250 motor repairs a month

Saracen

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 24, 2023
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It's more of a problem for UK because global warming never happened here. They can move the temperature sensors to whatever locations they want to give the impression of temperature rise, but that doesn't stop the rain from falling.

Once the rain starts to go past that outer seal, the damage will become increasingly catastrophic. The seal is in a very vulnerable place where it gets ground away by accumulated dirt. Your only sure way to a long life is not to use the bike in dirty and wet conditions. All crank-drive bikes suffer from this, though at least the Chinese have the common sense to stick the electronics in a separately sealed compartment.

The problem is that when you increase the amount of sealing on the crank, the drag on the pedals goes up.

Worst case was the Bosch gen2 & 3 because it had two concentric shafts on the crank.
rofl Global warming means MORE rain
 
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saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
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Fine. In which case, it isn't legal for use on UK roads. The slowest I (or most people) can ride with a 20" bottom gear is 2.4 MPH (40 RPM), and 500 Kg up a 15.5% slope at that speed is c. 800 watts. The law states clearly that an EAPC motor must not be able to maintain more than 250 watts for 30 minutes. A bottom gear of 6" (to reduce it to 250 watts) would just be plain silly (as well as infeasible, because I couldn't get the parts), because I wouldn't be able to pedal at more than 6 MPH in top gear! This thread contains everything you need to know, including a link to EN 15194.


And, no, I could not fit an intermediate drive on my trike, because there is nowhere to put it.
You don't know how the law works. What you said is completely made up. Its ignorance, but you should at least check first, otherwise it makes you look like a twit. You can't make up your own rules. That motor system is 100% compliant and certified as such with EN15194, which is the present standard for EAPCs.
 

nmmelectric

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 15, 2024
19
8
Cambridge
Having never ridden a hub motored bike, and despite having a mid-drive, I'm all for the idea of hub drives. There seems to be less to go wrong in an hub motor. ...
Indeed. When I was a mere lad of 70, I was looking for a road-legal hub motor that would be geared for assistance at under 5 MPH, because my problem then was hills of above 15%. I failed to find one.

However, six years on and chemotherapy later, having lost 30% of my power, I am now looking for a road-legal torque-assist to make me feel as if I were 70 again :) I don't mind averaging under 5 MPH when touring in places like the West Country and Highlands, but it's not great where I live.

I find your story of your Bafang interesting and impressive - it is one of the best but, unfortunately, does not have torque assist.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,129
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I find your story of your Bafang interesting and impressive - it is one of the best but, unfortunately, does not have torque assist.
Do you mean torque sensored? Why the heck would you want a torque sensored motor system, if you're over 70 years old and wish to feel young again? It's harder work.
 

Peter.Bridge

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Apr 19, 2023
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Craiggor 2

Pedelecer
May 30, 2018
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That's the single motor that can still do what you want. Their 250w Cargotwinpower system can do 500kg up 15.5% all day. Personally, I'd use an ordinary large 250w 48v hub-motor mounted between your pedals and hub with a 2:1 reduction.
After seeing a stoke monkey on ES years ago, I thought that would be the best place for a Xiongda 2 -speed. No breakages on roll back. A quick search and I found one of your bikes but the link does not work for me. IMG_4942.jpeg
 

nmmelectric

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 15, 2024
19
8
Cambridge
Do you mean torque sensored? Why the heck would you want a torque sensored motor system, if you're over 70 years old and wish to feel young again? It's harder work.
Because I want the cycle to respond to my effort, not just to go faster. I am not worried about working hard - just that 'hard' for me is now much less than it used to be.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,204
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Telford
Indeed. When I was a mere lad of 70, I was looking for a road-legal hub motor that would be geared for assistance at under 5 MPH, because my problem then was hills of above 15%. I failed to find one.
They were sitting right in front of you. You can take any 48v 20 mph geared hubmotor and run it with 24v with which it'll run efficiently enough at 4-5 mph. Or you could have got a Xiongda 2-speed hub-motor that will run all day climbing steep hills at 5 mph and still give a good turn of speed in it's high gear. The 48v one is like a winch. These motors are made specifically for applications like you wanted, and they do it very well.
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
1,784
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Do you mean torque sensored? Why the heck would you want a torque sensored motor system, if you're over 70 years old and wish to feel young again? It's harder work.
From the first time I rode one, I was impressed with the quality of the response far more than the mere fact of being assisted! And that is still the case 27,000km on.

It really is like having upgraded legs, and the various assistance levels allow me to choose between several sets of them, moment by moment.

I'm sure I will play with a hub motor or a cadence sensored mid-drive some day, but I can't imagine long journeys on such a thing. The connection with the fine detail of the wind and weather would be gone.
 

saneagle

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 10, 2010
6,204
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Telford
From the first time I rode one, I was impressed with the quality of the response far more than the mere fact of being assisted! And that is still the case 27,000km on.

It really is like having upgraded legs, and the various assistance levels allow me to choose between several sets of them, moment by moment.

I'm sure I will play with a hub motor or a cadence sensored mid-drive some day, but I can't imagine long journeys on such a thing. The connection with the fine detail of the wind and weather would be gone.
When you try your first KT controller, you're going to kick yourself pretty hard.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,129
3,159
Do you mean torque sensored? Why the heck would you want a torque sensored motor system, if you're over 70 years old and wish to feel young again? It's harder work.
Who said anything about going fast? Displays have 5 or 9 levels, and the assistance levels of each can be programmed using a programming cable. If you want to engage in High Intensity Interval Training, select a low level and cycle like mad for 20 seconds... then have a nice rest ghost pedalling at high assistance until... if that kinky deviant exercise stuff floats your boat, you fancy doing it again.
 

guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,129
3,159
From the first time I rode one, I was impressed with the quality of the response far more than the mere fact of being assisted! And that is still the case 27,000km on.

It really is like having upgraded legs, and the various assistance levels allow me to choose between several sets of them, moment by moment.
Sounds like you've got a nice expensive posh one. I don't know if @nmmelectric has mentioned a budget yet.
 

nmmelectric

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 15, 2024
19
8
Cambridge
From the first time I rode one, I was impressed with the quality of the response far more than the mere fact of being assisted! And that is still the case 27,000km on.

It really is like having upgraded legs, and the various assistance levels allow me to choose between several sets of them, moment by moment.
That was exactly my reaction when I tried one.
 
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matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
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Sounds like you've got a nice expensive posh one. I don't know if the OP has mentioned a budget yet.
Not really - this 3 year old bike had RRP of £2700 back then, but better motor and larger battery are now normal on bikes from not much above £2K.

We're not in the Maclaren sphere!
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
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guerney

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 7, 2021
11,129
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Not really - this 3 year old bike had RRP of £2700 back then, but better motor and larger battery are now normal on bikes from not much above £2K.

We're not in the Maclaren sphere!
At £909, my 20" wheeled Bafang"250W" 36V BBS01B 19.2Ah Dahon 2006 Helios folding bike conversion is much further away from the rarified unbreathable air of Maclarenspace.
 
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nmmelectric

Finding my (electric) wheels
Jun 15, 2024
19
8
Cambridge
Not really - this 3 year old bike had RRP of £2700 back then, but better motor and larger battery are now normal on bikes from not much above £2K.

We're not in the Maclaren sphere!
I am (but that's because it is my name) :)

My trike would cost 8K to replace (I paid 6.5K in 2016), but good recumbent trikes are speciality items and expensive. My first investigations into this area were c. 2015 for my traditional roadster, and it would have made an impressive ride-everywhere E-bike! Unfortunately, my balance degraded too badly, so I had to give it up.

A new STEPS trike from ICE would cost 10K. It's a lot of money, especially as I don't know how long I would use it for. Appropriate kits would cost between 1K (TSDZ2B) and 2K (CYC Photon).
 

matthewslack

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 26, 2021
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I am (but that's because it is my name) :)

My trike would cost 8K to replace (I paid 6.5K in 2016), but good recumbent trikes are speciality items and expensive. My first investigations into this area were c. 2015 for my traditional roadster, and it would have made an impressive ride-everywhere E-bike! Unfortunately, my balance degraded too badly, so I had to give it up.

A new STEPS trike from ICE would cost 10K. It's a lot of money, especially as I don't know how long I would use it for. Appropriate kits would cost between 1K (TSDZ2B) and 2K (CYC Photon).
The Scorpion trike in my signature text still awaits my finding time to complete: not retired, and addicted to seeing how many km is too much for my Ridgeback!

It came to me as third owner, 8 years old but looking unused, for somewhat under £2K.

I have built a rather agricultural replacement boom, for a Shimano motor, but the same technique allows any desired motor to be fitted.

I may make progress now I am back from my early summer tour!
 

Nealh

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 7, 2014
20,771
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West Sx RH
One can use any 250w hub to get 2kw out of it , it will mean over volting and higher current of 35/40a but the important bit is modiffing it for cooling . It appears expensive but ferro fluid seems to be just the job.
As I have mentioned before over 2k from a Bafang swxk 250w hub with ferro fluid driving a tadpole trike, the thread is buried some where on the pedelec .de forum .
 
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