How many watts is enough?

[Blindsay]

So I know after i sort out my mess with the damaged fork on my NCM moscow+ my long term plan is to build a bike. Ideally i dont want something that is not one of those tank super moto style bikes. Id liked something reasonable that i can/could still pedal (and something that looks more bike than motorcycle). Something like a Trek Fuel ex but in ebike form.

I have seen those dengfu E10 or E22 frames which look interesting but I think for bafang motors they max out at like 1500w where as for hub motors the sky is the limit so that got me thinking how much power do i really need.

I am a heavy rider at 265lbs so I know I have to factor that in and sometimes I might pull a small trailer with it for groceries. Top speed wise if it could reliably do 40mph that would be nice. I know some of the crazy ones can do 50, 60 or even higher but i dont need that. (Side note, was thinking it might be cool to build a battery pack into the trailer for long rides but that is another project haha, but it does make me wonder what i would need to pull my weight + maybe another 150lbs in cargo)

So do you guys think 1500w would be enough or do i need like a 3000w+?

Let me know if you need more info.

Thanks!

 

[TeoElFeo]

Imo your post is somewhat contradictory. On one hand you are saying that you want something more of a bike, that doesn't look like moto and light enough to pedal. On the other hand you want it to be able to go 40mph which is arguably way outside of bicycle territory. If you want something to go that fast you will need a powerful motor and a huge battery, because at 40mph it will be draining very fast...Perhaps what you need is more of an emoto than emtb? Imo the bafang m510/m600 is plenty for emtb application even for a heavier rider. Using something more powerful will put a significant weight penalty on the bike not to mention it will be difficult to control on trails. Keep in mind that you are quite limited in battery capacity with E10/e22. I guess the e22 with m620 would be a better fit for high speed riding, but the battery range will be an issue. Also hub motors are no good for emtb application due to weight distribution and lack of gearing. So I would advise to consider what you really need - a nimble emtb or a 40mph road blaster...

 

[Blindsay]

Imo your post is somewhat contradictory. On one hand you are saying that you want something more of a bike, that doesn't look like moto and light enough to pedal. On the other hand you want it to be able to go 40mph which is arguably way outside of bicycle territory. If you want something to go that fast you will need a powerful motor and a huge battery, because at 40mph it will be draining very fast...Perhaps what you need is more of an emoto than emtb? Imo the bafang m510/m600 is plenty for emtb application even for a heavier rider. Using something more powerful will put a significant weight penalty on the bike not to mention it will be difficult to control on trails. Keep in mind that you are quite limited in battery capacity with E10/e22. I guess the e22 with m620 would be a better fit for high speed riding, but the battery range will be an issue. Also hub motors are no good for emtb application due to weight distribution and lack of gearing. So I would advise to consider what you really need - a nimble emtb or a 40mph road blaster...

I wouldn't say it is a contradiction to want a bike that is light and fast, that is just beyond what the technology is capable of right now. If I went for something like the e22/m620 combo, any idea what a potential top speed and range would be? (ballpark, i know there are a lot of other factors)

Thanks!