Long time CYC X1 Pro Gen 2 rider here. CYC always releases "mixed bags of functionality". I have my CYC mounted to a full suspension XC bike with 650B wheelset and use it mainly for more or less technical tours in the forest. Also I ride a Fatbike with BBS HD. Since it is a big NoNo in Germany I run both motors without throttle and speedlimit somewhere around 25 km/h. I do not care what CYC says but even the X1 Pro is not really suited for power levels much above 1.5 kW. Neither your bicycle drivetrain nor specific parts of the X1 Pro like chain tensioner or clutch will hold up permanent use at those peak power levels they claim. The ASI BAC2000 for the X1 Pro Gen2 is bogus and so is Gen4 with "up to 6 kW". CYC is unable to fix existing issues like this crappy chain tensioner which to my knowledge is still used with "Gen3". Also CYC plainly lies about fixing things. The Android app for the Gen 2 (combined with the ASI 855) still does not really connect as stable as the IPhone one does. Cathy at Eurobike 2023 claimed that there would be an updated app fixing this but nothing has happened. They simply released their X* controllers with new app. I will neither buy a Photon nor any other product from CYC in the near future but the motors still have some unique features. At least the X1 Pro series. Not other motor works with such a huge amount of different BB widths and other standards like Pressfit. Also the chainline is really good. Nor need to fuss around with some special offset chainrings for 100€ or more. Also no other motor combines such well working torque sensing with brute power. When going up steep trails with my X1 I know there are still some reserves if things get hairy. You push the pedals a bit harder and this thing pushes you up until your frontwheel rises. BBS HD and CYC X1 are much different in behaviour. With my Fatbike I get up pretty much any steep hill with 36:34 ratio but need to make shure I have the right power level, am in the right gear and possible need to gain some speed up a steep trail. For the CYC X1 I simply keep the highest power level on the trail, some mid gear and anything goes. Using throttle would make things easier but I do not like to get into discussions with the cops about this. Also on the anoying side of things: CYC is noisy and by noisy I mean REALLY noisy. Not only the motor itself but also chain rattling, squeaking noises, strange sound you do not know where are coming from. Sometimes noises go away after a while and sometimes not. My suggestion: Stay away from any product of CYC. While their product could be really great with some work to detail in the end it is all scam where you have to pay huuuuuge amounts of money even for free parts you might get for warranty. Sorry for the long rant.

sorry the audio is so quiet, IDK what happened ,  watch out for those YouTube ads the volume is absolutely insane

I have a gen 4 since the day they dropped haven’t had problems with the motor just witj my cassette and derailleur but i upgraded to shimano link glide and all been well 500 miles lovin it so far

High torque hub, cassette, shifter & chain recently released. Game changer as a fully integrated system that mostly eliminates the breakage issues. Also their controller software is very advanced and allows many variables controlled via bluetooth/ phone interface, including torque curves.
 Just finishing my second CYC system on ‘16 Santa Cruz V10 with backpack 72 volt.
Zoom, Zoom!

The Bonnell 775 MX that recently went on sale uses the X1 Pro Gen 4 plus their new battery and they are putting out content on it. Looks interesting.

They purposely set the Surron to 6kW instead of its 8kW to compete it against the CYC setup. But even there, the test was still suspect because the surron motor control combination should reach about 92% efficiency while the CYC motor should reach 85% given the older motor and lower controller size. You can see the surron leading briefly before the set power limit snubbed it.

Your right i never pedal my ebike unless im trying look like a normal bike when a cop goes buy.

Right now I would probably look at reviews of the bonnell to get a better idea of how the middrive is

So yes the gen 2/3 were not that reliable but scrolling through the comments..you can tell barely anyone actually owns the gen4 and are just jumping on the bandwagon of hate. People experiencing broken hubs, chains, casette etc...thats a user problem (learn the correct parts to use and not some cheap shite you think will hold). There are so many people running the gen 4 without problems even one guy upto 10kw..myself included upto 7kw and nearly since day of release not a problem yet. There is forums with build after build using gen4 and ive yet to see any magnets come away in gen4 like they did in gen3. Dont expect to buy the gen4 and stick it on a 2k bike and be done..im nearly 6k into my build with lots of custom parts and its solid absoloutely solid, no bafang motor in this world could keep up with me

I am a BBSHD owner and am going to build a full suspension replacement for my existing hard tail, selling it to someone I work with.  I was seriously considering the X1 Gen 4 and your video has me pumping the brakes on that idea.  I ridden my present bike for a year and a few months and have put over 3000 mile on it and haven't had a single motor issue.  I think I should hold off on an X1 because of the concerns you had.  Thank you for your video!  P.S. the guy going between the street and the sidewalk skeev'd me out too!  Why ride like an a-hole!

the "High Voltage DIY Electric Bikes and Vehicles" channel has a number videos on CYC - mostly the photon. He seems to like them on balance given the advanced pedal sensor behavior that he favors. He does mention his experience with warranty work and the lack of available DYI parts.
As for the build they showed: the "installation labor" of $350 break down should be : Internal cable routing = $340, everything else $10.  :)

Dude it's not going to kill you to at least try the cyc x 1 pro Gen 4 and then give your honest opinion.  This is like a review video without actually testing the product. You can't give your review for a product you haven't tested yourself let's be fair now.

Adding it up the Photon with their A52L battery

Comes out to $1600

Adding up the Bafang with a similar battery, lekkie chain ring, mandatory buzz bars to adjust the q factor, brake cutoffs, programming cable, display etc… is $1600

Not much of a price difference

The Bafang will give you power but you cant ride it like a bike


I do see there are complaints against the Photon when running it unrestricted but there are quite a few users who seem to be happy with it strictly as a pedal assist.

Idk. The CYC seems like a nicer unit for those looking for strictly pedal assist

Pretty good video like you I’m on the fence. The stealth is in my cart. But when I try and look videos up it’s spars. And I don’t understand.  Thanks for the video

I bought the newest cyc gen 4 pro with x12 controller.  It was bad from the factory and had to do a warranty return after weeks of back and fourth emails. I'm running it on 72volt 80amp battery. ($950) .  It put this on my dual hub fat bike 1000w front and rear motor. 48volt system. I wired both to a single half twist throttle.  So I can drive around on just my hubs at 32mph. With the cyc on I can go 60mph. However, the cyc gets hot after driving wide open at 60. About 10 miles and I turn it off to let the temp drop back down. It's 95-100 degrees outside, so I think it would go longer when temps come down this fall. The cyc motor is powerful  but kind of a pain in the butt. I've broken 3 chains and 2 rear sprockets.

Shimano cues drivetrains are bombproof, no issue using a high power mid drive

I have to sevens both dmo1 and 2 dmo2. Have 8 bafangs both bbso2 and hd models along with cyc 3 photons and a stealth gen 3. All have been pretty much reliable and all are very different when it comes to the way they feel. I don`t  consider any one of them actually better than the other. Note I have also had failures with all the brands. I use the heck out of all my rides. CYC is the high price boy on the block for sure. I think one of my photons or bafang HD actually have the most mileage of the lot. I ride 200mi. per wk. On and off road uses.

I bought a x1 gen 4 with A65 battery and put it on a vitus e mythique …. Replacing the bafang m510. Had to custom fab the BB and the CYC product in theory is good but they aren’t what your seeing advertised. Lots of failures and have had to buy and put on a new gearbox / clutch and they sent me a new controller less than 100 miles it failed

I’ve had the CYC x1 gen 2 with the bac 2000 controller. Mounted on a norco sight mountain bike full suspension . 72v     16 ah. 120 amp bms ( I made myself). I run it at 6000 watts. I’ve put at least 1500 - 2000 miles   With zero issues. I had the bbshd. It’s a good quiet motor. But it’s slow. CYC in my opinion is the best high-powered kit. And one of the only ones available. I weigh 230 pounds.  And I have it set up as a five speed so I can run an eight or nine speed chain.

in a nutshell; Photon is a very good motor with one serious shortcoming - drive gear is offset in the second stage against the ring gear which causes the shaft of the motor to get bent over time due to both axial/torsional forces which in turn damage the bearings that the rotor (1st stage) is mounted/held in, what happens then is that the friction in the bearing increases and consequently the motor has to output more power to overcome that, that consequently increases the internal temperature which causes more damage to bearings in the first stage which eventually leads to catastrophic failure, this is ever more exacerbated by riders with strong legs, in order to repair it one needs to split the casing (which is glued together - doable but not easy) then remove and refit both bearings and sprag clutches for both 1st and 2nd stage (nearly impossible without proper jigs - none of that is shown in any video), conclusion; while Photon works it is wonderful in its' action (both power and torque assist), but it will fail and then if on warranty will take anything from 3 to 6 weeks as a turn around time when shipped back to Hong-Kong for repair depending on your location, X1ProGen4 looks much more modular which would suggest much easier repair(s) by simply replacing the sub-assemblies, furthermore X1ProGen4 being rated to 3500W continuous and peak of circa 5000W would suggest much longer/better longevity; however, by utilising 2 chains it must be very service intensive on chain maintenance, installation of the Photon is a breeze, now for top speed; going over 55km/h or 35 miles per hour is not a great idea simply because the bicycle tires/wheels and frames not meant for these kinds of speeds/forces, throttle function is simply redundant considering how well the torque sensor is designed,  the form factor itself is truly well designed..
As for the app - there are two pages (display); 1st page (portrait) is very basic, 2nd page (landscape) gives very detailed information..
So far I had 2 failures on mine (circa 9000km - every 4500km) (based in EU) kudos to CYC by honouring the warranty and providing both repair and shipping free of charge - so customer service 10/10..