It’s January 14, 2022. The temperature in my garage isn’t terrible (though it will be tomorrow), so I’m going to start working on my mid-drive DIY project. Here’s a picture of my donor bike:
And here’s my starting parts list (shop around for better prices and a reliable supplier):
Well, that was easy! Here’s a 30 second video that shows how straightforward a mid-drive motor installation can be. The Bafang motor fit the Gary Fisher Genesis frame perfectly – no shims required!
And a few photos for your enjoyment:
This all went more quickly than expected, and the installation is very clean. I still need to torque everything down and figure out where wires need to go. Also, I need to modify the battery mount since the mounting holes provided set the battery too low on the down tube. I’ll likely be investing another 4 to 6 hours in this build before it’s complete.
It’s 1/12/2022 and this build is FINISHED! If I knew where my Staples ‘That Was Easy’ button is stored, I would have hit it. This build is SO much easier and cleaner than the rear-hub build, though a bit more expensive. It’s still really cold outside and there’s too much salt on the road for a test ride, but I’ll get out for my comparison test ride soon enough and write up my observations in a separate post.
Anyway, here’s the final build:
**update**
So, it’s now mid-February and I did get to test drive this bike. It was not pretty. The chain kept derailing, and power management was very strange. I’m now waiting for a new KMC 9-speed chain to arrive which should work better than the previous Zonkie chain on the 9-speed cassette and with the new Lekkie 46-tooth chainring (all explained in future posts)…
As a spoiler, here’s a picture of the bike today, including the new KMC X9 chain.
And one more thing: although the Lekkie chain ring is AMAZING, my chain alignment needs to be tweaked. I added this 2mm spacer that pushes the chain ring out a bit and that solved the problem. Note to self: spacers are cheap, so when you buy your Lekkie, pay the extra $5 for the spacer. You’ll be glad you did!