The Pros and Cons of Ebike Kits

Hello everyone, by now I’m sure you know we here at Ebike Universe focus on all different types of electric vehicles, ebikes, scooters, atvs, you name it! And if you haven’t had a chance to already, you can check out our blog post about the cost of getting an electric bike to see if you’re ready to make the plunge. If you’re like most people you’ve probably said to yourself, “I have a perfectly good working bike, why don’t I just use an Ebike Kit to make it electric?”. 

Well, we’re here to help with that question and more to make your decision making that much easier. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Pro: Initial costs are lower

By getting an Ebike Kit, we’re probably making a safe assumption that you own a bike already. With that being said, the cost of the bike itself is taken care of. Ebike kit’s range anywhere from $350 to $500 (without the battery) and $1100 + with, which is less than the average brand new ebike.

Sometimes things just don’t go the way you want them to. There are a lot of intricate electrical components that go into an ebike including the BMS (battery management system), controller, and throttle to name a few. If any of these parts has a fault or malfunction, it is hard for someone who is not well versed with ebikes to fix it and you often don’t have any warranty on these parts.

Pro: Full Customization

Often with regular ebikes you get a few cookie cutter options that attempt to be great for everyone. With an ebike kit, if purchased in piece you can configure the bike exactly however you want it. Whether you want a 250W motor or 500W, mid-drive or hub motor, a high voltage battery or a battery with high amperage, you can pick and choose to make your own creation.

Con: Conversion kits aren’t an easy set up.

You have to have a bit of technical know-how to put together a conversion kit. And because every bike is different, sometimes finding the optimal kit for a particular bike is tough. You may have cables that run too long or short and taking off the old braking system can be a royal pain. But if you have a bit of ingenuity or help from someone that’s good with these, it’s nothing that can’t be tackled.

Pro and Con: Sometimes they look cool sometimes they don’t

This is a half and half because it all depends on your dedication to the cause. Traditionally ebike kits lack the aesthetic appeal in comparison with an ebike that has the frame and everything built with that in mind, like the Daymak Wolf for example. And depending on the bicycle frame the wires may have to run outside the frame making it a zip tie mess. On the flip side, sometimes with a little bit of ingenuity and effort you can have a bicycle with a conversion kit look really cool and inconspicuous but it definitely takes a lot more effort to pull it off.

The Wolf Fat Tire Electric Bike from Daymak 

In conclusion: A viable choice!

Ultimately you are going to have to be the one who decides whether the additional savings is worth the extra work that you are going to have to put in the long run. While we here at Ebike Universe believe that an ebike designed and built as such is better for the end user, we definitely want people to have the option! If you decide that you want to go with a brand new ebike, feel free to check out our ebike section here and find the right ebike for you.