Foil Assist Motor Ranking by User Adoption

Ranked by unique users on foil.zone · March 2026

#	Motor	Users	Mentions	+	-	Sentiment	Use Case
1	AliExpress/BDUAV 6384 120KV	~50	~200	30+	10	Positive	Foil assist, efoil, tow boogie
2	Flipsky 6384 140KV (waterproof)	69	125	35	12	Positive	Foil assist, efoil
3	Flipsky 65161 100/120KV	42	52	13	5	Positive	Efoil, dual-purpose
4	Maytech 6384	40	90	15	18	Mixed	Foil assist, efoil
5	Maytech/Michobby 6374	35	80	8	15	Negative	Foil assist kits
6	Saite 6384	23	46	12	2	Positive	Foil assist, efoil
7	Flipsky 6374 140KV (waterproof)	18	45	6	4	Positive	Foil assist
8	Saite 6374 130KV (Foil Drive OEM)	14	17	8	1	Positive	Foil assist (FD clone)
9	Flipsky 65111	11	27	—	5	Negative	Efoil (underpowered)
10	APS 6384 100KV	9	12	6	1	Positive	Foil assist
11	Flipsky 63100	9	17	4	1	Positive	Efoil, heavy riders
12	Flipsky 7070 (waterproof)	8	14	2	3	Mixed	Foil assist
13	APS 63100	7	13	4	1	Positive	Efoil, heavy riders
14	Maytech/Michobby 6579 110KV	7	28	2	—	Neutral	Foil assist kits
15	Michobby 6374 (waterproof)	7	17	2	3	Mixed	Foil assist kits
16	Flipsky 65121	6	10	1	1	Neutral	Efoil
17	Flipsky 66112	6	9	—	—	Neutral	Half-power efoil
18	Flipsky 65150	5	8	—	1	Negative	Efoil
19	6354 (various eskate)	4	6	1	—	Neutral	Ultralight assist
20	6362 (various)	3	9	—	—	Neutral	Ultralight assist

Users = unique forum members who mention owning or using this motor · +/- = posts with positive/negative sentiment

#1AliExpress/BDUAV 6384 120KV~50 usersPositive

The most popular motor for DIY foil assist. Sold under the brand name BDUAV on AliExpress and eBay for ~$50. Also referred to as "Ali 6384", "cheap 6384", "generic 6384", "noname 6384", or "the $50 motor". The naming fragmentation is why this motor appears undercounted in keyword searches — people use dozens of names for the same motor.

Size: 63x84mm

Stator: 50mm

KV: 120 (also 150, 170)

Price: ~$50

Waterproof: No (DIY)

Mounting: M4, FD-compatible

6384 is prob the best, cheap aliexpress BDUAV works great, if not the Flipsky is great too. — @patfoil

I find that the cheap 6384 120kv does the job both for foil drive and efoil, and since it is cheap, it is not a big deal if it breaks under heavy load. — @bbe

Those mounts are designed around the M4 thread placements on the BDUAV generic 6384 from our friend Ali. — @seagull_nz

They are the same mate. I have a FD hub fitted to a cheap BDUAV 6384. — @cephalofoil

Pros

~$50 vs $130+ for Flipsky or $170+ for Saite

Adequate power for foil assist (50mm stator enough for most riders)

M4 mounting pattern matches FD accessories

If it breaks, just buy another one

Cons

Requires DIY waterproofing (epoxy coating, Corrosion-X)

Bearings need upgrading to stainless/ceramic

Phase wires need upgrade from 16AWG to 12AWG

50mm stator = ~2/3 power of a true 55mm stator

Noname 45$ '6384' is 50mm wide. — @Larsb

#2Flipsky 6384 140KV Waterproof69 usersPositive

The premium mainstream choice. Flipsky's newer waterproof version with a proper 55mm stator, ceramic bearing option, and factory waterproofing.

Flipsky dropped price for $30 on their new 6374/6384. — @Vitalii

I use the Flipsky 6384, there is quite a different sound and vibration to the generic 6384. Think bearings as cause of a lot of vibration and noise. Good motors. — @marcoz

Pros

55mm stator (more power than BDUAV)

Factory waterproofing

Ceramic bearings available

Better phase wires out of the box

Cons

~$130, 2.5x the price of the BDUAV

#3Flipsky 65161 100/120KV42 users in assist contextPositive

The dominant efoil motor (1,334 total posts on the forum). Discussed in assist context by 42 users, typically for dual-purpose builds.

Most people use outrunners for their foil assist. — @yannpom

I am exploring options for a Foil Drive-ish e-assist option... effectively a half power efoil. — @juandesooka

Pros

Massive thrust for dual-purpose efoil+assist

Well-proven in hundreds of efoil builds

Cons

Too heavy for lightweight bolt-on assist

Requires proper pod/nacelle (not simple mast clamp)

Overkill for pump-assist use case

#4Maytech 638440 usersMixed

Widely available through Maytech and resellers. Older versions had quality issues; newer versions improved. Stator on older versions was only 50mm.

Maytech has a better build quality than regular Ali 6384. (Phase wires, waterproofing...) But power not enough for most e-foil systems. — @Bzhwindtalker

I just tested the Maytech 6384 motor. I can fly with this wing without any problems, there is enough power, the speed is high, I am very pleased with the motor. — @rttn

#5Maytech/Michobby 637435 usersNegative

The most criticized motor on the forum. Sold by Maytech directly and through Michobby (a Maytech reseller). Despite criticism, 35 users mention it because it was one of the first cheap complete kits available.

The Maytech assist motors are absolute junk. They have a lower longevity than a cardboard box in water. They are underpowered for what they are as their stator size is small. — @Jezza

The last foil kit I got from Maytech was absolute garbage — controller cooked multiple motors before I gave up and switched to Flipsky. — @Ewheeler

#6Saite 638423 usersPositive

Saite is the OEM factory behind Foil Drive motors. Their 6384 is the premium choice — filled with thermal epoxy from the factory, proper 56mm stator, high-quality windings. ~$170-200.

I know Saite is a great motor and in another class then the generic BDUAV 6384. — @gazlinux

Foil.Drive or the Saite motors are also completely filled with thermal epoxy and have no problems! — @hangloose

#7Flipsky 6374 140KV Waterproof18 usersPositive

Flipsky's smaller outrunner. Most community members recommend the 6384 over the 6374 for the ~20% extra torque margin.

Flipsky 6374 or 6384 140kv motor is easier to source. — @JonathanC

#8Saite 6374 130KV14 users · Foil Drive OEMPositive

The EXACT Foil Drive Gen 2 motor. The gold standard for replicating a Foil Drive at lower cost.

The EXACT genuine Foil Drive motor is Saite 6374, you can buy it waterproofed from Saite. No magic with Foil Drive Gen2 components. — @JonathanC

On original FD Assist (+, max, slim), Foildrive use 6374 130 KV 3200 W 5.6N.m to have 25kg of thrust at 3000 rpm on the propeller. — @Etiennebzh

#9Flipsky 6511111 usersNegative

Flipsky's smaller inrunner. Universally negative feedback for foil assist. Zero positive opinions found. Users who tried it wished they had chosen a 6384.

Can't really get enough power without pushing the current pretty high. — @Naterivera

#10-20 — Other Motors

Motor	Users	Notes
APS 6384 100KV	9	Quality motor, requires DIY waterproofing. Praised as "ideal for foil assist"
Flipsky 63100	9	Big outrunner for heavy riders (90kg+) or tow boogie. Better heat dissipation
Flipsky 7070 (waterproof)	8	Mixed results. "Working very good" but waterproofing concerns
APS 63100	7	Quality big outrunner. Requires DIY waterproofing
Maytech/Michobby 6579 110KV	7	Newer motor in Michobby kits. "Cheap, powerful, works well in saltwater"
Michobby 6374 (waterproof)	7	Factory waterproofed Maytech 6374. Better than bare Maytech but limited
Flipsky 65121	6	Between 65111 and 65161. Few builds
Flipsky 66112	6	Discussed as "half power efoil" option
Flipsky 65150	5	Mainly efoil. Rarely used for assist
6354 (eskate motor)	4	Ultralight. "Works well as assist... will not allow you to foil around in between waves"
5065 (eskate motor)	10	"Pretty amazed that it worked. Not as efficient as the 6362 but not bad."

Community Recommendations

Best Overall (DIY)

AliExpress/BDUAV 6384 120KV

Cheapest, most popular, proven in 50+ builds. Requires waterproofing work.

Best Plug-and-Play

Flipsky 6384 140KV waterproof

Factory waterproofed, strongest stator, easy to source.

Foil Drive Clone

Saite 6374 130KV

The exact OEM motor. Premium quality.

Efoil / Dual-Purpose

Flipsky 65161 100KV

The efoil standard. Too heavy for pure assist.

Ultralight Assist

6354 or 5065

Only for experienced foilers who barely need assist.

Avoid

Maytech 6374 / Flipsky 65111

Underpowered stator, poor waterproofing, widely criticized. Zero positive feedback (65111).

There are differences in what is called 6384 motor, the cheapest ones have 10-15mm shorter stator and can therefore not produce the same power or torque. My advice to anyone buying a 6384 motor is to ask for the stator width. — @Larsb

Manufacturer Overview

Brand	Users	Role
Flipsky	206	Largest supplier. Motors, ESCs, and complete kits
Maytech / Michobby	142 + 17	Budget kits. Quality inconsistent. Michobby = Maytech reseller
AliExpress/BDUAV	~50	The generic 6384 120KV. Cheapest option
Saite	35	Foil Drive OEM factory. Premium quality
APS (Alien Power System)	23 + 12	Quality motors. Requires DIY waterproofing
Turnigy	32	Hobby motors repurposed
Freerchobby	8	AliExpress motors (63100, some 6384 variants)

Data sourced from foil.zone forum — 73,280 posts analyzed, March 2026.

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