Geofft

If anybody is waiting on these popular lipo packs they are finally back in uk stock...

My 'fuel gauge' is rather more simplistic, I know to within a mile or so how far I can go on a full charge so I reset the tripmeter on my cheapo bike computer at every charge and leave the display on trip mileage so you can see at a glance how much you've used. Ok, it doesn't take into account the myriad of variables involved but it gives surprisingly reliable and consistent results for just a fiver.....no soldering involved....

I don't know why this particular 4s pack is comparatively cheap, (around £15 apiece if you get the discount), I've had 6 of them now with no bad cells as yet and the hardcase is a good option for ebike packs. Also putting them in 2 x series (for 8s) gives around 33v which makes my 24v setup much more entertaining...! Geoff.

....these have been available in the UK warehouse for some time now, best to use their 'battery finder' to locate them. Don't take the default shipping price btw, there's a cheaper option on the payment page that still got mine delivered 2 days after shipping. Geoff

Chain guard now added...... [ATTACH]4384.vB[/ATTACH]

....Thanks for those links d8veh, lots of great info there, the kinda nitty-gritty stuff I was really looking for. I suppose the Chinese controllers are so cheap that even if you 'let the smoke out' it's not the end of the world - time to attack my controller methinks.....

Thanks for all your comments guys. Flecc, you've convinced me about the chain guard which is now under construction....

Not quite sure what you mean, it actually all lines up pretty well, I guess it's just an effect of the camera angle. The only real problem I get is that if you catch a trouser bottom in the drive chain it throws it off pretty quick, I'll have to make a guard up sometime. Or maybe just wear a cycle clip...

Photos are now in "Members photos".

Yes, if the photos don't appear I guess I'll do it that way.. ....doesn't sound naive at all, actually quite a good idea. It would entail limiting the max current from 24A down to around 18A. I wonder if replacing the existing controller with a 350w one would do the job, I suppose the Chinese ones are cheap enough to give it a try. Or maybe simply restricting the thumb throttle travel would do the same job, though I imagine that having more power that you can't use would be a constant source of frustration. Thinking about it though, you could have a selectable stop which you could use when you need the extra range, and simply deselect it when you don't, and have full power available. Or maybe just stop being so bleedin' lazy and do a bit more peddling...! I think you've just convinced me to stick with what I've already got.....

..... tried lithium grease, EP90 gear oil, etc, none really made any difference. Hmm, just tried to upload a few photos to the "members photos" area but they haven't appeared. Seemed to work ok, is there some vetting delay or have I cocked up....?

.....I'm probably being a bit too specific in my requirements with the motor, ideally I want a 24v 350w MY1018 (the silver one). There are plenty of these around at 250 and 450w, but the 350w (in 24v) seems to be a rarer beast. I have in fact tried a 350w version of the MY1016 motor (the black one). This was ok, sufficient torque and the 9.8:1 gearbox was probably better suited to my gearing, but boy was it noisy. It would squeal it's arrival from quite a distance and start dogs barking all round, it just had to go. I don't really know why, but the 7.2:1 gearbox on the MY1018 motor (the silver one) is noticeably quieter, hence the reason I want to stick with one of those. A 250w one went on ebay last week for 36quid, I didn't go for it thinking that 250w just wouldn't cut the mustard, but I'm wishing now that I'd given it a try. Thanks for your links though, I'll go through them in case there's an option I've missed, but I'm sure one will pop up on the bay before too long. It's far from an urgent necessity, and tbh what I have now works perfectly well really.....:-)

Ok guys, if I can work out how to do it I'll post some photos within the next day or so....

Hi, a quick potted history,, As an incurable tinkerer, I needed to find a use for that old Claud Butler that was taking up room in my shed, so an electric conversion seemed like an interesting project. Living at Warfield Park, which seems to be a local high point means you can't avoid a return hill, so this gave me the justification needed to spend some cash. I initially bought a £199 ebay kit, pretty much a far east copy of the Currie (ezip?) rear hub drive. This was actually pretty good and it included a 10Ah sla battery and carrier. Did the job pretty well, albiet a little rear end heavy with its rear mounted motor and sla, and of course the usual limitations of a single gear. Soon decided that a crank drive setup was the way to go though, and have now moved the motor (MY1018 24v 450w) amidships to drive a diy constructed freewheel crank assembly. This, coupled with replacing the sla with a lightweight 15Ah LifePO4 battery has now given me a fun alternative mode of transport which easily climbs most hills almost unaided and will bat along at 25mph if you're brave enough with skinny tyres and bicycle brakes....... The range is a useful 15-18 miles, but to be honest the 450w motor has ample torque, I might reduce this to a 350w and give myself a bit more mileage. Anyone got a 350w MY1018 for sale?.....:-) So that's about where I am at the moment, will post some photo's of the setup if anyone's interested and look forward to hopefully contributing to your forum....! Geoff.