powell

bareyb,
sorry that I was maybe not clear but I do not own FALCO
however
I tested it not once but twice in different situations.
I tested 750W kits mounted on road bike and another time on high end quality MTB.
You must understand that I own EPLUS and TIDAL FORCE USA-designed and manufactured ebikes /designed by the same leading engineer - Rakhes whose team designed FALCO/.
So everything is about comparison.
Enough to say 750W FALCO feels like 1000W EPLUS , easly reach 30mph in ideal condition - I am 66kg, flat, no wind, slickers pumped to 50-60PSI.
Forgot to add that I tested FALCO with off-road console, yes you need console programmed derestricted .
First thing I noticed was how wonderfully linear modulated throttle is, if you tried cheap stuff with on-off feel throttle you know what I mean.
Throttle, console, water-proof connectors have solid feel.
Climbing hills was effortless, regen braking well modulated, take off in level 5 like a rocket but no jerking , just wonderfully smooth and silent , no whine even under hard accelerations.

Being 5-phase no hint of shudder or jerking
Again everything is in comparison.
If you ride Stromer or Specialized Turbo you will not be so impress, but if you ride ....

bareyb

Thanks for getting back powell. I appreciate it. Your impressions of the quality and engineering have definitely helped me make up my mind. I've decided to go with the 500 watt, 36V, version. I think that's going to be plenty of power for me. I hope to finalize the deal next week.

powell

You see with three ebikes me and my wife ....
I would love to buy FALCO. But, pretty tough to convince my wife to get fourth ebike .

bareyb

Lol. My wife is being surprisingly cooperative... I have a feeling if it works out well for me, she has her eye on one for herself.

2old

I'm sure others with more experience will chime in, but changing a tire on a motorized wheel is, for me, something to be avoided. I ordered Schwalbe Marathon which come in both smooth and "knobbier" threads. These tires, while a little heavier than their counterparts, have a "spongy" material under the thread which will absorb most goathead thorns, tacks etc.

chas58

Looks perfect!

One of my e-bikes is an old lugged steel Bianchi Advantage.

The most important thing with ebike tires is puncture protection (changing a flat with torque arms is kinda a pain - no quick release options!) and durability. Generally bigger is better. 42mm up works well. Knobby tires wear quickly. Sounds like the bontragers will work good.

powell

I agree,
fixing flat tire on rear hub tire is sort of troublesome, because you must deal with torque arm and all connectors, although FALCO has only power wires/2/ and data connectors.
My solution to flats:
In Canada go to Canadian Tire and buy thick, big inner tube, it is 3 times size of regular inner tube really thick at least 4 times thicker than regular one.
It is so bulky I do not carry spare with me.
Strange but bike shops do not sell them.
I have not had flat tire for 4 years on my two ebikes /EPLUS, TIDAL FORCE/
There is no way around it - either tire or inner tube must be really thick.

350htrr

I average 1 flat every 2 years with the big fat tube, and probably average 2 flats a year using the normal small skinny tube...

tds101 

Would you happen to have a brand name on the fatty innertube? I'm in NYC, and once the weather improves a bit I'll do my ebike conversion. I could definitely use a set of those innertubes to use with my 700cX48 tires.

Thanks!

350htrr

No I have no idea what I have, something like the Bell Flatblocker...

2old

Neither my wife nor I ever had a flat with Bontrager 26" X 2.125 "flatproof" tubes, which weigh about 500 grams, as much as a light tire. However, after about six years I got a flat when the valve separated from the tube. Fortunately it didn't go flat until the bike was parked in the garage. I'm using a slime filled tube while awaiting Schawlbe Marathon Plus tires.

chas58

I just use a slime innertube. It may not prevent 100% of getting a flat, but at least the leak will be slow enough that it will get me home. you might be better off with a tire that has flat protection built in.

tds101 

Thanks people. I'm going to order some thorn resistant tubes from Amazon.

bareyb

UPDATE: Ordered the kit on Saturday and he told me it would be ready in two days. Which means tomorrow. Hopefully he comes through for me. Very excited to try it out and find out if I went with enough power. I honestly have no idea what to expect. Have never ridden an electric bike in my life. Sure looks fun when Court does it though.

Hopefully my next update will be to say the kit was installed perfectly and it's everything I'd hoped it would be and more.

powell

You never rode, tested other cheapie ebikes, yes?
Otherwise you going to take FALCO kind of kit as normal, for granded and it is not the case.
At the very least, did you watch , listen to other ebikes on Youtube?

bareyb

Nope have never ridden one. I'm doing this strictly on faith. I have an Electric Car (Tesla Model S) so I already have embraced the technology. Now I'm looking to expand my horizons and get myself out in the fresh air again.

I have been watching tons of videos on YouTube though. I've been looking at complete bikes and at most of the more popular kits that people use. Decided I had a pretty good bike that I like to ride already so a kit seemed like the best way to go.

bareyb

UPDATE: Ugh...

Ran into my first "glitch" today. Turns out my hub uses a Cassette and the Wheel from Falco only uses Freewheels. So the guy had to order me a new Freewheel (13T was a low as he could find) and that's going to delay it for a couple of days. Hoping to be able to pick it up on Thursday or Friday now...

bareyb

On the bright side, it gives me a couple of days to order some essential items, like this Frappucino holder.

https://www.amazon.com/Portland-Desig..._eetyp_p_img_1

2old

Should you decide that 13 is "too big" (you can figure out the speed from your tire diameter and front chainring), there are 11 tooth freewheels available; since Shimano doesn't make them anymore, they are pretty low quality, but usable.

bareyb

Well we hit glitch number II. He's got the throttle working, but says the Torque Sensor isn't working the way it should and Falco doesn't have anyone who can help him troubleshoot it until Monday...

Do we know anyone here or at Endless-Sphere who actually OWNS one of the Falco kits? I'm wondering how their long term reliability has been... Starting to get a little bit nervous we are heading down a bad road here... I'll give them a few more days to figure it out. I just hope they don't have to start shipping out new parts one at a time until they get it working.

bareyb

UPDATE:

My wife wants to get an electric bike for herself (I told you she was being too cooperative) and we are thinking of going with a prebuilt this time possibly. Depending a LOT on how capable the Falco kit is once they get it working... I'm interested in something that can do 28 mph like the iZip E3 Dash. Can you guys give me some suggestions for bikes that are similar? The e-motion line looks interesting too, but I wish the throttle and Pedelec modes weren't separated... Any advice greatly appreciated.

Bizman

2 years ago when I was looking for my ebike the information can be over whelming (as I am sure you know). I researched front hub drive, rear hub drive, front and rear hub drive, direct drive, gear drive, mid drive, DIY kits, etc. I stated in another thread "be sure to check out the easy motion line of bikes" which looks like from what you said above you have. If you have the option of both throttle and pedal assist (if that's what you like/want) even though they are separated I don't think that should be that big of a deal, at least you have both options, it can't be much more than a flip of a switch.

After all my research I knew it would cost more money but I wanted an efficient, good climbing e bike with a "BIG" battery (for the range) and was willing to pay to get it right (for me) the first time. I went with the Easy Motion Max 700 with Panasonic 250w mid drive 36V & 12 Ah battery (the biggest available at the time). I am able to utilize the gears getting me a good top speed with the efficiency for climbing hills and good range. It is legally rated at 20 miles per hour but because of the Allfine 11 IGH and mid drive I can easily get 30-35 mph on flat ground if I want, and up to a 90 mile + range depending on what assist modes I use and terrain I travel. Mine is pedal assist only meaning I have to pedal to make the motor work, I do not have a separate throttle.

Reguardless of what bike you get I would seriously think about the mid drive. I believe you will be happier in the end. Bosch also has a mid drive that is to be good as well! Kalkoff is another brand out their with the Bosch system on it that has some mid drive models, I was seriously thinking of buying one at the time. After talking to the company in the USA that imports them my gut feeling told me to not go with that. You may have a different experience if you did? I am glad I went with the choice I did and with close 9000 miles it has been trouble free.

Disclaimer: Although I do have an ebike I feel like I still prefer to pedal it without using the motor. My regular commuter now is my Quest XS velomobile which can't be touched for speed or comfort, but in winter when I put studded tires on the ebike and the weather is real bad it is very nice to be able to use the motor on hills and get me to work or home quicker on my 25 mile round trip commute with 1900ft of climbing.

bareyb

Thanks Bizman. I had initially ruled out the mid drive opting for a more "Stealth" approach with the hub drive. But the more I read, the more sense Mid Drives make from an efficiency standpoint, and it's definitely something I should get out and try. How would you characterize the difference between the two systems? Any Pros and Cons?

powell

Where I ride I want to be silent as much as possible.
No motorized vehicles on paths.
My ebike look strange enough I do not want add noise to it, in popular perception:
noise = motorized
Panasonic is well proofen , rock solid middrive used by many ebike manufacturers for the reason=reliability.
As of hubs, not all hubs are silent, NOT at all.
Some cheap, primitive hub kits when installed whine like crazy.
Do not watch videos, listen to them, turn off the one with background music - does it make sense to watch them!!
On this forums you can watch and listen to posted videos , just search and enjoy whining like electric locomotive taking off .

bareyb

Agreed. One reason I opted for the Falco kit. It's supposedly very quiet and stealthy. As a bit of an update on that... I emailed the owner of the bike shop and asked if it was too late to upgrade to the 48V system instead of the 36V, but only if they are going to have to ship me out a new Wheel or some other part. If I have to wait another week for shipping I may as well do an upgrade. After doing a lot more research, it seems like the 48V with the 500 watt motor would have been the best combo for me... I'm cool either way though. If it's working now, I'll take it as is. The next one is going to be 48V though...