Is this Thompson Euro tourer worth getting for £50?

[NeilP]

Just been offered this for £50 ($80) and wondered if it was good for parts...fully working bike but unwanted.
What speed could I get out of the motor if i tinkered?

bigger controller? more voltage...put wheel in BMX frame? not going to use that frame!!


Thompson Euro Tourer Electric Bike


Specifications

Max speed - 20kmh
Battery capacity - 12Ah
Charge time - 2-8hours
Motor voltage - 36V
Motor power Now - 200w
Induction (brushless) motor
With battery & charger
Wheel diameter - 560mm

 

[Scottyf]

For 50 quid i would to strip it and build something else with the parts. Dunno about the size of hubs etc! But even if you can't get it to work its only a small price to learn.

Don't know how good the battery would be though!

 

[NeilP]

Was thinking the same. Would probably bin the batteries and replace with LiPo.

Have asked the same question on the endless sphere forum, and one poster there reckoned that even a small motor like that is good for minimum 500 W if not plenty more. A decent controller from e-bay would probably do, as long as it is the standard 5 hall and 3 phase wires

 

[Andrew harvey]

You will most likely find it's got 22" wheel, the motor is a DC unit, .ie. only two wires and will run direct from the battery with an on off switch.
For £50 it's a toy to be played with.
Drop the wheel into a 26" rim and any frame with a 3 speed front chain wheel will do, the motor is quite wide and will most likely only take a single speed freewheel, but with 3 at the front it will be ok for most uses. I started playing with a similar bike 15/20 years ago, unless you can get all the bits cheap your going to end up spending a fair bit by the time your finished. If you add in the cost of a set of LIpo batteries will the finial bike be worth the time/ money.
A new motor can be bought for under £100, with controller and throrttle maybe £130 delivered to your door, but you will get modern light weight components you would want to keep.
Look for BMS battery on the net, they can be slow but normally get you most of your bits.

 

[NeilP]

ah..DC motor that is not what I want. I'll look at it again and see.

I have already got a load of stuff ready to build up another bike (65 amp controller 72 volt Lipo and Xlyte 5304 ), but was just thinking about getting this if I could make something else from it

 

[NeilP]

Well I did not get that bike, but was given a rear wheel/hub uhit the same as the one pictured today.

Definetly not a DC motor. It is a standard brushless three phase wire, 5 hall sensor wire. The spec says it is brushless...so It can't be a DC motor.

Here are a few pics of the motor innards.

 

[banbury frank]

What you have is a DC motor Brush less They are all DC motors

They are ether brushed or brush less

Look very high powerd give it a decent 48 volt controller and battery

should go like stink

Frank

 

[NeilP]

Well. OK what ever it is called, I did not want a 2 wire 9So brushed motor?) like Andrew originally suggested it might wabe

the motor is a DC unit, .ie. only two wires and will run direct from the battery with an on off switch.

So I should have said it is NOT a brushed DC motor as Andrew thought it might be but it is in fact a brushless type

So yes it is DC...pulsed DC, , hence the three phase wires and hall sensors.

So as long as the controller is brushless and has the 8 wires then it will work.

I have already tested the motor, all windings good and hall sensors giving output.

I have another project on the go at the moment, but I reckon a 48 volt contoller for this one.

I have been given a full bounce bike that is a cheapo steel frame one, I can use the 22 inch wheel , and re position the rear shock mounting to push the back end down a bit to re gain the ground clearance. s said earlier, single speed on the back and put a triple on the front.

Have to save up for the battery though..so this can go on the back burner for now...unless I make a battery back that I can swap between bikes...umm that may be the way to go

 

[NeilP]

A little update on this motor.
Well I got given another motor exactly the same so did not get the original bike. I ran the motor up a couple of days ago, after I upgraded the phase and hall wires. Fitted screened cable to the halls and beefed up the controller wire too.

Well, running it on a test frame, at 100volts with an 18 FET 40 amps crystalyte controller, this little motor is good for 30 mph, pulling no more than about 34 amps The speed was not limited by current, so it must be a winding issue that keeps the speed low.