Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is a power-assisted bicycle?
2. Will it Compatibility What are the criteria for using the E-BikeKit™?
3. How hard is it to install convert my bike with the E-BikeKit™?
4. How do E-Bikes help the environment?
5. Do I need a licence to operate an e-bike?
6. How can I determine if the kit will fit on my bicycle?
7. What is a "Brake Handle w/ Switch" and how does it work?
8. How fast will my bike go with the Electric Bike Kit installed?
9. What is "Power on Demand"?
10. How far can my Bike go with E-BikeKit™ installed?
11. How can I increase the range?
12. How long does it take to charge my batteries?
13. Can my batteries be overcharged by leaving them plugged into the charger too long?
15. Are all conventional bicycles able to use the E-BikeKit™?
16. What is covered by the 90 day Warranty?
17. Why is a "brushless" motor better than a brushed motor?
18. Which throttle type should I choose to fit my bike?
19. Does the E-BikeKit™ utilize regenerative braking to recharge the batteries?

1. What is a power-assisted bicycle?

A power-assisted bicycle is also known as an "electric bicycle" or "e-bike."
An e-bike is a bicycle with an added battery powered electric motor that does not exceed 500 watts and can assist the cyclist up to a speed of 20 mph.
It can also be driven like a bicycle without any power assist.
The addition of the power assist enables the rider to pedal with less effort, to achieve a greater distance, to climb hills and ride against the wind more easily. In its size, weight, speed and the driving skills required, the e-bike is similar to the conventional bicycle.

2. Will it Compatibility What are the criteria for using the E-BikeKit™?

The kit is universal and can be used in a wide range of ways custom builds. However there are a few criteria which must be met first.

1. It has to fit. If your bicycle wheels are any of the following standard wheel sizes: 24", 26", or 28", the kit should fit! Make sure that your bicycle has a minimum of at least 3 1/2" distance between the front forks - 4" is better, 4 ¼" is pushing' it, and 4 ½" is too wide. Also, you will need to have 4" of clearance at least 5 inches up from the fork mountings, so if your front bike forks taper in as you go up, you'd better check the distance where the forks narrow 5 inches above the fork mountings to make sure that you still have 4" clearance.

2. No alloy forks. Make sure you have a suitable frame. Alloy rims are great but not alloy forks. Do not install a front wheel hub on a bike with an alloy fork. Alloy forks can break from just hitting a road hazard. With the torque produced by a hub motor it can break on even hazard free roads. If in doubt test the front fork and axle hanger with a magnet to be sure they are made of steel before doing the conversion. If the magnet is attracted to both the hanger and the fork you're good, if not then will need to find a front fork made of steel. The rest of the frame can be alloy but not the forks.

3. NO front disk brakes. The E-BikeKit™ "Brake Handle w/ Switch" replaces your existing front brake pull and connects to your existing cantilever or "V-Brake". The Brake Handle w/ Switch contains a switch that simultaneously shuts off and releases all friction from the hub motor.

3. How hard is it to install convert my bike with the E-BikeKit™?

Assembling the E-BikeKit™ is a simple and straightforward process:

Assembly typically takes no more than 30-45 minutes.

4. How do E-Bikes help the environment?

E-Bikes are the cleanest motorized vehicles available today - both in terms of air pollution and noise. There are no emissions from electric bicycles. Of course, there are batteries that will have to be replaced every two years or so. These should be taken to a recycling depot in your city. Riding an E-Bike as an alternative to driving a gasoline powered car conserves energy and saves the planet from harmful emissions pollution.

5. Do I need a licence to operate an e-bike?

You can ride your e-bike anywhere a conventional bike is permitted without a driver's license, vehicle registration or insurance. Respect the speed limit, obey traffic laws, always wear a helmet and take care of your bike. Reckless riding can result in injury. Please be aware that 1000 W motors can run far beyond legal speed limits in most countries, riders shall bear all consequences of speeding or reckless riding.

6. How can I determine if the kit will fit on my bicycle?

If your bicycle wheels are any of the following standard wheel sizes: 24", 26", or 28", the kit should fit! Make sure that your bicycle has a minimum of at least 3 1/2" distance between the front forks - 4" is better, 4 ¼" is pushing' it, and 4 ½" is too wide. Also, you will need to have 4" of clearance at least 5 inches up from the fork mountings, so if your front bike forks taper in as you go up, you'd better check the distance where the forks narrow 5 inches above the fork mountings to make sure that you still have 4" clearance.

7. What is a "Brake Handle w/ Switch" and how does it work?

The "Brake Handle w/ Switch" replaces your existing front brake pull and connects to your existing cantilever or "V-Brake" brake. The Brake Handle w/ Switch contains a switch that simultaneously shuts off and releases all friction from the hub motor. Also the stopping is regenerative so that stopping actually helps to recharge the battery.

8. What is "Power on Demand"?

"Power-on-demand" means just that - no pedaling required! Although all electric (or "electric-assist") bikes are designed to work with your pedaling, power-on-demand allows you to bend the rule a bit. From a dead start you MUST pedal to get moving at least 3-8 miles per hour before engaging the throttle. Once you have started moving you can pedal more or less and let the electric-assist propel you entirely. The most efficient use of the electric-assist is to use it to even out your route. Assistance getting up hills and enduring longer commutes are the most widely touted benefits of converting your bike into a hybrid electric assisted E-bike.

9. How fast will my bike go with the Electric Bike Kit installed?

Depending on the voltage of the e-bike hub kit you choose your bike can reach a top speed of 26-30+ mph. This is also dependent on battery type, weight of rider, route and weather conditions. The higher the voltage on a kit the higher the torque. The higher the wattage on a kit the higher the top speed.

10. How far can my Bike go with the E-BikeKit™ installed?

This depends on many factors. The most important factors in the distance per charge equation are:

1. How much you choose to pedal. More pedaling = farther distance per charge.
2. The voltage of the E-BikeKit™. More voltage = more torque = less distance.
3. The size of your battery. Bigger battery = more distance per charge.
4. The weight of the rider. The heavier the rider the less distance per charge.
5. The route. Less hills = less energy used by battery = more distance.

Basically the bigger the battery the farther you can ride on a single full charge. And the more voltage and torque on a kit the more energy used and the less distance per charge.

11. How can I increase the range?

The best way to increase your range on a single charged battery is to pedal with your motor. Always pedal first and then engage your motor. Never start from a dead stop as this is a major draw on the battery and will greatly decrease the overall range. Also, using high pressure tubes (65 PSI or above) and street slick tires can increase your range by 30% or more.

12. How long does it take to charge my batteries?

Depending upon the degree of discharge, it will take up to 4 hours to charge the standard battery pack, and up to 6 hours to charge the extended range battery pack.

13. Can my batteries be overcharged by leaving them plugged into the charger too long?

No. The charger that comes with your Bike Electrified kit is a smart charger. It will shut itself off when your battery pack reaches a full charge, but it is always a good idea NOT to leave your battery pack plugged in all the time. Just unplug the charger when the charger light is green.

14. How many charges can my battery pack take?

Your battery pack is built with sealed lead acid batteries (SLA), which can be charged and discharged up to about 200 times. But you must do some things in order to get the maximum life out of your SLA battery pack: ALWAYS, we repeat - ALWAYS charge your batteries up IMMEDIATELY after EVERY use! Sealed lead acid batteries hate to be left discharged, even for only a few hours, so plug your battery pack into the smart charger immediately after every use. Also, try not to run your batteries completely dead, for this will diminish their life cycle.

15. Are all conventional bicycles able to use the E-BikeKit™?

The E-BikeKit™ is NOT compatible with bicycles that have front disk brakes. The E-BikeKit™ can NOT be used with aluminum forks.

16. What is covered by the 90 day Warranty?

Every E-BikeKit™ comes with a 90 Day Warranty. The E-BikeKit is warranted to be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of 90 days from the purchase date. The E-BikeKit™ kits are well built and will last for years if installed properly and maintained.

All warranty claims must be made in writing and defective parts must be returned to E-BikeKit at the purchaser's expense after obtaining a return authorization number. Defective parts will be repaired or replaced at the sole option of E-BikeKit. Return shipping to the customer will be paid by E-BikeKit within the continental United States.

What is NOT covered by the Warranty:

Spinning out the axles inside of your dropouts - We are unable to be there when the kit is installed so it is up to you to understand the high torque involved at the dropouts and install them correctly. If your dropouts are not correctly suited to fit the axle then you should not install the kit on those forks. get new forks, file the forks to the axle fit "flush" or contact us to return the kit. We will not refund a kit that has been "spun out".

Over heating due to heavy resistance - If you are very heavy and you go up a very steep hill and you refuse to assist the motor by pedaling you will overheat and burn out the controller. They are well built but they are not miracle machines. If you overextend any electric motor you will damage the controller, the motor or both.

"Over Voltage" - Connecting a larger battery like a 72V to a 48v or 36v controller will fry the controller. Controllers are meant for the kits they come with. Burning a controller by connecting the wrong battery type is not covered under our warranty.

If for any reason you do not feel confident about installing our kit then you should have it installed by a professional as you may damage your kit and could potentially harm yourself.

This warranty does not cover abuse, normal wear and tear, and operation in wet or dusty conditions or physical damage. Modified parts of portions of the kit which have been used other than directed are not covered. Motors and controllers that fail because they have not been properly fused are not covered. There is no other warranty either express or implied. E-BikeKit's total liability shall not exceed the actual purchase price of the motor kit or components purchased from us.  Damage to any part of the E-BikeKit™ occurring from abuse or accident is not covered under this warranty.

E-BikeKit™ will repair or replace, at our discretion, any product or part that is defective in material or workmanship without charge, if the product is presented to us or at our authorized E-BikeKit™ service center at 1.866.882.EBIK (3245), or from the dealer that you purchased the E-BikeKit™ from, with dated proof of purchase inside of the warranty period.

Kraft Global, E-BikeKit™ and any of its subsidiaries will not be liable for any incidental or consequential damages.

17. Why is a "brushless" motor better than a brushed motor?

Brushless motors are far more efficient than brushed motors. Brushless motors operate using magnetic pull and never touch the shaft. There is zero friction and zero noise with a brushless motor.

18. Which throttle type should I choose to fit my bike?

Choosing the correct throttle type for your bike. The E-BikeKit™ works with one of two throttle types; "TWIST" or "THUMB".

TWIST - A twist throttle works like a motorcycle handle twist throttle does. It replaces the right handle grip on your bike and the rider twists the throttle grip downward to increase the power to the motor and accelerate.

THUMB - A thumb throttle works by pushing a lever down with your thumb to increase power to the motor and accelerate. It is basically the equivalent to a thumb gear changer.

The rule on choosing a throttle type is this - If your bike changes gears with a twist changer, then you need a thumb throttle. If your bike changes gears with a thumb gear changer, then you need a twist throttle.

19. Does the E-BikeKit™ utilize regenerative braking to recharge the batteries?

NO. Regenerative braking is more hype than help at this point restoring only 3% along average routes and 4-6% in routes with steep hills. On some systems without proper regulation from the controller regenerative braking can actually shorten the life of your batteries by basically forcing unhealthy amperage levels back into the batteries.