A surface mounted permanent magnet motor includes a stator having poles and windings. A rotor includes magnets fixed to an outer surface of a support assembly. The stator poles face the outer surface of the rotor. The support assembly has magnetically conductive magnet carriers spaced from each other and supporting two magnets of opposing polarity. The magnet carriers have a central region of low permeability that blocks q-axis flux flowing from the stator radially towards the rotor axis surrounded by regions of high permeability. A first high permeability region defines a continuous flux path on the side of the barrier region closest to the rotor axis and links central regions of the two magnets carried by the magnet carriers. A second high permeability region is located on the side of the barrier nearest the stator that defines a flux path linking the end regions of the magnets.