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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 Tony
Just came here to thank you for a fantastic website with so much great ebike info and to echo your thoughts on the Yosepower kit.
I’ve commuted 22000 trouble free kms on mine in all weathers since pre-covid times, the value for money they represent is astounding.
I’m constantly drooling over shiny new ebikes, but just can’t justify one all the time that kit keeps motoring on…
Hi Gary,
Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated! That’s impressive mileage, I installed one for a customer back in 2017 and it’s still going strong to this day. Definitely one of the best conversion kits available.
Cheers,
Tony
Can I fit a real motor on 11speed cassette Shimano Deore M5100? It looks like it has the same size as 10 speed version. I have Trek DS 4 bike. Did anyone try to fit on this bike maybe?
Hi Stephan,
An 11-speed MTB cassette should fit on a 10-speed freehub without any problems.
Dear Tony
Thank you for the detailed review.
I mounted a Yosepower rear hub 250w kit with a 13ah battery.
I have a problem with the PAS: it deliveries power following the 1 to 5 levels but it is not continuous up to 15mph limit.
The PAS works in this way:
Level 1 :15% up to 5 mph
Level 2: 25% up to 7 mph
Level 3: 50% up to 10 mph
Level 4: 70% up to 12mph
Level 5: 100% up to 15 mph
I supposed I could use level 2 with 25% motor power up to 15mph. I tried to pedaling at each of these speed and you can feel the cut off of the engine.
I tried cheating setting on the computer 16″ wheel diameter on my 28″ bike, I gained from 2 to 4 mph more at each PAS level and top speed of 19-20 mph.
I need the motor working 30-50% of its power up to 15mph for fast commuting.
Is this the normal functioning or is my controller/ computer broken?
Thanks
Filippo
Hi Filippo,
That’s doesn’t seem right to me. The last Yose Power kit I fitted a year or so back didn’t behave in that manner unless they’ve changed something with the firmware settings on the display. Have you go the KT LCD3 of the C500 display fitted? It may be possible to alter the PAS parameters through the display advanced settings feature.
Regards,
Tony
Hi Tony
I got the c500 display. With the c500 on the 250w kit you cannot set/alter the power of each PAS level, neither the speed limit.
You can set only the PAS sensitivity 2-62 and the start up strength 0-3.
Altering the wheel size I rise a little all cut off limits at any PAS level. Seems like a software limit.
Is there any other hidden set menu?
I bought the whole kit by the official UK yose power website. Should I contact them?
Thanks,
Filippo
Hi Filippo,
I would contact Yose Power as it seems like they’ve limited the speed based on PAS levels which is counter intuitive. I never delved into the advanced settings on the C500, only the KT LCD3 display. Please let me know what they say about it.
Regards,
Tony
Hi Tony
I contacted Yosepower and I am disappointed with their answer.
They replied like a robot saying “It is a 250W motor, the controller is set up and it cannot be changed. ” but they did not read my detailed description of the problem. I will try again to contact them.
In a bike forum, I read about people having the same problem. They replaced the controller with a KT controller which can set the current PAS limit at each level instead of the speed limit, but they did not specify which KT model was. I tried all the settings by the display and I cannot change these parameters.
Do you know if my controller can be programmed via wire/PC or do you know any programmable KT controller compatible with a rear wheel 250W yosepower motor to replace my old one?
My rear wheel 250W kit has the following specs:
Integrated battery Controller:
brand: JYT sine wave, model: YCSH-D Number: (248-013) 20220228000241
Brake type: P- Motor
phase angle: 120
Voltage 36V
Maximum current: 15+_1 A
Undervoltage: 29 +-1V
Motor:
AKM21123095012 95RX. RC250-3628
Display:
C500 S-c500-2202-C8800 36V-5VS EN
Thank you for your help,
Filippo
Hi Filippo,
I have just converted a bike (yesterday) using a Sutto 250w e-bike conversion kit and it does similar – cuts out at 8 mph level 1, 11 mph level 2 etc. I reckon the best solution would be a KT 36v 15A controller with a KTLCD3 or KTLCD5 display. Thankfully, they are fairly cheap on eBay and will work with the motor. Make sure you get the controller/display with the circular (waterproof) connectors.
Regards,
Tony
Thank you Tony, really helpful.
Is there any specific KT programmable model? I read also about KT sine wave and square wave controllers; some of them have a Bluetooth smartphone connection. Which KT model do you suggest? I am interested in increase the battery range.
Thanks,
Filippo
Hi Filippo,
I’m fairly sure it can be done with any KT controller, you just need the STlink V2 Bluetooth adapter and Open Source software. Here is a link to a useful thread on Endless-Sphere that explains things in more details.
All the best,
Tony
HI Tony
I got the C500 display and the Lishui integrated controller battery 13ah.
You can see the specs on the UK yose website/ rear cassette 250w kit with battery.
I read that somebody else had the same problem; some controllers can do both current limit and speed limit, but not all of them.
What do you think about?
Hi Tony, Thanks for the review, I have been looking this Yose for couple of weeks and almost ready to order read conversion kit. Anyhow I checked my old bike and rear fork width is only 120 mm. What is you experience is this too small to expand to 135 mm for Yose?
Hi Mika,
I’d say your rear dropout is too narrow. I’ve fitted these kits on 130mm without any problems, but an extra 15mm will be too much in my opinion. I would look for a more suitable donor bike, maybe something like a 90s mountain or hybrid bike.
Regards,
Tony
Heb een yose power set gekocht met hollowtech sensor, deze past helaas niet op mijn Shimano compact 34/50 voorblad. Zijn hier oplossingen voor? Mvg Kristof
mooi setje , maakt wel herrie maar dat is dan weer handig omdat andere fietsers je kunnen horen.
Ik heb een oude gazelle omafiets omgebouwd met een voorwiel van yose , gewoon terugtraprem gebruikt met 3 versnellingen , rijdt als een zonnetje . Het brein van de fiets zit op de voordrager in een fietstas en daar een PVC regenpijp in gemaakt , muurvast en lastig te stelen (Holland) , de accu zit achterop de lastdrager . Klein probleem is dat ik wel een andere magneetschijf moest kopen , de bijgeleverder schijf past niet op de trapas van Gazelle (geperst) . Kostte me 20 euro extra . Maar na ombouw fietsen mijn kinderen graag naar school !!
Hi Tony, thanks for putting together this review and for all the informative answers on a 2-year old post. Still not a lot of information elsewhere on Yosepower conversion kits, so I hope you are happy to answer a couple more questions. The company has stopped selling 250W Rear Hub kits (at least for 26″ cassette last time I checked). Contacted them and was told they have no plans to sell this on UK market at this time – they are still selling non-road-legal 350W ones – and was advised (twice) to go for the Front Hub kit. I have some reservations about running with this in combination with my alloy suspension fork – I’m a cycle courier so the bike will rack up miles, and can’t do without suspension due to prior wrist injuries and Edinburgh’s cobblestone streets. Have you installed many Yosepower front hub motors? Do they fit standard MTB dropouts well? Can you comment at all on your opinion on front hub motors combined with alloy/suspension forks? Lastly as torque arms seem to be highly recommended for front hub conversion in particular, can you recommend a brand of this? I’m only seeing generic torque arms and that obviously raises more questions about the viability of a Yosepower front hub conversion. I can’t expect customer service to provide a detailed answer to this as their replies so far have been brief to say the least. Thanks in advance.
Hi Justin,
Front conversions were not often requested when I used to do conversions. But I did install a handful over the years. I installed a Yose Power front hub motor on an entry-level Trek MTB with Suntour XCM forks and standard QR dropouts, a few years back, and that bike is still going strong today. If you wanted a rear conversion, there’s a 26″ rear wheel Bafang 250w kit with a cassette freehub on eBay. I used a generic torque arm on the Trek conversion without any problems. For the kind of mileage you’ll be doing, I would recommend getting a wheel builder to fit better spokes as I’ve been hearing increasing reports of broken spokes (on the Yose Power wheels).
Let me know if you need any more info.
Cheers,
Tony
Thank you Tony, I find the Yosepower kit appealing as it’s all in one with no questions about compatibility. Not sure why they are discontinuing 250W rear hub kits. Bafang motor looks interesting but I have a Hollowtech BB so need the relevant PAS sensor offered by Yosepower, and like the idea of the built-in controller as well. Have no idea regarding compatility between brands. I ride hard and it’s my livelihood – I’m not a kid actually just made it to 50 – and not at all interested in face planting on Edinburgh’s hills. I ride an old Trek with older Manitou forks (2 of them actually) which I like a lot, and feels like my project to convert one is back to square one. Regarding torque arms I don’t know how I could trust something that cost £12.99 on Ebay to protect my forks, or whether I’m overthinking as 250W isn’t going to produce too much torque in the first place. May look to see if there is someone with expertise locally to assist with conversion and options. For spokes, could you advise me what to look for regarding length for 26″ rims? I’m totally ignorant here as it seems obvious that the diameter of the motor will be greater than a standard hub so spokes will need to be shorter?
I’ve never had any issues with the torque arms from eBay, although they aren’t the tidiest solution. I very rarely used them on 250w motor conversions, usually they were only necessary on the more powerful and heavy 1000w motor kits. Have you considered a mid-drive? If you’re covering a high mileage, maybe something like a 250w Bafang BBS01B or Tongsheng TSZD2 would be the better option, especially for hill climbing and battery efficiency. You would be limited to single-speed up front, but they produce a lot more torque. Regarding the spokes, they will be quite a bit shorter than regular spokes. It would be best to get a wheel builder to measure the existing spokes on the motor wheel – my wheel builder uses Sapim spokes, which are very good quality.
Hello Tony
i have a vose e bike only done 20 miles , out for a cycle stopped for tea and bike was dead, battery full computer switching on , no power, this is the second one I’ve had that does this
do you what what could cause this
many thanks Corinne
Hi Corinne,
If the bike is switching on, but you’re not getting any assist. The first thing to check would be the pedal assist sensor. It might also be worth checking the motor to controller connector.
Bonjour,
Je suis intéressé par le kit roue arrière 250W cassette, j’aurai voulu savoir s’il était possible de remplacer la cassette par une cassette 11 vitesses shimano?
Merci
Bonjour,
Seule une cassette de vélo de montagne à 11 vitesses conviendra. Une cassette de route à 11 vitesses est légèrement plus large et ne conviendrait pas.
Hi,
Earlier today I queried the use of a 48V charger with a 36V battery. Afraid I made a mistake. The charger is 42V and is suitable, so I now understand.
Kind regards
John