Swytch eBike Conversion Kit !?

I'm sure some on here have the inside scoop on these kits !?

https://www.swytchbike.com/p/universal-ebike-conversion-kit/

Are they any good?
Known issues ?
Better options ?

Cheers, G

A motor in the front wheel is the least good place to put a motor as there is no way for it to interact with the pedalling action. But it is the simplest and cheapest way to do it and sometimes, like with the electric Brompton, the only practical way to do it.

Battery life/range would be my biggest concern given that it’s a fraction of the size of most ebike batteries.

True, and without input from pedalling dynamics, it’s not going to be very efficient, either.

Only use them on the front wheel with steel forks with forged drop outs. They'll fail on suspension forks and forks with cast drop outs.

The pedal sensor works on the bottom bracket, it doesn't matter which wheel the motor is in for the controller / limiter to work

That a fair bit more expensive than the uglier eBay DIY kits

Eh? But they do have BB torque sensors.

I went for the new kit.

50% discount and it went for £620 total for the Brompton one. Which is not bad given how much a Brompton Electric costs.

Sure, the Brompton one has more sensors and a torque sensor rather than a simple cadence one, but I can live with that

I'm seeing a lot of these fitted to bikes recently. They do look quite tidy.

are these things any good? do they work?

Further to @adroit 's points about types of fork ends, I would be looking at including a torque arm, which appears to be an add-on accessory with the Swytch.

Article: 'What is a torque arm and why do I need one"
https://www.ebikeschool.com/torque-arm-need-one

It comes with a fork end shim. It adds thickness and strenghtens that part.
So far no issue and I try to keep an eye on it.

Also ordered the new upgrade kit. Smaller thinner battery and I might change its location (right now it's occupying the bag holder.

Been looking at these for a while, but their website still has an aversion to displaying actual prices.
£620 was the 50% discounted price for the full kit, everything included?
How much is the upgrade kit, and what does it contain?
Thanks.

I'd forgotten about this post. I've fitted a couple of kits now and it's a peice of cake. The owners are delighted and no problems yet...

The going price is £500 I'm told, but that tends to be when you have to wait for the next production batch. When they are in stock it can be double that :-(

Several competative kits I've seen on YouTube, I liked the one that uses Bosche power tool batteries as that could save a lot of dosh if you already have DIY tools.

Is this really a good idea with rim brkes

I think they've sold out now. I paid £279 for the upgrade, not sure yet what it contains, but I believe it'll have the battery I chose (the small one) plus an adapter to connect it to the rest.
Full price was £625 - 60% off + shipping.

AIR Swytch Kit (Upgrade Kit) £625 -> 60% off -> £249
UK standard shipping £30
60% Discount Applied NEW-KIT
Total
£279

@anidel and @The.Gren, thanks for the info.

I liked the one that uses Bosche power tool batteries as that could save a lot of dosh if you already have DIY tools.

Do you have a link please?

I have 4x Bosch P4A batteries over 3 appliances and had wondered about their suitability for use to bodge up an e bike. The drill is redundant now so a few zip ties plus a trigger and I could be flying / in hospital...

I ended up with a Swytch kit and it is ace, limited by small battery & seeming high cost of additional batteries.

A guy on fb/eBay has knocked up an adapter to allow other 36v batteries to be used for bigger range so I've ordered it at risk of waste money (£25, delivered).

My need now is for said battery. Needs to be brand that is low fire risk.

Also, if the adapter can be used to run the kit, can it likeky be used to safely recharge the bigger battery using the swytch kit charger? This is a question I'll ask the guy who made it.

Edit: pictures of bike setup it is on, diy cargo-ish build.

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In real-use situations, how how long/far does the battery last ?
Is the Air or Max version ?

Does anyone have any experience of the newer 'Go' version?
Battery looks big, but could be tucked away in a rear pannier I guess.

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I'm on Air and if I keep it on 1/5 power and just use for accel from stop/slow then power off once moving I can get close to 2 days (appx 22miles) of commuting from it.

On a wet head-windy cold journey when tired I can rinse it inside 6 miles but it is worth it.

As with all batteries it has limited charging cycles so on reflection I'd now get the biggest battery possible for less frequent charging = longer lifespan.

Hence the punt on the adapter cable.

I'm rocking the air on my Brompton which at times I use to commute from TW8 to Canary Wharf.
Intent is to arrive with no need for shower on site so I use it at high/highest setting to do most of the work for me.

It barely helps me towards the end of the journey but arrives with one light still on.

I usually recharge it at the office for the trip back home.

In hindsight I would have gone with the Max too. Added weight is no problem at all, as the idea is to not transport the bike on trains etc, but let her transport you more.

Thanks for the info.
Air battery weight to Max battery isn't bad, but it looks a sizeable step up to Go battery.

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Go++ is in same price bracket as Max though and loads more range, plus centered weight shouldn't affect handling & the battery is getting you moving so weight less of an issue?