EBIKE COMPLETE!

[rclouse79]

I apologize in advance, but I am too excited not to share. I have been tinkering with a Specialized Fatboy I bought in January and it is finally complete today! I made the cutoff for turkey and bear season by a couple weeks.
It has a bbshd Bafang 1000 w motor with a 52 volt 21 amp hr battery. I added a 42 Lekkie front chain ring and replaced the rear cassette and chain so I could start fresh. I had the bike shop remove the smallest two cogs and shift the rear cassette over to improve the chain line. It shifts like a dream. I just bought new 4.6 inch tires that I just finished setting up tubeless.
I got a sweet rear rack rated to 110 lbs and two Ortlieb rear panniers. I have no doubt I could haul a front quarter in each of them. I added a dropper post and a kickstand. I ended up buying a Quietkat two wheel trailer and put Tannis tire liners in it to prevent flats.
It goes 30 mph on the flat without pedaling. Thanks for letting me share!

 

[mcdubbin]

That's fricken awesome

 

[mobohunter]

This is awesome. I recently sold a beginner Ebike and bought a fat tire Ascend bike, looking to make similar upgrades as you. Have done quite a bit of research on the bbshd leki and even going to single speed. Would be interested in any advice you would find useful along the way

 

[Fatcamp]

How much did the motor conversion cost?

Battery and all components.

 

[Fisherhahn]

Interested in doing this with my own bike as it just sits and I never use it. Is this just the kit from Amazon?

 

[rclouse79]

This is awesome. I recently sold a beginner Ebike and bought a fat tire Ascend bike, looking to make similar upgrades as you. Have done quite a bit of research on the bbshd leki and even going to single speed. Would be interested in any advice you would find useful along the way

Luckily, I had a friend who had done all of the research already. He sent me a list of everything I needed to convert it from AliExpress. Everything I needed plus some extras, like headlight and display came in at just over $1000. I picked the bike up for $700. I could have stopped there, but I went a little crazy. Front shock, all new gears and chain, Lekkie bling ring, new tires, rear rack, panniers, seat dropper post, bike bags, trailer, etc. I am probably at least 3k into it.
Depending on the bike you convert, the 42 tooth Lekkie bling ring is nice because it has a big enough diameter to be offset to sit closer to the frame of the bike. I used spacers so the front chain ring just clears the frame. Between that and removing the smallest two gears my chain line is super straight.
There are lots of surprises along the way if you are like me and don't know a lot about bikes. Luckily there are lots of resources on YouTube and I found a local bike shop that I trust. There were a couple times needed a special tool, and instead of dropped $75 on the tool I just took it to the shop and they did it for $5. I would recommend using your bike shop in the winter. They were slow and would just do whatever I needed right when I walked in. I was having some trouble seating my new tires tubeless and I called them last week. With the spring rush to get bikes tuned up they told me it would be over a week before they could even look at it.

 

[mobohunter]

Luckily, I had a friend who had done all of the research already. He sent me a list of everything I needed to convert it from AliExpress. Everything I needed plus some extras, like headlight and display came in at just over $1000. I picked the bike up for $700. I could have stopped there, but I went a little crazy. Front shock, all new gears and chain, Lekkie bling ring, new tires, rear rack, panniers, seat dropper post, bike bags, trailer, etc. I am probably at least 3k into it.
Depending on the bike you convert, the 42 tooth Lekkie bling ring is nice because it has a big enough diameter to be offset to sit closer to the frame of the bike. I used spacers so the front chain ring just clears the frame. Between that and removing the smallest two gears my chain line is super straight.
There are lots of surprises along the way if you are like me and don't know a lot about bikes. Luckily there are lots of resources on YouTube and I found a local bike shop that I trust. There were a couple times needed a special tool, and instead of dropped $75 on the tool I just took it to the shop and they did it for $5. I would recommend using your bike shop in the winter. They were slow and would just do whatever I needed right when I walked in. I was having some trouble seating my new tires tubeless and I called them last week. With the spring rush to get bikes tuned up they told me it would be over a week before they could even look at it.

Yeah I have been watching the Johnny Nerd Out guy on YT and even had a 15 minute call with him on the best donor bikes... I wanted something that would get up and down hills easier, so I was going to run a 28 or 36 tooth Bling Ring. Good advice on the bike shops as I've heard some of the tools are pretty expensive. I was looking at potentially just ordering the unit of Amazon, did you think AliExpress was that much better of a deal?

 

[Steve O]

Luckily, I had a friend who had done all of the research already. He sent me a list of everything I needed to convert it from AliExpress. Everything I needed plus some extras, like headlight and display came in at just over $1000. I picked the bike up for $700. I could have stopped there, but I went a little crazy. Front shock, all new gears and chain, Lekkie bling ring, new tires, rear rack, panniers, seat dropper post, bike bags, trailer, etc. I am probably at least 3k into it.
Depending on the bike you convert, the 42 tooth Lekkie bling ring is nice because it has a big enough diameter to be offset to sit closer to the frame of the bike. I used spacers so the front chain ring just clears the frame. Between that and removing the smallest two gears my chain line is super straight.
There are lots of surprises along the way if you are like me and don't know a lot about bikes. Luckily there are lots of resources on YouTube and I found a local bike shop that I trust. There were a couple times needed a special tool, and instead of dropped $75 on the tool I just took it to the shop and they did it for $5. I would recommend using your bike shop in the winter. They were slow and would just do whatever I needed right when I walked in. I was having some trouble seating my new tires tubeless and I called them last week. With the spring rush to get bikes tuned up they told me it would be over a week before they could even look at it.

I’ve got a Specialized Rockhopper that just hang in the garage that I’ve always wanted to do this to. Any chance I could get that list?

 

[rclouse79]

Yeah I have been watching the Johnny Nerd Out guy on YT and even had a 15 minute call with him on the best donor bikes... I wanted something that would get up and down hills easier, so I was going to run a 28 or 36 tooth Bling Ring. Good advice on the bike shops as I've heard some of the tools are pretty expensive. I was looking at potentially just ordering the unit of Amazon, did you think AliExpress was that much better of a deal?

I am not quite sure on the price difference. I just ordered from them because my buddy sent me all the links. I am sure they were a bit cheaper.

 

[rclouse79]

I’ve got a Specialized Rockhopper that just hang in the garage that I’ve always wanted to do this to. Any chance I could get that list?

If you pm me your email, I will forward you a copy of what my buddy sent me with all the links.

 

[Buckeye32]

Yeah I have been watching the Johnny Nerd Out guy on YT and even had a 15 minute call with him on the best donor bikes... I wanted something that would get up and down hills easier, so I was going to run a 28 or 36 tooth Bling Ring. Good advice on the bike shops as I've heard some of the tools are pretty expensive. I was looking at potentially just ordering the unit of Amazon, did you think AliExpress was that much better of a deal?

Curious what Johnny Nerdout had to say regarding donor bikes for hunting purposes? I was planning to pick up a Trek Roscoe at some point this spring/summer to convert.

 

[mobohunter]

Curious what Johnny Nerdout had to say regarding donor bikes for hunting purposes? I was planning to pick up a Trek Roscoe at some point this spring/summer to convert.

He recommended the Costco Northrock, and then just upgrading components as needed/wanted. But basically as long as you figure out a couple dimensions you can make anything work

 

[Greenwood]

Very cool.

 

[Archerichards]

Great piece of work here. Well done.