I am trying to build an enduro specific parts list to convert a British Whyte T-130 full suspension into an E-bike so my girlfriend can make the climbs and ride with me.
We have a small framed 27.5.
The rider is about 130 lbs.
Terrain is rocky and rooty.
Ground clearance is very important, as is the stand over height.
I am not well versed but I am interested in a torque sensitive model if it fits into the budget.
Please, anyone who actually knows what they are doing, your advice is much appreciated.
Hmm..
That's actually pretty good advice given that we are just beginning winter. Hopefully spring will provide better options. Unfortunately though new releaese usually means expensive. Lol.
since fitz mentioned the crazy expensive bleeding edge motors i'll suggest the budget stuff. a tsdz2 kit would probably be fine if you really want the torque sensor. it's cheap (like $300 for the motor alone) and there are lots of replacement parts available, there's vendors that do good warranties on them.
this forum seems to be a mostly bafang forum so obviously the 01/02 and HD are all very nice budget motors with a large market of replacement parts to pull from. no torque sensor but i honestly prefer that in some cases. they are also some of the easiest to install in my opinion.
on batteries, em3ev will make probably the best packs you can easily buy at the moment. unit power (UPP) make budget packs that have a decent reputation but their quality control can be a bit hit or miss. i have the contact for a custom pack maker i can share should you want something that's sort of a middle ground between the two, long lead time though.
but yeah with a rider that small anything above 500W out of the motor is probably plenty of power. using a small, old motor isn't gonna make anyone jealous or be the most exciting but it will make a very capable bike that can get y'all out riding together. you're looking at $1000-1700 all in on a tongsheng/bafang build, less than half the price of the hermes.
for that use i take it you want it as light as possible. which is the current problem with ebike motors and batteries - most are too heavy for proper mtb setups. but premade ebikes are worse for many limiting reasons. the best motors currently for a custom emtb are going to be the CYC photon, and paradox Hermes (latter being about 5.4 lbs for the total kit, former about 9 lbs) also add in a good battery 15ah ish add 8-9 lbs. its good to run a tether battery setup in some cases where you need the bike as light as possible for agility. issue is the photon motor is just being released - no supply right now. the hermes is over $2k for the best motor on the market. both are torque sensing. i feel like the industry is on the cusp of new game changing motors and batteries (molicell and graphene-lithium tech) which makes it hard and not the best choice to go with current motor lineups (old bafang bbshds been around since 2015/16 etc) while new lineups are too expensive right now. i know that doesnt solve your issue. but thats my advice, wait a few months for the CYC motor if you can. or look into the next lightest motor.