2551 Williams Street
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-4143
Yuba Cargo Bikes
Bike Conversion to electric
Electric Bike Repair
2551 Williams Street
San Leandro, CA
(510) 969-4143
Yuba Cargo Bikes
Bike Conversion to electric
Electric Bike Repair
Three important words.....
When it comes to electric bikes there are three words I hear every day. The reason I hear those same three words is because they are the most important concern of anyone considering converting their bicycle to electric. Having almost 1000 clients of whom we have converted their bike to electric, we have become a bit of an expert (by default) on what is important to those considering an electric bike. These three words in order of importance are: cost, range, and weight.
Cost: Our cost is $1,699 and includes a Bafang 750 watt mid drive motor and a 48 volt, lithium ion battery. By comparison, the cost of a brand name electric bike at the bike shop is $2,700 and has a 250 watt motor and a 36 volt 400 watt hour battery. To convert your bike is to save a $1,000 and have a more powerful motor with twice the range.
Range: "How far can I go on a charge?" This is a very important concern and is second to "How much does it cost?" Range is determined by many factors such as wind, hills, weight of rider and many other factors. At best, range can only be estimated. We always say "under best conditions range will be between 40 and 60 miles per charge."
Weight: "How much weight does it add to the bike?" Our motors are the lightest 750w motor on the market and weighs only eight pounds. Our side release battery weighs less than six pounds and our largest battery weighs nine pounds. Weight is important because folks need to carry their electric bikes from place to place in order to ride in interesting areas. Every bike we build can be carried on a bicycle rack on the rear of a car.
In order to meet the expectations of our clients, those three things (cost, range, and weight) are constantly at the forefront of all our work.
The best electric bike in the world is sitting in your garage and all it needs is a motor, battery, and assembly by the most experienced team of mechanics and technicians in the Greater Bay Area.
1. All electric bikes are simply bicycles with motors and batteries.
That's it in a nutshell. The frameset, fork, wheels, tires, stem, chain, derailleurs, bars, grips, shifters, brakes, brake levers, seatpost and saddle are exactly the same on an electric bike as they are on a standard bike. The only things unique to an electric bike are the motor and battery. There is no need to buy a new electric bike...just add the motor and battery to the bike you already have.
2. Electric bike conversion costs 1/3 of a pre-built electric bike.
By way of comparison, were you to purchase a bike similar to one of our standard conversions it would cost between $4,000 and $4,500. In addition, the motor that we use has more power, is simpler to use, and is maintenance-free.
3. Service of your converted electric bike
All of the bikes we convert to electric we service "in house." We never send anything back to the factory for service because we are the factory. In addition, we provide lifetime safety checks of your bike for as long as you own it.
4. All of our conversions use the Bafang Mid Drive Motor
The Bafang BBS02 750w mid drive motor is the most popular electric bike motor in the world. Bafang Industries produce and sell over 1,000,000 of these motors every year. They are maintenance free, reliable, lightweight (eight pounds), simple to use, and have incredible hill climbing torque.
5. Our batteries are manufactured by the largest Lithium Ion battery factory in the world: UPP Unit Pak Power
Of the last 800 batteries used on our conversions, the failure rate has been zero.
6. We have the best warranty in the business. Our motors, batteries and craftsmanship carry a one-year warranty.
The cost of converting your bike to electric is $1699.
This includes the most popular, powerful, reliable, maintenance free motor in the world and a long range 48v battery. We also include a one year no fault warranty on the motor and the battery. "No fault" means you do not have to fill out reams of information to explain why the battery is failing to charge or the motor to run, just give us a call to set up an appointment and let's get you back on the road. In addition, as a courtesy to our clients we provide safety checks for as long as you own the bike.
What it includes: For the best explanation of what it includes see our next page on the conversion process. The entire process can take up to three days as it is very labor intensive. Each employee is trained in bike mechanics, and the installation methods of motor, battery, cabling, and instruments of the Bafang motor system.
We have developed proprietary methods of both motor and battery installation. In addition, we have our own machine shop that allows us to mill custom bottom bracket adaptors, and battery spacers for our electric bikes. If we we do not have a part we make it ourselves to insure your bike is finished on time.
Our consultants include a Senior Engineer at Tesla Motors, a Professor of Federal Law at Golden Gate University, a Professor of Engineering from California University and a Senior Electrical Engineer from Stanford (retired). Our employees are former road bike racers, old school mechanics, new to the field mechanics, in training mechanics, and a CEO who has over 50 years of experience working on bikes.
Here are the three classes of eBikes
Class I: A class I electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 20mph and does not have a throttle. Class I electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class I one bikes are accepted on most bike paths, century rides, and Grand Fondo's.
Class II: A class II electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 20mph and has a throttle. Class II electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class II electric bikes generally are not allowed on bike paths, century rides or Grand Fondo's.
Class III: A class III electric bike is a bike with a motor that cuts off at 28mph and does not have a throttle. Class III electric bikes are allowed anywhere a standard bike is allowed. Class III electric bikes generally are not allowed on bike paths.
It is very important that all electric bikes conform to the laws that govern them in order to insure you will be protected in case of an accident that may result in the injury of others or property damage. All electric bikes that are used on public roads can have an electric motor no larger than 750 watts. Electric bikes that are used off road or on private property have no restrictions.
NOTE: Any electric bike with a motor that exceeds 750 watts and is on a public road is not classified as an electric bike...it is classified as an unlicensed motor vehicle. In the event of an accident your insurance company may not provide protection in the event you are sued.
