Converting Shimano Di2 12 Speed Hyperglide to Di2 11 Speed Linkglide on EP600 or EP801 for Autoshift

[Astro66]

So I'm changing my Merida EMTB from Shimano Di2 12 Speed Hyperglide to Di2 11 Speed Linkglide, so that I can get Autoshift and take advantage of the 300% longevity upgrade, that the linkglide cassette and chain will provide.

Obviously 12 Speed Hyperglide sits on a Microspline Hub, and the 11 Speed Linkglide needs to sit on a HG Hub. So I'm building a new rear wheel from bit's an pieces I have at home. The only new piece I need was a Shimano HG Boost Hub.

I wanted to make sure it was a Shimano Hub so the centre-lock setup for the rear brake disc was identical, as Shimano mount the rear speed magnet on the centre-lock mechanism as well. And I didn't want to fall foul of the dreaded E295 error that comes from the speed pickup not being just right. As a couple of those errors, and you'll get E299 and it locks the motor off, and voids your warranty.

So I ordered a Shimano FH-MT400-B 32H 148 Hub

I took a 27.5 MTB rim I had laying around and checked it and the hub with a spoke length calculator. And the spokes required for the new hub were 271mm drive-side and 273mm non-drive-side.

The existing spokes in the wheel were 270mm and 272mm, so I called that near enough, and reused the existing spokes.

More posts to come.

 

[Astro66]

I finished building the wheel and it seems like it worked well. I did spin the hub the wrong way when I started adding the 3 cross spokes, so unfortunately I didn't get non-cross, over the valve stem. Not a bigge.

I then trued up the wheel for roundness, centring in the frame, and side to side wobble. I got all these within 1mm.

I've stuck a schrader tube in it because that's what I had laying around. I will change to a presta if the rest of the build goes well. Stuck a 2.4 Kenda Nevegal on it. I want to try a slightly skinnier tyre, than the 2.6 Maxxis Minion I'm currently running. But if I don't like it I'll swap them over.

 

[Astro66]

I've ordered the 11 speed Di2 derailleur. I bit the bullet and got the XT instead of the Cues. About $130 more.

I've also ordered the Linkglide cassette and chain.

I'll need to reprogram the motor when I fit it all. But it will be nice to finally get the full blown Autoshift. As well as getting the 300% longevity upgrade, that the linkglide cassette and chain will provide.

 

[Astro66]

I will be getting carbon rims if this all goes well. So I'll be unlacing that wheel and transferring the hub to the carbon rim.

This wheel is more to test the Linkglide components, and that it gives me Full Autoshift. Not that I'll use Autoshift that much. Mostly when I'm on a more cruisy ride like Firetrails, and Green Single Track.

It's also to test the strength of a wheel I built myself. As always. Failure is always an option, and is always part of the learning process.

 

[Bndit]

So I'm changing my Merida EMTB from Shimano Di2 12 Speed Hyperglide to Di2 11 Speed Linkglide, so that I can get Autoshift and take advantage of the 300% longevity upgrade, that the linkglide cassette and chain will provide.

Obviously 12 Speed Hyperglide sits on a Microspline Hub, and the 11 Speed Linkglide needs to sit on a HG Hub. So I'm building a new rear wheel from bit's an pieces I have at home. The only new piece I need was a Shimano HG Boost Hub.

I wanted to make sure it was a Shimano Hub so the centre-lock setup for the rear brake disc was identical, as Shimano mount the rear speed magnet on the centre-lock mechanism as well. And I didn't want to fall foul of the dreaded E295 error that comes from the speed pickup not being just right. As a couple of those errors, and you'll get E299 and it locks the motor off, and voids your warranty.

So I ordered a Shimano FH-MT400-B 32H 148 Hub
View attachment 150242
I took a 27.5 MTB rim I had laying around and checked it and the hub with a spoke length calculator. And the spokes required for the new hub were 271mm drive-side and 273mm non-drive-side.

The existing spokes in the wheel were 270mm and 272mm, so I called that near enough, and reused the existing spokes.

View attachment 150243
More posts to come

Sorry, but those Shimano hubs are shit. You can basically use what ever standard magnet and you`re fine. And that linkglide, hmm. 300% better. I doubt it. It`s much better when you change gears on full power, but eats chains same way than any other system. Maybe the cassette holds longer...I`ve used 11 speed linkglide now for summer for commuting, my chain is more worn than GX chain on GX drivetrain on Bullit. My wife`s 10 speed linkglide on the other hand has lasted much much better. When I checked the chains, Bullit had lottle less than 1500km`s on it and commuter around 1300km (motor was broken for two months so couldn`t ride it), GX was almost to 0,5% mark and Linkglide over it. My wife`s 10 speed linkglide barely 0,25% and She has more km`s…

 

[Astro66]

Sorry, but those Shimano hubs are shit. You can basically use what ever standard magnet and you`re fine.

Magnet issues causing E295 and the E299 errors is a well documented issue in the EP600 and EP801. Just in last month there was a thread in this forum about it, when someone changed their rear wheel.

It's got nothing to do with the magnet. It's the magnet position needs to be so it doesn't cause random double pulses. Hence why placing it in exactly the same spot is important

Thinking of buying an EP801 bike? Read this

Back in July I bought a full fat Ebike running a Shimano EP801 system. I already own an older shimano equipped ebike so was happy to stick with the brand. The bike came with a very grippy winter tyre on the rear. In order to save that tyre over summer I switched wheels from my other (shimano)...

www.emtbforums.com

I currently have a Shimano Hub and find it works very well. I have over 10,000km on my commuter EBike with a Shimano hub. It also has been flawless.

 

[Bndit]

Magnet issues causing E295 and the E299 errors is a well documented issue in the EP600 and EP801. Just in last month there was a thread in this forum about it, when someone changed their rear wheel.

It's got nothing to do with the magnet. It's the magnet position needs to be so it doesn't cause random double pulses. Hence why placing it in exactly the same spot is important

Thinking of buying an EP801 bike? Read this

Back in July I bought a full fat Ebike running a Shimano EP801 system. I already own an older shimano equipped ebike so was happy to stick with the brand. The bike came with a very grippy winter tyre on the rear. In order to save that tyre over summer I switched wheels from my other (shimano)...

www.emtbforums.com

I currently have a Shimano Hub and find it works very well. I have over 10,000km on my commuter EBike with a Shimano hub. It also has been flawless.

I know and is BS. I have DT Swiss wheels with CL rotors and Specialized magnet and RaceFace with DT Swiss hubs with Galfer discs with Galfer own disc magnet (they replaced Sram rotors with generic magnet). There might be of course some type of mismatching with hubs/magnets, like it was with some Hope hubs. But that error code stuff is ridicilous, specially to say that it avoids warranty. Replacing wheels doesn't avoid warranty, but of course if you don't use standard stuff and tinker something by yourself, that might be different story...or if LBS is not so good with service. I have/have had three ebikes and used different wheels/hubs/rotors/magnets.

 

[Astro66]

I know and is BS.

Listen. I don't want to have this argument. It's not what this thread is about. The thread is to document and help anyone wanting to convert from 12 speed Hyperglide, to Linkglide, so they get Autoshift.

Perhaps contact Peter Mayer at EMax if you think he is wrong about this. Peter is the most knowledgeable person I know about the Shimano software, as he writes firmware for the Shimano Motors. This is what he had to say.

So I'm going to stick with Shimano components, to ensure I have no issues. What I have found, is that if you keep your entire drive system Shimano. When there are issues. It leaves Shimano in no position to point at the non-Shimano part, and say, "That is why you are having problems", especially when the EMTB was built by Merida with an entirely Shimano drive train.

I have another 18 months of warranty. When the motor is out of warranty. Then I will look at non-Shimano parts. Till that time I will only use Shimano.

I'm sure you can get the good results with other branded hubs. But It's not a path I want to go down.

Thanks for your opinion.

 

[Bndit]

Listen. I don't want to have this argument. It's not what this thread is about. The thread is to document and help anyone wanting to convert from 12 speed Hyperglide, to Linkglide, so they get Autoshift.

Perhaps contact Peter Mayer at EMax if you think he is wrong about this. Peter is the most knowledgeable person I know about the Shimano software, as he writes firmware for the Shimano Motors. This is what he had to say.

View attachment 150344
So I'm going to stick with Shimano components, to ensure I have no issues. What I have found, is that if you keep your entire drive system Shimano. When there are issues. It leaves Shimano in no position to point at the non-Shimano part, and say, "That is why you are having problems", especially when the EMTB was built by Merida with an entirely Shimano drive train.

I have another 18 months of warranty. When the motor is out of warranty. Then I will look at non-Shimano parts. Till that time I will only use Shimano.

I'm sure you can get the good results with other branded hubs. But It's not a path I want to go down.

Thanks for your opinion.

This guy is selling tuning software to Shimano bikes so I really don`t care what he`s saying and you shouldn`t either…if you are not tuning your bikes software? Because now you have bought rear hub to your bike which is not so good for the ebike based on software guys talks…but of course it’s your decision and bike so who I’m to complain

 

[unethkl]

Any updates on this? I'm in the same boat.
YT guy on the phone told me I only had to change the cassette... I guess he is dead wrong!

 

[Astro66]

Any updates on this? I'm in the same boat.

Yep. The Linkglide Cassette has turned up and I fitted it to the HG Hub.

The derailleur and chain also arrived. But I am just too busy at the moment to fit everything. Maybe in the next 3 weeks.

YT guy on the phone told me I only had to change the cassette... I guess he is dead wrong!

There is not a chance in hell you can fit a Linkglide Cassette to a Micro-spline hub. And Shimano 12 speed cassettes have micro-spline hubs.

It may be possible to just change the Free-hub and not the entire hub, on some hubs. But that was not possible on my Shimano Hub. That is why I built a new wheel.

I guess the other thing I wanted, was to make it as simple as possible to switch back to the 12 speed hyperglide transmission, if I wanted. And building a whole new wheel allows that. And I had the spare rim and spokes to do it. Adding that new Shimano hub only cost $55 on Aliexpress. So for $55, it was worth having the entire spare wheel.