Hub Motors versus Mid-Drive for E-bikes

Sports & Recreations

  • Author Craig Windham
  • Published October 26, 2021
  • Word count 343

The Magicycle 750 Watt Hub Motor is the Perfect Choice

We often see debate as to whether a hub motor or a mid-drive motor is the better choice. This is an important consideration — your choice of motor type will strongly affect the quality of your riding experience. Here’s why we selected a powerful and reliable hub motor for the Magicycle.

• Mid-drive motors are more complex and more expensive.

• Much more maintenance is required for mid-drive motors.

• Proper shifting is vital on a mid-drive ebike.

• Hub motors have a simple, very reliable design.

• Hub motors are less expensive.

• Shifting is easy and even not required for hub drive ebikes.

For easy, comfortable, relaxed riding, the hub motor is an obvious choice. That choice is confirmed when you realize that hub motors are far more economical than mid-drive motors. With 750 watts of nominal power, the Magicycle hub motor is the perfect size. If you settle for a 500 watt motor, your ebike will feel underpowered on the steep hills.

The design of mid-drive motors requires a much larger number of moving parts. This naturally means more wear and tear, along with greater possibility of motor failure. Mid-drive motors are also more complex to install or replace, which adds to the expense.

Even if you are new to ebiking, with a hub motor you can be very quickly riding with confidence. For example, shifting is often unnecessary if your bike is powered by a hub motor, and you can even shift when the bike is stopped. But with a mid-drive motor, the bike must be moving before the rider can shift, and while riding it must be shifted frequently.

The hub motor on all Magicycle ebikes is powered by an impressive 52 volt battery. The battery is beautifully incorporated into the ebike frame, yet very easy to remove. It charges quickly, and is rated at 15 amp hours. This battery will keep your hub motor humming for 30 – 60 miles on a single charge! Your mileage will vary according to your weight, the terrain, and how much you want to peddle.

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