Cautioned in Adelaide South Australia

[AussieJester]

Yeah, mine is an LiFePo4, same as yours by the sound of it.

Actually nope...Lifep04 while an excellent choice and one i would recommend to 99% of people differ greatly from what I use. Lifepo4 is a Lithium-Iron-Phosphate battery the Lipo i use is Lithium polymer chemistry. Lipo have the highest energy v's weight density of any battery by far, i can pull 25c from my packs till the cows come home and they wont be phased by it (thats over 200amp constant) your Lifepo4 would max at 2-3c? (40amp ish) Disadvantage of Lipo though are their volatile nature, they explode if charged incorrectly and are destroyed if taken below LVC (low voltage cuttoff) Lifepo4 is the best solution atm IMO for e-bikes ...the more 'extreme' use the Lipo by far the very smaller majority....There is a new A123 pouch cell out i have heard whispers about i might be getting a 'freebie' from an English chap setting up e-bike business in China in the coming weeks, he has secured some sample packs...by all accounts they are equal to the currrent Lipos batteries, hes currently testing them to see if the manufactures claims are true. .

KiM

 

[professor]

Steve- the fork lock is a great idea!
How do you make it bolt cutter proof?

Kim- how in the world are you going to explain the speed you will be going? Surely it will be noticed.

 

[AussieJester]

Kim- how in the world are you going to explain the speed you will be going? Surely it will be noticed.

You would think so wouldn't you LoL...Just because the bike CAN do the speed doesn't mean i will be tearing about all the time like a madman, I need the torque for the hills, i live in a VERY hilly area of Perth W.A flat roads up here are a rarity not the norm...

KiM

 

[AussieSteve]

the Lipo i use is Lithium polymer chemistry. Lipo have the highest energy v's weight density of any battery by far,
KiM

Right, my toy helicopters use Lithium Polymers. Not sure of their capacity, but the output vs weight is surprising. I'm used to old lead-acid and Ni-Cd cells. Even Ni-MH impress me.
I'd heard that they're a bit volatile and can catch fire, as you say, so I'll stick to LiFePo4.

Steve- the fork lock is a great idea!
How do you make it bolt cutter proof?

No idea. Just tossing ideas around. On a car ignition, the bracket is, or used to be, a two piece type, around the steering column. The bolts were inaccessible.
Maybe something like this, attached to the headstem so that the pin can locate in a small hole to stop the forks from turning:-

... Steve

 

[JonB2]

All states to ban gas engines?

Hi, sorry re last post. Not as clear as I should have been. Powered Pushbikes Tas used to sell Sachs but now don't.

In a phone call last week they told me that some states (QLD?) had banned them due to the bigger chinese engine set-ups getting around. And that other states were going to follow this ban. They also said that:

"It is the end of an era".

http://www.rotarybike.com/ sell sachs copies (German bearings, taiwan casing and japanese carby) for about $1600. It comes with a compliance sticker (<200w) but when the regulations change it will still be illegal.

 

[AussieSteve]

Hi, sorry re last post. Not as clear as I should have been. Powered Pushbikes Tas used to sell Sachs but now don't.

In a phone call last week they told me that some states (QLD?) had banned them due to the bigger chinese engine set-ups getting around. And that other states were going to follow this ban. They also said that:

"It is the end of an era".

http://www.rotarybike.com/ sell sachs copies (German bearings, taiwan casing and japanese carby) for about $1600. It comes with a compliance sticker (<200w) but when the regulations change it will still be illegal.

$1600 for a Sachs copy, wow. Rock Solid Engines has a certified 200W HT for much less.

when the regulations change

Don't hold your breath. If the regulations change, it probably won't happen immediately.
Who's to say what will be illegal if/when the rules change.
It's also not likely to happen for at least the lifetime of one HT engine, so ignore the threat of change until it happens. Get out there and enjoy the things. Too much worry will turn your hair grey.

... Steve