NoPhart

Well, not really paying people to post their builds; it's a discount coupon. Late last year they sent out emails to those on their customer list that they would give a $50 coupon to those that post their complete builds on their website. Seemed like a win-win situation to me. They get more site members and a variety of builds posted to their site and the customers get a discount coupon for their time and effort. This in turn attracts more searchers to their site, and thus more members and aids continued growth. $50 is really nothing for the time and effort it takes to post up a complete build, but I really do it to assist others with the same passion for a sport I enjoy in my free time.

I'm hoping to get a 21Ah battery for a solid 50+ miles range. After riding my build without power, I think my range may even be higher than that because I don't need assist to ride this bike on normal flat ground without wind. It's geared low enough to feel good even at 40lbs. less battery (cruiser bike weight).

You should be okay with 31 miles at 40-60% maximum power assist and still be in the 20%-ish charge zone at the end for good battery life. The trick is not to go speed crazy, which is easy to do if you have fast gearing and a boring route.

My 350W/36V BaFang BBS01 with 10.6Ah battery did a solid 20 miles easily. I squeezed just under 40 miles out of it on one flatland ride to the beach and back, but the battery died 2 miles from the end of the ride. That's not good on the battery to do repeatedly. Power assist wise that was using levels 2-3 of 5 levels chasing one of my riding buddies on his full carbon road bike and on my low end MTB with BaFang.

I continue to use this simple formula to calculate reliable range:

(Battery Amp Hour X Motor Volts) / 20 = Estimated "reliable" Range

For my last ride that was: (10.6Ah X 36V) / 20 = 19.08 Miles

For this build: (21Ah X 48V) / 20 = 50.4 Miles

Your build would be: (13.5Ah X 48V) / 20 = 32.4 Miles

PatrickGSR94

Yeah see I figure with rolling hills there will be plenty of downhill sections where I may not need assist at all. I usually break 30 and just barely got short of 40 MPH on one downhill going home on my road bike recently.

NoPhart

Modified the Ibera Mini Commuter rack by cutting off the seatpost clamp tube, trimming the web support structure underneath for good tire clearance, adding support braces where trimmed and adding a piece of aluminum bar stock across the front that rests on the front frame mounts to support the eventual long range battery weight. The "adjustable" front frame mounts and side vertical supports were taken from a cheap aluminum Schwinn rack.



Hoping to mount it up today and plan the rear wheel magnetic sensor and battery wiring out for final power-up.

NoPhart

The new rack direction is now completed and on the bike.



You can see it is short, low and pushed forward almost in a large seat bag position.



I went with larger solid black dual water bottles for those long rides too.

NoPhart

She's basically done. Hard to even tell it's an E-bike from this angle. Love that stealthy look.



From the side front.



Low and lean drive system with Orange/Blue/Black color scheme with White/Red accents.



From the top.



Oh baby, I love ya girl!

PatrickGSR94

When ya getting a battery to power it? Careful, I might have my build done before you!

NoPhart

You probably will. Waiting on "out of stock" item... No big deal though, I'll just ride it like a bicycle until then.

PatrickGSR94

So I just went back to the beginning and read through most of this thread again. Once again nice work on everything!

I was wondering which battery you were going with, and knew it was probably in there somewhere. 20ah pack dang! That will give you some nice range for sure!

I was wondering if you could elaborate on the little bracket you made to keep the BBS from digging into your BB shell. I've been wondering what exactly keeps the motor from falling/rotating downwards under its own weight. My frame isn't as nice as yours but it's still in good shape and I'd rather not gouge it all to pieces. Someone had the idea of putting a stainless screw clamp around the down tube, and then a large screw clamp around the BBS motor body (perpendicular to the first clamp), and using the two in combination to hold the motor up against the down tube. I was thinking of trying that along with some sort of simple ring spacer to keep the BBS unit from digging into my BB shell.

NoPhart

I created that aluminum replacement bracket to save my brand new frame "faced" BB edge (cost about $75 to face, chase & ream a new frame: BB, head tube & seatpost tube). My last BBS01 used the BaFang bracket on an aluminum KHS MTB frame without any slippage. You want the 4-slot nut really tight no matter what bracket you use.

California E-Bikes make two styles of stainless steel replacement brackets if you don't want to groove your BB edge or make your own.

https://california-ebike.com/product...arts/hardware/

If they match your frame design, I'd go with one of those if you are concerned about damage to your BB when/if removing the BBS02 and returning it to a human powered bicycle.

NoPhart

By the way, it's in the mid-80's here today. I'm going for a ride!

PatrickGSR94

Thanks for the info about those brackets from Cali E-bike. I just ordered one last night. I don't really have the means to accurately fab something myself. That might even keep me from having to use screw clamps around the down tube and motor body to hold the motor in place.

NoPhart

Hope one of those works out for you and fits your frame. The reason I made my own simple aluminum one was that neither of the extensions appeared to match my frame for attachment points with the BaFang in the position I wanted it; up high against the down tube.

snowscum

When you get a chance could you tell me your seat and handle bar manufacturer? Thanks NoPhart and awesome build!

NoPhart

The new seat is a Selle SMP TRK and the handlebars are Fouriers Trailhead 28* Sweep Bars (7000 series alloy version). So far I really like the seat for rides up to 20 miles. Haven't had a chance to test it out on longer ones yet. These handlebars are unique in that they have a slight bend in the grip area. This is said to aid in hand fatigue. It seems to work. Although if you plan to run a throttle, that bend may present a problem with sliding certain types of throttles onto the bar. Same for some shifters and brakes. I always prefer handlebar products that are removable without removing the grip. Most higher end shifters and brakes have this feature.

Here's an article on the two handlebars I have on my two bikes. The SQlab 311's are on my CS Hightower with inner bar ends (before the grips):

Review: Swept-back handlebars from Fouriers and SQlab | Dirt Rag

snowscum

Thanks NoPhart. Ill go shopping for at least that seat first off. I can not find a seat that doesnt hurt. Im on my 4 seat.

BruceMetras

Another saddle to look at is a Selle Anatomica .. was very comfortable from installation on my newest e-bike project.. that and a BodyFloat seatpost can transform a rigid frame bike..

NoPhart

I have gone through about ten saddles so far, including an ISM model (?). So far the Selle Royal Resprio Moderate Gel is the best for long rides with my hybrid sitting position. The Selle SMP TRK has worked great for up to 20 miles so far. I haven't got a chance to ride it on a long ride; which I consider to be 40+ miles. Soft saddles are great for short rides up to about 20 miles for me. Of course riding position plays a huge role too. Saddle width comes into play went riding off-road, because the saddle can't be too wide and can interfere with putting your body behind the seat. I'm coming to the conclusion that the "firm gel saddles" are best for me.

NoPhart

BM - That ride looks really fast. How's it feel at speed without any suspension other than the seat post?

Haven't seen that leather seat before. I've heard good things from those that use stretched leather seats like the Brooks, but I haven't been able to snag one for testing. I'm not willing to go $100+ unless I already know it a keeper. Someday I'll find a shop that has a seat testing program so I can really give some of the high-end saddles a go. Light weight AND comfortable AND no numbness AND cooling AND etc... is hard to find.

BruceMetras

I've never gotten on with Brooks leather saddles (sprung or un-sprung) .. through the years of saddle hunting, I've settled on SDG BelAirs ... but this Selle Anatomica has impressed me.. a 30 mile ride is a non-issue.. for me, it's a saddle that I don't even notice while riding, which is exactly what I want .. the bike as geared is capable 30mph, but I generally ride it around low to mid 20's .. I'm also using a GripFast stem shock which helps upfront over rougher roads.. Here's a little more on my Bike

Looking forward to hearing how you like your build once you get a battery installed and up to speed..

NoPhart

I think it is important to give general build costs so others can better estimate what their project will cost up front. I got some pretty good deals on some of the parts for this build, yet the total cost still came to $3,800 (the equivalent of $3,500 plus 8% sales tax). That doesn’t include any personal labor cost, but does include $200 in: wheel build, frame prep and welding costs that I paid others for. The custom frame belt drive bike itself without any electronic components came to $2,300 as equiped and all the electronic components: BBS02 750W/48V, 21Ah Panasonic GA battery, smart 80% or 100%, 3A or 5A charger, rear rack and bag came to $1,500.

What this gives over a pre-built of equal cost is complete customization to ones specific wants and needs that generally have to be “settled on” with all the manufactured E-bikes. In addition, a component build allows you to replace and/or repair parts yourself; especially the motor and battery stuff which can be costly and similar to automotive repairs. And we must not forget the "throttle option" that is almost nonexistent on manufactured models. Furthermore, you can always convert a custom build back to a regular bicycle and move the motor and battery stuff to another build down the road if desired.

Above and beyond that, you would be hard pressed to find a Gates belt drive 750W/48V throttle option 21Ah E-bike with this level of quality components for $3,500. You can build something close for much less if you find a bike that has all the other components that you specifically want. For me the 3spd IGH and belt drive were key components that I really wanted to try.

Once my monster sized Luna battery and charger arrives (ordered today), I will post up my impressions of the riding experience under different power levels, along with speeds with this Class 1-2 limited rather low gearing and resulting mileage ranges.

It has been a fun build. I look forward to years of riding this with very limited maintenance, just hours of joyful bliss in the outdoors.

Cheers all!

PatrickGSR94

holy smokes that's a monster battery!! What form factor is that pack?

NoPhart

It's a basic 4"x6"x8" brick of 84 Panasomic-Sanyo GA cells in 13s6p form.



Small and light for it's capacity size, but still 11lbs.

PatrickGSR94

gonna be rack mounted? Or inside the frame triangle somehow?

NoPhart

It's going in the quick-release Ibera Mini Commuter bag on the custom low and slammed forward in front of the rear axle rack on this ride (want to keep both large water bottles in the triangle for this long range ride), but can be mounted mid-ship down the line or on another ride easy enough.

On a side note, I think this could be mounted in front of the rear tire and behind the seat post on some cruiser bikes too. They normally have long chain stays and a angled seat post. One of these days I'd still like to build something close to the big framed Electra Lux Fat D7 with a fat bike rear 3spd IGH. Or possibly a custom build with this look.



Beautiful street ride!

NoPhart

IT’S ALIVE! Boy howdy is it alive and whisper quiet…

Much more get-up-and-go than my old BBS01 350W/36V Bafang motor. No need whatsoever to use a throttle from a standing start on flat ground with 750W/48V’s at your disposal. Well maybe if you are in level 1-2 of 5 and in my 3rd gear to make the launch quicker, but not in 2nd gear starts. No need to even start in 2nd gear with my gearing either, at levels 3-5 of 5. 3rd gear starts are not an issue at all. No shifting needed on flat ground commuting period!

Without checking the standard settings, I put 9.4Km on the initial test ride and the battery level gauge didn’t even move. The motor wasn’t even warm and the battery was ice cold inside the rack bag. In fact, neither the charger nor the battery even got warm when charging to 100% at 3Amps to top it off. My best guess is everything will be running much cooler with the large Panasonic-Sanyo GA battery pack and 750W/48V motor.

I still need to setup the display to miles and wheel/tire size for accurate speed and distance readings. In 3rd gear at level 5 of 5 it’s a good breeze in the face speed that appears plenty fast for my style of riding. What I did notice is how fast it takes off in the high settings. If fact all levels start quickly with the movement of the crank (not a full turn of the rear wheel sensor) and each level off at different speeds. Once at speed, all levels seem to require approximately the same amount of pedal assist to maintain that levels speed. Very nice!

Going to relax watching the final round of the Masters now while reading up on how to setup the display before going back out for another test ride to check speed.