Today, I’m sharing a step-by-step guide on making your own electric bike using a Bafang BBS02 motor mounted on a mountain bike, creating an electric mountain bike that costs half as much as a comparable ready-made model.
How to Build Your Own Electric Bike?
Below, you’ll find the video tutorial for learning how to build your own electric bike. This tutorial is divided into several parts to transform a mountain bike into an electric bike. Expect to spend between 20 and 30 minutes in total for assembly.
You’ll see that the proposed solution is simple and allows you to learn how to mount an electric motor on a bicycle at a very affordable price!
The motor will be mounted on the pedal board.
Materials Needed to Build an Electric Bike
- ✅ A bike. We’re using a Rockrider mountain e-bike. It’s affordable and of sufficient quality.
- ✅ A motor kit, including the motor, the pedal sensor, and the on-board computer. If you’re unsure which one to choose, read our guide to the best motor kits for electric bikes.
- ✅ A battery, in accordance with your engine (included with the kit). If you’re unfamiliar with batteries, refer to our guide to e-bike batteries.
Recommendations
Tested and approved for 3 years. It's the best value for money. 1-year warranty. Very light weight (around 9 lbs). Can be assembled in under 2 hours.
Price: $$ | Speed: 31 mps | Battery: Optional
For custom bikes intended for off-road use (MTB, fatbike, gravel), I recommend choosing the BBS02 electric kit.
1-year warranty, easy to install (video & documentation), 1000W, for 68-73mm bottom bracket
Price: $$ | Speed: 34 mps | Battery: Optional
For urban electric bikes, I recommend the BBS01 (250W), that is limited to 15 mph, or the BBS03 (1000W) kit.
Mountain bike designed for road and touring purposes. 9-speed single chainring (lightweight and efficient). Mechanical disc brakes for reliable stopping power. Lifetime warranty included.
If you don’t have a bike, here’s the one I recommend for electrification (it’s the one I would personally choose if I were getting a new electric bike today.) Why? It’s semi-suspended, equipped with disc brakes, affordably priced, and well-made. It’s a bike you can keep for a long time, and parts are readily available if needed.
Cost of Electrifying a Bike?
Electrifying my bike cost me just under $900 all-inclusive (bike + motor kit + battery.) For around $900, I was able to install one of the best electric motors currently available from Bafang, a manufacturer that equips half of the electric bikes in Europe. If I had wanted to buy an electric bike with the same specifications, it would have cost me over $2,100. The choice was clear! 😀
Steps to Build Your Electric Bike
- Remove the brake cables
- Remove the handlebars from the bike
- Rearrange the handlebars
- Remove the cranks
- Remove the chain
- Remove the front derailleur
- Remove the crankset
- Install the motor
- Install the speed sensor
- Move up the chain
- Install the battery and connect it to the motor
Tutorial Video: How to Make Your Electric Bike (Using an Old Mountain Bike!)
Wondering how to make an electric bike easily? Let’s see in the video!
Where Can You Convert Your Bike to Electric?
Specialized workshops for converting your bike into an electric one exist. However, if you’re handy or enjoy DIY projects and have 30 minutes to spare, I recommend electrifying your bike yourself and following the same tutorial I used with the Bafang BBS02 a few years ago. Assembling it yourself is not only the most economical solution but also the most enjoyable, as you’ll have the satisfaction of successfully transforming your bike into an electric one.
Tip: Knowing how to add an engine to a bicycle makes maintenance much easier!
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on installing an electric motor on your bike! As you can see, it’s easy to electrify a bike!