Noobie asks "Is this a good electric hub kit?"

[Wayneburg]

Hi, I was doing a search for an electric hub motor kit and came across this one:

http://www.batteryspace.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=2039

I'm new to the idea of motorized bicycles so I don't know if this is a good deal. I don't know anything about the company that is selling it either. Anyone have any advice?

 

[vegaspaddy]

hi,
sorry to see no one has replied to your question, it all depends on what you want to use it for, there is plenty of power there with the 600 volt motor, from what i can see it does not have any batteries supplied, which cheapest case three 12 volt slas are going to be around $75 range.

Also it has brushed hub motor, brushless would be better or so i understand, if you read around the various q@a you will find plenty of info to help you make your choice. If you have the money and this is your first leap i would say yea go for it, but dont expect too much!!!, you get what what you pay for, and that is so true with these electric rigs...

 

[ozzyu812]

Personally, I'm not a fan of the hub motor design. What if you get in a wreck, what is the most vulnerable part of the bike? The hub!

Go brushless if you can afford it. The brushes create drag. But the power seems good.

I have an E-zip but long for a Cyclone!

 

[SimpleSimon]

Not a bad price at all. Yes, brushes create drag, but in most cases that's not a really significant factor. My biggest problem with electrics is that they have such short range/high weight, given current battery technology.

Several companies sell small portable generators (some quite cheaply: sweet deal}
which, if stripped of the case and and streamlined, could quite readily provide more than sufficient power to meet the hub wheels demand. Set it up with a small battery case to serve as power sink/supply for peak demand, and happily motor along. The best part is, it's a loophole in the various laws regarding e-bikes vs gas powered bikes - the power source for moving the bike is a legal elecctric motor, while the electricity comes primarily from an onboard generator.

 

[ozzyu812]

Simon - Have you actually done this or know of members that has? It seems like a good idea in theory, I'm just wondering if anyone has actually done it. I've been considering this for a while.

 

[SimpleSimon]

Simon - Have you actually done this or know of members that has? It seems like a good idea in theory, I'm just wondering if anyone has actually done it. I've been considering this for a while.

No, in all honesty, I have not. I've been concentrating on copmpleting my trike design, and beginning fabrication of that. In part, the design process there has been lengthened by trying to make a decision as regards eventually powering the trike, so I've compromised. There will be sufficient room in the independently suspended rear wheel subframe for a small gas engine, and the front T-frame will be set up with the idea in mind of perhaps eventually installing two 350-400 watt hubmotor wheels (with sufficient room in the steering gear triangle for a small generator such as the one I linked). The electronics is elementary stuff.Most portable min-generators have a dedicated 12 volt output built in, as well as one or more 120V outlets.

My biggest issue is monetary - I'm 100% disabled, and on a pretty low, fixed income, so I have to take projects one at a time, as I can free up resources for them.