When we talk about e-bike motor positions we are of course talking about where the drive motor is. Some have it in the rear or front wheel (Hub Motors), while others have it located where the pedal crank is (Mid-Drive Motors) and some have it in other locations, but more on those later.
Hub Motor
When you’re just dipping your toes into the waters of e-bikes this is the motor position most people will end up with. Mostly produced in China by a handful of companies most of them are essentially the same thing in which they provide power assistance to the wheel as you cycle along. As a general rule they will provide 1 turn in the crank for every turn you make giving you the sensation of being gently pushed up a hill.
Mid-Drive Motors
No matter where you purchased your e-bike you will often find mid-drive motors (found in the main crank location) deliver much more drive (torque) while still being the same power size. So a 250w hub-drive will not give you as much support as a mid-drive 250w motor will.
Others
If you are not getting your power via the wheels or the crank you probably have an e-bike conversion kit attached to a normal bicycle. These can be chain-driven or tyre driven, but no matter where the motor is they all do the exact same thing, only in slightly different ways. These often don’t deliver the same amount of power as the other motor positions we have mentioned but are much more affordable.
While we have covered the main types of motor positions there are plenty that we have skimmed over. So if you have a question about this you should be using do drop us a message via the contact us page, or any of our social media channels.
