When choosing an electric bike conversion kit for your bicycle, you will have two kinds of motors to choose from: a direct drive or geared motor. Available in a wide range of power options- from 250w’s that get up to 15mph to 1000w’s that get up to 28mph- each electric bike conversion kit motor has its benefits and drawbacks, so how and where you plan to ride will determine the right type for you.

Direct Drive Motors

Sometimes referred to as brushless, or “speed motors,” direct drive motor setups tend to be bigger and heavier than their geared counterparts. They require more energy to pick up speed. However, once they get going, they build upon and maintain that speed, giving them the ability to reach higher maximum speeds.

How does it work?

Direct drive motors relatively simple in design, consisting of only two pieces—a stator and a rotor —in which the hub of the bike remains stationary (the stator) and the wheel rim rotates around it (the rotor). Its simple electric motor design incorporates the wheel hub as the axis, and the wheel rim as the outer motor “casing”. Once electricity is fed from the rechargeable battery through the copper-wound stator (axle), it creates an electromagnetic field, to which the magnets installed around the wheel rim react by rotating. This, of course, moves the bicycle forward.

Advantages

Since the magnets and copper-wound hub aren’t touching each other, and the only moving part consists of the wheel rotating on its axle, the direct drive hub motor makes no more noise than a conventional bicycle coasting down a hill. It has no gears rubbing together as they interlock, making these the quietest motors you can find.

Disadvantages

Direct drive motors are not as efficient in stop-and-go traffic, because each startup requires a new surge of energy from the battery, which will die faster if used heavily in this manner. Moreover, the magnetic field these motors have will produce drag when pedaling or coasting, making it slower when not throttled and harder to pedal.

Due to the more substantial weight and greater initial energy use when speeding up, direct drive motors won’t take you quite as far as geared motors on the same fully-charged battery. The range reduction is usually only a couple of miles.

Overall

That said, if you live in a flat area or don’t go off-road very often, a direct drive ebike motor may be the better choice for you. If you don’t mind pedaling to help going up a hill, and really want to reach some daredevil-level top speeds, direct drive motors are definitely the way to go! Here are a couple of favorites rated by direct-drive riders:

MOTORIZED BICYCLE ELECTRIC BIKE KITS - ModWheel 48v 1000w Direct Drive Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit + Optional Battery - wheel with components
Sold out

Geared Motors

“Geared” doesn’t mean you have to change gears or speeds as with a manual bike with gears. It explains the makeup of the motor, as there are gears that rotate inside the motor instead of brushes or magnets. Geared hub motors are much more inconspicuous, looking hardly any different from an unmodified bicycle. Smaller, lighter, and less obvious when installed, geared motors weigh about 7lbs to a direct drive's 20-25lbs.

How does it work?

Geared motors connect to a stator that’s built into a series of planetary rotation gears. When you give throttle (energy) to the wheel, the internal motor turns those gears quickly instead of moving a big hub to get going. These gears are what make the motor propel the wheel, which in turn propels the bike.

 

Advantages

Each rotation of these hub assemblies occurs much faster than direct drive motors, which maximizes energy efficiency. This gearing system lets the motor work at higher, more efficient speeds while producing a good amount of torque which is great for climbing hills and riding on varying terrains.

If you travel off-road, on rough roads, or deal with extreme weather conditions like snow or mud, a geared motor’s higher torque and speed variability will handle it better. A geared motor will be much more efficient at handling variables in speed and incline.

Disadvantages

Geared hub motor kits start quickly, but their small size can’t continuously build speed like the direct drives can. Moreover, even though these motors are more energy efficient than direct drives, they, unfortunately, have a lower top speed and an overall shorter lifespan than direct drives.

Overall

Though the gears do make some noise, they’re still quiet compared to a gas engine. If you’re wanting to go long distances at a set cruising speed, this motor doesn’t use as much energy as direct drive’s, so you’ll see increased range out of these motors. Moreover, when it comes to coasting, just like on a manual geared bike, ratcheting pawls allow you to cruise down a hill without drag and pedal without resistance from the motor, unlike direct drives that can be difficult to pedal with so much resistance behind them. Here's a favorite geared hub kit riders can't get enough of:

MOTORIZED BICYCLE ELECTRIC BIKE KITS - ModWheel 36v 500w Geared Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit + Optional Battery - wheel with parts
Sold out

Which motor is the best?

Well... it depends.

Whether you're looking to convert your favorite bike into an electric bike with an e-bike conversion kit, or you want to purchase a brand new complete electric bicycle, there are many factors to consider.

You should take your average travel distance into account when choosing a wattage for your e-bike, and decide whether speed, torque, or distance is the most important attribute for your needs.

  • Higher wattage produces more power, and therefore more speed, but will also reduce your effective range by draining your battery faster.
  • Lower wattage motors produce less power, but they can also last longer and have better ranges than larger ones.
  • Geared motors don't last as long as direct drive motors, but they also take significantly less power to run and produce more torque than direct drives.
  • Direct drive motors can generate speed and keep a consistent speed better than geared motors, but their range is far less than geared motors

And that's just some of the aspects to take into consideration when choosing the right electric bike hub.


Not sure where to start? Check out our chart below and click here to check out all of your options.

When choosing an electric bike conversion kit for your bicycle, you will have two kinds of motors to choose from: a direct drive or geared motor. Available in a wide range of power options- from 250w’s that get up to 15mph to 1000w’s that get up to 28mph- each electric bike conversion kit motor has its benefits and drawbacks, so how and where you plan to ride will determine the right type for you.

Direct Drive Motors

Sometimes referred to as brushless, or “speed motors,” direct drive motor setups tend to be bigger and heavier than their geared counterparts. They require more energy to pick up speed. However, once they get going, they build upon and maintain that speed, giving them the ability to reach higher maximum speeds.

How does it work?

Direct drive motors relatively simple in design, consisting of only two pieces—a stator and a rotor —in which the hub of the bike remains stationary (the stator) and the wheel rim rotates around it (the rotor). Its simple electric motor design incorporates the wheel hub as the axis, and the wheel rim as the outer motor “casing”. Once electricity is fed from the rechargeable battery through the copper-wound stator (axle), it creates an electromagnetic field, to which the magnets installed around the wheel rim react by rotating. This, of course, moves the bicycle forward.

Advantages

Since the magnets and copper-wound hub aren’t touching each other, and the only moving part consists of the wheel rotating on its axle, the direct drive hub motor makes no more noise than a conventional bicycle coasting down a hill. It has no gears rubbing together as they interlock, making these the quietest motors you can find.

Disadvantages

Direct drive motors are not as efficient in stop-and-go traffic, because each startup requires a new surge of energy from the battery, which will die faster if used heavily in this manner. Moreover, the magnetic field these motors have will produce drag when pedaling or coasting, making it slower when not throttled and harder to pedal.

Due to the more substantial weight and greater initial energy use when speeding up, direct drive motors won’t take you quite as far as geared motors on the same fully-charged battery. The range reduction is usually only a couple of miles.

Overall

That said, if you live in a flat area or don’t go off-road very often, a direct drive ebike motor may be the better choice for you. If you don’t mind pedaling to help going up a hill, and really want to reach some daredevil-level top speeds, direct drive motors are definitely the way to go! Here are a couple of favorites rated by direct-drive riders:

MOTORIZED BICYCLE ELECTRIC BIKE KITS - ModWheel 48v 1000w Direct Drive Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit + Optional Battery - wheel with components
Sold out

Geared Motors

“Geared” doesn’t mean you have to change gears or speeds as with a manual bike with gears. It explains the makeup of the motor, as there are gears that rotate inside the motor instead of brushes or magnets. Geared hub motors are much more inconspicuous, looking hardly any different from an unmodified bicycle. Smaller, lighter, and less obvious when installed, geared motors weigh about 7lbs to a direct drive's 20-25lbs.

How does it work?

Geared motors connect to a stator that’s built into a series of planetary rotation gears. When you give throttle (energy) to the wheel, the internal motor turns those gears quickly instead of moving a big hub to get going. These gears are what make the motor propel the wheel, which in turn propels the bike.

 

Advantages

Each rotation of these hub assemblies occurs much faster than direct drive motors, which maximizes energy efficiency. This gearing system lets the motor work at higher, more efficient speeds while producing a good amount of torque which is great for climbing hills and riding on varying terrains.

If you travel off-road, on rough roads, or deal with extreme weather conditions like snow or mud, a geared motor’s higher torque and speed variability will handle it better. A geared motor will be much more efficient at handling variables in speed and incline.

Disadvantages

Geared hub motor kits start quickly, but their small size can’t continuously build speed like the direct drives can. Moreover, even though these motors are more energy efficient than direct drives, they, unfortunately, have a lower top speed and an overall shorter lifespan than direct drives.

Overall

Though the gears do make some noise, they’re still quiet compared to a gas engine. If you’re wanting to go long distances at a set cruising speed, this motor doesn’t use as much energy as direct drive’s, so you’ll see increased range out of these motors. Moreover, when it comes to coasting, just like on a manual geared bike, ratcheting pawls allow you to cruise down a hill without drag and pedal without resistance from the motor, unlike direct drives that can be difficult to pedal with so much resistance behind them. Here's a favorite geared hub kit riders can't get enough of:

MOTORIZED BICYCLE ELECTRIC BIKE KITS - ModWheel 36v 500w Geared Front Wheel Electric Bike Kit + Optional Battery - wheel with parts
Sold out

Which motor is the best?

Well... it depends.

Whether you're looking to convert your favorite bike into an electric bike with an e-bike conversion kit, or you want to purchase a brand new complete electric bicycle, there are many factors to consider.

You should take your average travel distance into account when choosing a wattage for your e-bike, and decide whether speed, torque, or distance is the most important attribute for your needs.

  • Higher wattage produces more power, and therefore more speed, but will also reduce your effective range by draining your battery faster.
  • Lower wattage motors produce less power, but they can also last longer and have better ranges than larger ones.
  • Geared motors don't last as long as direct drive motors, but they also take significantly less power to run and produce more torque than direct drives.
  • Direct drive motors can generate speed and keep a consistent speed better than geared motors, but their range is far less than geared motors

And that's just some of the aspects to take into consideration when choosing the right electric bike hub.


Not sure where to start? Check out our chart below and click here to check out all of your options.