Re-spoking a motor into a smaller wheel

[morphix]

Ok this may seem a daft question, I dunno.. since I won't be using my 26" bike for a few years, it seems a shame to leave the motor on it and pay another 350 quid for a new motor for my next bike conversion (I'm downsizing to 20").... so I got to thinking, would it be possible to take the motor out the 26" wheel (unspoke it) and have it re-spoked in a 20" wheel? Assuming that would work, is it likely to be a major job/hassle unspoking it, or is that something I can tackle myelf? I don't think i would try and spoke it into the 20" wheel I'd leave that to a professional and pay to have it done...unless others here think it's no big deal to do it yourself?

 

[flecc]

You can, but don't forget the speed reduction. If it reaches 15 mph in a 26" wheel it will be down to 11.5 mph maximum assist speed in a 20" wheel.

 

[cwah]

+1 for Flecc comment.

Unless you want to ride at 11mph, you'll also have to change the controller and the battery to increase the speed.

Maybe what you can do is to keep the battery and get a new kit (motor + wheel + controller) with speed that will fit your 20" bike, as the battery is the most expensive part of the bike.

Then sell your actual bike without battery. Or even sell completely the bike. I sold my 26" bike on ebay for 400£

 

[morphix]

My controller is a more intelligent system than most on the market, it has a configuration and LCD and you can set the wheel size..so if I adjust it down to 20" wheel it should adjust the power and speed accordingly I think.

 

[morphix]

+1 for Flecc comment.

Unless you want to ride at 11mph, you'll also have to change the controller and the battery to increase the speed.

Maybe what you can do is to keep the battery and get a new kit (motor + wheel + controller) with speed that will fit your 20" bike, as the battery is the most expensive part of the bike.

Then sell your actual bike without battery. Or even sell completely the bike. I sold my 26" bike on ebay for 400£

That was my initial thought, just to sell it without battery and get a whole new kit for the 20" project..I suppose I could, but someone said why not just store the bike until such time as you get a ground floor place then you can use it again, so that got me thinking.. I suppose I should buy a 20" bike first and try it out just to see if I can adjust to riding smaller wheels before I do anything to convert it... I guess I'm reluctant to let the 26" go until I'm sure 20" is ok.

 

[cwah]

Yeah, I'd do the same. Keep it as a spare for now until you're sure of your decision.

Motor are not the most expensive part of the bike. You can probably get a cheap cute motor for less than £100 shipped. Lacing the wheel by a professional would cost you around 70£ I think.

If I were you, I'd get a complete kit from BMSBattery with motor, controller and new NMC battery (lighter) that they have, and convert it to a 20" bike you like. (choose the bike first)

Then, once you're decided, you can either sell your new bike, or the old one at a correct price because it will be a fully working one.

 

[jerrysimon]

Ok this may seem a daft question, I dunno.. since I won't be using my 26" bike for a few years, it seems a shame to leave the motor on it and pay another 350 quid for a new motor for my next bike conversion (I'm downsizing to 20").... so I got to thinking, would it be possible to take the motor out the 26" wheel (unspoke it) and have it re-spoked in a 20" wheel? Assuming that would work, is it likely to be a major job/hassle unspoking it, or is that something I can tackle myelf? I don't think i would try and spoke it into the 20" wheel I'd leave that to a professional and pay to have it done...unless others here think it's no big deal to do it yourself?

So what kind of 20" wheeled bike are you looking at

I have now built over a dozen small (16" and 20") wheels some with motors in them. Would not say it is hard, just takes application and patience to do some on line learning before you can build a nice solid round and true wheel.

For smaller wheeled bikes, I would highly recommend Tongxin motors.

Regards

Jerry