How to Choose the Right Electric Motor for Your Bike – Complete Guide to CYC Motor Kits

Read our guide and choose the right electric motor for your bike. Consider the motor power, your riding style, and experience.

Electric motor for a bike – but what exactly is it?

An electric motor for a bike, or an electric drive system, is actually more than just the motor itself. It usually means a complete set of components necessary and sufficient to convert a traditional bike into an electric bike. But which motor should you choose for your bike to properly meet your needs and expectations? This is what we explain in this post.

As mentioned in the introduction, an electric motor kit for converting a bike into an electric bike is a simplified term, because the motor alone is not enough. In the drive systems we offer, manufactured by the currently best company on the market, CYC Motor, the so-called kit consists of a motor housed in a proper casing and components that transfer the drive to the bike’s crank, along with an electronic controller managing the whole system and other “peripheral” parts. Inside the motor casing, there is a gear reducer that lowers the RPM and transfers torque to the crank. We are not talking about direct drive to the wheel but specifically to the crank, because that is how mid-drive systems work. We do not deal with hub motors. Besides the gearbox, there is also a freewheel, which allows the motor to work without pedaling by using a throttle. Without the freewheel, pressing the throttle would cause the crank to move; with the freewheel, the cranks can remain still while the sprocket and chain rotate, transmitting power to the rear wheel. CYC Motor drives also include a built-in torque sensor. Thanks to it, the electronic controller “knows” how much force the rider is applying to the pedals at any moment and adjusts the assistance power accordingly.

Other kit components include bottom bracket parts (axle, bearings, etc.), cranks, sprocket, speed sensor, the aforementioned throttle, display, and wiring. CYC Motor electric drives also have a Bluetooth module (built into the speed sensor) necessary for connection with the mobile app. Two drive models, X1 Pro and X1 Stealth, also have an additional chain and sprocket for power transmission. The Photon motor transfers power internally through gears.

Every electric kit, of course, also requires a battery, which is usually a separate element.

Optional elements of an electric bike motor

Optional components especially include brake sensors, which immediately cut off the motor’s operation when one of the brake levers is pressed. CYC Motor offers these sensors. They require the use of a different main cable, which must be split not into two connectors (for the display and throttle, as default) but into four — two additional ones for the two brake levers.

Another interesting optional component can be a gear shift sensor, which briefly cuts off the motor when shifting gears to make the change smoother and reduce stress on the bike’s drivetrain components (chain, sprockets, derailleur). This helps increase durability and reduces the risk of chain breakage or component damage. CYC Motor does not offer such sensors, but they can be purchased from other independent manufacturers.

Which electric motor for your bike?

All central electric drive models from CYC Motor have already been mentioned above. They are:

• X1 Pro (currently third generation)
• X1 Stealth (currently second generation, but labeled as third since it shares components with X1 Pro Gen.3)
• Photon (first generation without additional labeling)

The X1 Pro and X1 Stealth electric drives are characterized by high power (3,500 W and 1,500 W respectively) and torque transmission to the crank via an external chain. This design allows the motor module to be placed higher, away from the crank axle, preserving ground clearance — important for off-road riding on rocks, roots, and other obstacles. High power and a different torque transmission method than the Photon result in louder operation. These features make these motors suitable for mountain, trail, and more demanding bikes. Meanwhile, the Photon is a very quiet drive, but its motor module is integrated with the bottom bracket components, so it protrudes below the sprocket. Therefore, it is intended for less demanding terrain, such as gravel and asphalt roads.

Suggested allocation of electric motors to bike types

This is not a rule but a sensible guideline for which CYC Motor electric drive to use on a given bike type. Breaking these guidelines, we have used the Photon in a full suspension mountain bike with success on mountain trails, and we have also seen hardtail and even gravel bikes equipped with the X1 Pro motor. Here we present our viewpoint and a starting point for further considerations about which electric drive to choose. Ultimately, the choice depends on the individual preferences of the end user.

• X1 Pro — for building powerful bikes based on durable components, especially downhill (DH) bikes
• X1 Stealth — for electrifying all types of full suspension mountain bikes, from XC through enduro to All Mountain
• Photon — for light mountain riding, gravel, and asphalt roads — thus for hardtails (and light full suspension XC bikes), gravel and trekking bikes, and city bikes

You can learn about the features and specifications of the drives on this page: click here.

Matching electric motors to riding style and terrain

Each motor model can be assigned not only to bike types but also to riders as follows:

• X1 Pro — for people with technical knowledge about bike construction and servicing, who have their own workshop; for those aware of the possibilities of a powerful mid-drive motor; for riders skilled in (fast) biking.
• X1 Stealth — for most riders who love off-road and mountain biking; for people with basic bike servicing knowledge; for skilled cyclists.
• Photon — for amateurs who prefer calm, touring rides on less demanding terrain.

Choosing the electric motor sprocket depending on the dominant type of terrain:

• Smaller sprockets (for X1 Pro and X1 Photon: 32 teeth (32T), for Photon – 34T) — for riding in mountainous terrain where higher torque is more important than speed; riding at higher cadence.
• Larger sprockets (for X1 Pro: 38T or 40T, for X1 Stealth – 38T, for Photon – 38T, 42T, 50T) — for riding in less mountainous terrain to achieve higher speeds at the cost of torque; riding at lower cadence.