Unboxing Bafang BBSHD 1000w Mid Drive Kit for Madsen Bucket Bike from ...

Unboxing Madsen Family Cargo Bucket Bike Red

Install: Bafang BBSD HD 1000w Mid-drive electric assist motor on a Madsen Family Cargo Bucket Bike

Testing Madsen Bucket Bike without mid-drive motor. Went great on relatively flat streets even with two kids but we live in a  hilly town in Vermont. 

I'll be documenting the installation of a mid-drive electric assist motor on my wife's new Madsen Bucket bike here.

The Mid-Drive Kit

From Lunacycle.com: 

1. Bafang BBSHD 1000 watt Mid Drive motor. Bottom Bracket Size: 68-73mm (Standard).
2. Battery: Side Shark 48v GA 10ah. 
3. Chain Ring: Stock 46T Steel. 
4. Luna Bafang Display DPC-10. 
5. Bafang BBSxx Universal Thumb Throttle. 
6. Bafang Handles with Built-in Ebrake cut off. 
7. Luna Wrench. 
8. Custom battery bracket by Karl Kemnizter, of VBike in Brattleboro VT.

The Bike

The Box! Assembly is very easy, basically putting on the front wheel and a fender.

Installing the mid-drive

 Here's the manual, a list of different builds with motors like this. 

Working on the rest now.

We Decided! Madsen Bucket Bike with 1000w Mid-Drive. Family Electric Assist Cargo Bike Spec. here.

We've finally decided on a family cargo bike with electric assist

Here's the test ride that convinced my wife this was the bike for her. 

Lot's of research and actual test rides of a Radwagon, Yuba Mundo, and Bike Friday Haul-a-Day later, we pick Madsen Cycle's Bucket Bike! Here's our developing spec sheet with help from Dave at vbikesolutions.org

Testing VT Bike Solutions test Madsen with Befang 1000w mid-drive. We'll get Red I think. 

The bucket, with my son and his "fancy dress" clothes from the thrift store. Not sure where he came from!  

The bucket next to a Radwagon Monkey Bar Caboose. The bucket is actually lower, but looks even. See below photo.

Right: See how much lower the bucket is than the Radwagons Caboose? Mid-drive motor and battery on custom bracket in center.

Mid-Drive Electric Assist Specs on this Bike. 

1. Bafang 1000 watt BBSHD kit.
2. 14 amp hour battery 
3. Battery bracket: Karl Kemnizter custom makes it locally in Brattleboro. 
4. Gear sensor, a gear sensor extension wire, and a speed sensor extension wire.
5. Lekkie Bling ring. It's smaller and stronger, stock chainring worked ok on the test bike.
6. Night lights. 
7. Front rack/basket from Madsen Cycles

VT Bike Solutions test Madsen with Befang 1000w mid-drive

Madsen Bucket Bike with a BaFang BBSHD 1000w Mid-Drive motor next to a Radwagon.

Close up of BaFang BBSHD 1000w Mid-Drive motor

Wife test rides Madsen Cycle's Bucket bike and Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Mid-Drive Electric Assist Family Cargo Bikes

Today, Dave, chief evangelist at Vermont Bike Solutions brought over a Bike Friday Haul-a-Day with a 750watt Bafang BBS02, 750W mid drive electric assist and the next day, a Madsen Bucket bike, with a Bafang BBSHD 1000 Mid Drive electric assist motors. I bought out my used Radwagon for size comparison. My wife is doggedly testing bikes out for taking our 2 kids to school. One kid is still too young for monkey bars so would need a strap in seat, which he don't like so far. She's tried the Yuba Mundo (great bike but a bit too heavy and big) and the Radwagon with a Yepp seat (too high seat, too heavy, fell over and fractured our daughters arm!)  I love my used Radwagon with monkey bars only though, no strap in baby seat.

And the winner is...Madsen Cycles Bucket Bike. 

More photos below.

Madsen is her pick after testing for months. She wants our 2 kids and no strap in high baby seat.

Runner up. Dave from Vermont Bike Solutions with my wife on a Bike Friday Haul-a-Day

Bike Friday Haul-a-Day Test Ride and Comparison with Radwagon

Great American made bike. Light, small, sturdy. Unlike the Madsen, this can be used more easily as a one person bike when needed. 

Bike Friday Haul-a-Day. Our son loves to dress up. 

Bike Friday Haul-a-Day is shorter lighter and lower then the Radwagon.

Madsen Cycles Bucket Bike

To my surprise she felt the Madsen rode the best with the most stability. It's a big bike and the bucket makes it really a hauler. The nice part is that it's like a pickup truck, always ready to simply use to carry things. And it keeps the kids inside something and low to the ground like all bucket type bikes 

With Radwagon in background, even on back 

It's a big long bike, like the Yuba and XtraCycles. The Radwagon is shot and stocky. 

 

Optical illusion here, the Madsen is a bit lower then the Radwagon due to a 20" rear wheel. 

It's a big bucket

"Oh my god, momma picked the Madsen as her favorite!"

 Our son loves to dress up "fancy" with his clip on tie...not sure where this boy came from!