OK I will share the reasoning that has led me here.

It's an adaptive machine for me. I have MS and I am too weak to ride a normal bike. It's a trike because while my balance is good, I am not able to get started and stopped on two wheels very well. I can do it once or twice but the effort is huge and it wears me out fast. So, trike. And it's this particular trike because my proprioception is bad enough that I want the paired wheels in front where I can see them, but I cannot get up from the low seat of a tadpole trike. So when I found this Pfiff, it was just the configuration I wanted. I bought it, and spent the extra for the fancier version because I like the suspension. I'm going to install electric pedal assist, and my goal is to make it feel like I have the strength I used to have, when I ride it. Which I am hoping will get me to ride it some more, and help me avoid getting weaker due to inactivity.

In testing this bike without electric assist, I quickly realized the coaster brake is a big problem for me. I don't have any strength at certain points of the pedal stroke, so if I stop in one of those spots, I need the ability to back pedal to a spot that gives me more mechanical advantage. Plus when I am mounting/dismounting, freewheeling would allow me to position the pedals where I can get my feet on them more easily. Anything that will reduce the struggle, will let me use what little strength I do have, for actually riding, instead of just fighting clunky mechanical issues.

Before MS I was a motorcyclist, but before motorcycles, I was a pretty serious bicyclist. New motor skills don't come easily to me these days, and back in the day I rode derailleur bikes, so I am opting for maximum familiarity. Also, there are way more hub motor choices available with derailleur style, than with IGH. So I am going to just change it.

I am planning to just get a prebuilt wheel with the hub motor, instead of cutting the spokes to reuse the stock rim. That way if I decide I want to switch back and try something different, I can.

I find it hugely fun to fiddle with these things and work through the challenges. Part of what I want with this project, is something to constantly mess with. I recently had to sell my last motorcycle so I have a lot of pent up need to mess around in my workshop. Compared to what I had in the motorcycle, bicycle stuff is cheap. So I'm an extremely picky kid in a candy store right now.

I have a lot of the bicycle-specific tools that a serious bicyclist would have had back in 1990 or so. A workstand, a whole bunch of freewheel tools, crank puller, bottom bracket tools, fourth hand, etc. But I never learned about precision bending of derailleur hangers and I never had that tool. Well, I ordered it last night and it can join the collection. This will be fun!