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I’m in the market for an ebike. One thing I’ve noticed is that quite a few of the ebikes sold with mid-drive motors have a cutout especially shaped for their mid drive motor.
Here’s an example of what I’m talking about. Check out bottom bracket and how the frame wraps around the motor. [https://civiacycles.com/bikes/north-loop-ebike/](https://civiacycles.com/bikes/north-loop-ebike/)
I basically want to know if this will mean the frame is worthless once the motor dies. I am going to be commuting a decent amount and I hate the idea of throwing away an entire bike once the motor dies. Will I at least be able to throw a regular crank set on there and use it as a regular bike (or put a hub motor on)? Or will I have to search for the exact shape of mid drive motor?
I’ve noticed higher end ebikes have even more specialized (get it? lol) customization for their frames, most even including the battery within the frame. I definitely don’t trust the longevity of a proprietary battery shape like that. I worry that we’re all going to be tossing these very specificly shaped bikes in the trash 5 years down the line.
No shade to anyone who has a bike like that btw. Whatever bike gets you riding is a fantastic bike. I just have concerns about this overall.
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View Reddit by dandydudefriend – View Source
I believe several manufacturers make their motor iterations to fit the same bolt pattern as previous models specifically so they can stop production of old stuff immediately without losing support for the platform. Some riders report having a motor die on them and having it replaced with a newer version because the part on the motor that went kaput was not available anymore. I think Specialized and Shimano do this, Bosch probably as well.
If it’s a steel bike frame then no issue removing an old bracket and welding in a new one. Not as easy on aluminum.
I’m sure a skilled frame builder could even make something that uses couplers to fit the bracket on the frame so nothing needs to be destroyed to be removed/swapped. Not for cheap though lol
>frame is worthless once the motor dies
Send the Bosch motor in for a rebuild/repair service, you can not DIY. Better yet, bet a Bafang M600 ot M620 and rebuild/repair it yourself as all the parts are available to the consumer for the DIY servicing.
I bet unless you are really hard on it that bike should last minimal 5 years. I think ebikes are gonna be here to stay. They are an incredible form of transport and we are only beginning to a scratch the surface of bikes coming out
No it means the frame and motor are “modular” in that, if the motor (plant) takes a dump it can be easily replaced.
However i dont think that theres a ISO standard and that the mounting differs among engine/frame manufacturers