Ciclotek "Road legal" Platinum Sine Wave rear motor kit first impressions

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
First impressions of the kit after just over a week on the bike.

I have just managed to empty the battery completely for the first time (I had to charge before it was empty the first time around because I had a trip to make). This is the Samsung cell 10.4 A bottle battery. I got about 75km (the day trip distance had been reset) from this charge. From what I understand I should get a wee bit more once the battery is "conditioned". That distance is OK - more would be nice as my bike is a means of transport not a toy, 80 km will be enough for current needs.

The kit arrived in a timely manner and was well boxed. No surprises inside except for a brake lever which has a stripped screw (during factory install) holding the cache plate down. I tried taking it off to see if I could cannibalise it and use the switch in my current brake levers.

It was well priced for the time - since I bought it the dollar/euro conversion rate has driven the price higher. The Oxydrive kit is now a much better deal - my only quibble is that the Bafang motor is about a kilo heavier.

What I don't like now that I have mounted it and used it for over 150 km:

1. the wheel is not correctly dished and the very thick spokes only have a single cross pattern. The dishing is only an issue if the motor breaks down or the battery runs flat and I have to use granny gear to ride home. The four top gears which I use all of the time are correctly aligned. I really prefer a 2 cross lacing.

2. the battery bottle rattles in the holder, it is the noisiest part of the bike...

3. a "tool free" PAS system would have made my (and other kit buyers) life a whole lot easier

4. a battery holder with the sine wave controller inside would make for an easier, cleaner, more secure install. There are wires all over the place and you know that some stupid jerk is just going to have to look into the silly under saddle bag supplied with the kit to hold the controller to see if there is nothing worth stealing in there.

These last two items shouldn't add much to the cost of the kit and on the other hand would make it more attractive.

5. all the mounting instructions are online (in a heady mix of Spanglish and Chinglish). I am a confirmed DIYer so it wasn't much of an issue but the less technically inclined might find not having a simple printed A4 sheet of well written instructions a bit of a put off. The controller and battery instructions are in the box - the controller instruction sheet is in standard Chinglish.

6. of course it isn't EN 15194 compatible/legal. When I first turned on the controller it was set to 76 km/h top speed! Right now I have it set to 30 km/h and in assistance level 5 it pulls all the way to 29.6 kp/h without breaking a sweat. From what d8veh has said I think it is good for 33 kp/h in a 26" wheel? The label on the controller is the CE (Chinese Export) one and not the C E (European Commission) norm...

What I do like:

1. it does the job as advertised supplying up to 500+W in assist mode 5 and sipping 40-50W at level 1

2. it is very smooth - no rushing off from a standing start as I have seen on other pedelecs (almost got run over by some old fool the other day in the car park...). In assistance level 5 from the lights it gives a very serious push in the backside but it is far from uncontrollable

3. dead silent, it sounds like normal gear hum rather than a motor.

4. the PAS cuts off instantly as soon as the pedals stop turning so I have not mounted the brake cut off lever for the rear brake (one less cable on the frame!) and I have never felt the need for it. I do not have a throttle mounted so no risk of it getting jammed open - in that case I see that a brake cut off could be handy.

5. It pulls great on the 5% hills that make up my environment. As I don't have a helmet (yet) I haven't been able to test on Spanish roads which are steeper (up to 10%).

Another happy bunny pedelec convert on the road, I can't see myself going back to a car. OK I'm cheating, my girlfriend has a car... I get to my usual destination 10 minutes quicker than the bus and, when I need to go, not when the timetable tells me when I can! Over the next two months it will be much faster by bike than by car because we have permanent grid lock during the holidays. Already last Saturday I passed about 30 cars who had passed me on the open road at the first traffic light coming into town!

I insured the bike for 15€ a year (extension to my house insurance contract which covers a pedelec "in any place") for its full value.
 
  • Like
Reactions: jonathan75

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Second charge - 75 km most in level 5 assistance mode really thrashing it. Went to Spanish Basque Country twice and did some round town errands.

bike2.jpg

New top speed free wheeling downhill 58.4 km/h before the vibrations in the front fork became scary enough to make me brake... Consistent 27-28 minute times and 27 km/h average speed.

Screenshot from 2015-02-18 08:27:32.png

I now have some strange mechanical noises/vibrations I haven't been able to trace yet, BB? Chain?
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: mfj197

mfj197

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jul 18, 2014
553
160
Guildford
Smart looking bike, and good to hear it's working out. How do you find the frame lock?
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Peeling varnish and all? :cool:

The frame lock was the hardest thing to mount! As a practical way of locking the bike goes it is great. I have the 140 cm plug in chain so that I can attach the bike to city furniture as well. The original cable lock will be used to attach the front wheel to the frame.

1. The mudguard mounting bolt head can no longer be accessed so I cut a slot in the nut end to be able to stop the bolt from turning with a screwdriver when removing the nut

2. I have a "key stays in lock when open" version so added a jib hank to my key ring to attach it when removed :D

3. A professional thief would have no problem removing the frame lock and wheel from the bike I thought about screwing (self tapping screws) it to the frame (steel) but was worried that would weaken it too much
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
Charge 4 got me just over 100 km. I went to the supermarket with my trailor in tow and the battery died in the last uphill before home so I had to pedal hard for about 50 metres :eek: I was still passing cars though :)

100 km from a 10.4A battery doesn't seem too bad. I must be supplying a few Watts of my own...

I have changed my riding style a little, I use the gears a lot more and differently, most riding is between 2nd and 6th gear. I also started riding mainly in assistance level 2 instead of 1, using level 5 on the steeper hills (most of them are...). Assistance level 2 gives about 40 more Watts according to the LCD and allows pedaling without breaking a sweat and at between 20 - 22 km/h.

New and not on the photo are a rack (from Giant) and I finally ground down the external diameter of the axle nut so that I could fit my trailor hookup.
 

anotherkiwi

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 26, 2015
7,845
5,785
The European Union
So I finally bought a helmet (bright orange hardshell BMX variety, sorry no photos... :oops: ) and did my first Spanish Basque Country road trip. I also bought a cheap Decathlon pannier bag to put on the rack to hold it when not in use.

I rode to the station in Hendaye in just over 20 minutes, a new record, and took the Topo train to Zarautz. On the return ride the battery conked out at 72.6 km which is pretty good considering the terrain. The profile for the ride to Hendaye is above and here is the return ride:

zarautz_st_jean.png
http://www.la-montee-electrique.com/ has it right if I calculate rider power at 120W! Two and a half hour trip time, 63 km at an average of 25 kph. The battery gave up at about 75 metres from the top of the last major climb so I pedalled the last 8 km.

Helmet: I took it off as soon as it wasn't obligatory, for rider comfort. It is much cooler and lets more air through than I had thought it would and doesn't hold sweat like my cap. I did find a use for it: low hanging branches! Spain seems to have laid off the guys who keep roadside vegetation trimmed. I wore the helmet for about 50 km of the total 80.

Rider power: I am getting fitter and playing with the settings in the trip calculator I have decided that I must be somewhere between "normal" and "sporty" at around 120 W rider power. I have lost 3 kg in the last month :cool: heading back to my fit weight of 76 kg.

Bike: my noisy motor is still there in climbs at assistance level 5 but has gotten much quieter. Nothing fell off! The seat I fitted is good for the price (20€), I had no pain when I got home just a little discomfort. I can not say enough good things about the Magura hydraulic front rim brake! That first descent in the graph above has a final portion portion at 7% and I topped out at 56 kph while staying in control for the intersection at the bottom.

Verdict: I am pleased with the kit and the bike in general. There are a few things still missing on the bike for me to be thrilled I really need new grips and a front suspension would be fabulous... Range is OK with 100 km when slow riding around town and just over 70 km, as advertised, out on the road riding as fast as I am comfortable with which involves enough rider input for me to get some exercise and not too much as to be completely knackered when I get home. In an ideal world I would have bought a 14 Amp battery or larger.