Tongxin Nano Brompton Conversion kits for sale on Ebay!

jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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Sorry about the duplicate post but a heads up for what look like Tongxin Nano! conversion kits for narrow width (83mm) fork/ small wheeled bikes/folders.

I am not related to the seller and came upon them by chance. I reckon at this price they are quite a good deal considering they are full kits with controller and come ready built into a 16" hopefully 349 rim. Nice looking radial build as well.

Whats more they look like they are 28h hubs so could be rebuilt into 28h stock Brompton rims at a later date if required.

Not a bad deal for a UK sourced full kit minus battery, though I see he sells them with a battery if you want. Just make sure you check the above with the seller before you buy.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-bike-kit-Dahon-Brompton-folding-bike-36v-250w-without-battery-/140906245214?_trksid=p2045573.m2042&_trkparms=aid=111000&algo=REC.CURRENT&ao=1&asc=27&meid=4876036076713509377&pid=100033&prg=1011&rk=2&sd=121049749668&

PS this appears to be the suppliers web page

http://www.freewebstore.org/pedalease-electric-bikes/index.aspx?pageid=1736556

Regards

Jerry
 
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Jeremy

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Oct 25, 2007
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Looks good value, but this dodgy (false and potentially opening them up to action from Trading Standards) statement: "The conversion kit is the best quality with EN15194" does make me wonder a bit about the vendor. Hopefully it's just a misunderstanding, because there is no way that this kit can comply with EN15194, no matter what's falsely and misleadingly marked on the motor.
 

jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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Agreed Jeremy but this is the first time I have seen these conversion kits so readily available i.e on ebay.

Two or three years ago I would have bitten this guys arm off to get hold of a smaller narrow width Tongxin in the UK!

I guess they are now more readily available direct from China, but with the associated communication challenges and danger of getting the wrong model/hit by VAT/import duty etc.

Regards

Jerry
 
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eddieo

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Jul 7, 2008
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well spotted!
 

Jeremy

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Oct 25, 2007
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Salisbury
I bought my original Tongxin from Justin, and recently (a few weeks ago) I bought another 100mm version of the Outrider motor from Justin. Outwardly the new version looks very similar to my original Tongxin, just a few minor differences (including having Hall sensors - my original is sensorless). Justin probably has a few more, but maybe not the 80mm ones. He can get them easily enough though, as he's been dealing with Tongxin/Outrider for a few years now.
 

jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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We are cross/double posting here lol

Yes the motors are readily available from Outrider now and they do even send you pictures and a spreadsheet of exactly what you are buying.

Three years ago when I purchased mine from a reseller in China I ended up with the roller brake version following a communication break down. Fortunately I was able to take the motor apart and cut off the case bossing though. The whole process was pretty traumatic lol



Look at the length of that motor shaft and the huge bossing, I really had not bargained on getting that model lmao.

That motor is still going strong 3 years and 4500 miles later in my original Brompton conversion though!

Communication is much better these days.

PS sorry I still get very excited when I come across Tongxin motors lol

Regards

Jerry
 
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daniel.weck

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Aug 8, 2009
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jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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Cambridge, UK
Ok own up who just purchased one lol

Nice to see you Dan btw.

Jerry
 

jerrysimon

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Aug 27, 2009
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jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
3,292
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Cambridge, UK
After several email exchanges with the seller I can confirm that these are in fact laced into the smaller 16" 305 rims and therefore not suitable for the Brompton which has 16" 349 rims :(

So many people seem to be caught out with this when ordering these smaller ready laced wheels from China.

However the good news is that as they have 28h flange hubs it will be easy to relace them into a stock Brompton 28h rim :)

Regards

Jerry
 
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dmcgoldrick

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 17, 2010
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hi jerry, have you any room to get all the bromptons you now need to buy to use up all these kits !!!!!!!

regards
 

daniel.weck

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Aug 8, 2009
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hech

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Oct 29, 2011
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argyll
I bought my original Tongxin from Justin, and recently (a few weeks ago) I bought another 100mm version of the Outrider motor from Justin. Outwardly the new version looks very similar to my original Tongxin, just a few minor differences (including having Hall sensors - my original is sensorless). Justin probably has a few more, but maybe not the 80mm ones. He can get them easily enough though, as he's been dealing with Tongxin/Outrider for a few years now.
A little off topic I'm afraid but what is "an outrider"?
Is this different from an "outrunner" and is that different to "runout"(of wheels, pulleys and sprockets)/
 

daniel.weck

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 8, 2009
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A little off topic I'm afraid but what is "an outrider"?
Outrider is the firm that supplies the Tongxin motor. It is just a brand / company name :)
 

Jeremy

Esteemed Pedelecer
Oct 25, 2007
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Salisbury
Outrider is the firm that supplies the Tongxin motor. It is just a brand / company name :)
It's a bit more than a brand. Tongxin was originally a university spin off project to exploit the roller drive system. The staff that started the manufacturing business we refer to as Tongxin (inc the sales people, like Diana Lin) then started up Outrider, who now manufacture and sell what used to be Tongxin motors.

To complicate matters, the university also seem to have licensed the roller drive technology to Keyde, who make and supply a similar, but slightly different version of this motor.

You can tell the two apart because the Keyde motors are dimensionally different and the Outrider motors are engraved with the Outrider name and part number into the side case.
 

superDove

Pedelecer
Oct 24, 2011
193
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Cheshunt, Herts. UK
After several email exchanges with the seller I can confirm that these are in fact laced into the smaller 16" 305 rims and therefore not suitable for the Brompton which has 16" 349 rims :(

So many people seem to be caught out with this when ordering these smaller ready laced wheels from China.

However the good news is that as they have 28h flange hubs it will be easy to relace them into a stock Brompton 28h rim :)

Regards

Jerry
Doh! I've just become another statistic caught by the conversion quicksand that is rim size confusion! In my defence I did query the kit with the seller for Brompton use and he said it'd be ok, presumably he's never fitted one or dealt with anyone who's fitted one on a Brompton.

I've actually gone and bought a second Brompton. My first one is a M3R. The new (secondhand) bike is a M6L, as new condition and a good price (yes I checked if it was stolen and, as I know of it, I also visited the shop that it was originally bought it from in Plymouth). (Side note, whilst I was in Plymouth shopping centre I saw a converted green Brompton locked up outside. That's the first Brompton I've seen in Plymouth, let alone a converted one, belong to anyone on this forum?)

The idea is to try a tongxin conversion first on the M6L and I thought this may be a relatively easier way to do it for a newb. I'd also like to convert the M3R later with a motor with a bit more oomph but I thought I'd start with this kit first and see how I get on.

Pics here of the kit delivered which took 3 days.

P1030222 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

P1030223 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

and the wheel (in the arrghh!-size rim)

P1030225 | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

What's that out-to-in spoke doing there? Was there a disagreement over how to break an egg and it has now been outcast by all the in-to-out spokes?

So next step is to fit the motor into a Brompton rim (which I have) so my first question is can some kind person tell me how I can find out the flange diameters and flange distance in order to calculate spoke length?

Can I reference them somewhere? I've looked on the Outrider site but couldn't see anything. Do I need to buy some calipers to measure them myself or can I use a ruler?

cheers
James
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
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Pretty easy you need a spoke calculator like this one

Spoke length calculator for calculating spokelengths

Us the info on the page (hit the help button at the top of the page) to tell you how to measure the relevant parts which you then enter into the calculator to tell you the spoke size. I always find for smaller wheels/radial the calculation is a little out/short so maybe add a mm.

I hope you are getting some kind of refund (£20 rim, £15+ for spokes/nipples + rebuild cost) considering the advert is not correct, and that odd head in spoke! Contact catsnapper (Alan) for spokes cut to size.

If you post your results for the spoke size then I can confirm what mine are for my Tongxin hub. At least you have a 28h hub and can use a stock 28h Brompton rim :)

Regards

Jerry
 
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jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
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Cambridge, UK
PS just contacted to the seller and he insists the wheel is the right size and all his purchasers are content :rolleyes:

Regards

Jerry
 

jerrysimon

Esteemed Pedelecer
Aug 27, 2009
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Cambridge, UK
James I am glad you have informed the seller as I was assured all his purchases were content.

He should really sort it out or make it clear in the listing that the rim is the incorrect size and that it will not suit a Brompton/Dahon with 349 rims.

Jerry