Tongxin motor for folder

[frank9755]

I'm not sure where the current state of knowledge has reached regarding motors for folders but, in case it's not been mentioned before, Tongxin appears to have made a narrow motor for folder forks.

I got a Christmas email from Diana Lin at Tongxin which mentioned that "we have developed new 80mm wide motors for narrow forks and strengthened the teeth on this mini-motor for a roller brake to be assembled."

Frank

 

[Cyclezee]

Frank,

I got the email too, but there is no mention of it on the Tongxin website CHINA HANGZHOU ZHEDA TONGXIN ELECTRIC CO,. LTD. .
That would probably suitable for a Dahon project I was planning but never came to fruition.
A member was importing from Tongxin, but I can't remember who?

J hn

 

[flecc]

It's johnp, John
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[Cyclezee]

It's johnp, John
.

Thanks Tony, I found him and sent an email

J hn

 

[johnp]

Hi
I have got some 80mm motors coming from Tonxin but dont know what they will be like I will fit one when they come and post a report
JOHN

 

[Andrew harvey]

As I remember the slimline motor was produced after Brompton visited the factory last year. Reports suggest that it is at least as powerful as the wider motor and possibly more so.

 

[faphillips]

Tony Castles has had the 80mm Tongxin motor for some time (more than a year) although I am not sure he has supplied it to customers (does he supply anything to customers now?) He reported that it gave largely comparable performance to the standard motor

Whilst the motor will theoretically fit the Brompton forks it doesnt in fact fit and the forks still have to be widened. It is not the width at the spindle its the width further up. If the forks have to be widened - and its not just a case of stretching them - is it really worth going for the narrower motor?

Francis

 

[frank9755]

Interesting that Brompton has made contact with Tongxin. Maybe something a bit more robust and available than the Nano kit might come out at some point.

I agree its a shame that the Brompton forks can't accomodate the slimmer motor without modification, but presumably widening them to take an 80mm motor is a touch easier than getting them to take a 100mm, especially if equivalent motor performance is confirmed?

Another thought - perhaps the slimmer motor might enable better gearing options for rear wheel motors (in normal bikes)?

 

[flecc]

Tony Castles has had the 80mm Tongxin motor for some time (more than a year) although I am not sure he has supplied it to customers (does he supply anything to customers now?)

Even A to B magazine who were partners in the Nano-Brompton development appear to have given up on Tony Castles now, judging from the published comments.
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[frank9755]

Funny isn't it. I'm sure he has had his frustrations with controller issues and other things, but you have to think that to have been first to market in the UK with a product with the strengths of the Tongxin motor had to be a better opportunity than Tony made of it. Look at what Mark from Cytronex has achieved despite being a good couple of years behind!

 

[flecc]

The problem is Tony himself Frank, as he's clearly shown in the past by being often uncontactable for up to a month at a time long prior to the Nano-Brompton saga. I was also very irritated with him taking the time to email me to protest at my posted reservations of the Nano motor at a time when he couldn't be bothered to reply to emails from those wanting to buy.

It seems he's an enthusiast for his e-biking subject but an incompetent businessman who has no idea of the proper way to capitalise on a successful idea. I suppose that he's labouring away producing a tiny trickle of Nano Bromptons for some applicants where he should have been employing staff and expanding production. Still, it's his loss.
.

 

[frank9755]

That's probably right, but you could almost forgive someone who is a real enthusiast and who happens to identify a winning product way ahead of anyone else. From the outside it would appear that the guy who is described as Tony's partner and who supposedly brings the business brain to the operation has not quite pulled it off on this one! Anyway their loss is other people's gain and those with more initiative and entrpreneurship, such as Mark at Cytronex and JohnP on this forum have now filled the gap.

I believe that focusing on applying the product just to the Brompton when it is equally relevant in the much larger market of non-folding bikes was an appalling strategic error!

 

[flecc]

those with more initiative and entrepreneurship, such as Mark at Cytronex and JohnP on this forum have now filled the gap.

And of course ETS with the Brompton Sparticle now, taking away from the folder market for the Nano-Brompton.

I believe that focusing on applying the product just to the Brompton when it is equally relevant in the much larger market of non-folding bikes was an appalling strategic error!

True, but given how they haven't coped with just one narrow application, I dread to think how much they'd have gone to pieces with a range of models!
.

 

[frank9755]

True, but given how they haven't coped with just one narrow application, I dread to think how much they'd have gone to pieces with a range of models!
.

Maybe if they'd tried a few, one of them might have worked!

 

[flecc]

Maybe if they'd tried a few, one of them might have worked!

..........................

 

[johnp]

That's probably right, but you could almost forgive someone who is a real enthusiast and who happens to identify a winning product way ahead of anyone else. From the outside it would appear that the guy who is described as Tony's partner and who supposedly brings the business brain to the operation has not quite pulled it off on this one! Anyway their loss is other people's gain and those with more initiative and entrpreneurship, such as Mark at Cytronex and JohnP on this forum have now filled the gap.

I believe that focusing on applying the product just to the Brompton when it is equally relevant in the much larger market of non-folding bikes was an appalling strategic error!

Hi.
I think you will find tony's partner got as fed up with him as all the prospective customers did and he was the one on the end of the phone taking all the earbashing so he got out and got a proper job !!!!!!!!!!
Brompton did have talks with Tongxin and I think they went to the factory for talks but Tony was also involved in this as well so perhaps that says it all
As for widening the forks on a Brompton it is a relatively simple task as long as you have a welding touch and a spray gun and a small knowledge of braising

JOHN

 

[andyh2]

Following on from that, do folk know if widening the forks on a brompton, to accept a standard 100mm tongxin, will make folding difficult in any way?

 

[flecc]

Following on from that, do folk know if widening the forks on a brompton, to accept a standard 100mm tongxin, will make folding difficult in any way?

A to B in the test in issue 60 of the Nano Brompton using the 100 mm motor said it folds just like an ordinary Brompton, just 3 cm wider.

In their test of the Brompton Sparticle using the Alien motor in issue 69, there was a folding problem due to that bike using a longer seatpost to accommodate the seatpost mounted battery, so as long as that type of battery mounting is avoided there shouldn't be a problem.
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[andyh2]

That's a useful pointer as ever Flecc. I've just re-read the nano-brompton article. It's a very good advert isn't it I remember also reading an article on a long trip across Britain and across the Channel (by train or ferry, rather than walking on water!) to Brussels and there were some reliability issues. It's such a good idea it's surely only a matter of time before a reliable (and reliably available) version becomes available.

I'm sure Ben Cooper of Kinetics in Glasgow has fitted a Heinzman to a Brompton so he'd probably be able to help sort the fork adjustment to accommodate a Tongxin.

I can see another plan formulating...... a Tongxin motored Brompton with an ITchair (itchair) for the little one, a trailer for the inflatable canoe a sunny day ride up the river and a gentle float down...roll on springtime.

 

[flecc]

It's a very good advert isn't it

It certainly was! Sadly A to B can have a bias at times, but they've lost interest now that Tony Castles has let the show down so badly.

I remember also reading an article on a long trip across Britain and across the Channel (by train or ferry, rather than walking on water!) to Brussels and there were some reliability issues. It's such a good idea it's surely only a matter of time before a reliable (and reliably available) version becomes available.

The reliability issue that Will experienced on that ride turned out to be just a connector problem which I believe has been overcome now. Johnp is supplying the latest motors so they should be ok now.

I'm sure Ben Cooper of Kinetics in Glasgow has fitted a Heinzman to a Brompton so he'd probably be able to help sort the fork adjustment to accommodate a Tongxin.

Yes, Ben has done that Heinzmann Brompton conversion, but as ever with his specialised work, it wouldn't be cheap as each time it's a one off.
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