Trikes and recumbents convert well, and we have seen a lot of them — Catrike, ICE, Terratrike, Sun, TAD, Easy Racer, Hase, plus two-wheel recumbents like the Tour Easy and Volae. Our install records hold 82 trike and recumbent builds. Two things work differently on a trike than on a regular bike. One is which motor most people pick. The other is wiring, and it is the thing that catches nearly everyone out. A customer's tadpole trike with a Bafang mid-drive fitted to the front boom. Photo submitted by an Ebike Essentials customer. On this page Which motor trike owners pick Extension cables: the one thing to get right Still measure your bottom bracket Watch your chainline Where the battery goes FAQ Most trike builds use the BBS02, not the BBSHD In our customer records, trike and recumbent builds run 39 BBS02 to 19 BBSHD. That is the reverse of our overall mix, where the 1000W BBSHD leads by a wide margin. Both work — plenty of trikes are running BBSHDs. But if you are deciding between the two for a trike, the 750W BBS02 is the more common choice among people who have already done it. The records show the pattern; they do not tell us why each person chose it, so we are not going to invent a reason. One sizing constraint that decides this for you. The BBS02 fits 68–73 mm bottom-bracket shells only. If your trike measures wider than 73 mm, the BBS02 is not an option and you need the BBSHD, which is also available in 100 mm and 120 mm. Measure before you choose a motor, not after. Complete Bafang 750W BBS02 kit and battery → Complete Bafang 1000W BBSHD kit and battery → The same build up close. The motor mounts on the front boom, and you can see how far the chain has to travel back to the rear wheel — which is exactly why cable length becomes the main problem on a trike. Plan on extension cables. This is the one thing to get right. A trike is longer than a bike, and the cables in the kit are cut for a bike. This came up in more trike records than any other issue — roughly 12 of the 30 most detailed records mention it explicitly: speed sensor, display, shifter, brakes, battery, all of it. A few examples from customers, in their own words: "speed sensor extension cable needed" · "speed sensor and shift sensor extension cables needed" · "needed cable extensions for brakes, wiring, speed sensor, gear" · "multiple extension cable lengths needed for sensor and power routing." The speed sensor is the usual culprit. It mounts at the rear wheel, which on a trike is a long way from the motor. Part Price Why on a trike Speed sensor extension $25 The most common one. The rear wheel is far from the motor. Main wiring harness extension $20 Motor to handlebar controls is a longer run on a trike. Display extension $12 Depends where your display sits. Brake / throttle / gear sensor extension $10 Daisy-chains, so you can build up the length you need. Battery extension cable $10 If the battery ends up well away from the motor — on a rear rack, or behind the seat. All of these daisy-chain, so you can add length rather than guessing one exact size. Easier option: message us with your trike's make and model before you order and we will tell you which extensions you need. It is a short conversation and it saves waiting on a second package mid-install. More on extension cables → Still measure your bottom bracket Do not assume a trike is standard. One customer's Sun EZ-Tri Classic had a 100 mm bottom bracket and the motor fit perfectly — but only because they ordered the right size. That is also a case where the BBS02 would not have fitted at all. Will the Bafang mid-drive motors fit on your bike? → Two-wheel recumbents have the same long-cable problem as trikes. This one carries its battery on the frame boom rather than a downtube, because there is no downtube to use. Watch your chainline One rider on an ICE Adventure had the chain thrown off when starting on an incline from a standstill, and needed an offset chainring to fix it. Another had bracket misalignment to sort out. Trike drivetrains often route the chain further and at odd angles, so it is worth looking at how the chain sits once the motor is mounted, before you ride it hard. Chainring alignment, sizing and selection → The battery is the part with no standard answer On a regular bike the battery goes on the downtube. A trike does not have a main triangle, so there is no default spot — and our records show trike owners putting the battery wherever the frame allows. In our trike records the mounting position logs as other 8 times, downtube twice, and rear rack once, against a downtube-dominant pattern everywhere else. One customer mounted it between the seat and the rear basket. Others used a rear rack. This is the other thing worth asking us about before you order, because it decides which battery shape makes sense for your trike. Will the battery fit on my bike? → Trike frames vary enormously. This one runs wide tyres on loose ground, which changes both the battery options and the clearance around the drivetrain. It holds up One Terratrike owner reported over 9,000 miles on their Bafang setup. Trikes and recumbents customers have converted Brand Builds on record Catrike 7 ICE 4 Terratrike 4 Easy Racer 2 Sun 2 TAD 2 Schwinn 2 Hase 1 A brand name is a starting point, not a specification. Frame version and any previous bottom-bracket work change what you will measure. FAQ Which motor should I use on a recumbent trike? Most people choose the 750W BBS02 — 39 of our 58 recorded trike and recumbent builds with a known motor used it, against 19 BBSHD. But the BBS02 only fits 68–73 mm bottom-bracket shells, so if your trike measures wider you need the BBSHD. Will I need extension cables for a trike conversion? Almost certainly. A trike is longer than a bike and the kit cables are cut for a bike. The speed sensor is the most common one, because the rear wheel sits a long way from the motor. Extensions daisy-chain, so you can add length rather than guessing one size. Do trikes have standard bottom brackets? No. One Sun EZ-Tri Classic in our records measured 100 mm. Measure the shell before choosing a motor. Where does the battery go on a trike? There is no default position, because a trike has no main frame triangle. Our records show batteries mounted behind the seat, on rear racks, and in other custom positions. Decide this before ordering, because it determines which battery shape works. Does a mid-drive hold up on a trike? One Terratrike owner in our records reported over 9,000 miles on a Bafang setup. Before you order Measure your bottom bracket. Look at how far your speed sensor will sit from the motor. Think about where a battery could physically go. Then take the fitment quiz, or just message us with your trike model — trikes are the one build where a two-minute conversation up front saves the most hassle. Take the fitment quiz → Fat bike fitment: BBSHD 100 mm vs 120 mm → Help Center → Photos of other people's builds are inspiration, not proof your trike will fit. Measure yours.
