Neeko DeVinchi
E*POWAH Elite World Champion
Decided to pick up one of these frames sets after receiving many enquiries through Instagram, EMTB Forums, EBR, etc.
Hopefully, this thread will be of use to anyone who is considering buying/building up one.
FULL DISCLAIMER
It was through Carbon Cycles on Ebay which I picked one up for the purposes of testing and they gave me a considerable discount due to my interests as well as publications of the Bafang Ultra M620 motor.
Dengfu 29er Ebike Carbon Frame Suspension BAFANG M620 1000W 150mm Travel E22 | eBay
It is to that reason why I'll refrain from delving into price heavily as I recognise that I did get one cheaper than advertised.
In addition, I am aware of existing ebikes such as the,
Luna Z1 and
Watt Wagon Hydra.
I would still reccomend reading through this thread as what I'll be discussing will be applicable to yourselves.
l
So I received my frame on the 7th February 2022 after ordering it on the 4th January 2022. Carbon Cycle were eager to ensure that I received the frame as quickly as possible before the Chinese holiday.
I order the frame which includes rear axle, seatpost clamp, headset, mech hanger, bushings for mounting the shock, shock bolts, power button, charging port for charging the battery on the frame, battery mount, keys, battery frame cover and screws and bolts for securing various cables inside and along the non-drive side chainstay.
In addition, I also picked up one of the batteries which is a 48v17.5amp (850wh) along with a 3amp charger (I was of the belief it was sold with a 2amp charger so do with that information what you will).
It's at this point I will say, I did not buy the motor from them and I'll explain why in a short while
For the purposes of testing, I have simply recycled my Fox DPX2 which came stock on my Status 160 (That bike is now running a Fox x2
We'll come back to the Status 160 in a short while aswell.
The rear shock requirements for the Dengfu E22 are 230x60. My DPX2 is 230x62.5.
PLEASE NOTE, this frame cannot be over-stroked to provide more rear wheel travel further than 150mm.
Believe me, I have checked, double checked and even consulted a suspension expert who did the exact same test I did. THIS FRAME ONLY GIVES 150MM of rear wheel travel.
I'll still be using the DPX2 but hopefully that's answered any enquiries as to available rear wheel travel subject to the stroke length.
The frame was pre-built with only the headset to install and the rear axle and seatpost clamp to go on. Funnily enough, I received a spare mech hanger which was nice (but again, its unclear whether this comes standard).
Incidentally for anyone who wants to know what axle to buy aftermarket,
Truth be told, I was somewhat surprised that the frame came assembled as I am use to building ebike frames from scratch.
Nevertheless, it's at this point (especially to the Luna Z1 and Watt Wagon Hydra owners) where I say that I was shocked to find NO GREASE in the rocker link of the linkage area which secures the yoke made out of alloy where bearings are housed.
I'm not suggesting that this is a common trait. However, I would advise that you undo the linkage and check that grease has been used (AGAIN, in the rocker link which secures the yoke). On the plus side, blue loctite has been used on all 6mm and 5mm bolts around the frame hardware.
In addition, I have noticed an area where mud and grit could collect.
When I get around to putting frame protection on, I'll take further pictures to illustrate where the build could occur.
The headset seems.........ok. I'll opt to use the Works components headset for this build.
The size Large (the biggest frame) has a headtube length of 135mm according to my tape measure (not 130). Regardless, the Works components headset will fit.
www.workscomponents.co.uk
I guess this brings us nicely to cable management. On the face of the headtube are 6 ports (3 on either side) to internally thread rear brake, gear outer cable, dropper cable and wire loom for display. The wire loom (harness) has a dedicated port. Leaving 5 ports available depending on your preference of cable arrangement.
But please bare in mind that the dedicated port for the wire loom has been made to only allow 3 cables to ran through (ideally 2). This suggests that this particular frame has been built for the requirements of the CANBus protocol rather than the UART protocol.
REFER TO EBR for Canbus vs UART thread
electricbikereview.com
Which I guess leads us nicely to the question,
Why didn't I buy the motor from Carbon Cycle?
Unfortunately, they couldn't give me confirmation as to which variant of the M620 motor would be supplied. For those who are unaware, their are (at the time of me writing this post), 10 variants of the M620 officially released from Bafang. If we were to add third party developers, custom mods by specific distributors and recognised mods from well known motor hackers, the list easily exceeds 25 variants to which I'm aware of.
Notwithstanding, you can buy the motor cheaper elsewhere and save up to a potential £150 (apologies if I seem UK biased but I suspect the same is true for those in Europe, America, Canada, Australia etc).
In addition, I'm somewhat convinced that the M620 motor supplied by Carbon Cycle would be a CANBus variant.
On the flip side, mounting the motor looks more easier compared to my previous alloy frames where you would need to tap the bolts in and out using a mallet.
As for the battery, I reserve judgement at this stage. However, I am somewhat perplexed as to why these new batteries weight near the same as an equivalent battery capacity Reention Darado battery. Baring in mind that whilst the Dorado battery is older, it is technically more sophisticated.
But like I said, I'll reserve judgement for now.
As to my reference concerning the Status 160, that bike does have an adjustable geometry flip chip located in the yoke itself. I'm currently liaising with someone to whether that same method of adjusting the geometry could be retrofitted to the Dengfu E22 frame. In addition (for the purposes of data), I'll be messing around with ofset bushes to simulate the geometry change between low, neutral and high. I'll keep you posted with my findings and any developments (especially if a particular position lends itself nicely to running either a 27.5, 29er or mullet).
Overall however, I am impressed. This frame (whilst it cant be over-stroked with its existing linkage), does show potential.
I'll keep you all posted as to the biggest dropper seatpost you can run slammed in the frame
Supposedly, a One Up 210 dropper can fit but I'll reserve judgement until I pick one up this Saturday.
May even treat myself to a Fidlock bottle cage as well.
Hopefully, this thread will be of use to anyone who is considering buying/building up one.
FULL DISCLAIMER
It was through Carbon Cycles on Ebay which I picked one up for the purposes of testing and they gave me a considerable discount due to my interests as well as publications of the Bafang Ultra M620 motor.
Dengfu 29er Ebike Carbon Frame Suspension BAFANG M620 1000W 150mm Travel E22 | eBay
It is to that reason why I'll refrain from delving into price heavily as I recognise that I did get one cheaper than advertised.
In addition, I am aware of existing ebikes such as the,
Luna Z1 and
Watt Wagon Hydra.
I would still reccomend reading through this thread as what I'll be discussing will be applicable to yourselves.
So I received my frame on the 7th February 2022 after ordering it on the 4th January 2022. Carbon Cycle were eager to ensure that I received the frame as quickly as possible before the Chinese holiday.
I order the frame which includes rear axle, seatpost clamp, headset, mech hanger, bushings for mounting the shock, shock bolts, power button, charging port for charging the battery on the frame, battery mount, keys, battery frame cover and screws and bolts for securing various cables inside and along the non-drive side chainstay.
In addition, I also picked up one of the batteries which is a 48v17.5amp (850wh) along with a 3amp charger (I was of the belief it was sold with a 2amp charger so do with that information what you will).
It's at this point I will say, I did not buy the motor from them and I'll explain why in a short while
For the purposes of testing, I have simply recycled my Fox DPX2 which came stock on my Status 160 (That bike is now running a Fox x2
We'll come back to the Status 160 in a short while aswell.
The rear shock requirements for the Dengfu E22 are 230x60. My DPX2 is 230x62.5.
PLEASE NOTE, this frame cannot be over-stroked to provide more rear wheel travel further than 150mm.
Believe me, I have checked, double checked and even consulted a suspension expert who did the exact same test I did. THIS FRAME ONLY GIVES 150MM of rear wheel travel.
I'll still be using the DPX2 but hopefully that's answered any enquiries as to available rear wheel travel subject to the stroke length.
The frame was pre-built with only the headset to install and the rear axle and seatpost clamp to go on. Funnily enough, I received a spare mech hanger which was nice (but again, its unclear whether this comes standard).
Incidentally for anyone who wants to know what axle to buy aftermarket,
Truth be told, I was somewhat surprised that the frame came assembled as I am use to building ebike frames from scratch.
Nevertheless, it's at this point (especially to the Luna Z1 and Watt Wagon Hydra owners) where I say that I was shocked to find NO GREASE in the rocker link of the linkage area which secures the yoke made out of alloy where bearings are housed.
I'm not suggesting that this is a common trait. However, I would advise that you undo the linkage and check that grease has been used (AGAIN, in the rocker link which secures the yoke). On the plus side, blue loctite has been used on all 6mm and 5mm bolts around the frame hardware.
In addition, I have noticed an area where mud and grit could collect.
When I get around to putting frame protection on, I'll take further pictures to illustrate where the build could occur.
The headset seems.........ok. I'll opt to use the Works components headset for this build.
The size Large (the biggest frame) has a headtube length of 135mm according to my tape measure (not 130). Regardless, the Works components headset will fit.
2.0 Degree EC44-ZS56 Angle Headset - To Suit Tapered Steerer Tube
Change your bikes geometry to suit you - with our World Cup proven angle headsets you can alter stock geometry, changing the way your bike rides and feels to better match your personal riding style. With years of experience manufacturing Angle Headsets, whether you are just starting out, or the...
www.workscomponents.co.uk
I guess this brings us nicely to cable management. On the face of the headtube are 6 ports (3 on either side) to internally thread rear brake, gear outer cable, dropper cable and wire loom for display. The wire loom (harness) has a dedicated port. Leaving 5 ports available depending on your preference of cable arrangement.
But please bare in mind that the dedicated port for the wire loom has been made to only allow 3 cables to ran through (ideally 2). This suggests that this particular frame has been built for the requirements of the CANBus protocol rather than the UART protocol.
REFER TO EBR for Canbus vs UART thread
2022 - Top 12 Bafang Ultra M620 Ebikes
What's the MSRP? ;) Lol. Ask me that once I've made more 😅
electricbikereview.com
Which I guess leads us nicely to the question,
Why didn't I buy the motor from Carbon Cycle?
Unfortunately, they couldn't give me confirmation as to which variant of the M620 motor would be supplied. For those who are unaware, their are (at the time of me writing this post), 10 variants of the M620 officially released from Bafang. If we were to add third party developers, custom mods by specific distributors and recognised mods from well known motor hackers, the list easily exceeds 25 variants to which I'm aware of.
Notwithstanding, you can buy the motor cheaper elsewhere and save up to a potential £150 (apologies if I seem UK biased but I suspect the same is true for those in Europe, America, Canada, Australia etc).
In addition, I'm somewhat convinced that the M620 motor supplied by Carbon Cycle would be a CANBus variant.
On the flip side, mounting the motor looks more easier compared to my previous alloy frames where you would need to tap the bolts in and out using a mallet.
As for the battery, I reserve judgement at this stage. However, I am somewhat perplexed as to why these new batteries weight near the same as an equivalent battery capacity Reention Darado battery. Baring in mind that whilst the Dorado battery is older, it is technically more sophisticated.
But like I said, I'll reserve judgement for now.
As to my reference concerning the Status 160, that bike does have an adjustable geometry flip chip located in the yoke itself. I'm currently liaising with someone to whether that same method of adjusting the geometry could be retrofitted to the Dengfu E22 frame. In addition (for the purposes of data), I'll be messing around with ofset bushes to simulate the geometry change between low, neutral and high. I'll keep you posted with my findings and any developments (especially if a particular position lends itself nicely to running either a 27.5, 29er or mullet).
Overall however, I am impressed. This frame (whilst it cant be over-stroked with its existing linkage), does show potential.
I'll keep you all posted as to the biggest dropper seatpost you can run slammed in the frame
Supposedly, a One Up 210 dropper can fit but I'll reserve judgement until I pick one up this Saturday.
May even treat myself to a Fidlock bottle cage as well.
. Whether this remains consistent throughout all frame sizes, I am noticing that the frame is a bit bigger than what is declared. 
No hope of stretching it to my RAD...
.
