Bafang BBSHD Chainring

The HD version ships with installing screws and nothing else. The BBS version adds a plastic chain guard, but the BBSHD ring goes without one, so any chain protection on an HD comes from elsewhere on the bike.

Tooth count sets how far the bike travels per crank turn. Compared with the 44T, the larger rings raise every gear on the cassette by a fixed amount.

• Worn stock ring: match the size you have, and the bike rides as it did.
• Spinning out on the flat: step up one size.
• Struggling on climbs: the 44T is the smallest here; for more help, look at rings in the 30s from other makers.

Count the teeth on the old ring before ordering. Many HD kits come with a ring in the mid-40s, but kit versions differ, and the number stamped on the ring settles it.

The BBSHD chainring guide compares offsets and aftermarket rings side by side.

The 44T to 52T range suits riders who spend most of their time on roads and gentle hills. Loaded cargo bikes, fat bikes in sand and trail bikes on steep singletrack want a smaller ring, and Bafang's range stops at 44T.

• Road commuter at speed: 46T or 48T keeps pedalling useful above 20 mph.
• Mixed town and hill riding: 44T with a wide cassette covers both.
• Steep trails or heavy cargo: a 32T to 42T ring from another maker, with the motor spinning faster and cooler.
• Flat-land speed builds: 52T, if the frame and chainline allow it.

Cassette range multiplies the effect. A wide 11–42T or 11–50T cassette paired with a 44T ring gives a low gear for climbs and a tall one for the flat, which is why many riders keep the Bafang ring and change the cassette instead.

Voltage plays in too. A 52V pack spins the motor a little faster, so a rider moving from 48V may find the same ring feels taller. How voltage and gearing set top speed is in the 1000W explainer, and the nylon gear notes explain what heavy launches do inside the motor.

1. Shift to the smallest cog and take the chain off the ring.
2. Remove the drive-side crank arm.
3. Undo the ring's fixing screws evenly and lift the old ring away.
4. Clean the mounting faces and check them for burrs.
5. Fit the new ring with the supplied screws, tightening in a cross pattern.
6. Refit the crank, the chain and test every gear on a stand.

Chainline is the catch on many frames. The stock-pattern ring sits the chain further outboard than a regular crankset, so on the largest cogs the chain runs at a steep angle and can drop or rub. Without a guard on the HD version, nothing stops a dropped chain falling toward the motor.

• Check the chain on the largest and smallest cogs after fitting.
• Add a chain guide or keeper if it drops on the big cogs.
• Replace the chain with the ring if it is stretched; a worn chain skips on fresh teeth.

Chain drops on the biggest cogs are the classic sign that an offset ring would help more than a straight replacement. Fat bikes are the exception, because their wide rear ends push the cassette outward too.

Pull torque figures and the tool list for the whole drive side from the install guide.

Material matters on a 1000W motor. Aluminium rings are light and easy to machine with offsets, but their teeth wear faster under full current than steel. Steel rings weigh more and last longer, which suits heavy cargo bikes and riders who lean on the throttle from a standstill.

Riders on flat roads who liked the stock gearing can simply fit the Bafang ring again. Trail riders and cargo haulers usually do better with a smaller offset ring, and fat-bike builders often want a steel one in the 30s.

• Confirm the ring is the BBSHD fitting, not the BBS01/BBS02 one.
• Pick the tooth count by your steepest regular climb, not your top speed.
• Decide whether you need a guard; the Bafang HD ring has none.

Chain width deserves a look too. Some HD rings are cut for 10 to 12-speed chains, others for 6 to 11-speed, so read the tooth spec against the chain on your bike. The CHAOZHU 42T is the most direct offset alternative, while 100mm and 120mm builds should check chainline against the fat-bike guide.