what hub motor to buy? Ebay? golden? wilderness?

Hi Jim - Welcome. Your plan sounds good. The main issue with any hub motor is the fact that the power that is generated by the motor (torque) tends to twist the axle backwards. The more powerful the motor the more torque. Human powered bicycles are not designed with this in mind as it is not usually an issue. One exception is the coaster brake rear hub, which has reverse torque on it when the brakes are applied. Hence you will notice coaster brake hubs have a bar a few inches long that attaches to the rear fork. Hub motor torque is especially dangerous when the hub motor is installed in the front, particularly on a bike with aluminum front forks as they can break without warning. The broken forks can tangle in the spokes and lock the front wheel. If that happens when you are moving, worst case everything comes over on your head. Best case, the wires spin out of the motor and ruin it. Devices called torque arms can be purchased or fabricated and should ALWAYS be installed with a hub motor, even on a rear hub motor. In addition, forks should always be tested with a magnet to make sure they are steel. Search for "torque arms" on the various ebike forums for more info - jd

Try ampedbikes.com for a variety of motor options. Danny sells torque arms as well. Ampbikes will be selling through dealers in the next couple of months but right now you can still purchase through the web site. This is just one source. Take a look.

Kilowatt