Just a simple post to encourage those that own electric recumbents to have place to 'sign in' and maybe serve as a resource to one another if we have questions... As I am sure I will have once I take the plunge.

I use an Ecospeed equipped EZ-1 AX for my utility bike. I have two others (EZ-1, BikeE) with an Electroportal motor kit that I lend out to people to see if they want an electric recumbent.

Just a simple post to encourage those that own electric recumbents to have place to 'sign in' .
36 Volt hub (Sun) & a 24 Volt Currie bolt-on (TerraTrike).

Crackerdog, how well does the electroportal run? I know it is a lot less expensive than the ecospeed.

Hi
I have a electric drive homebuilt trike (edscreations.blogspot.com) see "my yellow trike". It is front wheel drive by pedals and rear wheel drive by Goldenmotor hub with 36v7ah sla batteries. It is too heavy for Alberta regulations (max 35kg) but is a great ride anyway!
Ed Service

I'm looking into installing a Bionx motor into a recumbent. My commute is about 12 miles, with some 3-10 mile commutes between worksites. My goal is to arrive at worksites without all the sweat, and then turn off the motor to pedal it home. Don't care if I sweat on the way home.

I've test driven a Rans Velocity Squared a couple of times, and I really like it. I'm still getting used to the feel of recumbent versus upright, but balancing is pretty easy. Wobble is dealt with by stopping and putting my feet down, and it doesn't happen very often. In other words, I'm liking this bike.

What I want to know is how feasable is it to have the Bionx motor on the bike? Also, how much baggage can I put on back after the motor is installed? I'm looking at the 350 motor with the nickel metal hybride battery. (I got scared of the litium ion battery after reading about explosions). It would add about 22 pounds to the bike. I want to be able to carry a fanny pack, a small laptop and lots of water (southern climate). Any ideas/ opinions?

Lexbubble, sorry haven't been around for a bit. The electroportal is great for normal operations, ie, grocery store runs and other light errands. I use the Ecospeed for 150 lb trailer loads and such. The Electroportal is quieter and does much better than most hub motors because it uses the rear gears (as does Ecospeed) so you can go up hills and go fast with a much smaller motor than a hub motor.
recumelectric, I would suggest you look into the electroportal because one of the advantages of a recumbent electric is that you can get away from the inefficient hub motors because of the long chain line. As far as your load, try loading up your bike with that much weight and see what it is like. It makes a huge difference if you can keep your load between the axles (I learned this from putting together an Xtracycle). I moved my battery (lead acid still) forward 4 inches so it was in front of the rear axle and it made a huge difference in the way the bike handled. The new lithium battery chemistry, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) doesn't have the burn or explosion problem and has more life cycles. I am considering converting my Rans Stratus to electric for long distance day runs (40 - 50 miles) but I am waiting for things to iron out in the electric bike industry, mostly the LiFePO4 batteries. The Electroportal motor only weighs 7 lbs and is easy to install if you are they type to work on your own bike.

recumelectric, I would suggest you look into the electroportal because one of the advantages of a recumbent electric is that you can get away from the inefficient hub motors because of the long chain line.

Can you disengage it for free pedaling? I only want the electricity on the way to work.


The new lithium battery chemistry, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) doesn't have the burn or explosion problem and has more life cycles. I am considering converting my Rans Stratus to electric for long distance day runs (40 - 50 miles) but I am waiting for things to iron out in the electric bike industry, mostly the LiFePO4 batteries. The Electroportal motor only weighs 7 lbs and is easy to install if you are they type to work on your own bike.

Unfortuantely, I can't find the actual lithium phosphate battery on the market. I've read that it's in "testing phase" and that 2 companies are currently fighting over the copyright, so it may be a while. I'm hoping someone out there has updated info--as in, maybe someone is selling the lithium phosphate battery?

yes, both the Ecospeed and Electroportal E-4 have free wheels so you can pedal as much or as little as you want and any combination. Just don't use the throttle and you won't use any electric power. Unlike hub motors, you aren't fighting the motor.
Headway seems the way for LiFePO4 batteries at this time. Check out Battery Tech on Endless Sphere for more info.

So, if I want electrical power assist to pedal on the ecospeed or electroportal, will I have to use the throttle? (I hadn't thought of that, since the Bionx kit is pedal activated.)

Yes, it is throttle controlled. I have a bike with sensors in the pedals and I hate it. Here I spend all this time feeding and caring for my brain and somebody thinks they can design a sensor that works as well as my brain. I much prefer the throttle type because I can then choose to pedal more or less and I can see a hill coming up so when possible I can get up some speed. No sensor can do that. Try both types (throttle and sensor) before buying if possible.

looks like a hijacked thread

electric recumbant riders post here please

There is an Electric Bikes category BTW.

Lightfoot Cycles makes a great 24 volt 500 watt electric recumbent. You can have the electric assist put on any of their models. It uses the eight gears on the back wheel. It has a mid cassette that gives the bike a total of 192 gears for the pedals. Also they make a recument the Smoothie that is built just for the bionx conversion. It is designed so the battery fits right infront and under you. Really looks neat. I had them make me a Ranger with a Subaru 1.6 hp engine under the seat. That is a great idea for those of you that want to cover some long distance travel in a short amoung of time.

Here is my electric bent.
The page isn't working at this post time but should be fine later, I hope.

http://www.evalbum.com/1262

Here is my electric bent.
The page isn't working at this post time but should be fine later, I hope.

http://www.evalbum.com/1262

The page is working now. That looks nice. I prefer to have my legs down a bit (like I have with my Sun bike), but it still looks nice. How many pounds overall were added, with both the motor and the battery?

I had the motor kit installed on my bent about a month ago. I'm really enjoying the ride. It's what I wanted: easy ride in the morning and push it in the afternoon as much as I reasonably can. I love being able to haul stuff and climb hills without a blink. :love:

The bike started at 45 pounds. That included the rack, bags etc.
Everything else added 23 pounds. Hum, that comes out to 68 pounds. But I lost 2 pounds with the new crank and peddles!

Here is mine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1Z3o4v9PHM

Hello,
this is my electric kmx

Hello,
this is my electric kmx

Where did you hide the motor and battery? I see a few wires, but nothing else.

The motor is at the front mounted under the crank and is a chain drive motor. The Battery is pretty dinky but you can see it under the seat glued to the frame. It's black. I have since removed it so that I can charge it away from the bike and it now goes in a pannier.

Here's the company that I got the motor from

http://www.bike-elektro-antrieb.ch/

I have an Agio with homemade RC motor chain drive. The whole system weighs 5 pounds and provides an hour of assist. You can read more about it at the ULEA Yahoo group.