Hub motors are on the rise again: Lightweight low-assist motors from manufacturers such as Bafang, Mahle, Mivice or Coboc gently get chic city and light touring pedelecs up to speed. The powerful Neodrives hub motor is the first choice for use on touring bikes. What all motors have in common is that they are permanently installed in the rear wheel and act directly on the axle. The axle is therefore prevented from turning in the frame under load by a torque support. This is usually done by a slightly thicker washer with a protruding nose that engages in the opening of the vertical dropout. This makes installing and removing the rear wheel relatively easy.
Neodrives uses a more complex in-house design, which is somewhat more difficult to fit. If you are not already familiar with the design of your e-bike, take photos with your mobile phone when removing it, for example to document the correct position of the axle nut and nose disc or the cable routing on the frame. You should also bear in mind the high weight of motorised rear wheels: The Neodrives rear wheel weighs 7.26 kilos. This requires a little caution and practice when handling.
But let's get started: Four steps are necessary to remove and refit a rear wheel with a hub motor.
Step 1: Prepare the wheel
Step 2: How to remove the rear wheel
Special case of neodrives
The particularly powerful Neodrives motor has a specially designed torque support. Here, a plate sits loosely on the hollow axle, which is fixed to the axle on the inside with a multi-tooth and on the outside with a milled fit in the dropout. This is a little tricky to install. The cable has an angled plug. It is pulled out of the motor at right angles to the direction of travel.
Step 3: How to install the rear wheel
Step 4: Final test
Once all parts have been refitted, put the wheel back on the tyres. Pull both brake levers several times to release any air in the brake system. Finally, take a short test ride to make sure that everything is working correctly.
Jochen Donner MYBIKE test editor: The Neodrives rear wheel weighs more than seven kilos. When working on the motorised rear wheel, you should therefore always ensure that the e-bike is in a stable position and pay close attention to your fingers when handling it.
