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If you’re considering converting your bike to electric assist, navigating the huge number of available kits can be mind-boggling. Fortunately, one of the cheapest and most reliable conversion kits is available on eBay. In this Yose Power e-bike kit review, I will look at the pros and cons based on my experience installing over 50 kits on customers’ bikes. Find out more about my electric bike conversion service.
| Motor Type | Front or Rear Brushless Geared Hub Motor |
| Power | 250-watt or 350-watt |
| Voltage | 36-volt |
| Pedal Sensor | Cadence PAS |
| Display | Multi-Function LCD |
| Accessories | Tool Kit, Installation Manual, Cable Ties |
| Availability | Online Only – UK, EU and USA |
Pros
- Excellent Value for Money
- Decent Performance
- Nice Display
- Easy to Install
- Comes with Toolkit
Cons
- Broken Spokes
- The motor can be noisy under load
- Struggles on very steep hills
Summary
From 2016-2019, I made a living converting bikes to electric assist, and one of my favourite conversion kits was sold via eBay. Yose Power is based in China but sells most of its e-bike kits through eBay in the UK and EU. I installed my first Yose Power kit in 2017 and was immediately impressed with the quality and performance of the motor.
Fast forward to 2020, and I still do the occasional conversion; since 2017, I reckon I’ve converted over 50 bikes using this kit. One of the stand-out things about these conversion kits is not only the price; long-term reliability is the best I’ve encountered in the DIY e-bike world.
I have had many issues with mid-drive conversions and a few problems with cheap direct-drive hub motors, but the Yose Power kits have never caused me any major bother. On top of that, you get a lot for your money – it’s one of the few kits that gives you a useful tool kit and headlight.
Below, I have outlined some of the key features of the Yose Power e-bike kit.
Buy from Yose Power directly and use the coupon code BH2E24BXQH for a €10 discount.
Motor Kit
The kit comes in various options and wheel sizes (listed below) and is available as a front or rear-wheel conversion – the latter being the more popular choice.
- Wheel sizes: 26″ / 27.5″ / 28″
- Motor colour: Silver/black
- Gear cassette: Screw-on freewheel or cassette (8/9/10 speed)
- Power rating: 250w / 350w
- Voltage: 36v
As you can see, there are options to suit all the common wheel sizes and gear systems used on modern bikes.
Compatibility
The Yose Power kit is designed to fit regular ‘quick release’ front or rear dropouts of approximately 100mm wide on the front and 135mm at the rear. Many modern mountain and road bikes have ‘thru-axle’ hubs – bikes with this type of hub would not be suitable for an electric hub motor.
Another occasional problem I’ve encountered is tyre width – this isn’t a problem on hybrid or mountain bikes, but if you’re considering fitting this kit to a road bike, you will need clearance for a 28mm wide tyre. This is the minimum width tyre recommended for this rim.
Pedal Sensor Compatibility
A cadence pedal sensor is included in the kit – it comes in the form of a split magnetic disc (secured with a spring clip) and the pick-up sensor. This is usually fine with a regular square-tapered bottom bracket axle, but it will not work with a Hollowtech-type external bottom bracket. If you have the latter fitted to your bike, purchase a separate sensor.
Brake Lever Compatibility
The supplied brake levers with integrated motor cut-off sensors suit cable brakes (disc, cantilever or v-brakes). If your bike has hydraulic brakes or an integrated brake lever/gear shifter, you are faced with two choices – don’t bother with cut-offs (the motor will run fine without them) or buy specific sensors for hydraulic brakes.
Do you need to fit the supplied brake levers? I’ve never used them. The motor will start and stop only when you pedal – even if you use the supplied throttle, it will only work once you are travelling at least six mph. If the motor stays on, you can hit the kill switch or apply the brakes hard.
Compatibility with Disc brakes
Both the front and rear hub motor have six bolt fixings to mount a brake rotor if required – you must use the disc bolts provided as if you use longer ones, they will interfere with the motor’s running.
Display
On the older kits, they used to use the proven KT-LCD3 display, but more recently, they have used a different display, which is very high quality and has an aluminium back plate. This is an excellent display, especially when you consider the price of the kit – I would go as far as saying it’s better than many of the displays you get on factory e-bikes.
The information available to the rider:
- Speed (mph or km/h)
- Pedal assist level
- Battery indicator
- Real-time battery voltage
- Trip function
Accessories Included in the Kit
Yose Power is one of the few e-bike kit suppliers that includes instructions and a toolkit. The toolkit comprises a full Allen key set, crank puller, chain whip and cassette removal tool. They also include a headlight that plugs into the wiring harness and can be powered on/off by the display. Cable ties are also supplied, which is a nice attention to detail.
Motor Performance
The motor supplied with the Yose Power kit is available in 250w or 350w power options. These small hub motors have an internal gear reduction system, so the motor always spins faster than the wheel. This makes the motor more efficient and produces more torque than a similar direct-drive unit.
The controller determines motor power – 250w has a 36v 15A controller and 350w a 36v 18A. In the UK and EU, the law states the motor should not exceed 250w of continuous power – it’s up to you whether you get the 350w version, but I don’t feel the extra power is worth the risk – the motor power rating is visible on the hub motor.
I live at the bottom of a short steep hill (10% over 0.25 miles), and I converted the old Giant hybrid bike (pictured below) for a chap in his 80s – he rode up the hill whilst simultaneously laughing his head off, saying “This is brilliant”! I think that sums up the Yose Power motor. It’s not a speed demon like a Bafang mid-drive, but its power is more than adequate for most riders. I used to own a bike fitted with one of these kits, and I rarely used it above level 2 assist (out of 5).
How Reliable is the Yose Power E-Bike Kit?
The simple answer is very reliable indeed! To date, the only problems I’ve encountered have been minor and related to the pedal sensor – on some bikes, there is limited clearance between the pedal crank and bottom bracket, which can cause the magnetic disc to stick. I have never had a motor fail or cause problems.
Another issue I’ve had a couple of times is on the cassette freehub version – occasionally, this fails and can be a pain to fix. If your motor kit is still under warranty, it shouldn’t be a problem as their customer service is usually very good.
Potential problems with broken spokes. If you ride a bike regularly, broken spokes are a frustrating fact of life. An e-bike motor, because of the increased weight, increases the risk of broken spokes. My customers haven’t reported higher-than-expected incidences of broken spokes than I would expect. However, I have heard from other people that broken spokes can be an issue with this motor.
Ease of installation
Installation is fairly straightforward, even for a novice. You will need a bit of patience (roughly 2-3 hours) and preferably a workspace and bike stand. Most of the tools are provided, but you will also need some cable cutters (to tidy up cable ties).
The front wheel conversion is easier than the rear as you don’t need to swap out the gear freewheel or cassette. You will need to remove the tyre, inner tube and wheel liner. Then remove the freewheel/cassette and disc rotor (if you have disc brakes). Then you transfer everything to the motor wheel.
Fitting the wheel can be tricky as the hub is a little wider than the standard 135mm – on alloy and steel frames, you will need to splay the dropouts by a few mm to get the axle to drop in.
Then it’s a case of mounting the pedal sensor, battery, controller and display – plug everything in, tidy the wires, charge the battery, and you’re ready. If you’re not confident in doing the job yourself, I would try a local bike shop, as more and more are doing conversions these days.
Battery
Some of the Yose Power kits are supplied with a battery. These kits are great because the controller is integrated into the battery mounting plate – this makes for a neat installation. Batteries available are usually 36v 12.5Ah, and these battery packs seem to be very reliable.
The Verdict
If you’re after a cheap electric bike kit that will perform as well as a hub motor found on something like the Carrera Vulcan, you can’t go wrong with the Yose Power kits. When it comes to quality, they punch well above their weight.
They perform well, are reliable and can be used for leisure riding or commuting – I did one in 2017, and the guy used it for commuting five days a week for three years, all through British winters, and it was still running like a dream!
I always recommend these kits for their simplicity. Even if the motor packed up after a couple of years, they’re easy to fix (for the DIY-minded) or cheap enough to buy another kit.
The Yose Power kits represent an affordable entry to the world of e-biking and feature on my list of the best e-bike conversion kits in 2023 – If you want to breathe new life into an old hybrid or mountain bike, these kits are the best value by far.
Where to Buy the Yose Power Electric Bike Conversion Kit
| Buy from Yose Power direct and use the coupon code BH2E24BXQH for a €10 discount |
| eBay UK |
| Amazon UK |
| eBay Germany |
| Amazon Germany |
| eBay France |
| Amazon France |
| eBay Spain |
| Amazon Spain |
Thanks for reading; if you have any questions, please use the comments section below. I usually respond within 24 hours.
Hi, Do you know the weight of the front hub motor 250W 36v 26”. The answer from yosepower was 7kg which seems a little high,
Thanks
Hi,
I have weighed a Yose Power front wheel (without tyre) and it’s 3.5kg.
Thanks, that’s really helpful
You’re welcome👍
Hi Tony,
thank you for your review, very helpful. I think about ebike kit for cassette, but you have mentioned that you had issues with this type. So better to go for freewheel version ? It was a motor issue, or something else was damaged there,, please ?
,,One other issue I’ve had a couple of times is on the cassette freehub version – occasionally this fails and can be a pain to fix.”
Thank you
Franky
Hi Franky,
It wasn’t an issue with the motor but the cassette freehub body. I had a couple of occasions where the freehub failed and wouldn’t engage. This only happened two random times and didn’t seem to be a regular problem. If your bike is 8-speed, there are screw-on freewheels available from Sunrace.
All the best,
Tony
Hi Tony,
thank you very much for your feedback, really helpful. Definitely will help me with decision.
Have a great weekend 😉
Regards
Franky
You’re welcome👍
Hello i have a yose power y01 how do i reset my milage
Within 5 seconds of powering on the display hold the up and down arrow keys together, then the mileage should start flashing – short press the power button and this should clear the mileage.
Tony,
excellent page, love it!
Do you have an idea if it is more likely controller or Motor when a Real Wheel Drive freewheel 28 Inch suddendly stops working. When i roll the bike back a few inches and push the throttle I get a little reaction, but it is not working.
Hi Philipp,
It could be a number of things, possibly a hall sensor inside the motor (wheel). But without having the bike in front of me it’s hard to say. Try unplugging the throttle to see if it works on PAS alone and vice versa. Do a visual inspection of the wiring harness to make sure it’s not damaged in any way. The controller would be the easiest thing to replace, so I would start with that.
Regards,
Tony
Hello Tony!
I woukd like to thank you very much to your help! The ordered from yosepower and built up succeeded. 🙂
I had a lot of difficulty. First: My Neuzer bike frame was broken… But I bought a new bike (Giant Talon 4 2021) 🙂
So I’m ordered from yosepower conversation kit for freewheel (27,5″).
And I was built it today! It seems working!
I will try in this week., but the weather is rainy….
After this try, It will going to sleep to spring….
Just two question:
1., It use the 500C display and I want to setup to 650b (27,5″) wheel, but isn’t… Just 26-700C-28 How can I use it with 27,5″ wheel? (The conversation kit is 27,5″)
2, How can i send a picture from my new e-bike to you? (If you want)
Thanks a lot for you! 🙂
Joe
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the update, glad you managed to get it finished. Unfortunately the 500c display doesn’t have provisions for the 27.5″ wheel, I would set it to 700c / 28″ as that’s close enough. You can send a photo of your bike through messenger on my Facebook page, and I will post it on the article.
Regards,
Tony
Dear Tony!
I don’t use facebook, I asked my friend (Nagy Géza) to send you the pictures. You can use it free!
I’ve tried it in the forenoon, and I’m very satisfied with this!
One thing, however is very unpleasant. The 500c display…. How do they think it? They bought it with 26″ and 27,5″ and 28″ or 700C wheel conversation kit without 27’5 setup? All measuring (speed, and distance) will be wrong… It’s impermissible, I think.
It would be 5 stars kit, but just 4 stars because 500C display!
Thank you again!
Best regards!
Joe
Hi Joe,
I received the photos, your bike looks great and a very tidy conversion!
I agree with you about the limited wheel size options on the 500 display, the older KT-LCD3 display could be changed to 27″, but not in 0.5″ increments. I’ll have a look to see if this can be changed using the advanced settings function.
All the best,
Tony
Dear Tony!
Thank you! Please let me know if you know resolving this problem.
Joe
Will do 👍
Hello Tony!
My bike working good! Thank you again, please lem me know can you know resolving the display problem?
Joe
hey, Joe,
This is hill from yosepower, first of all, thanks for your support on yosepower.
for the wheel size setting, we realized this bug, and already updated the display, add the 27.5″ in the display choose.
Best regards.
Dear Tony!
All right, I’ll measure it!
It is a 19″ frame I think.
Thank you so much, again!
Joe
You’re welcome👍
Ohhh… I will measure it, but I see the pictures from Cube Access and I realized that the two screw for the bottle are too low.
🙁
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/cube-access-ws-grey-n-berry-1011028
I can’t use the battery on this frame….
https://yosepower.com/collections/e-bike-battery/products/36v15ah-48v12-5ah-down-tube-battery
I look at the other batteries but i don’t know which one would be appropriate. Which battery holder is on the bottom of the mount opposite this?
What’s your advice?
Thanks!
Joe
Hi Joe,
There are a couple of options – you can mount the battery the other way round (as in the photo’s of the Marin in this article) or you can drill an extra hole in the aluminium section of the battery mounting plate. Another option would be to go for the bottle-style battery – these usually have the hole set further back, but the energy capacity is lower. You could also try a compact bottle battery it will have a shorter range (maybe 30-40km) but will be lightweight and easy to fit.
Regards,
Tony
🙂 The other way round? Is it possible? Hurray!
The most important is the measuring…
It seems will be okay the built thanks to you!
Joe
You’re welcome, let me know how it goes.
Cheers,
Tony
Thank you so much!
I appreciate for your help! I’m so sorry that I have a lot of questions….
But a friend of mine thinking about building. What do you think can she building a Cube Access grey ‘n’ berry with 27,5 rear kit?
I’m thinking here of whether the controller and battery will fit on the frame?
Because it is a woman’s hardtrail bike with a woman’s frame.
Thank you!
Joe
Hi Joe,
The Cube Access should be okay, but whether you can fit the battery in the frame or not will depend on the size. If it’s small or medium frame, I would say it could be very difficult or even impossible. The battery dimensions are (L)365mm x (W)90mm x (H)90mm/110mm. If you have the bike already, I would take the measurements inside the triangle to see if it’s possible.
Let me know if you have any more questions.
All the best,
Tony
Dear Tony!
The Yosepower hub motor is the geared hub motor or the direct drive hub motor?
Thanks
Joe
Hi Joe,
The 250w and 350w Yosepower motors are all geared hub motors.
Hello Tony!
It seems I need a conversion kit without battery (because 27,5″). (E-Bike Conversion Kit 36V 350W 26″ / 27.5″ / 28″(700C) Rear Motor Kit for Freewheel)
If I choose it and one of the batteries (36V 13Ah Hailong Li-ion Battery E-Bike DIY for example) and build up with this.
But… Can I the controller building in the battery holder??? Like in the full kit? (E-Bike Conversion Kit 36V 350W Rear Motor Kit for Freewheel with 36V12.5Ah Battery and Charger)
Because the full kit haven’t in 27,5″… 🙁
And please let me know…. what is the essential difference a Hailong battery between 36V15.6Ah E-Bike Li-ion Battery DIY Electric Bicycle?
It is better to choose one or the other?
Thanks
Joe
Hi Joe,
Yes, it’s unfortunate that there’s no integrated battery / controller option for the 27.5″ version at the moments. The Hailong 36v 15.6Ah battery has more energy capacity than the 12.5Ah battery, so you could expect slighter greater range. It wouldn’t be possible to fit the separate controller into the battery try as there would not be enough space.
Regards,
Tony
Thank you so much!
You’re welcome👍
Hi Tony
I have fitted the kit and am pretty pleased with the quality and how it performs. My main disappointment is the length of the response time after I start pedalling. I know that there are advanced settings to deal with that. For the “Slowly Start-up” setting, do I need setting 1 or 3 for a quicker response. ? Do I also need to adjust the “Sensitivity of PAS” setting and will I get a quicker response from a setting of 2 or the other end of the range, which is 63 ? Also, do you know what the “Speed Sensor selection” does and what the setting 1-6 mean?
Two other points to make.
1) I could only fit the battery mount onto 1 of my bottle-holder screws, so I adapted a jubilee clip to fit the other battery mount fix point, as I didn’t want to drill the frame. (should have taken a picture as it was quite neat and works well)
2) I have the front hub motor and I’m very surprised that the electric cable to it, has no join/plug close to the front-wheel. It means that to remove the wheel from the bike, I would have to dismantle the cable all the way back to the control module in the triangular bag. Is there a proprietory male/female socket that I could use if I cut the cable near the wheel and insert it?
Hi Richard,
The male / female connector cables are available from eBay UK, although they are shipped from China. It’s a shame they’ve gone down this route as the earlier kits had a connector much nearer the motor on both the front and rear motors.
Regarding programming the display, I have never altered the settings on the latest C500 display, only the KT-LCD3 display. I would try the slow start setting at 3, and the PAS sensitivity at 25-30 and see how it feels. These are similar settings to the KT display so I would imagine they should have the same effect. The speed sensor selection should be left alone as I believe that relates to the number of magnets on the PAS sensor.
Let me know if altering the above settings has the desired effect.
Cheers,
Tony
Hi Tony, in case it’s of interest to anyone else, I contacted my supplier to query the delayed response. They asked for my settings which I gave as: (This will only make sense to someone with the manual)
I
n General settings, Set 2 is at 40km/h. Set 4 is blank. The manual shows a Set 5 but I don’t have a Set 5.
In advanced settings I have:
1) SP5 – SP5-1
2) PA5 -run f
3) PA5 – SCO 30
4) Hnd – HFn
5) Hnd – HLn
6) 59s – SSP3
7) 59s – Cur13
They then suggested that I change the Advanced setting 3) PAS sensitivity setting to SCO 2 and this has worked perfectly. I am now very happy with the speed of response when I commence pedalling.
Hope this helps someone else.
Hi Richard,
Thanks for sharing, much appreciated.
merci
Hi Tony!
I have a Neuzer X2 bike. I would like use Yose Power conversation kit.
Please let me know:
1. Can I use Yose Power with my bike?
2. Can I use the Yose Power kit with throttle lever in full electric mode?
Thank you!
Joe
P.S.
I think I can use rear kit.
Yes the 28″ rear wheel kit (for cassette gears) will fit. I have converted similar bikes to yours in the past without any major problems. Here is a link to Yose Power direct – use code BH2E24BXQH for a €10 discount.
Regards,
Tony
Thank you so much!
And have it throttle lever?
Yes, the kit comes with a throttle, this can be configured using the settings on the display – there are instructions on how to do this.
Thank you so much to help!
You’re welcome!
Hi Tony,
Looked through comments here and can’t find answers, so here’s my Q.:-
I am considering a Yose front hub kit for my ’80s Raleigh Maverick mtb, a rear hub motor would be my choice, but the chainstays really are only 130mm or less apart (only a 5 speed freewheel), and I just think yanking them apart to the 138mm required is not a good thing ! And I can see other problems along the way too.(wheel dish). So for a front hub motor:- how would you say the motor noise compared with, say, a Shimano mid-drive – I have borrowed a bike with an e6000 motor and it’s pretty quiet, so that is my reference noise ! I know it’s a subjective thing, but just getting your opinion.
Also, my Raleigh has a steel frame with two bottle mounts on down tube – however these are too low for the standard Yose battery mount I think – I notice one of the photos above shows you have mounted one upside down – does the batt need to slide down 20mm or so before releasing like this ?
And do you think mounting on only two bolts is good enough ? Is the batt base plate curved to fit to the down tube .? It looks not from your photo – so the batt is going to vibrate sideways isn’t it ? (I can make up a shaped packing piece, but just getting your opinion again !) I guess there’s no easy way to add a mount at the controller end of the assembly – I’d have to dismantle the controller :o/…
Thanks for any advice – I am keen not to break my classic old Raleigh – I’m even concerned about the idea of applying too much torque to old steel forks ! They stand braking force ok though, so….
Dave
Hi Dave,
I have an e-bike with a Shimano Steps E6100 motor and I would say it’s quieter than the Yose Power front hub motor. The hub motor tends to produce quite an audible whine especially when in higher power modes. This can be mitigated by removing the motor cover and packing a bit of extra grease in where the planetary gears are. I use a high quality grease which doesn’t degrade the nylon gears – Mobilgrease28.
The battery does need to move roughly 20mm to slide in/out of the holder so mounting it the opposite way round should work. There are usually two shaped rubber mounts supplied with the batteries that go between the mounting plate and downtube.
I’m assuming your Raleigh has Reynolds 501 or 531 steel tubing which in my experience in incredibly durable. I’ve converted a lot of older steel bikes over the years and if anything it’s the best material to have on a donor bike, so you should have no worries there.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions, please let me know.
Cheers,
Tony
Thanks for response to my questions Tony. I have a Yose front hub mounted on my Raleigh now, after quite some fiddling to get it to fit the forks spacing of 96mm – a very thin washer has given a gap between motor and fork bottom of about 0.25mm, and yet I can still (just) spring the forks apart to get the wheel in. Now I am waiting for the rack battery to arrive. I think that will need modding so that my panniers will fit also….oh well, it is a project after all. Thanks for advice on adding extra grease to quieten motor – I will see how it is first, and may be order some Mobilgrease28.
This is all an experiment, a hub motor may just not get me up my local hills, where my borrowed Shimano e6000 bike certainly does.
Thanks, Dave
Thanks for the update, let me know what you think of the performance when you have it all running. I think you may be pleasantly surprised, I find these motors work well on moderate hills of 6% – 10% gradient, anything much above that and they do start to struggle. It will feel totally different to the Shimano Steps though, much more of an on/off feel to the assist and nowhere near as much torque.
All the best,
Tony