motorbikemike45
Member
I have to scrap my newest e-bike because the rear suspension has begun to twist. There are two basic types of rear suspension, one has a U shaped lower arm with two articilated arms that act on a rocker to a spring(called a "shock"), the second type has a triangulated arm that pivots and acts directly on the shock in a straight line. My failed e-bike rear suspension was of the first type and is all alloy. I will no longer use such a rear suspended bike to motorize. The U shaped lower control arm made of alloy has little tortional rigidity and can twist slightly, this has become a permanent twist on my bike and will eventually fail catastrophically. A bad failure at the wrong time and place could spill you right in front of a cager at speed. Not a good thing at all. While a steel U lower control arm would be stronger than alloy, I feel the second type, with a triangulated control arm operating on a nearly straight line to compress the spring is a far stronger system. My old Genesis 2600 alloy bike was not strong enough to handle my 220 pounds, plus the weight of the bike, motor, battery, and the cargo I occationally carried on the rear rack. I am now swapping all the good e-bike gear to a new Schwinn Protocol 1.0 mountain bike with alloy center frame, but a steel triagulated rear suspension. I will also swap the road gears and premium aftermarket street tires and wheels onto the new bike. I love the smooth ride of a full suspension bike, but be careful of which rear suspension bike you choose. I expect the new ride to hold up much better than the old one did. My first e-bike, the one I call green bike, has held up very well for a very inexpensive full suspension bike. It has a triangulated steel rear supension arm. I'll post pix of the new Schwinn when it is completed.