8Fun Bottle battery Kit

[KirstinS]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience of this kit (not the just the relaiblility/quality of the QSWSK motor as I know plenty has been written and many have it)

8F28F36B | 28"/700C Electric Bike Conversion Kit | 36V 250W Motor, 36V Li-ion Water Bottle Type Battery with Panasonic cells

I know it can be bought more cheaply from China but I'd rather the peace of mind and go UK

Its for my wife as a entry level system - she already has a very nice 700c bike to fit it to. If she doesnt like it then it will go to my son or be sold on.

I suppose what I'm looking for is that real world experience. Someone may know from bitter experience - make sure you order extra pedeal sensor or you need 180mm rotors as 160mm don't work well. Or the bracket for the bottle battery is absolute rubbish. Or something.....

For referrence the bike is On One Pompetamine (cross bar, she doesnt like "silly girly" step throughs!) with shimano hyraulic discs (180mm rotors) and Afline 8 hub


thanks very much
Kirstin

 

[eddieo]

There are at least 2 long threads regarding fitting these kits..they look good value. try the search function?

 

[KirstinS]

I thought there was Eddieo but I just cant find the damn things. Will keep trying.

Incidently I rather hate the search funtionality on this site - its most unfriendly

 

[paulhipwood]

Dear Kirstin

I fitted one a few months ago on my 26" Thorn. I have posted some photos on an earlier post.
I have done over 800 miles with no problems.
I am commuting 26 miles per day and have done detours to knock that up to 40 miles without running battery flat.

I do not use the thumb throttle - think you can lose control too easily.
I do use the Pedelec - but had to make some modes to get it to fit.
Only use one switched brake lever. I think this is essential when you are manouvering in traffic.
I have XTR brakes and would like to put a switch in one of these. On day!!!
Did run with a Rohloff hub, but have found another use for that. So Have now got an Alfine 11 hub.

It does make a heavy bike very heavy.
I have spent about 8 weeks working abroad over the last few months,so the mileage is not as high as I would like.
When I do use it I can now commute every day and do not need rest days.

All in all one of the best additions I have added to my bike.
I have got another frame for the Rohloff and will convert that.
My wife will then have the original.

Hope this helps
Paul

 

[paulhipwood]

Look at my posts from my profile.

 

[eddieo]

I thought there was Eddieo but I just cant find the damn things. Will keep trying.

Incidently I rather hate the search funtionality on this site - its most unfriendly

the search function is very poor but I put in "8Fun kit" and loads of threads came up and you have to go through pages of them to find the ones you want I'm afraid

Here is Pauls:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11160-thorn-raven-now-converted.html

and here is one with link to build

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/10489-8fun-kit-performance.html


lots more posts where people say they have received kit but post no more......Very mysterious. Either away riding into the sun! or sitting dejectedly in garage surrounded by bits (that would be me)

 

[KirstinS]

Look at my posts from my profile.

Excellent - thanks Paul , just found your post with the pictures of your Thorn and think I'll similar issues - parciluarly need to move the gear shifts from right to left and also modify the pedelec sensor. The motor looks smaller than I expected (and I'm putting in a 700c) and ther battery bigger (maybe a tight fit in my triangle as its a smallish frame)

Can I please ask what the two black squares are in your picture ? There is one in the triangle near the seatpost and another on the rear of seatpost itself. I assume one is the controller....but the other ?

many thanks for your help here

 

[paulhipwood]

Dear Kirtin

Controller is on the seat tube.
Rear light Battery bag is on the cross bar
Rear light is on the seat post.

Is that clear?

paul

 

[KirstinS]

the search function is very poor but I put in "8Fun kit" and loads of threads came up and you have to go through pages of them to find the ones you want I'm afraid

Here is Pauls:

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11160-thorn-raven-now-converted.html

and here is one with link to build

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/10489-8fun-kit-performance.html


lots more posts where people say they have received kit but post no more......Very mysterious. Either away riding into the sun! or sitting dejectedly in garage surrounded by bits (that would be me)

Thanks very much to you Eddieo for your capable searching !

And yes - I'd noted the many purhcases but struggled to find anything further. Suspect your analysis is correct !

 

[eddieo]

Upside being a few have installed it and seem happy.....

 

[Ajax]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience of this kit (not the just the relaiblility/quality of the QSWSK motor as I know plenty has been written and many have it)

8F28F36B | 28"/700C Electric Bike Conversion Kit | 36V 250W Motor, 36V Li-ion Water Bottle Type Battery with Panasonic cells

At that price for the kit, it makes you wonder what the battery on its own would cost.
I couldn't find this on the site.

 

[GaRRy]

Try clicking on advanced search to allow you to narrow the search down.

This forum is run on Vbulletin along with most other forums out there so need to learn to use search engine as you will come across it in loads of places.

 

[flecc]

It's still a lousy search engine even in the advanced mode though.

 

[chain]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience of this kit (not the just the relaiblility/quality of the QSWSK motor as I know plenty has been written and many have it)

8F28F36B | 28"/700C Electric Bike Conversion Kit | 36V 250W Motor, 36V Li-ion Water Bottle Type Battery with Panasonic cells

Kirstin

Photo essay of installation of the Bafang 8-FUN kit: Building an electric bike 1: ELECTRIC MOTOR CHOICES FOR PEDELECS by Andre Jute

Discussion on this forum: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11792-photo-essay-building-electric-bicycle-8fun-bafang-kit.html

Note my comments about the length of the cables v. the most logical place to mount the controller for a front drive kit. I use hydraulic rim brakes, so I have no experience of fitting discs, but I imagine your callipers would have to be unimaginably thin to make this kit work with 160mm discs; see the photo on the red background of the 3mm clearance even with straight forks.

Andre Jute

 

[chain]

Hi all,

Does anyone have any experience of this kit (not the just the relaiblility/quality of the QSWSK motor as I know plenty has been written and many have it)

8F28F36B | 28"/700C Electric Bike Conversion Kit | 36V 250W Motor, 36V Li-ion Water Bottle Type Battery with Panasonic cells

Kirstin

Photo essay of installation of the Bafang 8-FUN kit: Building an electric bike 1: ELECTRIC MOTOR CHOICES FOR PEDELECS by Andre Jute

Discussion on this forum: http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11792-photo-essay-building-electric-bicycle-8fun-bafang-kit.html

Note my comments about the length of the cables v. the most logical place to mount the controller for a front drive kit. I use hydraulic rim brakes, so I have no experience of fitting discs, but I imagine your callipers would have to be unimaginably thin to make this kit work with 160mm discs; see the photo on the red background of the 3mm clearance even with straight forks.

Andre Jute

 

[KirstinS]

Andre - thank you this is hugely useful for me

Not sure how the brakes are going to work out. Guess I'll just have to bite bullet and see (maybe 180 rotors that I have will make it easier fit than the 160 ones)

So did you just not bother with any kind of brake cut-off at all ? And has this caused you any scary moments or been fine ?

Did you ever tidy up your cables/controller ? I'm thinking some sort of small triangle bag could cover take the controller (I'm personally not keen on putting a bag on the handlbars)

Well, my decision is made. Chap coming to buy my trusty and beloved Brompton on Thursday and I'll then put my order in with the proceeds

 

[chain]

My reply seems to have been lost.

I have no experience of disc brakes with this kit, as I prefer the Magure rim hydraulics on my everyday bikes. Bionx has a brake cutout unit for hydraulic brakes that one can buy as a spare part. I don't use any because I don't use the pedelec fittings, only the thumb throttle, which has a spring return, and is mounted so that I must let it go before I can apply the front brake. The brake cutout is required only with the pedelec, which has no other control than the off-switch.

I tidied the controller box and extra wire length away into a repurposed leather wash bag on the front handlebar. The controller is tiny, so there's lots of space left for other stuff. It'll fit easily into a triangle bag.

Here's a photo of my pedal pal at the turning point of one of our rides to permit you to get your bearings; you can just see my bike's handlebar at the right side.
htttp://www.coolmainpress.com/public_html/miscimage/pedelec/kilmacsimonquay14july2012.jpg

Here's the wiring after it comes off the head tube and is angling across to disappear into the framed washbag on the handlebars ; the controller box is inside.
http://www.coolmainpress.com/miscimage/pedelec/tidying_up_the_pedelec_wires.jpg

Once you mount the controller up the front of the bike, and presuming you bought the bottle battery kit for the most beneficial weight distribution, it isn't too difficult to wire the lot neatly. I made the main trunk of the wiring up the fork, with the lamp wiring joining in at the crown, then up the head tube, then across to the bag with the controls' wiring running under the handlebars until it joins the main trunk and thence into the bag. Apologies for not having photos of all this but the bike is at the beach and I'm in town.

Andre Jute

 

[jackhandy]

At that price for the kit, it makes you wonder what the battery on its own would cost.
I couldn't find this on the site.

'Morning Ajax,
8fun UK quoted me 260.00

Pete

 

[crotchrocket]

I too installed the 8Fun kit, and so far everything is working great! I have not installed the brake lever switches, as my gears and brakes share the same lever but i get on fine without it, i just switch to thumb throttle when i know I'm going to be wanting to brake and go through traffic etc. There is a link here

http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/electric-bicycles/11370-8fun-kit-installed-hardrock.html

Cheers,

James

 

[jerrysimon]

James as I said at the time, you did a lovely job and its really in keeping with the original bike design.

Regards

Jerry