Is it posible to easily make a regular mountain bike into an electric bike?

Question

if so, even if it's costly, how is it done? thanks

Answer 1

An electric bike has to have a motor, controller, throttle, and battery pack.

Hub motors are the easiest to install.

overview:

You remove your old front wheel, put the new wheel where the old one was, align the wheel in the slots, adjust the brakes, secure the controller and the battery pack on the rear rack, put the throttle on the handle bars, route the wires safely and tie-wrap, connect the connectors together, turn every thing on and test.

To be of much use, you have to have at least 250watts, and hopefully more.

Largo scooters has a decent kit (go Hub)for $600 and is nice. Every once in a while you can find a WE or BD36 for maybe $350.

http://www.largoscooters.com/

A Largo kit has keyed connectors so you cannot hook it up wrong.

6 days ago

Answer 2

You can buy kits but by the time you pay for those it's working out just as expensive as buying a purpose built electric bike. Unless you have a passion for constructing bikes and some knowledge of electrics I would think buying a new bike would be the preferable option. Also if you live in the UK and want to stay 100% legal you have to fit the bike with a restrictor as anything that can go over 15 mph is classed as a motorised vehicle and liable to road tax etc. If you're not interested in the legalities then you can buy a rear wheel with a motor in the hub and a battery then you just have to wire it up to some form of switch mechanism. I have my electric bike wired up with an electric light switch that bypasses the restrictor which isn't ideal but it's quite effective.