Help! My next project

Benjahmin

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Nov 10, 2014
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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.DSCF3434.JPG
 

Waspy

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Sep 8, 2012
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Motor labelled and ready to go:
View attachment 63537


The motor itself is labelled. The bike isn't - yet. I know it needs to state the speed limit and also the manufacturer, but who the hell is that? AKM (the motor), Carrera or me?
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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saneagle

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Finally got all the bits I needed and the time . So, in the spirit of 'show us the pictures or it didn't happen', here's the build.
Motor labelled and ready to go:
View attachment 63537

Build went smoothly despite some brain fog:
View attachment 63538

Had to build a front wheel too with a new hub. I've really enjoyed the wheel building process, pity I waited to my seventies to learn this skill. Both wheels ready to go:
View attachment 63539

I ended up having to swap the bottom bracket for one with a longer spindle to accomodate the pas. Handlebar layout took a few goes to get everything to fit.
View attachment 63540

The bike fully loaded.
View attachment 63541

Now a couple of questions.
The reason for doing this was to end up with a fully legal bike. The motor itself is labelled. The bike isn't - yet. I know it needs to state the speed limit and also the manufacturer, but who the hell is that? AKM (the motor), Carrera or me? Does it need anything else?
Second question is a set up one. The display is programmed to give walk assist throttle until pedals are turned, then it gives full speed. Great ! Only thing is full speed throttle continues after pedal rotation ceases and only reverts to walk assist when throttle is released the operated again. As I understand it to be legal it should revert to walk assist as soon a pedals stop. Anyone know the setting, the Chinglish is doing my head in?
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?
 

Benjahmin

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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.
 

Benjahmin

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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.
 

Benjahmin

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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.
 

saneagle

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Oct 10, 2010
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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.
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.
 

Benjahmin

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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.
 

Sturmey

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Jan 26, 2018
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..........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........
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.