I own a Sparta Pharos bought for a tiny price in The Netherlands with a dying NiCd battery which I replaced with A123 LiFe cells and a fancy new charger. I also used to ride a Curry conversion but its integrated motor controller blew up one day when I was cycling up my hill. I have also had test rides on a few newer Dutch electric bikes and the ubiquitous Kalkhoff Agattu. I put a few of my experiences and prejudices on a webpage which might interest you:
Electric Bicycles 2010
I would like to use the Sparta Pharos more because the bike seems remarkably robust and weather tolerant but I lived for more than a year in Singapore where there are rules for everything and the Pharos needed special registration which I never got round to doing. Also, I would like to integrate a charge balancer in the LiFe pack itself so there are fewer wires coming out of the pack. I wonder if anyone knows of a good BMS that I could solder in that does not automatically flatten the battery that it controls as it performs its balancing ?
Jeremy
Electric Bicycles 2010
I would like to use the Sparta Pharos more because the bike seems remarkably robust and weather tolerant but I lived for more than a year in Singapore where there are rules for everything and the Pharos needed special registration which I never got round to doing. Also, I would like to integrate a charge balancer in the LiFe pack itself so there are fewer wires coming out of the pack. I wonder if anyone knows of a good BMS that I could solder in that does not automatically flatten the battery that it controls as it performs its balancing ?
Jeremy
