e-assist motor
 

Has anyone installed one of these and what is your experience? I'm not interested in turning my trike into a go-cart but get on top of a bigger gear at a higher cadence. Like riding with a strong tail wind or riding in a fast pack-heart rate increases and leg muscle strain decreases and you go a lot faster. I think the key to this is a good torque sensor system and that is an issue. Bionx is in bankruptcy and may not survive. Falco looks like a good system but it takes months to get the product, after they charge your credit card, and with this poor business practice may follow Bionx. I don't think you can buy the Shamino Steps off the shelf. The Golden Motors Edge and other systems that require a bottom bracket torque sensor have a problem now that the Thun torque sensor is no longer available and the other BB torque sensors may not function properly with a recumbent bottom bracket location. Hopefully someone will modify a torque sensor bottom bracket to work properly with a recumbent-may require a CA V3 firmware update to do so. So my research doesn't look good for the present as to a quality torque sensor system. But I'm interested in any experience you may have had.

I think you will get better answers in the electric bike forum:
https://www.bikeforums.net/electric-bikes/

Four years ago, after many years of research, we installed a Bionx system on our recumbent tandem. At first, we just ran into obstacles that we weighed, and when the company came out with a wider hub than 135 mm, we decided to give it a go. The drawbacks are there, of course. The system adds 16 lbs to the total weight of the tandem. We lost our Arai drum brake which we needed to scrub speed on downhills. While the regeneration mode gives you some braking, I believe it is not adequate and so now heavily rely on the rim brakes, front and rear. It is necessary to "feather" the brakes on and off as too much friction on the rim can blow a tire from over-heating. On the positive side, we love the set up and we are riding our tandem more than before since going electric. The system has worked flawlessly, we are still getting 70 km on a single charge using levels 1 and 2 and that's a heavy team (bike + two riders = 430 lbs.) The battery takes about 4-5 hours to fully charge even after many, many charging cycles. Bottom line is we're both happy and we'd do it again, although we're sorry to learn the company may fold. Mike

We may learn this month whether Bionx has been bought out and "rising from the ashes" or is toast. It is expensive but probably my best option if they go back into business.

I put a bafang BBS02 on my trike for my long trip. I am in the process of building up another trike for a similar trip. Because I will be going up over the rockies I will still be using a mid drive, which allows the motor to go through the gears. I am looking at a cyclone; but I really don't need that much power and will probably go with a bafang again.

Robert I have a Catrike which is made of Al. and Catrike doesn't recommend using a mid-drive system. Although Utah Trikes sells and installs them on Cats.

After all is said and done, a recumbent is still 90% of a bicycle (and vice versa). What will work for one will work for the other. Of course there are exceptions. Still, I would not think without trying it, that a bottom bracket sensor system ... any bottom bracket torque sensing system would not work in a recumbent orientation. Mid-drive (crank drive) systems are a bit different, but I do see that successful crank drive systems have been fitted to recumbent bikes and trikes. All that said ... I don't know ... the Copenhagen Wheel just looks better and better and better to me every time I think about an e-assist.

I concur about the CW. I just had a "chat" with Erin at CW about range of battery. He stated the 30 mile range was based on the Standard mode. I would use the Eco so maybe the range for my purpose is sufficient. Catrike's only recommends the Binox (now deceased) and the CW. In the chat I encouraged CW to consider developing an external battery that could be piggy backed with the Wheel to extend the range. I wouldn't think this would be difficult to do and would greatly add to the usefulness of the Wheel=significantly increased sales. Catrike could develop a battery mount for the external battery or design it to use with the Terrycycle mount.

Hi
I have a Catrike Trail and am thinking about getting a Falco electric system, since I can't find a Bionx system for a 20" wheel anywhere. Does any one have any experience with a Falco. E5.1 system.

I will check it out, thanks