Many thanks to Jarrad for sending in the review below. He converted his first bike nearly 7 years ago and has come back to upgrade. Please read below for his take on the installation and performance.
Malvern Star, 2016
In January 2016 I decided to get an ebike kit on my Malvern Star, which perhaps wasn’t the best choice of bike to convert as it weighed a ton. The lads from Solar Bike set me up with a 36V 200W rear mini drive motor and a 9Ah tube battery. The setup always performed well despite the weight of the bike and I was always happy with speed and range and it has never let me down. In September 2022, it’s still going strong every day and will still do a 15km trip with the throttle on full the whole way.
The only problem is the bike is falling apart around the Solar Bike kit and it’s become quite dangerous. A result of almost zero maintenance. So this review of the 36V 200W rear mini motor with 9Ah battery has been 7 years in the making and is a testament to the quality Solar Bike components and running gear.
I will keep the bike and fix it up and have it as a spare and see how long it keeps going for. For what that bike has saved me in fuel, parking, fines, insurance, time in traffic and in free exercise, it is without question the best investment I’ve made!
Trek Marlin 7, 2022
I recently upgraded from the Malvern Star and got a Trek Marlin 7 XXL, which for me is like getting a Ferrari. I chose the larger 21Ah Tigershark battery to give me extra range. The Solar Bike team was helpful in responding to queries via email and ordering was quick and easy.
Fitting the rear minimotor kit to a Trek Marlin was very simple and without problems; I took my time and with no rushing I was riding by noon. The only alteration/adjustment required was a couple of washers to get the brake disc to spin freely in the brake calipers. There were varying thickness washers supplied for this.
The bike has got great instant pick up and easily sits on 30kmh without pedalling and I rode around for a couple of hours including on the beach and the battery didn’t use a bar. I highly recommend this simple hub motor, controller throttle and larger battery setup for both economy and performance.