brompton - electric or not

[Miles]

As you see I still feel a strong temptation to buy this bike... may be sparing some money with the power tool battery (to use the assistance just for hills) and a second hand Brompton... By the way, if I find one on eBay, is there anything special I should pay attention to? (Beside of feedback and the usual things, I mean).

When the design of the main frame hinge was changed (3 years ago?), the frame was lengthened by 30mm - the handling now feels better, to me. So, better to get the new version. You can tell by looking at the hinge - the newer one is cast from malleable Iron, the old one is steel plate.

 

[Leonardo]

Thank you very much Miles: very useful tip!

(Please, I don't want to be OT... does anybody know a Brompton forum?)

 

[flecc]

I don't know of a Brompton Forum Leonardo, but the link below gives several links to Brompton in other countries, plus a useful Brompton FAQ link well down in the list.

A to B magazine have been sarcastically called "The Brompton Owners Club" because of their enthusiastic support for that make.

The Folding Society
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[Miles]

... does anybody know a Brompton forum?)

BromptonTalk : Brompton bicycle discussion group

 

[coops]

Hi Leonardo

I don't understand which kind of motor problem he had exactly... did it break on bumps?

I read Will's recap (thanks for the link ) and the nature of the motor problem he had is not clearly stated, nor exactly what caused it.

He said the problem may have arisen from "prototype features" (maybe these prevented easy front wheel removal?), or a crash he had.

As you see I still feel a strong temptation to buy this bike...

Yes, I see! Its a nice concept, so I can't disagree with your idea .
Sorry, I don't know of a Brompton forum Leonardo, and that's not at all off topic, definitely not by pedelecs standards .

Stuart.

 

[flecc]

The Nano motor problems I've heard of Leonardo, have been with the roller drive. It might have the advantage of silence, but I'm not surprised that this arrangement can cause trouble.

I think choosing that method may have resulted from the use of a sensorless controller. As A to B noted, there's a distinct jolt as the system starts up, and if the hub used nylon gears like so many others, there could be tooth breakage resulting over time.

That's just an opinion, but I've seen many times how a poor choice at an early design stage leads to other problems further on as the problems from that choice need to be dealt with.
.

 

[apshamlton]

I have been using a Brompton with a Tonxgin motor with my own battery solution almost every day for 18 months now and can report that the motor is completely reliable.

I was so happy with my electric Brompton that I decided to improve and commercialise it.

The result is the Brompton E-Freedom. Freedom E-Bikes - Home

It uses the 80mm version of the tonxgin (Nano) motor combined with the latest nano-technology lithium batteries and some other design improvements to create what I believe is the world's lightest serious ebike kit. It has great low end torque and is only 3.2kg (7lbs) including battery.

I can testify that the battery is good for hilly city commutes up to 15km. The battery system is modular so extra batteries can be added for extra range if needed.

It also fits on the Brompton without the need for new forks.

 

[flecc]

Experiences in full size applications have brought very variable reliability. One member alone went through five motors in succession, another had several controller failures, while others have had complete reliability. It seems these later units and controllers have been much better.

The Tongxin Nano motor has certainly been at it's best in small wheel bikes like the Brompton for which it's ideal, and has also been the most reliable in that application.

It's good to have another supplier of these kits now since the existing main supplier has been extremely unreliable with regard to communications and delivery times and there's a very real demand for this product.
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