Thanks Neal, I'm not allowed +1 even though the desire was strong.

How time flies you are not wrong. Great to meet Kirstin and put a face to a name, funnily enough I have ridden past his posh new build estate several times. I'm very pleased to be the latest custodian of the Swizzbee and there are a couple little jobs on it that need doing but very minor, I say custodian because one day if funds and space allow K & I have come to an agreement that he has first refusal on Swizzy if it ever comes up for sale. Its not totally original as the front hdb has been changed over from a Magura to Shimano pus need to remember that breaking is reversed.

Edited October 21, 20169 yr by Nealh

Thanks Neal, I'm not allowed +1 even though the desire was strong.

 

It would have been +4 but I have to bin the Mosso frame as the derailleur has snapped at the drop out. So may look out for a HT mtb frame in the future as I have a spare kit free now.

Swizzbee update.

I have contacted Dreifels ag and have received a reply, the battery can be changed without problems and it is only the controller that is code locked. So the current 7s 10ah LG li-polymer is still going and my use is just for local riding, the on board charger is set to 41.5v max cell charge for 29.05v.

The bike has Scwalbe Marathons fitted so puncture resistance is pretty good and any tube repairs possible with out removing rear wheel. The rear wheel set up is very time consuming and too many bits to fiddle around with on the road.

The axle is a Sturmey 13/32 26tpi threaded and has a loose bush on one side and a fixed on the gates side that locates in the drop outs, then there are outer sealed bearings that are kept in situ by a bespoke flanged nut, the bearing inner dia acts as a sleeve to accept the nut. The bearing /

nut combo are held in a recess by a further outer fixing clamp held by 3 bolts, so not an easy quick fix on the road.

One of the rims must have been changed as they are not a pair and the front Magura Julie has also been changed to a Shimano BM447.

The rear mudguard has filament running through it to pick up the rear light contact, this was not in working order as it looks as if corrosion has set in and no voltage could be be determined with a dvm. So for now I have used some thin servo wire taped to the under side of the mudguard to get the continuity.

Pics;

7S BMS, a pair of shunts can be seen on the far right.

 

A pair of shunts not on the controller but connected directly to the front of the battery/bms.

 

Heinzman brushed motor 270w.

 

Rear axle/drop out fitment.

 

Dropout fitting components.

 

Fitting sequence.

 

Dropout axle bush.

Edited February 23, 20179 yr by Nealh

Not sure how I feel about this

 

It's a bit like the Mrs S's cesarean , for the greater good but no-one wants to see their loved ones dismantled!

 

(Joking obviously Neal, fascinating stuff)

Big day for the Swizzbee and me today as it was time to collect the enclosure and new battery from Jimmy, 3 weeks since I left it with him so the bike has not been out .

The old 10ah polymer cells were a challenge to remove but have now been replaced with 3P 7S Boston Swing cells to give 15.9ah capacity though 4P would have fitted.

On arriving home the charger was plugged in and approx. 4.5hrs later the pack was done, with apprehension I connected the enclosure. Input the start sequence code and all was well, Swizzbee lives again and should be good for a few more years. All of the BMS an it's component parts were saved and reused, being LG electronics they are highly designed, spec'd and very intricate. Dreifels were good to their word and I was glad I contacted them before I decided to go about getting the battery changed.

Well, what does it go like?

Well, what does it go like?

 

Haven't been out as no extra time tonight after refitting .

Ride out late afternoon but had an issue with the cassette as some thing was sticking and the cassette didn't freewheel when not peddling so a strip down is needs this affected freewheeling when not peddling and had terrible chain and rear mech chatter.

Initial feeling is 3P 39a is not enough, battery sag was evident on the 5 light ignition sequence on the enclosure 4P would have been better at 52a .

 

Edit.

Forgot to say with the polymer I managed 24/25mph with some clog, this afternoon I did give it some clog as well and got 26.5 mph and also peaked out at 30 at one stage.

Edited May 11, 20178 yr by Nealh

The Swizbee at speed feels mega and handles very well so the battery is a work in progress to get it right.

My first option is to see if Jimmy can add another cell in parallel to each series first.

 

Otherwise another thought of process is the Vruzend kits should be on their way, I need to explore the option to see if I can use one of the kits to build a higher amp battery to fit the Swizzbee. The Boston 7S pack in series with a 3s battery could then be used in my panniers on the Oxydrive and BBS.

Edited May 11, 20178 yr by Nealh

30Q cells would be better for high current.

Had another think about this whilst at work today, the Swizzbee is fitted with bespoke pannier rack that sits forward tight to the seat tube. So when my kits arrive I'm going to build a light 7s 40a or 50a pack to sit on the rack and run in parallel with the Boston pack, this will not only increase ah/range but also double the amp draw for the high current the system can demand. Sag should then be better, need to find a 7s BMS first.

Have added a 5p7s HE2 100a battery wired in parallel using the Vruzend kit, sag is minimal now and looks like I should be able to get 35 miles range and possibly up to a 100 .

I have been tinkering again and removed the rear diff hub cleaned and lightly regreased it for a better ride, no longer does the cassette snag or catch and no judder/clatter from the derailleur. Some tinkering with derailleurs, new wires and adjustment to get things running very smoothly.

With out e - power the 50c runs effortlessly and I can say with 100% no drag what so ever as the brushed hub motor mid mounted has no effect on the wheel what so ever.

I can get to 16mph on my own steam without effort with the current gearing so a long ride is very feasible. Last night we had local scouts at the apiary so I rode 6 miles there and on the way back clocked a decent 37.5 mph down Pease Pottage hill to the K2 centre, I couldn't pedal any faster as the gearing had me spinning out. The handling and geometry of this bike is damn good with it being very nimble despite its heavy weight which must be about 28/30kg.

Sounds like it found a loving and caring home!

67 miles today with the Swizzbee.

 

At the beach.

 

In front of 'The Saint's' Jaguar.

 

Bramber Castle's tower ruins.

Edited July 5, 20178 yr by Nealh

Rode out this morning for a haircut and the 50c developed a fault during my 11 mile return journey,so need to have tinker to see if one can solve it.

The drive power delivery became sporadic and I found myself spinning out several times before regaining powered drive.

I haven't looked properly at the BB set up at all, but believe it is a TS drive though there is also what appears to be a peddle sensor on the non drive side. Thinking it is a fault here or an issue with the brushless motor, possibly worn or sticking brushes is one to look at.

Do you have somewhere very secure to leave your rare piece of history while in the barber's? I can't get in and out of mine quick enough to feel comfortable risking it.

No barbers, wife is currently staying/caring for her elderly (92) Grandma who is frail so bike goes in to double garage whilst the wife does a nice hair cut.

The Swizzbee otherwise is not left for low life to steal though in all truth doubt at all it looks cool to them, the ignition code start sequence only allows 10 attempts to input the correct code after that it is bricked for life as no way of getting the unlock code.

No barbers, wife is currently staying/caring for her elderly (92) Grandma who is frail so bike goes in to double garage whilst the wife does a nice hair cut.

The Swizzbee otherwise is not left for low life to steal though in all truth doubt at all it looks cool to them, the ignition code start sequence only allows 10 attempts to input the correct code after that it is bricked for life as no way of getting the unlock code.

If every single OEM ebike was like that then thieves would know there's no point in bothering.

The other problem with the Swizzbee is that it is so unique you can't sell it without it getting spotted.

If every single OEM ebike was like that then thieves would know there's no point in bothering.

 

And it would spell the end of ebikes as every mischievous kid had fun punching the buttons. A permanent lockout is a really stupid concept.

And it would spell the end of ebikes as every mischievous kid had fun punching the buttons. A permanent lockout is a really stupid concept.

 

Originally the Swizzbee had an additional unlock code in case of bricking/lockout of the electronics but was never asked for or supplied with the bike by or to the original owner.

The bike is no longer in production and the company has ceased trading after being sold.

Contacting the company who supplied all the electronic know how has not enabled me to progress any further in case the situation ever arises.

Above in #41 I mentioned a power delivery fault, following some tinker time I rode a 30 mile route today ( delivered some honey) and all is well again.

The bike isn't TS but has 4 wire PAS set up fitted to the left crank side, I disconnected the connector to check for any wire issues however all seemed ok.

The other bit of tinkering I did was to remove the motor cover plate and remove all the brushes, wiped the armature and blew out the carbon dust. Having cleaned all inside refitted brushes ensuring good spring action and screwed the brush caps back on, I have a number/code which was printed on the brushes but so far not able to identify any replacement's if needed later at only approx. 6mm x 3mm x 18mm long.

Today the drive was faultless and was able to cruise along nicely again, a very brisk head wind made going a bit hard but was still able to progress along at 18- 20mph though used a bit more battery and with a taill wind 26.5mph without going mad My cell level ended up at 3.6v so still a few more miles available in the tank for this power hungry bike so roll on the nicer warmer and calmer days and I see some much nicer seaside visits to come.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-Carbon-Brushes-Electric-Motor-Size-for-Choosing-MM-/112198944429

Looks like he can supply any size.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PAIR-Carbon-Brushes-Electric-Motor-Size-for-Choosing-MM-/112198944429

Looks like he can supply any size.

 

I saw the listing but not the size I need, my spring brushes have a flat top bus bar on top which accommodate the phase female spade fit/wire.

I have messaged the seller and a description to see if he can help for the future.

 

I went over to Pedelecforum.de to try and find an answer and saw a post by Mechaniker, who say's the brushes for Swizzbee Heinzmann motor are no longer available. However his suggestion of getting a similar brush with top fitting and carefully filing it down by hand or on a grinder to match the original profile.

Edited February 1, 20188 yr by Nealh