I forgot the brake switch. I used a hydraulic switch and used an old cycle computer magnet cable tied to the brake pipe. Switch is held on with doulbe sided tape, may need glue.
Help! My next project
- Thread starter Benjahmin
- Start date
The label on the motor looks good to me. Similar to my homemade label for my Mxus motor.
As far as I'm aware a factory ebike should have a label on the frame, listing name manufacturer of bike, voltage (48v max), wattage (250 max) and max assist speed.
But with conversion kits the label with this information should be on the motor, but obviously name of manufacturer should be the motor manufacturer.
I'm a bit unsure if you need the max assist speed on the label of the motor, but it would do no harm to have it on there.
This is mine (after several attempts).
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The law just says that the bike has to be marked with the maximum assisted speed. How you do it doesn't matter. From memory, the correct settings are P4=1 and C4=3.
You forgot to say what it's like to ride. how does it compare with that Ezee thing you had?
Haven't had chance to try it yet. All the weight is now on the rear end so not sure how it's going to feel.
The rack battery has too much life left in it and I have no other use for it. Plan is to use it up then get a 48v downtube battery.
Been out on a shakedown run.
Firstly the steering is much lighter and the motor much quieter.
Previous system was speed control and it's going to take some getting use to the lack of 'kick' at start up. I actually quite like it. It's absence means I've got to watch it pulling out of junctions as the initial acceleration just isn't the same.
Main thing is hill climbing. I've just been up one of my regular longish climbs. I would keep 9-11mph in setting 3 on the old system (this setting would give me around 14mph on the flat). I was struggling to keep 8mph in setting 5, I could see the system was pulling 600-620w which is in line with me having set the max. current at 17A. I was trying to be kind to the battery, guess I'm going to have to change that. The big factor here is that I'm running a 48v motor at 36v so the lack of torque is hurting on the hills. Maybe I'll be replacing the battery sooner than I thought. Just hate the idea of ditching 2 perfectly serviceable batteries.
Returning from a 6 mile ride I could feel some slight warmth in the motor, bit concerning on such a short ride and not the steepest hilss I tackle. Never felt any warmth in the big Ezee.
16mph Cut off is working well and is as subtle as can be, think I might be squeezing another 1-2 mph out of it though.
Front deraileur needs some fettling.
Brakes (180mm discs) are awesome.
Firstly the steering is much lighter and the motor much quieter.
Previous system was speed control and it's going to take some getting use to the lack of 'kick' at start up. I actually quite like it. It's absence means I've got to watch it pulling out of junctions as the initial acceleration just isn't the same.
Main thing is hill climbing. I've just been up one of my regular longish climbs. I would keep 9-11mph in setting 3 on the old system (this setting would give me around 14mph on the flat). I was struggling to keep 8mph in setting 5, I could see the system was pulling 600-620w which is in line with me having set the max. current at 17A. I was trying to be kind to the battery, guess I'm going to have to change that. The big factor here is that I'm running a 48v motor at 36v so the lack of torque is hurting on the hills. Maybe I'll be replacing the battery sooner than I thought. Just hate the idea of ditching 2 perfectly serviceable batteries.
Returning from a 6 mile ride I could feel some slight warmth in the motor, bit concerning on such a short ride and not the steepest hilss I tackle. Never felt any warmth in the big Ezee.
16mph Cut off is working well and is as subtle as can be, think I might be squeezing another 1-2 mph out of it though.
Front deraileur needs some fettling.
Brakes (180mm discs) are awesome.
Just found that wheel size was set to 26" instead of 700c, that's part of why it all felt a bit tame. C5 now set to 9 which should give me 20A max. I think the Ezee was 20A (not sure), at least I can run in 3 or 4 with 5 for the hills - we'll see.
If you set the throttle like I said with P4 =1 and C4=3, you can use it to give instant max power when you need to pull away quickly, dash round a roundabout, through a busy junction or anything like that. That's one of the best features of the KT controllers.
Yeh, checked that and it is as you say. I think the rather underwhelming performance is a mixture of wrong wheel size, 17A maximum current setting and running it at 36v, not to mention being so used (11 years) to the full power kick from the very torquey Ezee.
I'll take it out again tomorrow and see how it is now it's been fettled.
I'll take it out again tomorrow and see how it is now it's been fettled.
I find what you say above interesting. I changed my front motor from a MXUS to a AKM 100 and found the same. But I think they are two different designs of motor. The mxus has its copper stator in the center whereas the akm is described as an 'Inner Rotor Motor' and has the magnets in the center and the stator on the outside. I suspect (and hope) that this probably makes the AKM better at shedding heat. In this way, I am thinking (and hoping) that the AKM in being warm on the outside is perhaps a positive thing as the heat is escaping.
The mxus by the way gets very hot on hills but can mainly be felt on the axle where the cable enters. In my case, the right hand fork use to get very hot as well.
My Q128 was pretty powerful at 14A. i was happy at that for ten years, then I tried 22a, which is too much. That's at 48v.
The point I was making is that a simple tap of the throttle gives you immediate maximum power when you want it. the rest of the time, you can use whatever power is comfortable. The throttle saves you from having to keep pushing buttons, and it makes the LCD4 much more viable.
I can concur. I just had to try my recently acquired 48v. battery (bought for my hybrid fitted with a Yosepower 250w. cassette motor) on my Yosepower 350w. freewheel motored "winter bike".
Flippin' awesome at 15amps - no need for anything higher from the 20A KT controller.
By far the best feature of these controllers (for me) is the P4=1, C4=3 legal throttle setting.
Works without pedalling up to 6km/h for gentle start assistance, then full throttle above that speed whilst pedalling . Stop pedalling and throttle won't kick in again until speed is below 6km/h. or you start pedalling again.
As saneagle points out this means you don't have to keep pressing buttons to change PAS levels. I stay in PAS 1 most of the time and just "boost" with the throttle when needed. It almost eliminates the need for any gears, particularly when I'm feeling lazy and just "ghost pedal".
That's interesting Sturmey, I hope you're right. It's puzzling though because, if the windings are on the outside, wouldn't this need slip rings, or somesuch, and therefore brushes?
I see what you're saying, I'll try that when I get out today. It may mean I have to reconfigure the handlebars to make the throttle easier to reach.
I'll also see if the increase to 20A gives me the hill climbing torque I need. This is my main concern. The test hill I'm using, to get the feel of this new system, is around a mile and a quarter long of moderate to hard climbing. Haven't tried any of the lung/leg busters yet and there are many of them round here.
Back to your wheel build: why a '1 cross' pattern on such a large wheel with powerful motor? Surely a '2 cross' with its larger spoke angle would have significantly lower spoke loads under power?
I reduced the current to 18A from default 22A on my 48V full sus bike with Bafang G020 rear hub motor. It seems plenty powerful enough on the numerous 20-25% max gradient hills round here with my 105kg weight with some pedalling effort.
I went as recommended on the Grin site, their recommendation is to keep to one cross. In retrospect maybe they're more used to 26 inch wheels and larger motors.
Thanks Peter, i am starting to think that 48v is going to have to be the solution. I'll see after todays ride out.
Aikema in their catalog below divide their hub motors into two categories, inner rotor and outer rotor. The inner rotor type does not have a continuous axle but two shorter axles with the body of the motor forming part of the axle as shown in photo below. This allows them to fit an inner rotor motor and also a much greater gear reduction as far as I know.
I have never dismantled one.
Just been to the next village to get my artisan baked sourdough - I know !
Any way system set to 20A seems a lot better. Giving me around 320w on 4 and 650ish on 5. Not sure how saggy this is going to make the batteries but they're on charge now ready for a longer run this afternoon.
Pas is very quick to kick in (V12). Throttle not so quick. There seems to be a smoothing algorythm or something, i.e. using the throttle from level 3 (around 250/280w) it takes around 15 seconds to ramp up seeming to stop short of full wattage. Cut off looks to be exactly 16.5mph, slightly hard to tell 'cos it's so smooth.
Think there's a psychological thing going on here, this motor is soooo quiet I'm working harder because I think it's not working.
Any way system set to 20A seems a lot better. Giving me around 320w on 4 and 650ish on 5. Not sure how saggy this is going to make the batteries but they're on charge now ready for a longer run this afternoon.
Pas is very quick to kick in (V12). Throttle not so quick. There seems to be a smoothing algorythm or something, i.e. using the throttle from level 3 (around 250/280w) it takes around 15 seconds to ramp up seeming to stop short of full wattage. Cut off looks to be exactly 16.5mph, slightly hard to tell 'cos it's so smooth.
Think there's a psychological thing going on here, this motor is soooo quiet I'm working harder because I think it's not working.
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