I've been exchanging emails with electroportal (www.electroportal.com), looking at their E-4 motor kit to put onto my Sun Recumbent. I have to say, that from a prompt response to emails point of view, they're fantastic. I've been inundating them with questions, and so far they've answered every one very promptly and thoroughly. But I've been searching online quite a bit, and can't find any actual reviews of their motors.

Anyone have one? Good/bad? It's looking like a hair less than $700 for the 500W brushless motor kit and charger and 24v 15aH lead battery, including shipping, which I think is reasonable for what I want. But before I send them my credit card number, I'm hoping for an actual review of their reliability and whether they're likely to still be in business in 9 months if I have a problem.

Their main line is the Charger e-bike, but they also sell kits for recumbents. Anyone have any experience at all with this company?

Thanks.

I'
E-4 motor kit to put onto my Sun Recumbent. I have to say, that from a prompt response to emails

I'm hoping for an actual review of their reliability and whether they're likely to still be in business in 9 months if I have a problem.

I do not know anything about this company, but I have a 36V hub motor on a Sun. It has been terrific, but has only one gear. This kit advertises all normal gears; and that sounds a lot like a Stoke Monkey type of kit. I cannot be positive; but this EV conversion has been around a while!

countersTrike

I don't have experience with the company but I've seen their site for well over a year so I suppose they must be doing something right? Looks to me like they might have adapted a Cyclone mid-drive kit which is pretty decent. Wet weather may be a problem for individual components. If not the motors, controllers & throttles don't react well to water.

SLA is okay to start out - if you find eBiking useful you'll move to lighter, better batteries soon enough but SLA gives you a good idea if it's for you without breaking the bank.

I doubt it's an actual Cyclone kit, but it's a similar setup - it is a motor that drives the standard bicycle chain so that when the pedals shift from a gear for "going fast on flat ground" to "uphill gear" the motor gets the benefit of the gear change as well.

I haven't heard any reviews of these things either, so I couldn't tell you whether they actually work.