Framed Minnesota 2.0 Fat Bike Conversion

[mtrain13]

This was my first eBike build so any feedback on the build would be appreciated . . .

I started with my existing Framed Minnesota 2.0 Fat Bike. I chose to start with this one as I have both fat (off road) wheels as well as 29'r 2" slicks for road use. I figured I would get the best of both on / off road use out of this conversion.

For my conversion kit, I went with a Luna Cycle BBSHD Kit as follows

• BBSHD - 100mm
• BBSHD Stock 46T Chain Ring
• BBSHD Aluminum Chainring Adapter and 42T Sprocket
• Luna Full Color Display DPC-14 For the BBS02 and BBBSHD
• Bafang BBSHD and BBSO2 Universal Thumb Throttle
• Bafang BBSxx Brakes Pair - Silver
• Speed Sensor
• Gear Sensor
• Bafang BBS02 and BBSHD Programming Cable
• LUNA Wrench BBSHD and BBS02 Mid Drive Installation Tool
• 48 SHRK GA
• Standard 3amp 48v Dolphin / Bottle battery charger

A couple of notes on the kit . . . First, although the brakes said "silver" on the shipping notice, they were actually black (as in the photos on Luna's website) which is what I wanted. The throttle arrived damaged, but Rod at Luna has arranged for a replacement to be shipped out. Finally, for clarity, the battery charger works with my "Shark" style battery pack even though it is listed as a "Dolphin / Bottle" charger.

There are lots of install videos on the net for installing a BBSHD, so I'm not going to list them all here. However, I diid struggle to find a good printed "install manual". In the end, I found one from Dillenger in Australia (see link).

A few of build specific notes for the Minnesota 2.0 . . .

1. The front derailleur is bolted to a welded post. I was thinking this might get in the way, but it doesn't. In hindsight, had I thought about an ebike conversion when I purchased the bike, I would have gone with the single front chainring version--Minnesota 1.0.
2. Proper fit of the motor required one of Luna's slim spacers on the drive side. This was not an issue with chain stay clearance, but rather to allow the bracket on the non-drive side to fit snug against the frame.
3. I used the smaller 42T sprocket rather than the stock 46T as it looked better and provides for better spinning. If I start doing some insane climbing, I may go to a smaller one.
4. The sprocket combined with the stock cassette doesn't allow for use of the two lowest gears. I can shift into those gears, but when I try to shift to a higher gear, the chain drops. I can live with this for now, but will eventually switch to an IGH on this bike.
5. The battery did not mount as I had hoped. The water bottle holes on the Minnesota 2.0 are too low to connect the battery bracket to both. Thus, I was able to place a screw through the bracket into the top hole and used a zip tie around the top of the bracket to secure the battery. So far, so good with battery stability. I could have mounted the battery to my rear rack, but I wanted the weight in the center of the frame.
6. Wiring was straight forward. I attached the gear sensor on the cable just below my seat. This allowed for the sensor to connect to the controller without an extension cable. For now, I used the included wire clips to connect the motor to the battery cradle. I will eventually solder the motor wires directly to the cradle.

In total, the build took me about 2 hours to complete as I watched / re-watched install videos and consulted the manual several times.





For my first ride, I was pleasantly surprised. My only eBike riding experience so far was a test ride of a Trek with a Bosch motor. I liked that bike, but not the $3500 price tag. Since I already have the Minnesota 2.0, I decided to buy the kit and convert it to save a bit of cash. I would usually cruise on flat terrain at about 12 - 15mph on this bike before the conversion. Post conversion, I was running at 20 - 24mph on PAS 1 (factory settings).

I noted that I had a lot of power in PAS 1, so started doing some research on programming. As my primary use of this bike will be for commuting (I have the options of either single track or paved bike path to get to work), I am more concerned about range than speed / climbing. As such, I followed the advice in "A Hacker's Guide To Programming The BBS02 & BBSHD" as well as a couple of other posts. For the most part, I followed Karl's Secret Sauce settings with the exception of the PAS settings. Here, I set PAS1 to 11%, PAS2 to 22% and so on. This provided a smoother / more natural ride and will hopefully extend my range.

Please let me know your thoughts on this setup. Again, as this was my first build, I'm open to suggestions for improvements.

On a side note, the green rear fender was a custom cut-out from a plastic swing set tunnel. I had taken down my kids old wooden swing set and repurposed the tunnel for fender parts.

[commuter ebikes]

I commute 6 days a week on a fat tire ebike. Your rig looks perfect. Great job!

Put it into service and any issues will soon present themselves. Drive safely! Remember to make yourself seen (e.g. with a reflective vest, flashing rear tail light, etc.).

[mtrain13]

Thanks. I already found one weak link (literally) as I broke my chain this morning. I'm going to upgrade it to an eBike specific KMC chain.

I do always make sure I can be seen. Here in TX, drivers are not very bike friendly. So, now that we have daylight savings time gone and it is dark when I leave and dark when I ride home, I light myself up like a Christmas tree for my commute.

[commuter ebikes]

Thanks. I already found one weak link (literally) as I broke my chain this morning. I'm going to upgrade it to an eBike specific KMC chain.

I do always make sure I can be seen. Here in TX, drivers are no very bike friendly. So, now that we have daylight savings time gone and it is dark when I leave and dark when I ride home, I light myself up like a Christmas tree for my commute.

Maybe you could carry a correct lenghth of spare chain with a Master Link and the Master Link hand tool, and practice installing it a few times. When I break down, I just call my wife.

Year round, half of my commute is in darkness. Sometimes I get to work and see that I forgot to turn on my flashing rear tail light!

Keep us posted on your weak links! Remember to drive safely 100% of the time. Don't ever sacrifice safety for any reason.

[mtrain13]

I am going to carry an extra chain with me going forward. After repairing the existing chain (with a KMC Missing Link), it has held strong. I think the problem was when I broke the chain originally, I must not have fully inserted the pin when reconnecting it. I did order the eBike specific KMC chain, so will carry that as a spare in case my existing one breaks again.

[Rodney64]

Good to see the bike finished. I looked for the frame size but could not find it. This would be good info for future builder of this frame.

Thanks for posting, Rod

[mtrain13]

Hi Rod,

Frame size is 18 inch. Good prompt on that as the battery fits, but as noted I could only engage one of the water bottle screws without drilling through the metal plate on the battery cradle (which I haven't done).

Today I used the bike for my first commute (I have been commuting by bike for about 5 years now). I had a 10 - 15 mph sustained headwind. This ride would have normally taken me about 75 minutes with the headwind. Using PAS 1 which I had configured to 11%, I made the ride in 45 minutes. I use a Fitbit to track my revolutions and noted that I logged about 20% more revolutions than riding without the motor. Thus cadence is up which I expected and still felt like I got some workout.

Only remaining things to complete the build . . .

• Wire / solder the front / rear lights that I purchased with the kit so they draw from the battery
• Replace the chain ring (I ordered the Luna Eclipse Chain Ring to improve the chain line)
• Convert my fat tires to tubeless

Thanks to everyone who has posted on these forums as the information helped make this a smooth transition.

[mtrain13]

UPDATE:

I received my replacement throttle as well as the Luna Eclipse 42t crank. I added both today and problems are now solved. Chain line is working fine (even with the 4.0 in tires and I can use all gears now.

I didn't think I would use the throttle much as mainly wanted pedal assist. However, I did have fun just sitting back and cruising a little with the throttle today.

I also upgraded my chain to an eBike specific KMC, so hopefully no more chain issues (although I think the first one was user error!). I'm still going to carry a spare with me with a Master Link to replace if needed.

I now have a little over 100 miles on the bike and now looking forward to my winter commutes.

[bushmango]

Looks great! I'm thinking of borrowing your build and converting over my Minnesota 2 as well.

Any updates?

What's the PDW thing mounted below your water bottle mount? Is that a case to hold extra tubes or something?

I'm still looking for good fenders too if you have any non-playground-converted ones you'd recommend :)

[Rodney64]

Ok, thanks for the update, I still have my 9 speed chain on my bike. Around 500 miles on it now.

[mtrain13]

The PDW is a fat bike mud guard. I had it on there before the conversion, but it is definitely staying to protect the battery from muck. I'm still using my playground fender as it works for me. I've smoothed the edges a little me with a Dremel, but other than that, it is serving it's purpose. I have been considering adding these (http://stores.bigomfg.com/4-complete-fender-kit/ ) if I do decide to upgrade the fenders. Luna cycles also sells a fat bike fender kit designed for the Sondors, so they might work as well with a little customization.

I've been riding this beast almost daily for my commute and have been loving it. I have a set of the Framed "slim" 29'r wheels for it as well that I currently have mounted. They are a much smoother ride on pavement for the commute, but the fat tires are more fun on the gravel / mud.

I now have almost 1000 miles on it and still happy with the decision to electrify. The only other issue I have had was that the left crank arm kept coming loose. I finally got it torqued down enough that it isn't moving, but I did pickup some Shimano STEP crank arms that are a little higher quality that I'll swap in at some point.

[Rider]

I was going to ask about the thingy on the underside of the down tube as well. Thought it might be an additional battery for super long range, but not that. Do you know of any plastic brackets that wrap around a top tube that might be adapted to relocate the Bafang display on the top of the top tube?

FYI: Something like the Mount Skidmore bottle cage adapter might let you use the frame bottle mounts for the battery. It allows you to move the bottle mounts up or down to position the water bottle as needed. I used one to move the seat post bottle mounts up on an eMTB because the battery was too close to the lower bottle mount on the seat post to accept a bottle. Worked great!

https://mountskidmore.com.au/shop/adapters/bottle-cage-adapter/

[john mellor]

Hi - Nice fat tire build with the Framed Minnesota 2.0 bike. The Mount Skidmore adapter might be the ticket for your battery issue. I just did a conversion for a friend and encountered the same problem. We were able to remove the battery tray cover and expose a metal plate at one end. It took a little head scratching but we ended up drilling a mounting hole through that plate so the lower water battle cage mount bolt would line up with the hole and the upper (pre-existing) battery tray hole lined up with the upper water bottle mount bolt. He still uses a couple of velcro strips around the whole battery for additional support but the tray mount is arguably better with one bolt through metal. I've read a 'hack' somewhere that describes doing that but you can figure it out I'm sure.

[mtrain13]

Thanks for the input on the Mount Skidmore, I'll have to try that out. Maybe check out some of the trike accessory adapters like http://www.utahtrikes.com/PROD-32.html to mount to the top tube. They have other styles, but this might work for you.

[Rider]

Thanks for the link!

[princenuce]

wow, it's really nice that my friend. I like your bike (y)

[mtrain13]

OK, I tried the Mount Skidmore mount, but it didn't work well with the Shark battery cradle and my bike. So, I ended up drilling a hole in the metal plate and securing with both water bottle holes. I'm much happier with this connection as opposed to the one screw / zip tie approach I had before. I've also put a velcro strap around the battery & tube for extra hold. I am glad I got the Mount Skidmore though as it now gives me better placement for my water bottle holder on my other bike.

My next project will be to install a BBSHD kit on my Utah Trikes Annihilator X90 (based on a Catrike Expedition). I think having that power with the three-wheel stability will make for some good fun!