arni0202

My latest ebike struggle has arisen. Most of which are the result of cumbersome battery weight. Biking to work as usual my supposedly trusty bike rack which has a carry limit of 50lbs, bends at its wheel hub connection. Literally bends and one side snaps. PingPing might be getting my business sooner than I thought! 36v 15ah at 11lbs versus my 36v 10.5ah at 22.2lbs of very dense weight of SLAs.
Anybody want to buy 36 volts of SLA? cheap! (not including shipping LOL) a side struggle includes losing air through a spoke nipple.
I doubt the chinese steel wheel on the motor hub was very well taped anyways. hmmm it's always something but I love biking!!! So I'll deal with it. But it's been a long day. Why am I posting this? I don't know(sorry venting I guess), but I think that an ebike is a worth the effort and troubleshooting to enjoy the commute to wherever. For now I'll replace the rack, hope I can save money quick enough to buy lighter batteries and avoid breaking more racks.
Note:the costs $$ add up over time, I've put $1000+ into my electric bike project and not I'll be spending hundreds more for better batteries. Not to mention I'm a full time student who works 1 day a week so I have no money to burn. I'm desperately trying to thwart gas prices!

Why can't anything be easy?

reptilian

I here ya! I spent about $1200 just for the motor, bike from ebay, and battery. I soon after realized I will need to spend at least $200 dollars more for all the little things needed to maintain and complete the bike.

Hey! I wanna order a set of new tires right now but I haven't gotten my motor yet. What size is the rim?

falconev

not sealed..?
what are you talking about ?
have you ever seen a motor that was NOT sealed ?
All are, especially mine
My controllers are also sealed, unlike others, u must be confusing mine with someone else
FalconEV

reptilian

Well then, I wish I had known that. From the pictures on the site it looks like there are air vents. I guess those are just sample images then? You should prolly put pics up on the site of the actual motor. That way ppl know what they are going to get.

falconev

air vents ???
no, those are actually phaser beam ports...
hooked directly to the flux capacitor
pics are a from a artificial motor, not a real motor...

arni0202

lol Falconev you always sound so snappy, relax buddy. Btw wouldn't back to the future have been sweet if they had an Ebike time machine!?
Anyways I took my rack back to my local bike shop and got a new one, same model but I picked up a saddle/pannier bag that I think will work well for the batteries lower to the ground too so less shakiness and better weight distrubution. Soldered the connctions nicely, new tire tube and rim tape and I'm back up and running. Hope to see your crystalyte video soon Karma!
BTW the rims that come with the kits, do you toss those out right away or have you tried to true them?? I have trouble keeping mine trued. what length spokes do you use to lace the new rim if you do swap it out?

chickfilafan

I have been looking into ebikes ever since I saw a video of them on youtube. I would like to commute to work which is ~30mi oneway. I would have no problem pedaling with the bike. I would assume the LiFePo4 batteries are the best and that I should get them from this pingping guy on eBay. Now, I have no knowledge of bicycle maintenance in anyway except for how to put air in the tires how hard would it be for me to attach a hub kit? And what kit would anyone recommend for me? I was thinking about the one at ampedbikes.com. Does anyone else have this? My budget is about $700. Thanks

arni0202

falconev.com has some good motor kits, and lifepo4 batteries(although expensive). Also, I've only heard good things about ping's batteries and will be getting a pack from him soon. There's a sticky thread for good ebike links I would recommend you check out.
I have the ampedbike.com kit which is good but I would shop around more. My kit came with some cheap components i.e. the brake levers are flimsy, the throttle is cheap plastic and the controller isn't the greatest. For around $300 it's a good deal.
Check out goldenmotor.com I don't know how easy it would be to get a kit directly from them(in china) but they have thumb throttles that look nice, regen-controllers and other options you can choose from. The thing to note about batteries too is that users sometimes rate their capacity(unscientifically) by how long they last without pedaling. I always pedal so my weak 10.5ah SLAs do get me pretty far.
A
s far as how easy the kits are to put on, just get familiar with how to take out your front tire. 1) unhook the front brakes 2) unhinge the quick release or unbolt your front tire 3) slide the electric wheel in. and from there you just Zip-Tie the wires from their to the back where your controller is and you're about done. Replacing your brake is easy too (look up bike videos on Youtube they are gold!) that's about all you need to change on the bike. I changed the front tire because the one that came in the kit was cheap, I kept it as a spare.
Definitely do your homework before jumping in
and personally I like having a kit on a mountain bike and not buying a bike with an integrated motor. Just my opinion though if I ever out grow my motor I can just remove it.

reptilian

Ok I got my motor kit today and already I am having issues. I am completely lost. What is the deal with this little aluminum tube that came with it? It looks like it's supposed to go on the axle that the wires go through. the axle isn't threaded for the first few inches from the motor so it looks like it would just sit in the dropouts. The rest of the kit is completely assembled though. Why would this piece not be in it's place? I would have to cut the connectors off to get it on there anyway.
Next, I got the batteries from ping I expected 2 wires. There is a positive for both the charger and for the motor. Am I to get some sort of single line connector for all three?

reptilian

ok, I got it all figured out except for the polarity and a few mystery wires that weren't connected to anything and that tube. What are these for?

My multitester doesn't give me a - without power, but the connector to the battery from the charger has a green/yellow wire and a red wire. The red one has a fuse with a "fuse +" sticker on it. Fuses are always on the positive current right? So, I figure I can connect it the way it's wired but I'm still scared I'll blow something.

reptilian

So, those are for a different set of brakes? There is already volt meter and brake lever connection hooked up to each of those.

reptilian

ok, now the controller came with a 3 pin house shaped port and plug. They have "240v 10amp" on them. Would using those be ok, or do I need something else. I figure they would be fine, but I just thought I would ask before I try. I can't find anything any better and cant find any local help either lol

reptilian

Got my kit on and it's working like a charm! No problems at all except trying to find a proper plug :/
I took the tube and tire off the kit wheel. Using the ones from my original wheel. I also doubled the tape on the kit wheel with the tape off mine. Just gotta get that wheel trued and I'm good to go.
I am a little disappointed in the speed though. I can actually push it faster with pedaling. Then again, I have no idea how fast I am going either lol
It gets me going quick and takes hills down like nobody's business, which is really cool.
Got a lot of extra wire. I think I'm gonna snip um down a little so they aren't so obvious. Prolly get rid of most of the connectors too. Don't plan on disconnection most of um so they are not needed. I'll take a guess and say the whole bike now weighs about 75 pounds. I think that's pretty good compared to most ppl's, right? I'll post pictures and a vid link as soon as I get it all done.
Oh, also, I think I should have picked up a full suspension bike instead of a hardback

reptilian

Sweet! Actually, I took it for a real ride for the first time last night and discovered the setup is perfect! I still get plenty of exercise, and can keep a really fast speed. I don't think I would want a completely motor dependent vehicle. I'm very happy!

reptilian

I have one question, my tire is rated or 35-80psi. Which is better, higher or lower psi? I figured with all the extra weight I would risk blowing out my tube on bad bumps, so I pumped it to 60psi. Seems to be fine, but I wonder if I could put more into it.

forestsoul

Higher pressure will give you more efficiency and speed as less surface area is actually in contact with the ground, therefore there is less friction and resistance. However, if you are going over rougher terrain (gravel or rough asphalt) then I wouldn't put the tires at their highest level so your bike won't shake apart and your tires will be able to take a bit more abuse.

If you are only expecting to be on the road and expect minimal roughness, then I'd put them right to full pressure. You will feel more bumps at higher pressure as your ride will be 'stiffer', but you will get better performance out of your bike. I've heard of some people that actually overpressure their tires on their car to gain better gas mileage performance.. don't recommend though.

Hey karma, I have another question about the golden motor kit (you seem to be very well informed about that kit ). I am still awaiting mine but I'm getting everything ready to go. Have the battery box made up and I'm collecting the electrical components I need for the bike (switches, wires, etc)

I'm wondering about what circuit breaker protection there is standard with the kit and what extra breakers you might suggest. I'm going to run it at 36V to start and possibly bump it up to 48V when I become more informed and familiar with the kit. Any suggestions?

forestsoul

Here's my contraption so far, awaiting the kit.

forestsoul

Thanks. Not hiding the fact that it's an electric bike with that box

reptilian

That looks like it would be extremely uncomfortable to pedal or stand over. Don't your legs rub on it?

forestsoul

Actually, I took it for a test ride last night and also tried going up a few hills (standing up) and my legs don't rub. I'm 6' and I can stand over the bike without the box putting any pressure on my legs; just touching. It's a small frame with the seat not set at it's proper height in the picture, so it looks deceiving.

It's actually more comfortable than I thought, luckily. The box is 6 1/4 inches wide so it's not overly obtrusive, but of course it's not ideal. Someone shorter or who pedals with their knees closer together might have problems, but it's tailor made for me so it works.

Of course, it's not ideal, but the only other option was putting 40 lbs of batteries on the back rack and that wasn't going to happen. Hoping to get custom-sized LiFePo4 batteries in the future and I'll be slimming the box to fit those.

DarthSensate

Just finished installing by Ampedbikes.com kit (golden 500w brushless). Aside from the decrepit batteries I am sorting through to find ones that charge properly, I like the kit a lot. The shop owner was very responsive to pre and post sales questions. I received the kit on time.

A couple notes on the kit:
- My bike (circa-late 80s GT AllTerra) forks required cutting washers to fill the gap between the forks teeth and the hub motor's large washers (This was indicated in the included instruction sheet) I didn't want to grind the teeth of the fork. I also had to widen, with a rotary tool grinder, the bolt gap in the fork by about a millimeter to accommodate the bolt on the hub motor.
- The tube in the fully assembled tire, tube, wheel and motor required replacing as the fitting was not a presta or schrader. No idea what they call it in China.
- MANY of the spokes required tightening.
- also added a second layer of rubber stripping between the tube and rim per comments from other threads on sharp edges on the factory spoke nuts.
- Should this rig pay for itself in a couple months of gas savings, I will be replacing the bag with a good pannier saddle bag and hopefully a LiFePo4 pack.

arni0202

Hey Karma got a link for your page for the controllers?

reptilian

Hey, can anyone clue me in on the width of the stock rims. I can't find my calipers anywhere and don't want to order tires that are to small.

karma

heh internet at work, webpage is down all the servers are packed. im moving in the morning should be selling controllers in 3 weeks.

cheers

falconev

Alright, I'll pitch mine now ok ?
now that everyone else has promoted the other suppliers...
Amped says brushless are 30% more efficient..?
brushless are about 87% max. so brushed is 57% ? hmmm
2nd - what amp rating is the controller ? no mention of that small
little important detail...
$325 is the cheapest price i have ever seen. So it wins in that catagory.
But for those wanting a "ferrari vs a pinto"
look at falconev.com
yes price is higher, so all you walmarters dont freak out
Not everybody buys the cheapest things they can find
cheap clothes, cheap cars, cheap food, ...