to an e-bike. Motor, (motor) controller, battery and finally miscellaneous. Most Mid-drives combine motor and controller into one unit.

4) Comparability. This is the first real argument to choose one over the other, but is subjective. You just need to pick the one that best meets your needs.

5) Noise level. Like 4 it's really subjective and dependent on the motor. I've heard both “noisy” and quiet motors of both types over the years.

6) Group clearance. That is a Mid-drives retrofit kit (again, bbs02/bbshd for example) problem and not a Mid-drives problem. Purpose made Mid-drives bikes don't have this problem.

7) Efficiency. This is simply wrong. A Mid-drives going through the gear system is much more efficient than a hub motor. If you don't think so remember that the gearing allows a “weak” human, at 200-300w, to travel multiple times their walking speed with the same effort.

[StarEssences]

You need a E-Bike chain. The metals in these chains are designed to take more torque.

[mikethomas]

Never broken a chain on my mid drive, bbshd, 160nm of torque, buy a good chain, not a cheap one, kmc chains are my go to, align the offset on chain ring to cassette which is easy af, don't use a crap derailleur, use a mid cage, one with a clutch on, either use a shift sensor or program the motors candence so it doesn't keep power when you stop rotating the cranks. I've had my bbshds for 5yrs now. Wait till you mess up a rear hub lol