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pengyou
10-08-07, 11:15 AM
but this time I would like to ask you to reply only if you have actual experience with this setup. I have read a number of posts on this site but most of them seem to be speaking from a theoretical point of view.
If you have an ebike with a front mounted motor please tell me your experience with it. Do you have a front suspension? I have a cheapie ebike now with a rear motor and front suspension that does about 19-20 mph. It is not very comfortable to ride when I hit bumps on the street. I would hate to think what riding it would be like if it did not have the suspension! Make sure to tell me the specs on your motor and battery.
Thanks!
Abneycat
10-08-07, 01:33 PM
The e-bike i've built for mygirlfriend, exactly and down to the letter:
A "Carrera Aria" ladies street/trail bike.
Crystalyte 408 front mounted, locked with nylon threaded bolts.
36v/20ah standard controller.
36v/8ah Lithium battery pack.
The Aria is a truly disasterous bike on the front end. It comes with some kind of "zoom" fork, which appears to be nothing more than a tube with some springs loaded underneath the stanchions. It is however, entirely steel.
I'm just going to skip all of the talk about front suspension loaded with motors and leave the important points/suggestions for you to consider :)
1. The biggest concern is immediate starts. This is the major reason, simply that starting from a dead stop with anything but low torque can damage the suspension. This can be almost entirely avoided simply by using pedal assist, getting a pedal first controller (which would help make sure you dont do it), or by just having the sense to put a little movement on the bike using the pedals before turning the throttle.
My girlfriend doesn't pedal first. But she also throttles forward very slowly while she pedals, does both at once. No problems with her bike as of yet.
2. Another issue is your fork. If you have to bend it to fit the motor, don't do it. Don't do anything to change the geometry of a suspension fork, because they have to be in alignment in order to function properly and in the long term. It was possible to fit the hub into the Carrera Aria's fork by removing some paint on the lowers, and may be possible to do so with yours, but not always.
As for front suspension with a front motor, the suspension still works fine of course, but i've not really noticed any comfort difference between a rear wheel and a front wheel on the same bike. I don't think there really is any, personally.
If your bike is uncomfortable, you can do a lot of stuff to improve that besides changing your whole design! I would suggest getting soft handlebar grips, and looking into a nice suspension seatpost.