Electric bikes (or e-bikes) provide a great alternative to standard cycling. They take a lot of the effort out of cycling, can help you travel faster and further and are a very popular way of commuting to work. But they can also be quite expensive and if you already have a good mountain, road or hybrid bike then there might not be much reason to buy a brand new bike just for the electrical capabilities. That’s where electric bike conversion kits come in.
A lot has changed since the last reviews we have made which is why we have decided to make this 2020 update. In this article we’ll review 6 of the best electric bike conversion kits to help give you a better understanding of what is on the market.
Contents
Electric Bike Conversion Kit Types
There is a lot more to this post than simply giving you a few speedily picked choices. The first problem that many people will face, is what type of conversion kit will suit their needs the best. There are several ways to convert your regular bike into an e-bike and many variations of electric bike conversion kits are currently available to buy. What is best for you will depend on the bike that you want to convert and how you’re going to be riding it.
E-Bike Wheels
For a basic mountain bike or simple cruiser bike where you’ll want just a little extra push will be fine with an e-bike wheel kit. This is where either of the wheels are replaced by a wheel containing a special hub and gear system. These are quite common and tend to be relatively cheap.
If you’re looking to be doing mostly simple commutes or road riding then a front wheel conversion kit will work fine. If off-roading and mountain biking is more your thing then a rear wheel conversion kit will work great as it will help with maintaining traction.
Mid-Drive Conversion Kit
A mid-drive conversion kit is where the battery and motor are attached to the frame of the bike. If you need an electric bike that can climb hills, has high power and can carry a lot of weight, mid-drive motor kits will likely be your best shout.
Bafang 8fun Mid-Drive Conversion Kit
The first conversion kit we’ll look at is the Bafang 8fun mid-drive conversion kit. This is a mid-drive kit with a 750W motor that makes this system ideal for pretty much any situation or use. It will work just as well on the side of a mountain as it will for your morning commute.
The kit includes everything you need to get going, including the motor, battery, an LCD display and the controls.
The battery is mounted similar to a water bottle and is 12Ah in size. This will give you around 25 miles on a single charge. All the components are completely waterproof so you can riding in the rain safely.
There are also some nice design features, such as the ability to pedal as you normally would and there be no difference in the difficulty. This is something that a lot of the cheaper conversion kits don’t have.
One of the down sides is that this kit doesn’t come with a set of paper instructions, but there are many videos online that will take you through the installation process and more.
Overall, this is one of the best electric bike conversion kits that you can currently buy. It’s got everything you need, performs very well and feels very robust. The waterproofing is a great bonus and the installation is relatively simple.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
theebikemotor Rear Wheel Conversion Kit 
This electric bike conversion kit is a really stunning example of what doing it yourself can achieve. The kit includes the motorised wheel, motor controller, brake lever, throttle, LCD display, disc brake and single, 6 or 7 speed gear system. But what is really impressive is the motor. It’s a 3000W motor!
A motor of this is is able to reach top speeds of up to 50 miles per hour! This is way more than anything else we’ve featured on AltRiders in general, not just electric bikes.
The set up is fairly simple considering the incredible performance and there are good, clear guides to help you.
The LCD display shows battery power level, riding time, speed, mileage and which gear you’re in.
But as you may have seen from the first paragraph, it’s not just about the motor and display, you also get a high quality disc brake to help you stop when you’re traveling at those high speeds. This disc brake is sturdy and is built well and performs much better than general v-brakes.
Overall, this is an amazing product. The performance you get is by far the best of anything we’ve reviewed. It also has a great customer rating on Amazon and we think for what you get the price is an absolute bargain.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
OUKANING Speed Rear Wheel Electric Bicycle Motor Conversion Kit
The Oukaning rear wheel conversion kit features pedal-assist power with 48V and an incredible 1000W of power, suitable for all bikes with 26” wheels. With similar metrics to the ReaseJoy listed below, the Oukaning is a great way to convert your bike into a motorised vehicle.
We found that the Oukaning offers slightly more power than similarly priced conversion kits, with speeds of up to 35 mph, but this will, of course, depend on the size of battery you’re using with the conversion kit. Batteries are not included in this conversion kit, allowing you to customise the type of battery you want to use.
The Oukaning conversion kit comes with a thumb throttle, as well as brake levers that turn off the power assist automatically, helping to slow you down. We also really like the controller bag that comes with the conversion kit, making it easy to attach the controller to your bike out of the way when you’re riding.
The Oukaning has consistently been rated one of the best rear-wheel conversion kits at this price point. It’s great value for money, incredibly reliable and offers a wide range of possible battery pairings.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
ReaseJoy Rear Wheel Electric Bicycle Motor Conversion Kit
The ReaseJoy rear wheel conversion kit includes an entire wheel and tyre that comes with 48V emitting 1000W of power. The conversion kit is well-made and comes with easy instructions for installation, using colour-coded wires so you just have to match everything up.
Before you buy a conversion kit, just make sure you check that your bike forks can handle the extra pressure from the torque that will be put on it! Once the conversion kit is attached to your rear wheel, you control it using a thumb throttle and users have reported speeds of up to 30 mph. This kit has some nice features, like the brake automatically turning off the motor assist, slowing you down and keeping you safe.
The conversion kit is compatible with all 26” wheels, and the kit also enables you to use disc brakes. The one downside we found is that the controller box can be a bit awkward to place, but we found that it works well if you strap it under your seat or put it in a seat post bag. This conversion kit doesn’t come with batteries but offers a wide range of compatible options.
The ReaseJoy doesn’t come with lots of bells and whistles, but it offers reliable, sturdy motor assist at a great price!
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Bafang BBS02B Mid Drive Electric Bike Motor Ebike Conversion Kit
Bafang are well known for their conversion kits and have lots of different versions available. The Bafang BBS02B is the latest in the range of mid-drive conversion kits. It is an easy-to-install option for converting just about any bike into an electric bike. The conversion kit is suitable for road bikes, commuter bikes and mountain bikes. We don’t recommend this conversion kit for fat tyre bikes or carbon fibre frames, due to the weight of the conversion kit.
The kit emits 750W of power, which will enable speeds of up to 30 mph depending on the type of battery you install. The installation is relatively easy and the conversion kit is compatible with both hydraulic and disc brakes. We like this conversion kits because it features a mid-drive attachment, centring the weight, rather than placing it within the wheels.
The Bafang also offers lots of different options for the torque and amps, and you can choose to place the battery either on the down tube or rear rack. We love having lots of options and being able to choose the best price and power that works for us! To fit the kit, you’ll need standard bike tools, with everything else included in the package. There are 5 assist levels, hills are no problem and you can easily reach 30 mph.
This conversion kit offers one of the smoothest rides. It’s easy to assemble, reliable and offers great power, turning your basic bike into a speed machine!
Check the latest price on Amazon.
TongSheng Mid Drive Electric Bike Conversion Kit
The TongSheng mid-drive electric bike conversion kit is a universal kit compatible with over 95% of bike frames and offering a light compact mid-drive option. The conversion kit is great for riding hills as it offers torque sensors, so it knows when to emit some extra power to get you up the hill. This means that riding along straight roads is incredibly efficient, allowing you to get more mileage out of your battery.
The TongSheng includes a controller pack and a clear display that shows your voltage accurately and allows you to see other stats such as your speed and battery level. We like this set-up because it doesn’t require a throttle and you rely on the torque sensor kicking in as you’re peddling, which feels more natural.
You can choose to buy only a motor kit if you’d like to buy a separate battery, or you can choose to buy a kit that includes everything you need to get started, including a compatible battery! When you set up the kit there is a max speed that is built into the controls of 15 mph, but this is easy to remove and then gives you a max speed of 22 mph.
We found that this was the best conversion kit for commuting, as it gives you consistent, reliable and smooth power through pedalling, allowing you to get to work without breaking a sweat, but and also offers enough power for steep hills or long days out biking. For an easy to install, well-made, torque-driven, mid-drive conversion kit, we don’t think there is anything better than the TongSheng.
Check the latest price on Amazon.
Conclusion
Well we hope this has given you a better idea of what to expect from some of the best e-bike conversion kits out there today. We’d recommend doing further reading, watching videos and understanding more about the installation process before actually buying one as they can be a little tricky to newcomers. However, these are some of the easiest to install we’ve found so don’t think you’ll have too many problems.
Here’s a quick introductory video for the different types of e-bikes and their drive systems:
If you need to know more, think we’ve missed something or want to ask us some questions then comment below or connect with us on Facebook.
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Hi! I liked your review regarding the Violamart 26 Inch Rear Wheel Electric Bike Conversion Kit. I would like to know if you have an idea of a compatible battery that goes with it. Thanks so much!
Hi Mike,
A compatible battery for the Voilamart would be a 48 Volt electrokinetic cell battery with a capacity no less than 11.6Ah. Such as this one, it’s a little on the pricey side but it’s a good size. Hope this helps!
is it hard to install the rear cassette do i need special tools pls help ty