Electric-Scooter-World.com Road Test & Report - 5/10/04
*Updated 04/10/06
GoHub Electric Bike conversion kit
(Beauty is in the eye of the beholder)
The GoHub motor will do about 18 mph with a heavy 235 lb rider and nearly 20 mph with someone under 200 lbs. It is faster than the Lashout, and 'most' other electric bikes under $1500.
* There had been a insurgence of electric bike conversion kits since this this test was conducted. The 'Go-Hub' has an establish track record and is likely to give trouble free service for years to come.
The Lashout has greater climbing ability by a small margin, mainly because it has a rear mounted motor.
* We have not tested 'Wilderness' bike conversion kits. We hope to test at least one of the 'EVFalcon kits in the near future.
I wanted to test the GoHub kit on a cheap get anywhere type of bike. We purchased a $150 18 speed bike from Dicks Sporting Goods on sale for $79.95! We had a more experienced mechanic assembly it. He said it takes less than a hour if the bike meets the requirements advertised (fork spacing, etc). I suspect a klutz like me would take about 2 hours or so. There are no spoke kits or anything to do when assembling the GoHub kit. You get all cables and cable ties ready to go. The secret weapon is the Topeak bike bag that holds the batteries, charger, and the on-off switch.
The throttle is the circular thumb type (my favorite) and it has a battery status indicator as part of the assembly. The controller mounts on the bike cross bar and has plenty of ventilation so it probably will never over-heat.
The Topeak bike bag (battery - charger) mounts quickly on, or, dismounts quickly from the Topeak heavy duty bike rack. The bike become a little rear heavy and you need to have a decent kickstand on the bike or it may topple on certain uneven terrain. I think all but the cheapest bikes have sufficient kickstands, and of course you can always get a better kickstand if necessary.
The GoHub motor is quiet, fast, and has decent power. The 36v 12ah battery pack gives excellent range. How good the GoHub setup actually becomes, however, is largely a part of on which bike it is installed. If I put it on a quality 'hybrid' bike that had a large frame and extended seat and handle bars so I could really extend my long legs for efficient pedaling then the GoHub setup would be the ultimate PEV that I could hope to ride.
* The GoHub kit has been around for almost two years now I haven't heard of any complaints
J.B.
