Electric Bike Project - Need Opinion

that was super informative ... and the sidenote was a nice bonus ... would you pick up a bargain BL36 from another seller or from ebay ? Or do you believe the innards of these things vary wildly in terms of specs and quality so where you get them is that important ? with my 2 strokes - I suppose there were differences in what I got but the differences were not night and day (but the savings was) ... I am not so sure if it's the same with electrics ? Also - since this is my first electric build - I was thinking of a simpler fork install - if I am reading your note correctly, I can get a BL36 and jusice it up with 48V using the controller they give me meant for 36V without too much worry ? And it should perform close to a 49cc motor ? I know "earth shattering" performance is not going to be cheap but if it'll run with my cheapo 50cc 2 stroke in terms of power and distance yet be nearly invisible to all but other motorized bike enthusiasts - this is nearly a dream situation ... I'm looking for power to equal (or get close to) my 50cc and and last at least long enough to get to and from my office on one charge ... I was wondering if it can be done and at what cost ?
 
hi meer123,

check out daxs message in the vendor area he has a complete system for under $300 delivered, just ordered one today, for that price these are a steal, brushless, batteries (lead) included etc..

I just installed a motor on my wifes trike if you look in the pics area you will find it under ez3x electrified. It is a mid mount system powering the chain so i was still able to keep my rear gear set on there. Havnt had much time to run around on it so i dont know the full potential or limitations yet, but it sure is fun to ride....

one of the biggest costs with the electric system is the batteries but as the technolgy increases i think any kit could be upgraded when the prices become more reasonably.
 
vegaspaddy is right, the money is in the batteries, it's like paying for gas in advance in a way lol..

But. not all SLA batteries are the same. some are better than others.. B&B for example are good.. and depending on how old and how well maintained the bricks in your kit happen to be.. they can be junk right out of the box.

if you can find a bargain on a brushless kit on , without batteries, get it !.. then get the 12v sla's at a local battery house . typically they run 30 to 50 $ per brick, but good deals can be found if you know what to look for ..

SLA's need to be kept fully charged at all times.. if you ride to work you need to bring your charger with you and plug them in. otherwise. leaving them partially drained will ruin them in quick order.. you can get 300 cycles out of lead, but only if you don't drain them flat on every cycle and keep them full charge.. otherwise don't be surprised to see them die within one season.

Electric don't really wear out.. they either work.. or don't. Heat is the enemy, if you mount the controller so that it gets good air flow, and seal it with silicone so no water gets in.. it should last a lifetime or 2 .

I have well over 4000 kms on my Chaos's 406/409, mard kms too .. and it's as good as the day i got it.
 
Oh. and about the " DAX " kit.. I'm pretty sure it's a re-branded hub motor, i'm not aware of any dax factories pumping out motors and i've covered pretty much all the brands over the last 4 years.. Golden-Motor , Crystalyte , WE ( who used clyte motors at one point .. we buys in bulk from various factories ) .. GL .. eZee .. cyclone.. BMC.. Currie .. and all a few dozen more.. but no DAX to my knowledge.

Charger is also as important as the battery.. i've seen crappy chargers in my day.. and if you find a kit with a Soneil charger .. get it !
 
Where have you been all my life, Ypedal?

I love your projects, man. Seems like most people want a 20" rear brushless wheel like you have on your Chaos. It's also neat that you split the batteries up. Do you think that a battery pack could be made yourself from regular D batteries?? Seems like that could help out the high battery costs a bit.

Also, how did you like the goldenmotor stuff? They appear to have high quality stuff, but for a good chunk of change.
 
The 20" wheel is like using a longer pry bar on a stubborn bolt.

2 things,

1-By using a smaller wheel, you loose top speed. But, by using higher voltage packs you make the motor spin faster.. more Volts x Amps = More watts to the road.

2- Smaller diameter wheels have more leverage, less distance between axle and rim. When you crank the throttle, you get up to cruising speed quicker, and it will take a steeper hill to make the motor stall.

16" rims would be even better, but your cranks start to hit the ground lol..

All batteries are not the same, the D cells you find at batteryspace.com or tenergy brand are not made for high " C " rates. they can be made to work, but get a ready made pack unless you really understand the pros and cons.

Better yet.. Lithium !
 
1-By using a smaller wheel, you loose top speed. But, by using higher voltage packs you make the motor spin faster.. more Volts x Amps = More watts to the road.
But.. more watts = less range. My voltage range would definitely be between 24V & 36V. Heck, I'd almost consider larger wheels for greater range, too... but I wouldn't even juice it until I'm pedaling as fast as I can.

All batteries are not the same, the D cells you find at batteryspace.com or tenergy brand are not made for high " C " rates. they can be made to work, but get a ready made pack unless you really understand the pros and cons.

Better yet.. Lithium !
Yup... even still, once you wire the enough batteries for the right voltage & at least 20+Ah, the price isn't that much better (if any) from buying a battery from your Ebike dealer.
 
The efficiency difference is negligable if you consider the user and his throttle hand ! hehe..

But .. smaller wheels can be more efficient than larger diameter wheels, you get up to cruising speed quicker, less time spent accelerating means less time wasting power.

Some people say that larger diameter wheels offer less rolling resistance.. but i find it's more of a riding experience thing.. hit a pot hole with a 700C wheel and then hit the same hole with a 16".. the 700C will roll thru smoother lol.

Testing efficiency using wh/km ( Watt Hour per Km ) .. i found very little difference when all other things are equal.

If you slap a 406 in a 26" rim at 72v, your efficiency will suck below 25 mph lol..

Regarding the D cells.. Unless you happen to stumble on a bargain, i suggest a pre-made pack from ebikes.ca, can't recommend these guys enough, top class and they support what they sell !

Oh.. about the golden motor.. i have not personally tested the motors.. but i have one of their controllers.. rough to say the least, at partial throttle it kicks in and out abruptly, but they are priced right at times. Golden motor has a forum, i'll try to dig it up..
 
But .. smaller wheels can be more efficient than larger diameter wheels, you get up to cruising speed quicker, less time spent accelerating means less time wasting power.
With gas motors, I pedal-assist from dead stops. With an Ebike, I'd always be concerned about range, so I'd never give it juice until I've pedaled as fast as I can from a dead stop; it'd be one or the other, never both at once.

Some people say that larger diameter wheels offer less rolling resistance.. but i find it's more of a riding experience thing.. hit a pot hole with a 700C wheel and then hit the same hole with a 16".. the 700C will roll thru smoother lol.
It does offer less rolling resistance due to the greater momentum. And it is smoother because with a smaller wheel, you're climbing up the side of a pothole, while a larger wheel has a smaller angle to just roll over it.

If you slap a 406 in a 26" rim at 72v, your efficiency will suck below 25 mph lol..
Really?? Seems hard to believe from what I already know & what you said above about smaller wheels losing top speed. What do you get with 20" & 72V?
 
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