Can any bicycle be converted to electric?
Wheel size, frame material and dropout width decide whether a bicycle can take a Karaa kit. What to check before converting.
Most standard bicycles can take a Karaa conversion kit, but three things decide whether a specific bike is a good fit: wheel size, frame material and rear dropout width. 26-inch and 28-inch wheels work best. Steel and aluminium frames handle the extra load from the motor and battery without issue. A Karaa dealer checks all three before fitting a kit.
Karaa’s own reference bike is the Buffalo Bicycle from World Bicycle Relief, the exact steel-frame bicycle the kit was designed around, and it’s the bicycle we recommend if you’re buying new. But most riders coming to Karaa already own a bicycle and want to know if it qualifies, not buy a second one.
The checklist a dealer runs through: wheel size (26″ or 28″ is standard, smaller wheels need a different hub motor spec), frame material (steel and aluminium are straightforward, carbon frames need an individual check because the motor mount and battery cage add stress the frame wasn’t built for), and rear dropout width (the hub motor has to match the frame’s rear axle spacing, usually 135mm on a standard bicycle but worth confirming rather than assuming).
Full-suspension mountain bikes and unusually narrow racing frames are the two categories that most often need a workaround or don’t qualify at all. Everything else, the ordinary commuter, cargo, or utility bicycle most people already ride, converts without much difficulty.
A kit costs UGX 1,650,000, fitted, at Uganda retail pricing (the export price is US$420 per kit for orders of 50 or more, without Uganda VAT; GPS tracking is coming soon). Fitting takes a few hours at a Karaa dealer, not a full day.
Common questions
Do I need to bring my bicycle in to check compatibility, or can I tell over the phone? A photo of the frame and a measurement of the rear dropout width usually answers it. Message us on WhatsApp with both and we’ll confirm before you travel anywhere.
What if my bicycle doesn’t qualify? A Karaa Buffalo Bicycle, sold complete with the kit already fitted, is the straightforward alternative.
Check kit specs on the bikes page, or send us a photo of your bicycle on WhatsApp.
Send us your route and your load on WhatsApp. We reply within a day.
