How I Made My Road Bike Electric
I recently converted my Fuji hybrid city bike into an e-bike using the Bafang BBS02 kit, which I purchased from AliExpress (shipped from the United States) for about $680. The kit includes a 48V 19.2Ah downtube battery, a 750W motor, an EKD01 display, and a 44T chainring.
My main motivation for doing the conversion myself, instead of buying a pre-made e-bike, was to build a higher-performance bike at a lower cost. Besides, I was already comfortable with my manual bike, so I thought, why not just upgrade it?
Before actually purchasing the kit, I assessed compatibility by printing cut-out templates for the bottom bracket and battery to ensure they would fit my Fuji bike frame. Everything looked good.
After several days, the kit finally arrived! I was able to get started right away, thanks to the wide range of bike tools generously lent to me by my housemate: crank and bottom bracket removal tools, a pedal wrench, a bike stand, and various Allen wrenches. The only extra items I needed to buy were a longer adjustable wrench for extra leverage (our existing tool could not remove the crank arms), dielectric grease, and cable wrap.
To install the Bafang BBS02 kit, I first removed the crank arms and bottom bracket. I then proceeded with the following steps:
- Inserted the motor into the empty bottom bracket shell and secured it with the provided bolts and lockrings. Make sure to secure the lockrings super tight! I made the mistake of not tightening them enough. On my first ride, I noticed the motor was moving upward and hitting the frame when I used the throttle or pedal assist. The pedals also felt a bit wobbly. It felt strange, but I was inexperienced with e-bikes and thought it was normal. I even bought a pad to cushion the motor so it would not hit the frame too hard 😂. Later, I read online that the motor is not supposed to move at all while riding! I had to remove the pedals and crank arms again to properly re-tighten the lockrings and bolts. After that, everything felt solid, and there were no more issues!
- Attached the 44T chainring to the motor and reinstalled the crank arms and pedals.
- Removed the left shifter permanently to make space on the handlebar (and because I thought I would not need it anymore).
- Replaced the existing brake levers on both sides. When purchasing the kit, you can choose between electric bike levers or sensors. I opted for the levers, so I replaced the originals with the Bafang-provided ones. To install the new right brake lever, I had to temporarily remove the right gear shifter since it is positioned to the right of the brake lever.
- Installed the display and throttle on the left side of the handlebars.
- Mounted the battery bracket to the downtube by securing the bolts into the water bottle mount holes. My setup is a bit tight — there is not much space in front of or above the battery, but I can still remove it without too much trouble. Bafang does offer batteries designed for mounting on the rear rack, but I chose to mount mine on the downtube for better balance. Besides, I like to keep my rear rack free for a basket to carry stuff!
Important: ensure the battery is not attached to the bracket when working with the cable connections. I accidentally burned the metal part of a bonus XT60 male connector cable when it hit the bike frame while the battery was attached!
- Mounted the front light to the front fork using zip ties. However, I usually keep the Bafang-provided light unplugged because it stays on whenever the battery is connected, even when the display is off and the bike is idle. To save energy, I rely on my own front light instead.
- Mounted the speed sensor to the rear wheel and frame using zip ties.
- Applied dielectric grease to the male part of all connections to protect them from corrosion, then connected all components, including the display, throttle, motor, and brake sensors.
Tip: The cable connections can be very hard to remove. To make it easier, try blowing warm air over them with a hair dryer — it worked for me!
- Organized the cables using a spiral cable wrap to ensure they were tidy and would not interfere with any moving parts.
Bonus upgrades: I replaced the old saddle with a more comfortable one to improve my riding experience. I also changed the front tire to one more recommended for e-bikes, though I kept the rear tire for now since it is still in good condition. Additionally, I installed two collapsible rear side racks to expand my bike’s carrying capacity, which has made it much easier to use the bike for grocery shopping!
Overall, doing the e-bike conversion has been a great learning experience. I love working with my hands, including assembling and disassembling things (a budding hobby that began when I restored a vintage knitting machine). However, I have not had much experience working with bikes, so I did get annoyed at times, particularly when adjusting the brakes, right gear shifter, and rear derailleur. Thankfully, I managed to complete the conversion with the help of many YouTube videos and Reddit threads (here are more tips and tricks). I even feel quite satisfied and proud of what I accomplished. That said, I am still not sure if I did everything perfectly — but hey, it seems to be working fine! Do you install your kit differently than I did? Feel free to share your conversion experience!