Commuter Booster looks interesting. Don't see how the guy is claiming that little thing can take you up to 40km per hour? Think hub is way to go. D8veh, can I ask, how are you so confident that the Q100C will fit my bike. Do the dahons generally have the same configuration? Cheers
Dahon Helios SL electric conversion advice
- Thread starter Sean McGrath
- Start date
It's read the ad carefully.
It can boost his cruse up to 40kph.
That could easily mean I normally cruse at 35kph and with this helping I get 40 but looking at his power rating 500 watts give you 40kph.
That motor can manage that output. Remember most other packages have gearing systems that take up a lot of room.
This type of drive has been about for years but will eat tires.
It can boost his cruse up to 40kph.
That could easily mean I normally cruse at 35kph and with this helping I get 40 but looking at his power rating 500 watts give you 40kph.
That motor can manage that output. Remember most other packages have gearing systems that take up a lot of room.
This type of drive has been about for years but will eat tires.
There's a D8ve and a D8veh? Mind...blown. I don't want to be replacing tyres all the time. Think I'm gonna go Q100C. D8veh, you're sure this will fit? As sure as you can be at least?
D
Deleted member 4366
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I have a Q100C in my Dahon Jetstream P8. I think my frame is probably stiffer than yours. It isn't just a question of dropping it in like a new wheel. You'll have to play about with spacers and dishing like most rear motors - normal DIY stuff.
The commuter Booster is very powerful. It has an R/C motor in it capable of 2KW. It'll do 40 km'h without pedalling. Kepler is a highly respected member of Endless-Sphere. He doesn't exaggerate his product - unlike other things brought to our attention here.
The commuter Booster is very powerful. It has an R/C motor in it capable of 2KW. It'll do 40 km'h without pedalling. Kepler is a highly respected member of Endless-Sphere. He doesn't exaggerate his product - unlike other things brought to our attention here.
Interesting. So if this thing can actually get me moving faster than the Q100C and is lighter, why is not at the top of your recommendation list? Is it simply that it burns tyres out? Does it slip in the rain? What are the downsides?
D
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I've never used one, so I can't say. They're better suited to light-weight projects, but I'm a heavy-weight. People will express an opinion, but, AFAIK nobody here has tried one. Do a bit of research. There's a few people on Endless-Sphere that use them. There's also a few videos on Youtube. They go under the generic name of "friction drives". The Kepler one was developed over a long time with lots of input from different ES members. It's a properly developed product and very clever in the way it works. You can read the long story somewhere on ES. I guess like every motor system, it has advantages and disadvantages. You have to find the system that works best for you.
First of all, I really appreciate your continued input. Im surprised fewer people have not jumped in considering the vibrant community; I can only assume that is because your advice is sound 
So let's say i'm not after a lightweight solution, nor am I after heavyweight solution. I'm after the lightest solution that can handle 6 miles per day, 15-20 mph, 5 days per week. Is the Q100C still the way to go?
So let's say i'm not after a lightweight solution, nor am I after heavyweight solution. I'm after the lightest solution that can handle 6 miles per day, 15-20 mph, 5 days per week. Is the Q100C still the way to go?
D
Deleted member 4366
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I've been doing a bit of research myself on friction drives. I got a bit mixed up. That's Adrian's Commuter Booster. Kepler had one called Eboost. As far as I can figure out, you can't get either of them now. You can read about friction drives here:
http://www.electricbike.com/friction-drive/
The Q100C is becoming very popular as a lightweight hub-motor because it packs a fair old punch for its size if you give it the right battery and controller. I've never heard of any reliability issues. It's quite smooth and quiet too.
http://www.electricbike.com/friction-drive/
The Q100C is becoming very popular as a lightweight hub-motor because it packs a fair old punch for its size if you give it the right battery and controller. I've never heard of any reliability issues. It's quite smooth and quiet too.
You mentioned the possibility of a 36v5ah lipo setup. How far/fast do you think this would get me with the Q100C? Do you know of anyone that sells them (don't see any on the major sites) or will I need to build it?
I believe small lipo setup is not safe for transport use because it's does not come with a battery management system.
Have you looked into ready made solutions like the GoCycle?
http://www.gocycle.com/
Thanks but Ive already invested in the Dahon and I very much want to make it electric. You can get a 10ah lipo http://www.bmsbattery.com/36v/495-36v-10ah-lithium-ion-electric-bicycle-battery-pack.html so why not a 5ah?
Edit: So this is what my cart currently looks like. Any input would be appreciated...
Q100C CST 36V350W Rear E-Bike Kit with LED Meter Wheel(rim) size: 20"
36V9Ah LiFePO4 Electric Bicycle Battery Pack 12s
"Little Frog" EBike Li-Ion Battery Case
Look about right? :|
Edit: So this is what my cart currently looks like. Any input would be appreciated...
Q100C CST 36V350W Rear E-Bike Kit with LED Meter Wheel(rim) size: 20"
36V9Ah LiFePO4 Electric Bicycle Battery Pack 12s
"Little Frog" EBike Li-Ion Battery Case
Look about right? :|
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D
Deleted member 4366
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You get the lipos from Hobbyking UK. Rather than 36v, it's just as easy to get 44v, which will make your bike go 20% faster. Lipos come on bricks, which are several cells stuck together in shrink-wrap. Each cell is nominally 3.7v, so two 5S bricks = 10 x 3.7v = 37v, two 6S bricks = 12 x 3.7 = 44.4v. Most 36v controllers can handle 12S, which spend most of their time round about 48v (50.4v when full).
Using lipos is straightforward, but different to a normal ebike battery because you have to manage them yourself instead of using an included management system. This means that you need a lipo charger to charge them, which looks after the charging management. For the discharge management, you need to be creative. As a general rule, you want to stop soon after each cell reaches 3.7v. The absolute limit which damages the cells and can make re-charging dangerous is 3.0v per cell, which happens soon after 3.7v, so you need a way of determining when it's time to stop. A simple voltmeter on the pack is sufficient, or you can use a lipo alarm on each brick, or various other creative solutions.. You soon learn to keep an eye on the voltage. There's nothing to panic about unless you decide to carry on below 3.7v per cell (44v for a 12S pack, 37v for a 10S one)
With a lightweight bike, and pedalling, you can get 20 miles from 5aH 12S, but, if you go for maximum speed, you could empty them in about 10 miles.
I did 28 very hilly miles on my Dahon carrying my 100kg with an 8aH pack.
Lipos sounds very complicated, but once you get your head round the simple principles of their management, they're very straightforward to use. They also have the advantages that it's very easy to change your voltage in 3.7v steps because you can buy the bricks with different numbers of cells. 6S is the normal max.
Using lipos is straightforward, but different to a normal ebike battery because you have to manage them yourself instead of using an included management system. This means that you need a lipo charger to charge them, which looks after the charging management. For the discharge management, you need to be creative. As a general rule, you want to stop soon after each cell reaches 3.7v. The absolute limit which damages the cells and can make re-charging dangerous is 3.0v per cell, which happens soon after 3.7v, so you need a way of determining when it's time to stop. A simple voltmeter on the pack is sufficient, or you can use a lipo alarm on each brick, or various other creative solutions.. You soon learn to keep an eye on the voltage. There's nothing to panic about unless you decide to carry on below 3.7v per cell (44v for a 12S pack, 37v for a 10S one)
With a lightweight bike, and pedalling, you can get 20 miles from 5aH 12S, but, if you go for maximum speed, you could empty them in about 10 miles.
I did 28 very hilly miles on my Dahon carrying my 100kg with an 8aH pack.
Lipos sounds very complicated, but once you get your head round the simple principles of their management, they're very straightforward to use. They also have the advantages that it's very easy to change your voltage in 3.7v steps because you can buy the bricks with different numbers of cells. 6S is the normal max.
not buying anything until I'm sure I've got it right. Im trying my best to keep the weight down but to be honest, I dont see many lightweight options. Fear not. So something more like this http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__34831__Turnigy_nano_tech_8000mAh_6S_25_50C_Lipo_Pack_UK_Warehouse_.html?strSearch=turnigy 8000They are less 1kg each which seems a lot less than the LiFePO4 and the bottles Ive been looking at??*edited link*
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D
Deleted member 4366
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Keep away from LiFePO4. It's very heavy. Look at the weight - 3Kg. I don't believe that it includes the bracket arrangement. I just weighed mine: 2.9kg for the battery and 0.8kg for the mount. Modern 18650 cell packs would be lighter. You can get 30 cell packs with panasonic 2900mah cells, which gives nearly 9ah at about 2kg. Here's a 30 cell pack , which you can probably find on Aliexpress.
http://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/Electric-motorcycle-battery-pack-36V-7_534471653.html
A pair of 5aH lipos in a bag will weigh about 1.5kg.
That Tern Link D8 above has steel forks, which is why a front motor was possible.
D
Deleted member 4366
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1.4kg for a pair of these and only £68 for 12S.
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__21373__ZIPPY_Compact_5000mAh_6S_25C_Lipo_Pack.html
http://www.hobbyking.co.uk/hobbyking/store/__21373__ZIPPY_Compact_5000mAh_6S_25C_Lipo_Pack.html
All in all, this seems a good way to go. Im a bit concerned about having so much of the weight at the rear. Thinking some kind of handle bar bag? Is that why you changed to a bottle d8veh?
D
Deleted member 4366
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It was OK with the frog battery, but the bracket kept splitting, so I wanted to try something else. The only downside to the frog was that you couldn't put the seat down. Yours is a hard-tail, so you can put the battery and controller on a DIY rack.
D
Deleted member 4366
Guest
The SO6S is a very nice controller and works well with a Q100C. There's a guy on ES says that his popped when going up to 12S, but he had a very high speed Q100H, so it was drawing the maximum current all the time, which is why I think it popped. I'd say that it's 90% certain that it'll be OK. I'd risk it, but I'd get a KU63 at the same time as a backup.
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