Tongsheng TSDZ2 48v 500w Electric Bike Conversion Kit
Amazon.ukDescription
The Tongsheng TSDZ2 48v 500w is designed to offer stronger performance over the road-legal 250w 36v version. This motor kit is ideal if you have access to private land and want to build your own high-performance ‘torque-sensing’ e-MTB.
Summary
I’m a big fan of the Tongsheng TSDZ2 mid-drive conversion kit. Having installed over 30 of these motors over the last couple of years, they’ve proven to be very popular with customers and seem to be generally reliable.
As with its main competitor (the Bafang) the TSDZ2 will fit a majority of regular bicycles with a few exceptions. Providing your bike has a standard BSA threaded bottom bracket then installation should be fairly straightforward for the competent DIY enthusiast.
Torque-sensing pedal assist
What really sets the Tongsheng TSDZ2 apart from its rival is the excellent torque-sensing pedal assist. This is usually only found on ‘high-end’ e-bike motors like the Bosch, Brose and Shimano Steps. The pedal sensor works by measuring the amount of force being applied to the pedals when you ride and giving you assist based on how much effort you put in.
This translates to a very natural and intuitive feel – if you’re riding on the flat at a high cadence with a nice tailwind, the motor won’t be assisting much but the minute you get to a hill or ride into a strong headwind you naturally start pedalling harder. At this point the motor senses the extra force being applied and gives you the electric assist accordingly.
Whereas the Bafang has a very start/stop feel to the assist, the Tongsheng is smooth and progressive. Pedal harder and the motor gives more help – you really feel the connection with the motor and it makes you feel like you have super strong legs.
Neat installation
The Tongsheng TSDZ2 is physically smaller than the Bafang and weighs slightly less at 3.6kg (4.2kg for the Bafang). There’s also a very useful mounting bracket which ensures the motor doesn’t move in the bottom bracket shell. If installed correctly with the cables tidied up then a TSDZ2 conversion can look just like a factory e-bike.
The Tongsheng TSDZ2 makes for a very neat e-bike conversion
Reliability
As far as reliability is concerned the TSDZ2 is prone to some occasional faults. Although generally reliable, the main problem area’s are the blue nylon primary gear inside the motor, the sprag clutch (or one-way bearing) and torque-sensing system. Sometimes the motor controller can fail but this seems rarer than on the Bafang – they are quite cheap and easy to replace if this happens.
Thankfully all the above issues can be easily fixed by a competent DIY enthusiast and spare parts are easy to acquire. There’s also a lot on online resources on fixing these motors on places like YouTube and endless-sphere.com.
Out of the 30 motors I’ve installed I have only had one issue and that was the blue nylon gear – this can be replaced with the motor in situ and takes less than 1 hour in total. Some owner prefer to fit a brass replacement gear which is more durable but will increase the noise of the motor.
Riding your 48v 500w Tongsheng TSDZ2 e-bike
The 500w 48v version has a lot more grunt in the higher power levels (speed and turbo). This is thanks to the higher current 18A and 48v controller, giving a peak power of 864w. In eco and tour mode the extra torque is noticeable but it’s not until you switch to speed and turbo mode this motor really comes alive!
Although it lacks the raw pulling power of the BBS02B, the torque-sensing makes up for this, giving the rider a real connection with the bike and motor. The harder you pedal the more power it produces which is a very rewarding sensation.
This is especially useful if you ride on hilly, off-road terrain. The Tongsheng TSDZ2 48v 500w can be a great fitness and motivational addition to your mountain bike – I have written a separate article on using an e-bike to get fit and lose weight on my other website.
Motor Specification:
- Motor Model: TSDZ2 48v 500w
- Power: 500w (864w peak power)
- Voltage: 48V
- Controller Current: 18A
- MAX Torque: 100 N.m
- Top Speed: 35km/h
- PAS SENSOR: Torque, cadence and speed Sensor
- Waterproof Grade: IP65
- Bracket bottom length: 68mm-73mm standard threaded BSA type
What’s in the box:
- Tongsheng mid drive motor unit
- Crank arms (pair)
- Chainring
- External Speed Sensor
- Display
- Wiring harness
- Motor lockring spanner
- Assorted fixings
Legal notice
Conclusion
The Tongsheng TSDZ2 48v 500w is a great alternative to the Bafang BBS02B. Although it’s not as powerful, the excellent torque-sensing pedal assist really makes a bike with this motor fitted a joy to ride.
Having a 48v 18A controller really makes a difference to the power in the top two assist modes (speed and turbo) and if you’re riding off-road it can take the sting out of those steep, technical climbs.
As much as I like the Bafang motor, the on/off feel of the assist isn’t always suited to off-road riding whereas the intuitive feel of the torque sensor on the Tongsheng gives the rider more confidence when negotiating tricky terrain.
If you want to convert your mountain bike into a high performance e-bike then the 48v TSDZ2 is the way to go for Bosch-beating performance.
Please check out the comparison below for more information of the Tongsheng TSDZ2 48v.
- Great value
- Bosch-beating performance
- Very neat installation
- Lighter in weight than the Bafang
- Torque-sensing pedal assist
- Generally reliable
- Not quite as quiet as the Bafang
- Can require some long-term maintenance
- Not road legal in the UK
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