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There are some good factory e-bikes out there now but going the conversion route allowed me to get a better quality overall build.
- Clint Warner
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Specialized fuse BBSHD Conversion 
Build write up and review
by: Clint Warner

Specialized Fuse Comp Donor Bike (2015) model -
Bafang BBSHD 1500W (30A Programming) installed by Electrify Bikes www.electrifybikes.com
BBSHD – 68mm
Lekkie 40T Bling Ring
Eggrider v2 Display
Bafang Half Twist Throttle (Right Hand Side)
Bafang Hydraulic and Disc Brake Sensors E-Brake (Pair)
Mid Drive Gear Sensor
52V Panasonic 14ah GA Shark Pack and charger
FSA BB30 Press fit Adapter
KMC X11 Chain
Custom Triangle Frame Bag – www.rockgeist.com
Light and Motion SECA 1800 12v E-Bike Headlight
Shimano XT 11 speed shifters and derailleur
Sunrace 11-46T CSMS8 EAZ Cassette (Modified to 9 speed 15-46T)
Schwalbe Nobby Nic 27.5+ (650B) x 3.0” tires – Tubeless Setup
When I first contacted Mark at www.electrifybike.com, I was impressed with not only his wealth of knowledge but mostly of his “we can do it” attitude. 
I did a lot of research beforehand on e-bikes and contemplated whether to go with a factory e-bike or a conversion and after much study, decided a conversion was the best choice for me.  There are some good factory e-bikes out there now but going the conversion route allowed me to get a better quality overall build (considering frame geometry and componentry for less money, than a factory e-bike would have cost.) 

For the donor bike I chose a used 2015 Specialized Fuse Comp Hardtail (Large Frame).  I particularly like the Fuse for several reasons:
  1. ​The Fuse comp has a large OD frame tubing and a unique split chain stay design that adds structural rigidity to help compensate for the extra torque that the motor will put on the drive train.  I also wanted to minimize any frame flex caused by the motor, which I have felt in other donor bikes.  It turns out that the Fuse frame was a perfect choice with no noticeable flex after conversion.  Also, the triangle and bottom bracket of the fuse are big enough to handle most any type of battery and accommodates the Bafang 68mm motor with a common PF30 adapter, making it a very e-bike conversion friendly donor frame.
  2. The Fuse comp comes from the factory with better than average hydraulic brakes and is compatible with 203/180 rotors which I added as part of the build.  This is particularly important for the increased stopping power needed with an e-bike.
  3. The Fuse has a fairly “slack” head tube angle of 67 degrees.  This is important for maintaining stability when riding in the mountains of the west where steep downhills are common.  The slack head tube angle causes the bike to steer more slowly, allowing the rider to feel more secure when navigating steep ugly terrain.  I can’t emphasize enough how important this one aspect is to make the perfect big mountain e-bike.  Most of the commonly used bikes for donor e-bike builds and even most factory e-bikes use more traditional frame geometry with head tube angles approaching 70 degrees or more.  This is fine for flatter terrain or trails where a quick turning bike is desired but really suffers in the steeps.
  4. The Fuse uses is a 27.5 Plus (650B) size tire.  This tire gives you the footprint and rolling ability of a 29er but gives you much of the stability of a 4” fat bike tire.  This gives you a bike that handles well and fairly quick but can still do well in less-than-ideal off-road and in good singletrack conditions.​
The fit and finish of Electrify Bike Co.’s work was impeccable and their service and professionalism was exceptional.  I would highly recommend them to anyone not wanting to tackle doing the conversion themselves.
Now to the build.  When I first contacted Mark at www.electrifybike.com, I was impressed with not only his wealth of knowledge but mostly of his “we can do it” attitude.  He had never converted a bike like mine but was willing to do it at a very fair price.  I instructed him that I wanted to build the best big mountain bike possible and not spare any expense.  I also wanted an e-bike build that could produce as much torque as possible for towing a trailer for bike packing use with the added benefit of allowing me to keep as much of the human power capability of the drivetrain in the event that the battery failed me on a long mountain ride.  The fit and finish of Electrify Bike Co.’s work was impeccable and their service and professionalism was exceptional.  I would highly recommend them to anyone not wanting to tackle doing the conversion themselves.

Motor/Battery/and Display: Bafang BBSHD 1000w motor, 52V 14AH Shark Battery, and Eggrider v2 display (see photo below).  This motor can be programmed to handle up to 30A of power (1500 watts) without any trouble and even though it comes at a several pound weight penalty over the BBS02, it is the most durable choice for a bike for pulling or any sustained hill climbing.  With now over 400 miles of hard use on the motor, I have had zero trouble and have no regrets on this decision.  I am currently using the the Eggrider v2 display.  This display is much smaller than the other displays on the market and one of the biggest benefits is that it’s Bluetooth enabled, allowing the user to easily change any of the motor programming wirelessly with a simple and free phone app.  This has been a great tool as I have made many small fine-tuning programming changes while on the middle of rides.  With my current ​programming settings (see screenshots below), I can attain 32 MPH on road, and still climb any possible hill I can find off road using the throttle only 80% of the time. 
​Chainring: Most e-bike builds use the 42 tooth or larger Lekkie-type chain rings in order to provide enough back spacing to proper chain line for the full range of the rear cassette.  The problem with that is a 42 tooth chainring is too large to use under human power for hill climbing in the event of a power failure.  I first went with a Precialps 32 tooth chainring to provide maximum torque, which works great for pulling and for maximum torque, and while the chain line was acceptable, I felt it was a bit too much torque and left a bit to be desired.  I am currently using the new Lekki 40 tooth chainring.  That is the smallest chainring available that can fit over the Bafang secondary reduction gear, providing for an even better chain line and in my opinion the most versatile gear ratio range with the my modified 11-46T cassette.
Cassette: Strength is more important than weight for an e-bike build, so I swapped out the factory aluminum cassette for the stronger and more versatile “All steel” Sunrace CSMS8 EAZ 11 speed 11-46T cassette.  It is important that for an e-bike build for climbing or pulling that you choose a cassette with steel, and not aluminum, sprockets.  Beware of the aftermarket cassettes that use steel for the main sprockets but use aluminum for the granny gear, there is enough power in the BBSHD and a small 32T chainring to destroy aluminum sprockets.  This is the gear that takes the most load, makes sure it is robust enough for e-bike use.  This Sunrace cassette has handled anything I have thrown at it with ease and 400 miles in, showing no sign of any concerning premature wear.  I took the extra step of modifying the cassette by removing the two smallest 11 and 13 tooth sprockets and replacing them with spacers.  I put these spacers on the inboard side of the cassette, thereby shifting the entire sprocket set outboard, further improving the chain line.  This is an easy modification that requires no drilling or cutting and one I highly recommend to improve your ebike’s chain line.  With this cassette modification and the new Lekkie 40T chainring, I have changed my 11 speed to a 9 speed, but with a perfect chain line and can go from my new high of 15T to the 46T granny gear with no issues whatsoever.
Chain: Similar to the cassette, e-bike chains get a lot of wear and tear put on them by the increased forces put through the drivetrain.  Not wanting any trouble in the field, I switched to an all-steel KMC e-bike rated chain from day 1 and it is still going strong.
 
Shifter/Derailleur: Removing the factory 10 speed cassette in lieu of the new 11 speed drivetrain required me to upgrade my shifter and derailleur as well.  I chose the higher quality and more durable 11 speed Shimano XT Dynasys shifter and derailieur.  Adjusting the high and low limits to accommodate my modified cassette, I feel that this drivetrain provides a more solid shifting platform for quicker solid shifts all the time and an overall more reliable drivetrain.
​Tires: Like with everything else, normal MTB tires were not designed to handle the torque that an e-bike motor delivers.  I decided to replace my factory tires with the new Schwalbe Nobby Nic tires that are one of the few aggressive MTB tires rated for e-bike use.  I highly recommend these tires…I have never had a flat in the field (I do run a tubeless setup), but these tires handle the torque well, even at lower pressures.
 
Other Mods:
 
Suspension Seatpost: While hardtails provide better structural rigidity for e-bike conversions, they can be hard on “the tail”.  To take a bit of the edge off, I added the Sunrace NCX suspension seat post.  This is a great seat post that functions, in my opinion, as good as a “high-end” thud buster type post at a better price.    

​Custom Rockgeist Frame bag www.rockgeist.com: I don’t like to draw any unwanted attention to myself and I wanted to be able to conceal the battery within the triangle.  I chose to use a custom-made frame bag from Rockgeist to do this.  They have a very easy to use online design tool whereby I could choose the fabrics and colors I wanted as well as specify any special instructions.  The entire bag can be designed using a simple online utility whereby the customer uploads a simple photo of the bike following their instructions.  I added some custom dividers so that the final bag keeps my battery separate from the main compartment and also provided channels for running the wires out of sight.  The end result is a very clean, tailored look.  The frame pack fit perfectly and exceeds my expectations.
​Light and Motion 1800 SECA 12-volt off-road headlight:  The 6v factory wiring for headlights on the Bafang motors is far from adequate for off-road-use.  I needed something much brighter.  The Light and Motion 1800 SECA off-road light was designed for e-bike use, but must be hard wired into the battery in order to work.  Since my battery is a 52v, you must also use a DC to DC converter to make the headlight function properly.  I first used an inexpensive eBay type Chinese converter, but it didn’t last one month.  I now use a Grin-Tec adjustable converter, which is much better designed, properly epoxy potted and the only one I would recommend for this modification.   
I feel that the end result is practically as perfect of a build as one could design.  Frankly, there is nothing that the current build leaves to desire and I plan to ride this bike for years to come.  I hope this writeup is useful for anyone considering a similar setup.  

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