voilamart ebike conversion kit

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The Voilamart ebike conversion kit represents excellent value for money, in this review I will go over the pros and cons, based on my own experience installing over 50 of these kits in the last 3 years. Voilamart is a global Chinese online retailer that sells everything from domestic appliances to Beauty products. They also happen to sell budget electric bike conversion kits. But just because they’re cheap doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t any good.

What’s included in the Kit?

There are front and rear wheel kits available and an LCD option. These kits contain almost everything you need to convert your bike to electric, apart from a battery.

voilamart 1000w 48v ebike conversion kit rear wheel

Voilamart rear wheel 48v 1000w ebike conversion kit (without LCD)

  • 48v 1000w Rear wheel direct drive hub motor laced into a 26″ double-walled alloy rim with heavy-duty spokes
  • 48v 26A Motor controller
  • Controller Bag
  • Pedal assist sensor
  • Throttle with battery indicator display
  • Brake levers with cut-off sensors (for cable brakes only)
  • 7-Speed gear freewheel
  • 26″ x 1.75″ Mountain bike tire
  • Cable ties
  • Plastic wiring coil (for tidying up the cables)
  • Installation manual

Voilamart rear wheel 48v 1000w ebike conversion kit with LCD

  • 48v 1000w Rear wheel direct drive hub motor laced into a 26″ double-walled alloy rim with heavy-duty spokes
  • 48v 26A motor controller
  • SW900 LCD Display
  • Controller Bag
  • Pedal assist sensor
  • Twist Throttle
  • Brake levers with cut-off sensors (for cable brakes only)
  • 7-Speed gear freewheel
  • 26″ x 1.75″ mountain bike tire
  • Cable ties
  • Plastic wiring coil (for tidying up the cables)
  • Installation manual

 Buy the 1500w kit from eBay

Motor Specification

The Voilamart kit uses a simple brushless DC direct drive hub motor. Direct drive motors have been around for years, and the principle is based on tried and tested technology. This kind of ebike motor may have seemed high-tech 20 years ago, but it is now considered old-hat when it comes to electric bike motors.

a voilamart 1000w ebike conversion kit fitted to a mountain bike

One benefit of direct-drive hub motors, is they are cheap to manufacture, and fairly reliable. They do not have any internal moving parts (like geared hub motors) and they can generally handle quite a lot of power.

I have successfully run a 1000w Voilamart hub motor on a 45A controller with a 52v battery – producing over 2000w of peak power, with no reliability issues.

Legality

If you are in the UK, EU or Australia then the maximum continuous power output for an electric bicycle is 250w, with a speed limit of 15.5mph (25km/h) anything above that would be classed as a moped and subject to the same rules and regulations. You would only legally be able to ride your bike on private land.

This motor is rated at 1000w and is not speed-limited. There is a plug on the controller, that when connected limits the output to 250w and speed to 15.5mph. I have looked into the law and it states quite clearly that the motor has to be ‘rated’ at 250w continuous.

US federal law is different and allows 750w and 20mph, so technically this motor would still be illegal there.

I’m not one for rules and regulations, but you need to be made aware of the potential legal implications before you purchase and install one of these kits. For more information, read our article on UK e-bike laws.

Reliability

I have installed at least 50 of these kits over the last 3 years, and I have only ever had a couple of long-term issues reported by customers. Hall sensor failure has occurred on maybe 3 or 4 units, and I have had one controller failure, and one LCD pack-up.

Another issue you will encounter is broken spokes. If you hear a ‘clicking’ sound when riding, you will need to check the spokes for tightness. If you need to replace a broken spoke, you will need the correct length and gauge. I would recommend buying a pack of spokes and a wheel truing stand, for ongoing maintenance.

bicycle wheel truing stand

Thankfully, because these kits are so cheap, so are the replacement components. The hall sensors can be replaced if you are good with a soldering iron. The motor controller costs around £30 ($40) and the SW900 LCLCDan be purchased off Aliexpress for about $50.

In my experience, Voilamart is quite helpful when it comes to warranty claims. The only issue is, the replacement part is usually sent from China, so delivery may take a little while.

What types of bikes are best suited?

I would personally go for an older steel or Aluminium-framed mountain bike, hybrid or cruiser. All older mountain bikes and cruisers have 26″ wheels. It would also be advisable to upgrade the brakes if possible, as these kits add a lot of weight to a bike once fitted.

A Vintage mountain bike fitted with a 1000w rear wheel ebike conversion kit

Installation and Compatibility

The Voilamart electric bike kit is primarily available in a 26″ wheel size, although I’ve seen 28″ / 700c available.

If your bike has disc brakes fitted, you could get away with fitting a smaller 26″ rear wheel to say, a 27.5″ wheeled mountain bike. I have done it before, without any negative impact on handling. This wouldn’t work with v-brakes, as the drop on the brake callipers would not reach the braking surface on the rim.

Check availability on eBay

The motor axle can sometimes be a tight squeeze to get into the dropouts. On occasion, you may need to file the dropouts slightly to accommodate the larger axle.

Although the specification states that the kit is suitable for 135mm rear dropouts, you will nearly always have to pull them apart slightly to get the axle to fit in. You will also need to use the spacers provided, otherwise the rear brake calliper will rub on the motor hub casing.

Torque arm kit for electric bike hub motor

When you are indexing the rear gear shifting, you will need to set the ‘low’ limit screw on the rear derailleur, otherwise it will rub on the motor casing when in 1st gear (largest cog on the rear freewheel).

If you have hydraulic brakes, the brake levers supplied will not be compatible, so you will either need to purchase separate cut-off sensors or not bother at all. On a motor with this kind of power output, it would be wise to purchase the sensors (especially if you are using a throttle).

I would not recommend the front motor if you have disc brakes,  I have fitted a few of the front hub motors and the brake calliper nearly always rub on the motor, regardless of adjustment.

This kit does not come with a torque arm. I would highly recommend purchasing one of these, as it will prevent the motor axle from popping out of the dropouts. Something you don’t want happening at speed!

Performance

When installed properly, these kits will turn your humble bicycle into quite a fast electric bike. I have recorded speeds of around 30mph on the flat (without pedalling). At the very least you will need a good 48v or 52v battery with a minimum continuous current rating of 30A – the controller will draw a maximum of 26A.

voilamart 48v 26a motor controller with wiring diagram

Another thing to consider is the battery range. A direct drive hub motor is the least energy-efficient electric bike motor, so you will not get a particularly good range out of something like a 48v 10.4Ah battery, unless you are frugal with the power, and pedal a lot.

A good starting point for a battery would be a 48v 17.5Ah battery with a 30A BMS. This is going to be the most expensive part of the conversion. Of course, if you are only planning on using your bike for relatively short journeys then a 10Ah battery should be fine.

What if I run out of battery power?

Good luck pedalling! Direct drive hub motors are not only heavy, but you have the resistance of the motor to overcome. Pedalling one of these with the power off (particularly uphill) can be quite a challenge. I know, I’ve been in that position before! If you want a motor you can pedal comfortably with the electric assist off, then I would recommend a Bafang hub motor.

Conclusion

If you want to build a fast electric bike on a budget, then the Voilamart kit offers excellent value for money. It’s a simple, low-tech solution to building your ebike. The motor is heavy and inefficient, but it will provide you with enough power to put a smile on your face, and it will get you up most hills with ease. Factor in the cost of a medium-sized 48v battery, and you can build your bike for less than the price of the cheapest Chinese e-bike.

These kits are generally reliable, more so than the more expensive Bafang mid-drive motors. If they do go wrong, everything is fairly cheap and easy to replace. You could even buy a second kit so you had a backup of spare parts.

Regarding the legality – please check the local laws in your country. If you’re planning on using a converted bike on the road, keep your speed down in built-up areas, and always ghost pedal. That way you won’t draw any unwanted attention to yourself.

The Voilamart hub motor kit is one of the best e-bike conversion kits available for the price – it’s an old-fashioned, inefficient and heavy option, but it will give you a useful boost to your pedalling.

Buy Now: Voilamart 1500w LCD rear wheel e-bike conversion kit

Find suitable batteries on eBay

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236 Comments

  1. I’ve just bought a voilamart 1500w rear wheel in the process of fitting it and every time I tighten rear wheel bolts it locks my wheel ? Any ideas what this could be as have taken to a bike repair and he could suss it out ?

    1. There should have been some flat washers supplied with the kit. These need to be on the inside of the dropouts (between frame and motor / freewheel).

  2. HI,
    Great info here.
    I bought a second hand kit from someone on eBay. A 1000w motor and 48v battery. It had no base plate for the battery, faulty connections, a 26inch wheel instead of the 27.5 as described. I battled with the seller and it was like banging my against a brick wall so I decided to keep it in the end and try to repair the electrics and get it to fit. The biggest issue is going to the brakes due the wrong size. I first thought about changing the brakes to clamp on v brakes, but couldn’t find them. Then I wondered about some sort of extenders to reach the 26inch rim, but got confused. Can you tell me if this is possible? Thanks!

    1. Hi,

      If your bike currently uses cantilever brakes, then v-brakes may work at maximum adjustment. You’d need long drop brakes. I’ve only ever fitted a 26″ rear wheel on a 27.5″ disc frame, and that worked perfectly. I think Tektro do long drop v-brakes or the Shimano Alivio v-brakes have quite a lot of adjustment.

      1. salut je cherche des infos sur le display sw900, sur le mien le paramètre p14 peut monter jusqu’à 50 mais régler sur 1 ou 50 ca ne change rien j ai eu le display d occasion déjà régler sur 50 mon contrôleur est un 35A il aurait dû griller ? est il possible que sur certains display sw900 le paramètre p14 soit inactif ?

    2. I had this problem , i bought cheep disc brake kit and fitted it to two nuts , i attached the calliper to the disc and taped the brake levers on so i could be sure of alignment then carefully welded the nuts to the forks..no problems at all after couple thousand miles so i went and did my rear drive bikes the same !

  3. Hi, I also converted my bike using a 1500W kit from Voilamart. It was doing great for the first months, but now I have got a problem with it.
    I once used it without the hall-sensors connected. The motor immediatly started to judder (especially when under load), so I connected the hall-sensors back again, but the motor still judders. It seems that the controller went into a sensorless mode and I don’t know how to activate the sensors again.
    I have already tested the hall sensors and their connection to the controller. It all seems fine.
    However the motor now behaves exactly the same, wether the sensors are connected or not.
    I would be really thankfull if someone has a soultion for this.
    Thanks,
    Tom

    1. Tom’s question has not been addressed. I have the same problem, but it was from new. The motor judders and sometimes runs very slowly, but draws maximum amps. I have seen several other questions from people using the Violamart kit who are having the same problem on other sites, but no answers except to check the hall sensors, etc.

      I took the NEW motor apart and checked the wires, bought an analyzer and ran the tests. Everything is good.

      I tried hooking up to a known working Violamart controller, and it still does the same thing.

      This is very frustrating. It seems to be a problem with some Violamart kits and no answers have been forthcoming. Violamart doesn’t seem to provide any support. They offered a return, but the shipping cost is too much.

      Does anyone have any suggestions for resetting the controller or anything else?

      1. I have found its nearly always defective wiring even if it looks ok. I have had all sorts of problems with the wire at the wheel . Also on one bike it was the actual wiring loom that had a faulty intermittent connection causing all sorts random problems from allways on full throttle to sudden shut downs to buzzing motor ..all fixed with a rewireing job . The wires are barely up to the power rating and they will get warm and the wire coatings are terrible and go brittle quickly..i am not however complaining as they are quarter the price of a full grin kit .

  4. HI! I just inherited my brother in laws Ebike with a Voilamart front drive hub on it. It worked fine, but the front hub is clicking like it has a loose wheel bearing tossing around inside. Pretty sure it’s not a spoke. He said he let his friend take it for a ride in the mountains and he overheated it possibly.
    My question is, is there a hub bearing kit or part numbers for the bearings themselves available for these units? I’m pretty handy, and know I can service the unit, I just like having the parts ready to hand when I start into a new project if I can.

    Thanks!

    1. Hi James,

      Does the motor lose power when the clicking noise starts? It could possibly be a faulty hall sensor – these are located inside the motor on the main circuit board. They’re cheap to buy and need to be soldered in place. I would also check the wiring harness to make sure it hasn’t been damaged in any way as this will effect the signal going to the controller. If you open up the motor, check for any visible signs of burning – these motors can overheat quite easily on steep climbs. It’s also worth checking the connection point of the three phase wires (yellow, green and blue) as these can be problematic. Regarding the hub bearings, I’ve never personally had any problems in this area, but I would imagine the bearings are generic and should be easy to source.

      All the best,
      Tony

      1. Thanks! I’ll check those things out as well. And no, the clicking sound is there whenever you rotate the wheel, whether it under power or just moving it around the garage. It really does sound like a solo ball bearing rolling around inside, getting caught and lifted as you roll the wheel, then dropping and bouncing around.
        I’ll go ahead and open her up, I just can’t trust that noise not to lock up the wheel at speed. I got the bike to get my health back, not to end up in the hospital. 😀

        If I find anything unusual, I’ll take pics and post a link for them.

        Thanks again!

  5. Hi Tony,
    Hope all is well and thank you for your really informative site.
    I have spent many hours looking at what conversion to do and have decided on a rear hub.
    I wish to get the Voilamart rear hub 500w.
    I am in Uk so would wish to restrict to 15.5 mph, 250w on road and then have full power when off road.
    I have a question that I hope you might be able to help with:
    The kits I have seen have the limit to to 250w cable on throttle but not on the PAS but also do not have a connection for an LCD monitor to adjust settings.
    Do you have either a list of items from Aliexpress or equivalent that would make up a 500w kit complete I.e controller etc with battery or know of a 500w kit that would allow a LCD to be attached.
    Thank you for your time and support it is greatly appreciated.
    Take care.
    Best regards
    Tony

    1. Hi Tony,

      I’ve received your message and will check with some of the suppliers to see what’s available.

      All the best,
      Tony

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