Help! Street Machine GT conversion

[Benjahmin]

Thought I'd seen it somewhere, is this the one?

Ebike Motor Cover Removal Tool For AKM 74/75/85/100SX/100CST/100H/128CST/128H Motor [Ebike Motor Cover Removal Tool] - $11.40 : Zen Cart!, The Art of E-commerce

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www.topbikekit.com

 

[Woosh]

thank you Benjahmin!

 

[Benjahmin]

I never heard of any problem ever with an AKM 128 except that the cassette freewheel pawls go rusty when people don't oil them. That happens to all cassette motors if you use them in the winter and don't oil them, though some worse than others. OP will be using the freewheel version that can't get that problem.

The AKM 128 motor is especially useful for guys that have to deal with very steep hills or ride slowly or tow stuff. It does it much better than a Bafang BPM because it has the advantage of a much higher reduction ratio so that the motor is still spinning efficiently when a similar RPM (wheel speed) Bafang BPM, Ezee motor or anything like that will stall out or overheat. Like with any motor, you have to choose the version that's appropriate to your needs.

I've never seen a low speed version of an Ezee motor. They're mainly designed for the US market 20 mph. They're big and strong but not particularly efficient for low speed and high torque situations. There's a 180 rpm version of the BPM, though not easy to find. It's very efficient for climbing and towing, but struggles for 12 mph.

AKM128 is probably the quietest motor I've ever heard.

Well that seals it - AKM128 it is.
I've never had the Ezee bog down as a front hub so, if I can keep that going should be able to manage it with a 128 with higher gearing ratio.
Ezee's are high speed, on the stand mine tops out at 19/20mph. The controller does not have a cut off speed. So going downhill at 25/30mph the motor is still engaged if pedalling. You hear it stop if pedals stop or brake lever is operated. It's never been a subtle system being speed control rather than current control, but it does get me up and down these hills.

 

[saneagle]

Well that seals it - AKM128 it is.
I've never had the Ezee bog down as a front hub so, if I can keep that going should be able to manage it with a 128 with higher gearing ratio.
Ezee's are high speed, on the stand mine tops out at 19/20mph. The controller does not have a cut off speed. So going downhill at 25/30mph the motor is still engaged if pedalling. You hear it stop if pedals stop or brake lever is operated. It's never been a subtle system being speed control rather than current control, but it does get me up and down these hills.

The 260rpm Q128 is the same speed as your Ezee motor. The 201 rpm 36v version does the same speed as the 48v 260 rpm one because they're the same motor. The voltage in the listing has nothing to do with what voltage you use, nor the rating of the motor. It's just a reference point for the speed. 201 rpm 36v = 260rpm 48v and 260rpm 36v = 328rpm 48v. The latter at 48v still climbs very well, and you get the advantage of the 24 mph speed if you want it. 48v always gives 30% more torque than at 36v with the same controller, so you can run with less current. At 36v, I always wanted more than 20 amps, but now I'm happy with 14A at 48v, and I have some serious hills to get up (30%).

 

[Benjahmin]

Project has stalled while I fettle the bike. Have ordered new bar end gear changers and cables 'cause I can't get them right and the rear will only work friction not index.
Still haven't found a mirror that will fit and be big enough.
Upgraded front disc to 160mm and it's awesome.
Had a wobbly 'round the block' ride on Sunday. Hill climbing hurts a totally different set of muscles and the Dillinger growls something rotten. I'm still not stable enough on the bike to take it into any kind of traffic.

 

[guerney]

Still haven't found a mirror that will fit and be big enough.

With Zefals, objects are closer than they appear. You have vertical handlebars, I don't know if these mirrors would turn enough on a vertical axis on the ends of their arms, for landscape instead of a portrait reflection of the road behind. Possibly useless to you but...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01L06Y09Y/ref=?th=1

 

[Benjahmin]

Thanks Guerny.
I think I could get it to work but wondering if the trade off between having it tight enough to stay put and, loose enough to swing out of the way as I bring the bike in the house, will work. A high percentage of the reviews mention breakages.
Never had a problem with Mirrycle - but, bar end changers doh.

 

[guerney]

Never had a problem with Mirrycle

Looks like you have a bit of horizontal handlebar... but bodging on short horizontal plastic pipe for your Mirrycle bar end mirrors seems unlikely to be a practical possibility.

Ziptie (releasable) the Zefal on horizontally on the horizontal part, like Amazon reviewer "Zulien"? Push it in to get through doorways? Again, probably useless.

 

[matthewslack]

These mirrors did well, I wonder if there is a quick release clamp bolt available to allow them to fold?

 

[guerney]

I wonder if there is a quick release clamp bolt available to allow them to fold?

Clamping Thumb Screw of some sort? I can't find long m4 quick release bolts, but others might.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325409930148?hash=

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/285243783950?hash=

 

[Benjahmin]

These mirrors did well, I wonder if there is a quick release clamp bolt available to allow them to fold?

View attachment 51444


View attachment 51443

They look like adapted/shortened Mirrcycles put on bar end extensions. Hadn't thought of putting those at the top.
It looks like your gear changers are 180 rotated to mine. Do the changer cables run down your side of the grip?
If so that would seem to make it a push/pull thumb change which I feel may make it easier to use thus eliminate some of the wobble.
That seat looks awesome.

 

[matthewslack]

They look like adapted/shortened Mirrcycles put on bar end extensions. Hadn't thought of putting those at the top.
It looks like your gear changers are 180 rotated to mine. Do the changer cables run down your side of the grip?
If so that would seem to make it a push/pull thumb change which I feel may make it easier to use thus eliminate some of the wobble.
That seat looks awesome.

Yes, cable my side, very neat, my first bar end shifters so assumed they were all like that!

As far as I know, it is all factory standard at present, as the trike looks almost unused.

I've some fiddling to do on the rear shifter, not accurately indexing any more. Probably just cable lube needed.

Seat is really good. I didn't know until I sat down, but the lumbar curve fits me unlike the classic IKEA chair, which doesn't.

 

[AntonyC]

Can we take a look at your side, is there a cutout for the cable like this? Oh and Congratulations!

 

[Benjahmin]

my first bar end shifters so assumed they were all like that!

Same as me. Does the cable run under the grip? If so are they some sort of soft/malleable grip?
Anthony, what's that bracket for?

 

[matthewslack]

Same as me. Does the cable run under the grip? If so are they some sort of soft/malleable grip?
Anthony, what's that bracket for?

Yes, cable under grip, which is a thick foam just the right blend of soft for comfort and dense enough to last.

 

[Benjahmin]

That seems the way to go. When I get the new changers I'll be trying them that way round, also it gets a cable out of the way. Should be soft enough to cut the top inch away to allow a forward facing bar end to mount a mirrcycle to.
Could this be starting to come together?

 

[AntonyC]

The T~ logo is for Terracycle, an Aladdin's cave for trike fittings.

You can probably slide the grip down without cutting it, but unlike a trike the SMGT has banana shaped grips that you rest on lightly. Hence the cable being on the front side, and then having the mirror's bar end below the grip leaves the shifter more accessible. Matthew's dog-leg mirrors come complete from HP I think, or perhaps a regular mirror would work with an angled bar end.

Have you tried riding with just fingertips on the grip-ends? It shouldn't wobble and if it does a light touch might help to feel what's causing it or where it wants to go.

 

[matthewslack]

Wobble: you mean the bike, not the mirrors etc! I was a bit slow there.

Different obviously on three wheels, but I found over my six and a bit days that 'committing to the seat' made quite a difference. My arms are not part of the pedalling effort, unlike an upright, which is only possible if back and bum are firmly stuck in position and able to take all the leg loads. Then the steering is straight and stable, despite its lightness and sensitivity.

 

[AntonyC]

My arms are not part of the pedalling effort, unlike an upright, which is only possible if back and bum are firmly stuck in position and able to take all the leg loads. Then the steering is straight and stable, despite its lightness and sensitivity.

It's the same with my SMGT... I had Benjahmin's SMGT in mind when suggesting he try the fingertip test:

Do the changer cables run down your side of the grip?
If so that would seem to make it a push/pull thumb change which I feel may make it easier to use thus eliminate some of the wobble.

 

[Benjahmin]

I'll try the finger tips. I'm aware of newbie tension, at times I'm uneccasarily pushing on the bars, which doesn't help. Seems this beastie needs a light touch.
Unfortunately a bar end won't fit below the grip because the hydraulic brake cylinder gets in the way. It all feels a bit congested at the moment, getting used to it.
What's Terracycle? When I google it I just get loads about recycling !