ASK MBA: SHOULD I UPGRADE MY CHEAP ELECTRIC BIKE?

Q: I bought a cheap ebike not really knowing jack about bikes. I thought $2k NZD meant a good bike, but it’s rubbish. When I want a workout and to switch the motor off, I get a lot of drag, which makes it almost impossible to ride and enjoy. I’m constantly having to readjust things that come loose, no matter how much I tighten. Is it possible to upgrade the motor on an ebike? Currently, it has a rear hub motor with a battery built into the frame. Would I be able to install a mid-drive motor and use the same battery?

Casey Ryken

Whangarei, New Zealand

A: Sadly, lots of money doesn’t always equal a well-built bike. To answer your question about swapping the motor, however, we’re going to have to say don’t do it. There are a lot of reasons why, but to put it simply, it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Though there are kits out there to do this, it’s not recommended. Just get a bike with a purpose-built, mid-drive motor.

We use the USD in all of our price listings, so keep that in mind before you jump on something. There are three different bikes that we would consider to be good, inexpensive ebike options with mid-drive motors. Giant’s Talon E+ 3 is an affordable ebike that uses a Yamaha motor paired with a 400Wh battery to give a good amount of range, and it sells for $3,200 USD.

Trek’s Powerfly 4 is a big seller and connects a 500Wh battery with a 250-watt Bosch motor, providing a similar range to the Talon E+. It is priced at $3,650 USD. The third bike we’d like to mention is the Kona El Kahuna, which uses a Shimano E6100 drive unit and a 504Wh battery at a slightly cheaper price point of $3,099 USD.

Finding an affordable eMTB is like walking a tightrope. It is hard to find a good value without compromising in key areas, but we think the bikes we’ve listed do a good job of bridging the gap between hub-driven bikes and high-end eMTBs.