The middrive Bafang BBSHD 1000W kit is taking shape to be one of the hottest ebike kits of 2016 (as we expected). It is powerful, silent, reliable, efficient and it is a middrive. It is the predecessor of the tremendously popular 750W BBS02 with more amps and 10 percent more efficient, which all translates into more power. Plus the BBSHD 1000W has had every piece re-engineered to be more robust to put up with the extra power.
Lunacycles is currently doing a Chinese New Year Sale on the Bafang BBSHD for $699 with a one year warranty.
There have only been some minor complaints of the BBSHD. It is three pounds heavier than the BBS02. Its stock chaining is brutally ugly. The Stock chain ring comes with 46 teeth, and it seems to be geared too high at this gear ratio…especially for riding off road. The BBSHD needs an offset to make a straight chain line…and the stock chain ring does not offset enough…which makes chain alignment issues with some installations.
This thing looks like an ugly frisbee. It feels like a lead weight.
Take a look at its offset…it does the trick in an ugly and heavy way….not cool on an $800 dollar drive system ($1100 if you buy it from the wrong seller)
There is an easy fix for all these problems…aftermarket chain rings made up of cutting edge hardened aluminum alloy can shave up to a full pound off the stock chain ring…and are made in blingy aluminum that looks awesome, and they all have fewer teeth than the stock unit to improve the gear ratio of the BBSHD (all electric motors like to spin fast). In the case of the Luna Eclipse chainring, it has more offset than stock, improving the chain line.
So lets take a look at all the available chain rings, and the links to full reviews on each one. Since our friend Karl at electric-fatbike.com has already written complete reviews of the chain rings on his site, there will be no need for me to go into any more details here. By the way, Karl’s website is shaping up to be a powerhouse of information for the mid drive DIY community and is developing a cult following…him and his orange hair. Whatever, he deserves it.
Anyway, back to the battle of the chainrings.
Last year there was only one custom chain ring on the market for Bafang products and that was the Lekkie Bling Ring for the BBS02. This year is shaping up fast for the new BBSHD, and there are some exciting offerings just a month after the release of the BBSHD.
Our sister company Lunacycle.com was first to the market this year, not only with the BBSHD kit itself (first dealer in the world to have in stock) but also the first to provide an upgraded chain ring…The Luna Eclipse.
The Luna Eclipse is a 2 piece design, coming with a 42 teeth, but also with the feature of being able to switch to different tooth-counts in the near future. The Eclipse uses a wicked tooth profile to ensure that the chain stays on even on full suspension bikes. The Luna Eclipse retails for $98.
Read the full Review on the Luna Eclipse here.
Lekkie was next with their BBSHD 42 tooth ring. This is a one piece design which uses their tried and true chain tooth profile. This chaining retails for $110
Read the full review of the Lekkie BBSHD chain ring here:
Good competition invites innovation…. and a 3rd chain ring was recently announced.
Luna Cycle is now offering a 30 tooth gear dubbed the “Mighty Mini” which totally changes the characteristics of the BBSHD, transforming it into a torque monster. This chain ring retails for $55.
Read the complete review of the Mighty-Mini Here.
Wow…3 awesome cute-looking chainrings for new BBSHD owners to choose from…good times! One of them is tinier and cuter than the others…sort of like a cute puppy or kitten.
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Written by Eric, January 2016
