Can anyone install a swytch kit?

Purchased a swytch kit electric conversion, do not have the skills to install.

Looking for someone to provide the service.

I’d expect no reputable mechanic will touch it. @edscoble may explain more

Seemingly so. Looks pretty straight forward in videos...

But there is the issue of warranty, installing components the bike was never intended to take…

What are you struggling with? Not done one myself, but my dad did one in a morning and he's no mechanic! I think it only took so long as he needed a shim for the handlebars from Halfords to mount the battery mount.

Conversion in theory is straightforward but the problem is that a conventional bicycle was never meant to be ridden with a motor and battery that add additional weight (most bike have a max combine weight of 120kg).

Brompton for example specifically said never to fit a Swytch system on their bicycles as the fork isn’t designed to be ridden with a motors, their electric model is very different than their standard model.

Warranty is a big factor as well as it’s being a direct to consumer manufacturers mean a lots of shop/reseller can’t touch it as they don’t know the system and can’t access it (mechanic do need to be trained in certain system before undertaking a services on an electric bike, if they don’t know the system, it can cause liability to the shop).

Liability from aftermarket another big factor as they can be overridden and go over the max speed limit/no assist etc. which then turn it into a speed pedelec which requires insurance, driving license, registration, correct helmet (moped type) etc.

It’s a minefield and it’s always recommended to go for a normal ebikes that you can get, unless you only ever service your own bike and happy to lose the warranty of your frames.

Seems like i need to file the wheel axle as it is too big for the fork.

Oh a Brompton? Either way send it back as it doesn’t fit your bike.

Can you post a pic? Will help.

I think they do a few wheel sizes and it could be as above, that you have the wrong one.

Either way, if you have to modified a brand new product despite giving them your specifications, then they’re not fit for purpose.

@BrickMan didn’t you post something about fitting one of these and it looked dodgy as fuck?

On a Brompton, with the nut not fully engaging on the axles to provide sufficient purchase for the torque of the motors.

Seems like i need to file the wheel axle as it is too big for the fork.

The supplier has clearly sent you the wrong axle size. From the Swytch website:
"Fork Dropout Width: 74-80mm (fits Brompton and other folding bicycles with narrow forks e.g. Dahon)"
They should also cover the return postage, as it is a supply error. I note that they are listing no stock available for the Brompton compatible model.

Personally, I would not install either a hub brake or a electric hub in a front fork that had not been built to handle the additional torque. In the case of the standard Brompton fork, it does not even have forged dropouts but rather just a compression and shaping of the actual fork tube.

if you have to modified a brand new product despite giving them your specifications, then they’re not fit for purpose.

Unless it's a pair of SKS mudguards or a Carradice saddlebag, in which case it is part of the tradition :-)

Yeah basically. I found their exact mistake and pointed it out to them politely, then when they decided to be twats about it (customers purchase not mine) I made an example out of them. Posted it everywhere, and caused some noise.
They took it back later that month, full credit 'in good faith' apparently.

Since seen a few of those kits on bromptons and they have the right length of axle and more appropriate fastners*

*However, as edscoble says, the forks aren't upto it thats why Brompton themselves own fwd motor jobs use a much stockier fork (TIG/MIG welded instead of brazed/lug style) to deal with the loads.

On a REGULAR bike, I think the swtcyh kits are OK, the quality of the parts/electronics/battery/connections/instructions are decent, make the asking price sound about right. Just not on a folder or anything weird.

Their customer service is basically two spotty teenagers grappling with crazy demand and no real engineering grip on what they are dealing with.

Swytch motor is a 250W one and generates 40nm torque, this power is handled fine by the regular Brompton fork or any fork in general. If you don't override it to go faster it shouldn't cause problems.

You'd need a torque arm support for beefier engines or a stronger fork like the Brompton.

Still true all that's been said re warranty tho.

Btw I just mounted mine on my black Brompton (ordered the Black kit) and all went in fine. The axle was perfect for the Brompton fork.

Handled fine as in it doesn't fail right now, but interested to see the result of months/years use on UKs fine roads ;)

Got any pics of the current iteration of their axle/anti turn washers/axle nuts? Be interesting to see what their fix was.

The problem is that regardless of thr torque of the motors, forks are not made to have motor in the first place.

It also mean that whatever happen to the bike, warranty will never cover it, even if unrelated to the motor.

I understand re the warranty and it's a risk I'm taking. But those fork can withstand that bit of a torque.

A friend bought one of the regular kits, with 10mm axles. Has been told to file them down to fit into the 9mm drops on his Spesh hybrid.

He is obviously rather weary of filing anything down. Seems odd to me that anything would need to be filed, so thought id check here.

Does the advice from Swytch sound legit?

Hm I have no personal experience of them, so couldn't comment on the advice, but a customer having to file down a vital component (I mean literally probably the most vital) in a brand new product, which will be taking large torque forces and needing to NEVER fail seems sketchy AF to me.

Does the advice from Swytch sound legit?

Ask him to confirm with Swytch if this void the warranty, and whether they have a wheel that actually fit on the axle of his hybrid.

asking a consumer to modified a product is a big no-no.

Does the advice from Swytch sound legit?

No but if you had asked, does it sound par for the course for Swytch...?

I’ve seen a couple of these through the shop and the frame and forks seem to cope with them okay. One customer came in because she thought the motor had somehow broken the front rack but it turns out she had loaded it up with 20kg of cider and snapped the mounting bolts clean off.

However i would be hesitant to start filing down the axle, it sounds like a recipe for disaster. If the drops were forged then widening them may be an option but I’m pretty sure they are pressed on Brompton’s.