BIG POPPA BIKES: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What services do you provide?

We perform e-bike conversions

 

We perform maintenance and repair of Bafang Mid-Drive e-bike motors 

 

What's a Bafang BBS e-bike motor?

We specialize in the installation of Bafang BBS02 and BBSHD e-bike motors on your existing bicycle. These motors are powerful, "mid-drive" motors that mount on your bicycle’s bottom bracket (where the pedal cranks are located). 


The BBS02...


The BBSHD...

 

What’s the difference between a mid-drive and hub motor?

Almost all e-bicycles come in two flavors: 


People who ebike in hilly areas prefer a mid-drive over a hub-drive motor. Hub-drive bicyclists often remark that a mid-drive motor requires less pedaling effort to accomplish the same task, and a hub-drive will simply quit if the hill is too steep. This is because mid-drive motors like the BBS have higher torque/power outputs than their hub-drive counterparts, and also take advantage of your bike's existing gears (the hub-drive motor can't). 


In addition to their ability to climb hills, BBS mid-drive motors are popular because they are reliable, relatively inexpensive, and can be customized to your riding style. Maintenance of a mid-drive is also easier. For example, changing a tire on a hub-drive is cumbersome due to the specialized hardware and wiring attached to the rear wheel axle and the heavy motor which is permanently attached to the wheel.

 

How do your BBS-equipped electric bicycles ride?

The "pedalling assistance" provided by the BBS motor allows cyclists to ride faster, cover more miles during a ride, and climb hills easier. Without customization, most riders describe the BBS as “zippy” or “peppy” compared to a similarly-powered hub-drive e-bike. This is because its torque and power outputs are much higher than your typical ebike motor.


The BBS motor is installed with a thumb throttle, giving the bicyclist options during a ride. Most riders use it to assist with starting the bike from a full stop, provide instant acceleration for an emergency manouver, or simply to enjoy a motorcycle-like ride. Other riders prefer to pedal their bike without assistance from the motor, and only use the throttle for assistance climbing hills.


With customization, the pedaling assistance and throttle power settings in the BBS motors can be adjusted by software to suit your riding style and preferences. The most frequent request we get is from lighter riders: they want the conveniences of the ebike motor, but don't require the high power at takeoff. A quick 15 minute session with us will address this customization request.

 

Why do you offer Bafang BBS motors?

We truly believe that a BBS motor, when installed on a bike you love, is your best option for long term ebike bliss.  The motors are inexpensive, reliable, powerful, “street-legal” and can be tuned to suit your personal riding style and preferences. You also save money in the long run:  If you end up replacing your bike, the same motor can be reinstalled/upcycled on your next bicycle!

 

What type of bikes can be converted into electric bicycles?

If you have a mountain bike, beach cruiser or hybrid bicycle with a 26”, 700c, 27.5” or 29” size wheel, it will likely be able to be converted into a BBS-powered e-bike. Bikes with wheel sizes smaller than 26”, certain full-suspension bike frames, and fat-tire bikes will be more difficult for us to work on. We’ll inspect your bicycle and discuss your options and provide a free quote before we start work.

 

Do I have to have to bring my own bike?

Although its not required, we recommend converting a bicycle you already love, fits you, and you are used to riding. Not only does it cost you less, but you will more quickly adapt to the new ride characteristics of your freshly electrified ride. 

 

Alternatively, if you want us to install a motor on a bike you wish to purchase (see "Lil' Mo'" in our bike build section), or convert your hub-drive bike to a mid-drive (see the "Flying Dragon" in our bike build section), we are happy to consult and provide a free quote.

 

How do you “tune” a Bafang BBS motor to suit my personal riding style?

A unique feature of the Bafang BBS motors is their ability to be customized to your personal riding style. Although most bicyclists enjoy the default motor settings from the factory, the BBS motor power output, pedal assistance, and throttle settings can be changed by reprogramming the motor controller. 

 

For example, the motor can be reprogrammed to have better power on steep mountain bike trails or can be tuned for a mellow, smooth-as-silk beach bike path cruise. As part of the build process, we’ll be asking you a lot of questions about your riding style and your preferences for the best biking experience. 


We can perform this service for every new motor purchased from us, or it can be done on a BBS motor you have purchased somewhere else. We are also happy to teach you how to do this yourself!

 

How much does an ebike conversion cost? 

Although money is nice, we firmly believe that biking benefits physical & mental health and is good for the planet. Our mission is to get you outside on a bike you love for the lowest cost possible. We don’t mark up the cost of the equipment, so you’ll get the best price. A typical conversion (refurbished motor + battery + labor) can start at $500 or lower. After an initial analysis and interview about your goals, we provide you with a free "out the door" quote.

 

If I see a cheap electric bike on Amazon or eBay, should I buy it?

We don’t recommend it. The main reasons are that many "one size fits all" bikes actually don't fit a lot of riders, have under-powered motors (for example a low powered 350 Watt rated motor is sold as a 500 Watt "peak power" motor), are built with poor quality no-name components, boast misleading specifications (the pictures on the website don't match whats delivered to you) and are heavy (sometimes as high as 80 lbs!).  


Their unimpressive performance characteristics appear when you try to climb a hill or race your buddy. When a part fails, the local bike shop will have difficulty fixing it because the part is located overseas or simply unavailable. These bikes are also tough to lug around, and you may need to purchase a special bike rack to support their weight.


This is not say all bikes advertised on the web are bad! You can find great deals on bikes with high-quality components in unexpected places, like Walmart or Dick's sporting goods. We can help you determine if a bike you like would be a good "donor bike" for an ebike upgrade. 


I saw on the internet that Bafang motors are unreliable. Is this true?

Although the first version of the Bafang BBS motor had reliability issues when it was released over a decade ago, the newer BBS motors are very different animals.  Not only are they made with more robust components, but they also have benefitted from their wide popularity in the USA & Europe. A vibrant & friendly BBS user community has established best practices for their installation, usage, and service. BBS cyclists are also fun people to meet on your bicycling adventures, or at least pass by with a wink and a nod.

 

Do you build batteries? If not, what type of battery do you install?

We do not build batteries from scratch. Instead, we seek the lowest price battery that will suit your riding needs but also fit your bike frame. Unfortunately, some battery vendors boast unrealistic battery capacities, or a perfectly good battery is damaged internally during shipping. For this reason, we verify the advertised battery capacity with a specialized battery load-testing instrument before we install it on your bike. This gives you piece of mind- and also allows an easier replacement of the battery before its warranty/return window expires.

 

Do you service ebike batteries?

We diagnose most e-bike battery issues and fix any issues that do not require us to open the battery case. However, we don’t open the battery case itself as this will void the manufacturer’s warranty/return policy.

 

I have a ebike battery that I think is losing its capacity. Can you help me?

Yes we can! We are happy to test the performance of a new or used battery, even if it wasn’t installed by us. Our specialized instrumentation will report a battery's capacity in Watt Hours (Wh) and Amp Hours (Ah). The test is not a simple and misleading static voltage check- instead we slowly discharge the battery and measure its output levels over time. This service requires the battery and its charger to be left with us overnight so we can fully charge/discharge/recharge the battery.

 

My Bafang motor no longer works. Can you help me?

We certainly can! We have several years experience maintaining and servicing BBS motors. A quick chat can diagnose the issue to see if it can be easily fixed by you. In case the issue is more serious, we stock parts and will perform repairs quickly so you can get back to having fun.


The good news is that Bafang motor issues are unusual and often not an issue with the motor itself. For example, a speed sensor may come out of alignment if the bike is dropped hard, which makes an error code "21" appear on the BBS's LCD display. Fortunately, this can quickly be quickly fixed by you realigning the sensor by hand- no tools necessary!