Gen 3 owner here. So far so good with a 72v battery pack. It tops out at just above 4000w with the X6 controller. Note I don’t run maxed out throttle for more than 1 minute at a time. Most often I’m on MTB trails where I’m in 2 or 3 (of 5) in low mode. Race mode is too much juice for trail riding. I would wager everyone having problems is riding on street with throttle only. Like BaconBits does.
been rocking the gen4 since 4-13-2024. x12 controller. riding 26 inch wheels, 32 tooth front chainring and motor reduction gear, 18 tooth cog. dual 52 volt 20 ah batteries with a binger. Pulls 4000 watts at full charge but I'm sure it is only for a second. Hard to look at the display when riding a 6000watt motor. I can't wait for the 84 volt battery I ordered. The display reads out everything, temp, times, human input. Got my kit for 1368.00 with headlights.
"That is a pitiful bike lane" Agreed. Paint isn't infrastructure. Anything that's just a painted line becomes parking space, passing lanes or turn lanes for cars. It's the driving force for my bike choices as well. Keeping up with traffic is a safety feature.
I love my gen 4. Currently got it on a hard tail specialized but im about to fit it to my kona stinky. For the moment ive just got Cycs biggest battery they do which only puts out a 3500 watt but i want to add a second 72v battery. When one dies just unplug and plug in spare battery
Did you happen to see the raev gt 72v build on UA-cam channel Life on E-bikes. They did a pretty good job with 72v32ah battery and 100a sabvaton with 5000w motor. The battery fits well in the frame.
The external primary chain allows for greater gear reduction. I see that as a problem with the BBSHD. Shift up and it the power drops off because the motor isn't spinning fast enough. I'd rather throttle the bike with the pedals than with the throttle.
Mine is the Photon. It's definitely not a motorcycle replacement, but I'm a cyclist, and I prefer pedal assist. For city riding, get the 50t chairing and the 165mm cranks. As for riding on the road like a car, sometimes you don't have a choice.
I have the Gen 3 and I love it. I put it on a Santa Cruz Blur II. I'm running it at 52V, i got the mid sized ring and it has plenty of power. I have it set to max at 3Kwatts because anything higher is too much torque for the bike frame. And I keep up with traffic just fine on my 7 mile 25mph limited commute and I use a bike trail for about 4 miiles of it on pedal assist. I set the controler with 3 power setttings. I set Level 1 and 2 according to the laws in my state. Level 1 and 2 are bike path legal so I rarely use Level 3 at 3000 watts.
Where did you hear this? Ristretto is not saying anything about it. It lists the gen 3 motor on the website. But they have not shipped any bikes still, so maybe you are correct. I’m looking forward to seeing the ristretto in the hands of unbiased reviewers.
@@nickn383 I belong to a group created by Ristretto for owners only. The founder of the company informed all who had placed an order that the bikes will be shipped with gen 4 instead of the originally planned gen 3.
The BBSHD with the High Voltage kit is far more reliable in my view than anything else on the market..Unless your willing to do some metal fabrication with the QS, which I've done..Not including hub motors..
@@robertportillo7723 I don't like torque sensors at all..Cadence sensors are fine with me..I have a regular bike for the regular bike experience..I don't want my ebike to be like a regular bike, or to get/stay in shape..My bike goes 45 mph, I'm not interested in pedaling at high speeds..
@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 I love torque sensors on ebikes. Without the torque sensor, its not even an e-bike. Its just an e-moped or e-motorcycle. What's the point of the pedals even? My bike goes 45 mph too, and would go faster if I upgraded from my 42t chainring to a 50t. I have the CYC Photon on a custom built mountain bike.
Wilfisk black warrior…. I hope they send you this to review. 2300 bucks…. It’s insane what the package is. Back log already. Component wise is fantastic, the look is the coolest. Check it out
There new e motorcycle called em77, from this Chinese company called insork with a massive 96v 75ah battery .. it’ll be nice if you can review it .. I contacted them and they said 8k including shipping. I was comparing it to the land moto but the lands use good quality parts etc , I wonder how repairing this bike will be with parts etc anyway what’s your thoughts
Any higher spec and they are basically entering the e-motorcycle category, seeing as top speed will not be something to aim for, the focus should be on pulling power torque uphill for trailers etc due to the growth in bicycle delivery / street stalls.
I have one and TBF it already basically is a low power e-motorcycle motor. The actual definitions (per US, yours may differ I suppose) is 35 is a motorcycle. I easily on my bike with my gen 2 am cruising in the moped territory and, if I am willing to push it and drain the battery in like 10 minutes, I can easily be in the 50's on a flat road. So the pro's are definitely in the e-motorcycle category. Now do I care? No, and I don't want this product banned as it has been super useful where a lower power motor would definitely wouldn't.
@@Gromaul Yes there are different laws. Basically if ebikes are classed as motorcycles there will be a requirement to take and pass a test, buy insurance, pay for a yearly safety check and wear a specific helmet that meets government standards, and of course no more riding on cycle paths. If this happens people may as well buy a fuel powered motorbike because they are cheaper and more powerful. Its the speed that catches the eye of the police, even though they are not concerned about the pro cyclist type in lycra on a carbon fibre bike doing 35mph
I had a kit that preceded the CYC offerings. Same high power type setup as with the Gen4 and let me tell you that even on a full suspension MTB 50mph over asphalt is a motorcycle and you really start to question the size of the brakes and quality of your rotational components at those speeds. That said these types of middrive kits have all the torque you need. You really only need a 3 or 5 speed cassette out back. Cutting down a 9 or 10 speed cassette allows for stronger chain and still gives you more power than you need to climb. A setup like this with a large cog out back would climb a tree if it had the traction. No joke. The biggest issue I had with these types of kits is simply that the MTB frames are just not designed to take the power. Hydro formed aluminum or carbon fiber is strong but you're able to push 4 times the power of even the strongest cyclist. Your driveline suffers and it's the primary reason I don't ride my bike anywhere near its limit anymore. Bikes with fancy linkages can be pulled out of alignment under that much power. You need a robust bike. With this amount of power you won't care if your frame is steel, you just want to minimize twisting and anything that will pull the chain out of alignment.
@@SavageThrash I agree with you. I got a 12 speed full suspension mountain bike and put a 1000w mid drive Toseven motor on it and it bends the chain, there are too many gears to get a good chainline, I don't use the top 2 or bottom 3. I am very happy with the pulling power of my mono wheel trailer uphill though. Need to carry extra battery, I have a solar panel on the trailer too. I really have to make sure the brake pads are good for downhill, could do with dual caliper, even 30mph is a bit sketchy for my bike
@@utubeape I'd like to ride high power and high speeds on my bike again and you make a good point. Dual caliper or a dual rotor setup is really needed for the speeds and additional weight of these types of bikes. I wonder how much of a surrons wheelset and brakes could be adapted to work on my downhill bike from 15 years ago. Might have to do some digging and find some second hand components. I need a stronger back wheel and more braking capacity to really feel safe. The suspension on a DH is fine otherwise.
As an engineer, it's a matter of trade-offs. No free lunch here. Spring "coil" and you have security in the fact that it will be there, always. With air, you have great initial results but with mileage, you can get into leaks which will reduce the reliability. Modern air suspensions have sealed sub-systems, which are considerably more reliable, but they are smaller volume, so they don't typically handle high loads (heat dissipation). Best bet is to consider the typical "load". If you're like me, over 200 lb, and you will be riding with lots of cargo, best to stick with a spring "coil" w/damper system. If you are lighter, or non-ebike, and desire the ability to toss the bike around in the air, go air. It's almost that easy. Which is to say, you can't really go wrong with either once you realize the limitations of both. I love air on my mtb but wouldn't trust it on a heavy ebike or cargo ebike build.
"In California" a bicycle rider has essentially the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of any vehicle.. so if your slower then cars just be courteous rider and hit the bike path when available.. but if your quick enough to merge with traffic legally you can, i de everyday with no issues, as for the Gen4 i just hope it's not loud and whiny 🤷
I don't get the super high output mid drives with 9+ speed derailleurs. They put out so much torque you are constantly running the risk of just ripping your smaller rear cogs to shreds if you for got to shift down and put in some real power.
So just so you understand phase amps are used as a marketing gimmick. True amp output is around 60 to 65 amps, and the *peak* output of the battery is 100a but the *constant* is 65ish. True wattage output is going to peak around 4kw/4500 watts. They cant go that strong since they are still using simple bike chsins they will snap and wear out too fast.
They didnt get locked down? They reversed their decision on locking down one of their new mid drives. You can use a bbshd on the voltage system of your choice
I own a cyc x1 pro gen 2 and haven't had any issues after switching off the old (no longer supplied) asi controller. The sprocket on the gearboxes drive shaft is very stuck though so I can't remove it.
You’re right about safety. I got nailed by a car making a right turn. If I was in the middle of the lane wouldn’t have happened. Going no faster than a regular bike. Yep, went to the hospital.
Sorry to hear that and hope you are doing okay. It sucks that we don’t have protected bike lanes but I learned to work with what you have. If there is only a car lane, take it.
QUESTION ? Can these Mid-Drive motors be added to ordinary street bikes, assuming you have a place to mount up all the other needed components? I see these wheel hubs but I don't really like the motor in the hubs b/c you're very limited on the looks of the wheels & personally the bike rims can add a lot of style -n- flair to the LQQK of a bike? I guess I might've seen a mid-drive type motor used a few yrs ago or I'm dreaming I saw one? Can't remember now but it'd be really cool, kool, & kewler yet if you could just add this to a normal bike setup? I'm in over my head..... 🏄♂ 🚿 🐳
Yes but youre better off grabbing a bafang bbshd kit and a 72v controller and battery for the bbshd. Cyc is just a fancy looking bafang mid drive with overpriced controllers
@@Timbodacious ~ thanks man, I saw a few mid-drives back in 2018-19 that were being added to bicycles but I knew as time went on, it would explode. And all of these motors/electronic parts are perversely overpriced but I have to admit I like a "SHTF" Scenario w/ solar charged bikes like these..... lol, another thing I've waited for is the adding of a 2nd battery to bikes; Where you run off one battery & the other is charged while you ride? IF they'd allow us to get this kind of package they'd make it so high priced few could afford them but we've had technology to do this kinda stuff for decades but if they allowed us to have it, they would loose control of some who'd be done w/ gas prices. Yeah, I'm thinking "Out" there to get the most ! TY for posting & peace
well, you don't want to have a battery charging while you use the other battery since that will create drag on your wheel/hub motor causing more losses than gains. most ebikes and emotos have removed regen capability/motor braking from their bikes because it doesnt really give back much energy to make it worthwile. @@diggy-d8w
Now that's the kinda information that we all should be sharing here !! Thanks for that = major important to know so if the mid-frame isn't beefed up then this will crack your cH!T ! WoW, that's of great value to know. peace
@@Timbodacious I run 2kW with ebike rated chains and I wouldn't want to have anymore power. Even with ebike rated tyres and disc brake pads. 50 kilometers per hour is way fast enough on a bicycle.
Cyc are terrible, Gen 1 was, Gen 2 was and even Gen 3 had big floors. I'd wait until testing is done by those unfortunate people who buy them first. As for the bbshd, I run 72V 80A with a peek gear, all good 🤔
Gen 3 owner here. So far so good with a 72v battery pack. It tops out at just above 4000w with the X6 controller.
Note I don’t run maxed out throttle for more than 1 minute at a time. Most often I’m on MTB trails where I’m in 2 or 3 (of 5) in low mode. Race mode is too much juice for trail riding. I would wager everyone having problems is riding on street with throttle only. Like BaconBits does.
been rocking the gen4 since 4-13-2024. x12 controller. riding 26 inch wheels, 32 tooth front chainring and motor reduction gear, 18 tooth cog. dual 52 volt 20 ah batteries with a binger. Pulls 4000 watts at full charge but I'm sure it is only for a second. Hard to look at the display when riding a 6000watt motor. I can't wait for the 84 volt battery I ordered. The display reads out everything, temp, times, human input. Got my kit for 1368.00 with headlights.
"That is a pitiful bike lane"
Agreed. Paint isn't infrastructure. Anything that's just a painted line becomes parking space, passing lanes or turn lanes for cars.
It's the driving force for my bike choices as well. Keeping up with traffic is a safety feature.
I love my gen 4. Currently got it on a hard tail specialized but im about to fit it to my kona stinky. For the moment ive just got Cycs biggest battery they do which only puts out a 3500 watt but i want to add a second 72v battery. When one dies just unplug and plug in spare battery
Stator doesnt rotate, its stationary hemce the name. The rotor is the part that rotates, hence the name.
You make a strong point
I noticed that mistake, but I didn't care.
Did you happen to see the raev gt 72v build on UA-cam channel Life on E-bikes. They did a pretty good job with 72v32ah battery and 100a sabvaton with 5000w motor. The battery fits well in the frame.
The external primary chain allows for greater gear reduction. I see that as a problem with the BBSHD. Shift up and it the power drops off because the motor isn't spinning fast enough. I'd rather throttle the bike with the pedals than with the throttle.
Mine is the Photon. It's definitely not a motorcycle replacement, but I'm a cyclist, and I prefer pedal assist. For city riding, get the 50t chairing and the 165mm cranks.
As for riding on the road like a car, sometimes you don't have a choice.
I have the Gen 3 and I love it. I put it on a Santa Cruz Blur II. I'm running it at 52V, i got the mid sized ring and it has plenty of power. I have it set to max at 3Kwatts because anything higher is too much torque for the bike frame. And I keep up with traffic just fine on my 7 mile 25mph limited commute and I use a bike trail for about 4 miiles of it on pedal assist. I set the controler with 3 power setttings. I set Level 1 and 2 according to the laws in my state. Level 1 and 2 are bike path legal so I rarely use Level 3 at 3000 watts.
Can you do a video on the actual e bike laws so we can understand them?
Can you run that setup on a single speed?
maybe thinking about doing such a thing with these new mid-drives on my 40 ah version g force zm e bike as a DIY modification
The Ristretto 512 will be the first mass retail ebike to use the x1 Pro Gen 4, it's going to be a beast.
Where did you hear this? Ristretto is not saying anything about it. It lists the gen 3 motor on the website. But they have not shipped any bikes still, so maybe you are correct. I’m looking forward to seeing the ristretto in the hands of unbiased reviewers.
@@nickn383 I belong to a group created by Ristretto for owners only. The founder of the company informed all who had placed an order that the bikes will be shipped with gen 4 instead of the originally planned gen 3.
Yes I have purchased one of the ristretto 512 and it is confirmed they are upgrading to the new cyc X1 pro gen 4 motor
Could any of these e-bike kits work with a belt drive? My would be/could be donor bike is a Priority Gotham Classic.
The BBSHD with the High Voltage kit is far more reliable in my view than anything else on the market..Unless your willing to do some metal fabrication with the QS, which I've done..Not including hub motors..
Agreed, CYC can have overheating issues in some cases, as demonstrated on the high-voltage channel. But I love the quality machining of CYC
but no torque sensing, which is a deal breaker for true bike riders.
@@robertportillo7723 I don't like torque sensors at all..Cadence sensors are fine with me..I have a regular bike for the regular bike experience..I don't want my ebike to be like a regular bike, or to get/stay in shape..My bike goes 45 mph, I'm not interested in pedaling at high speeds..
@@realeyesrealizereallies6828 I love torque sensors on ebikes. Without the torque sensor, its not even an e-bike. Its just an e-moped or e-motorcycle. What's the point of the pedals even? My bike goes 45 mph too, and would go faster if I upgraded from my 42t chainring to a 50t. I have the CYC Photon on a custom built mountain bike.
I love the futuristic sound of the gen4! Lets people know I'm coming up behind and I don't have to yell "on your left"...
Wilfisk black warrior…. I hope they send you this to review. 2300 bucks…. It’s insane what the package is. Back log already. Component wise is fantastic, the look is the coolest. Check it out
Ah man, was hoping you had one to review in this vid! Guess you can’t review it yet if it’s still not available though.
I'm going to try and get one in house!
There new e motorcycle called em77, from this Chinese company called insork with a massive 96v 75ah battery .. it’ll be nice if you can review it .. I contacted them and they said 8k including shipping. I was comparing it to the land moto but the lands use good quality parts etc , I wonder how repairing this bike will be with parts etc anyway what’s your thoughts
Any higher spec and they are basically entering the e-motorcycle category, seeing as top speed will not be something to aim for, the focus should be on pulling power torque uphill for trailers etc due to the growth in bicycle delivery / street stalls.
I have one and TBF it already basically is a low power e-motorcycle motor. The actual definitions (per US, yours may differ I suppose) is 35 is a motorcycle. I easily on my bike with my gen 2 am cruising in the moped territory and, if I am willing to push it and drain the battery in like 10 minutes, I can easily be in the 50's on a flat road. So the pro's are definitely in the e-motorcycle category. Now do I care? No, and I don't want this product banned as it has been super useful where a lower power motor would definitely wouldn't.
@@Gromaul Yes there are different laws. Basically if ebikes are classed as motorcycles there will be a requirement to take and pass a test, buy insurance, pay for a yearly safety check and wear a specific helmet that meets government standards, and of course no more riding on cycle paths. If this happens people may as well buy a fuel powered motorbike because they are cheaper and more powerful.
Its the speed that catches the eye of the police, even though they are not concerned about the pro cyclist type in lycra on a carbon fibre bike doing 35mph
I had a kit that preceded the CYC offerings. Same high power type setup as with the Gen4 and let me tell you that even on a full suspension MTB 50mph over asphalt is a motorcycle and you really start to question the size of the brakes and quality of your rotational components at those speeds. That said these types of middrive kits have all the torque you need. You really only need a 3 or 5 speed cassette out back. Cutting down a 9 or 10 speed cassette allows for stronger chain and still gives you more power than you need to climb. A setup like this with a large cog out back would climb a tree if it had the traction. No joke. The biggest issue I had with these types of kits is simply that the MTB frames are just not designed to take the power. Hydro formed aluminum or carbon fiber is strong but you're able to push 4 times the power of even the strongest cyclist. Your driveline suffers and it's the primary reason I don't ride my bike anywhere near its limit anymore. Bikes with fancy linkages can be pulled out of alignment under that much power. You need a robust bike. With this amount of power you won't care if your frame is steel, you just want to minimize twisting and anything that will pull the chain out of alignment.
@@SavageThrash I agree with you. I got a 12 speed full suspension mountain bike and put a 1000w mid drive Toseven motor on it and it bends the chain, there are too many gears to get a good chainline, I don't use the top 2 or bottom 3.
I am very happy with the pulling power of my mono wheel trailer uphill though. Need to carry extra battery, I have a solar panel on the trailer too.
I really have to make sure the brake pads are good for downhill, could do with dual caliper, even 30mph is a bit sketchy for my bike
@@utubeape I'd like to ride high power and high speeds on my bike again and you make a good point. Dual caliper or a dual rotor setup is really needed for the speeds and additional weight of these types of bikes. I wonder how much of a surrons wheelset and brakes could be adapted to work on my downhill bike from 15 years ago. Might have to do some digging and find some second hand components. I need a stronger back wheel and more braking capacity to really feel safe. The suspension on a DH is fine otherwise.
Off topic but do you prefer coil or air suspension?
As an engineer, it's a matter of trade-offs. No free lunch here. Spring "coil" and you have security in the fact that it will be there, always. With air, you have great initial results but with mileage, you can get into leaks which will reduce the reliability. Modern air suspensions have sealed sub-systems, which are considerably more reliable, but they are smaller volume, so they don't typically handle high loads (heat dissipation). Best bet is to consider the typical "load". If you're like me, over 200 lb, and you will be riding with lots of cargo, best to stick with a spring "coil" w/damper system. If you are lighter, or non-ebike, and desire the ability to toss the bike around in the air, go air. It's almost that easy. Which is to say, you can't really go wrong with either once you realize the limitations of both. I love air on my mtb but wouldn't trust it on a heavy ebike or cargo ebike build.
@@JonPrevost got it, thanks for the info 👍
how would this compare to Talaria ipm motor?
Keeping up with traffic is the key. You are not passed by nearly as many cars and wiI feel we are more easily seen by drivers.
Good point. When their isn’t space dedicated to a bike lane, having cars pass you at high speed is not okay
is it really 8.5kw? it says 6.5kw max on their website but your desrciption says 8.5kw
"In California" a bicycle rider has essentially the same rights and responsibilities as the driver of any vehicle.. so if your slower then cars just be courteous rider and hit the bike path when available.. but if your quick enough to merge with traffic legally you can, i de everyday with no issues, as for the Gen4 i just hope it's not loud and whiny 🤷
"MY problem" with snows are snow burying "stuff" "out of sight".. Rains usually "better" sight-wise? cheers
I don't get the super high output mid drives with 9+ speed derailleurs. They put out so much torque you are constantly running the risk of just ripping your smaller rear cogs to shreds if you for got to shift down and put in some real power.
So just so you understand phase amps are used as a marketing gimmick. True amp output is around 60 to 65 amps, and the *peak* output of the battery is 100a but the *constant* is 65ish. True wattage output is going to peak around 4kw/4500 watts. They cant go that strong since they are still using simple bike chsins they will snap and wear out too fast.
I just wish Bafang was competitive with high end it sucks they got locked down 😢
They didnt get locked down? They reversed their decision on locking down one of their new mid drives. You can use a bbshd on the voltage system of your choice
i got 10$ on the CYC gen4 is noisy and Loud AF, and people have them breaking on their maiden voyages.
I own a cyc x1 pro gen 2 and haven't had any issues after switching off the old (no longer supplied) asi controller. The sprocket on the gearboxes drive shaft is very stuck though so I can't remove it.
Same motor and gear box though.
Get it and install one on your P51!
You’re right about safety. I got nailed by a car making a right turn. If I was in the middle of the lane wouldn’t have happened. Going no faster than a regular bike. Yep, went to the hospital.
Sorry to hear that and hope you are doing okay.
It sucks that we don’t have protected bike lanes but I learned to work with what you have. If there is only a car lane, take it.
Nice bike
Nope we don’t have bike lines in New Jersey
QUESTION ? Can these Mid-Drive motors be added to ordinary street bikes, assuming you have a place to mount up all the
other needed components? I see these wheel hubs but I don't really like the motor in the hubs b/c you're very limited on the
looks of the wheels & personally the bike rims can add a lot of style -n- flair to the LQQK of a bike? I guess I might've seen a
mid-drive type motor used a few yrs ago or I'm dreaming I saw one? Can't remember now but it'd be really cool, kool, & kewler
yet if you could just add this to a normal bike setup? I'm in over my head..... 🏄♂ 🚿 🐳
Yes but youre better off grabbing a bafang bbshd kit and a 72v controller and battery for the bbshd. Cyc is just a fancy looking bafang mid drive with overpriced controllers
@@Timbodacious ~ thanks man, I saw a few mid-drives back in 2018-19 that were being added to bicycles but I knew
as time went on, it would explode. And all of these motors/electronic parts are perversely overpriced but I have to
admit I like a "SHTF" Scenario w/ solar charged bikes like these..... lol, another thing I've waited for is the adding of
a 2nd battery to bikes; Where you run off one battery & the other is charged while you ride? IF they'd allow us to get
this kind of package they'd make it so high priced few could afford them but we've had technology to do this kinda
stuff for decades but if they allowed us to have it, they would loose control of some who'd be done w/ gas prices.
Yeah, I'm thinking "Out" there to get the most ! TY for posting & peace
well, you don't want to have a battery charging while you use the other battery since that will create drag on your wheel/hub motor causing more losses than gains. most ebikes and emotos have removed regen capability/motor braking from their bikes because it doesnt really give back much energy to make it worthwile. @@diggy-d8w
Anything above 550watts will eventually crack and break a frame ive seen loads of bafang 750 watt bikes wirhcracked frames
Now that's the kinda information that we all should be sharing here !! Thanks for that = major important to know so if
the mid-frame isn't beefed up then this will crack your cH!T ! WoW, that's of great value to know. peace
Why can't I create money to buy goods?
8.5kw on a bicycle? Thats just stupid
Its lies its just marketing. Bike chains cant really handle over 3kw for very long
@@Timbodacious I run 2kW with ebike rated chains and I wouldn't want to have anymore power. Even with ebike rated tyres and disc brake pads. 50 kilometers per hour is way fast enough on a bicycle.
@@Timbodacious6kw peak though mine just fine, stretches after about 1k miles but $8 every 1k is nothing
[cough] .. "280N.m.
Peak Torque".. [cough] .. ;)
Cyc are terrible, Gen 1 was, Gen 2 was and even Gen 3 had big floors. I'd wait until testing is done by those unfortunate people who buy them first. As for the bbshd, I run 72V 80A with a peek gear, all good 🤔
Worst review ever