Where to Mount Your
EMTB Mid Drive Motor
When you place your order, you have a lot of kit options. Now think about it. Your frame’s bottom bracket is supported, you know which controller and battery you’re going to use, and you’ve even picked out the chainring size, throttle type, and display. But where are you going to mount the motor?
Of course, the CYC motors are mid-drive motors which need to be mounted at the bottom bracket. Aside from a few exceptions (mainly from DIY projects, and some folding bikes), you have 2 standard mounting options:
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1. Below the downtube
Probably the most common position for the CYC motors, is to place the motor below the downtube. On most soft-tail frames, this is an easy choice as you would leave some space in the bike’s triangle to fit the battery. The benefits of this position include weight distribution, aesthetics, and ease of access.
Since the battery and the motor are both mounted the middle of the bike, the overall balance of the bike is stable. You didn’t sacrifice the center of gravity which keeps your bike nimble on the trails. The aesthetics are also eye catching as the entire kit is prominently featured on the bike almost as one unit. Placing your motor below the downtube also creates for ease of access for all the wiring as it’s easily tidied up and can run along the downtube without interfering any other components.
There is one “down side” to this position – if you can even call it a “down side”. Mounting the motor below the downtube means sacrificing some ground clearance. It really is minimal but it’s still something to consider if you’ve extensively leaned on your ground clearance on your previous rides. For most riders, this will not make any difference, especially seeing as MTB frames have a lean head angle leaving plenty of space for the front wheel.
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2. Inside the triangle
Mounting your motor inside the triangle is more popular among road bikes and/ or hardtails. It has the same benefits as mounting the motor below the downtube with the added bonus of not sacrificing any ground clearance at all as the controller doesn’t take up any more space than the chainring - even with a small 32T. So why doesn’t everyone do it?
If you have a soft-tail frame, then the likelihood of there being enough space for the battery AND motor is less than if you have a hard-tail. You are more likely to fit the X1 Stealth since it has a smaller formfactor. This also depends on where you are planning to mount the battery, if you even want to mount it at all.
When you have limited space between the downtube and the front wheel, then mounting your motor is in the triangle is a secure solution, but you need to consider you battery.
Do you have enough space for both, or are you going to put your battery in a backpack? There are, of course, many other places to mount the battery, such as against the seat tube, or on top of the top tube, maybe even on a carrier rack.
Like we’ve said, these are just the standard mounting positions and there are some exceptions. The X1 PRO and X1 Stealth are well known for their frame compatibility fitting 95% of all existing frames. Since it’s our mission to give you the most power with the smallest form-factor possible, we’ll keep working to close that 5% gap.
Lastly, check out our FAQ page to see exactly what you need to fit your kit.
