Converting your own bike into a powerful electric bike

Is converting your own bike into a powerful electric bike with a Power-e-bike kit complicated?

Since the prices currently offered are among the most attractive on the French market, it is normal to wonder how easy it is to carry out the assembly yourself. Many people have questions before buying a kit and while designing their electric bike. I will try to answer them based on my own experience, keeping the assembly of your future electric bike as simple as possible.

For more than 3 years, I have owned several Power-e-Bike rh205 kits. I have really tested everything with my 70 km a day, 5 days a week bike-to-work commute, rain or shine. (I will not talk about electric bike batteries, as it would be far too long and Power-e-Bike would owe me far too many gift vouchers to thank me 😉 See instead https://www.power-e-bike.fr/blog/choix-de-la-batterie-pour-velo-electrique/ for more information on choosing the battery.)

It is certain that someone trying to build an electric bike without knowing how to tell the + from the – of their battery, and unable to turn a spanner, risks coming to grief very quickly. Assembly requires common sense, method and a concern for a job well done. I therefore advise you to be meticulous and patient!

Some claim you can convert your own bike into an electric bike in barely 30 minutes. It may be possible, but only if you already have a number of builds under your belt. If you rush, assembly mistakes can pile up and be fatal for your electric bike. So take your time! Sit down quietly, do not rush like a child who has just received their toy (I am speaking from my own experience).

Keep in mind that every bike is different and, depending on the model, the positioning of components and cables differs, just as your bike’s original equipment differs: disc brakes, brake callipers or rim brakes, 26-inch or 28-inch wheel, dropout width… etc. etc…

However, do not worry: in general, the rh205 motor fits without too much difficulty on 95% of consumer bikes. Just take a look at the slideshow to understand better:

It is important to note that your Power-e-Bike rh205 kit is delivered ready to ride with a thumb throttle, an onboard computer, a controller and of course a motorized wheel. This will greatly simplify the assembly process, but it is still recommended to have a minimum of DIY and electrical knowledge.

So you have ordered your power-e-bike conversion kit to build your electric bike:

Your parcel will reach you in roughly 3-5 working days if you did not take part in a group buy with a reduced price (about 5 weeks)

in the meantime, you can already plan for these few tools and items:

• wire cutters
• file
• 24 mm open-end spanner
• tyre levers
• zip ties, tape (in the colour of your frame)
• small screwdriver, hammer, centre punch
• spoke key

Apart from the zip ties and the spoke key, which you will easily find in your favourite shops, most of you will already have the tools at home, in your garage or in the boot of your car…

That is it, all that is left is to wait for the delivery of your conversion kit as well as, of course, your battery ordered from another supplier, respecting the following rule:

controller power in amps equal to or smaller than the battery’s continuous discharge capacity (see here for more advice)

Here we are, a few days later your parcel has arrived!

Unpack it, checking with the delivery note that all the ordered accessories are present.

Let’s get to know the components

• The Brushless controller for electric bikes

which, I must admit, is quite scary at first with all its cables:

https://www.power-e-bike.fr/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/transformer-son-velo-personnel-en-velo-electrique.pdf

Note that it is almost impossible to make a wiring mistake, because each plug is unique, has its own function and cannot be connected to any other.

Battery = black and red Anderson plugs (+ and -) which must be connected to your battery

motor = yellow, blue and green Anderson plugs which power the electric motor

Hall = 5-colour plug dedicated to the Hall effect sensor of the electric motor

Brakes = optional; they cut off all acceleration when braking, and can also trigger regeneration (recharging your battery)

LCD = onboard computer with the advantage of working with a 36V, 48V and 60V battery!
– power ON/OFF
– speedometer,
– total and partial distance travelled,
– battery charge level,
– assistance power level,
– 5 assistance levels,
– cruise control,
P.A.S = Pedal Assist System or pedal sensor, allows acceleration just by pedalling. Personally, I am not a fan at all, I do not find the acceleration very linear.

I would rather recommend it for small electric bike setups such as 250w (ps: the new model of PAS with 8 magnets should improve the raw acceleration effect).

Throttles: 2 different plugs that allow you to use all kinds of throttles offered on the site, such as a thumb throttle or twist grip (like on a motorbike) with a 3-level battery display and on/off switch (the 3-level display + switch is useless if you chose the LCD screen)

60% speed limit = by connecting these two small plugs (black and white), you will limit your kit to 60%.

Battery recharge = by connecting these two small plugs (yellow and green-striped) you will activate battery regeneration when braking; be careful with this option, it is best to be fitted with torque arms to reinforce the dropouts. Be careful not to use your regeneration when your battery is full, you would risk overcharging it, which it would not appreciate at all.

for those who cannot use V-brake type brake levers with electric cut-off because they are fitted with disc brakes, the trick is to buy this small electric bike battery regeneration switch

“…Since the connection plug of this item is identical to the V-brake type brake lever with electric cut-off of our controllers, it can be used as an alternative for triggering the regeneration….”

before connecting these two plugs, check carefully whether your electric bike battery will accept this recharging mode, which can reach up to 10ah or more at times.

Fitting the rh205 motorized wheel

You can follow these articles

• rh205b motor fitting , cable exiting at the end of the axle on the b
• rh205C motor fitting , cable exiting inside the frame (this is the most recent one at power-e-bike)

At the time I am writing this article, there is a strong chance you will receive the C model, since the B is no longer produced.

Take great care not to pinch your cable during assembly, and to attach the motor cable along the frame with the famous zip ties, or tape if you are not sure.

Now, the controller:

but where to attach it?

here again, the answer depends on your bike: you can put it under the saddle, on the frame, on the luggage rack,

avoid as much as possible enclosing your controller in a closed box, let it breathe:

here are a few well-thought-out mounting examples I found on the site:

the electric bike controller sold by power ebike will not fear humidity, but you will still need to protect the plugs, because in very heavy driving rain you may encounter slight malfunctions.

Motor fitted, controller attached, all that remains is the throttle and, if you chose it among your options, the LCD onboard computer

since the arrival of the LCD screens power e-bike no longer offers in its electric bike configurator throttles with integrated battery level display and on/off switch:

thumb throttles:

this is a good thing, because it leaves more room to fit the item on the handlebar without getting in the way of the gear shifter.

if, moreover, you own a twist grip type gear shifter

you will have to choose the thumb throttle

End of the first part… sorry I am a bit short of time, I will continue this article later…

in the meantime, do not hesitate to share your comments with me!

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