My wife has a Jorvik trike and, where we live currently, it handles the hills going there and back to the store. She doesn't have much personal pedal power, given her disabilities.

We are soon to move but, where we are looking, has hills involved - not exactly mountain-sides.. but bigger hills that we currently have.

I understand that putting more power on the trike is legally restricted, but primarily for speed reasons.

Is it possible for me to buy a motor and/or battery and fit it myself?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted...

Thanks

My wife has a Jorvik trike and, where we live currently, it handles the hills going there and back to the store. She doesn't have much personal pedal power, given her disabilities.

We are soon to move but, where we are looking, has hills involved - not exactly mountain-sides.. but bigger hills that we currently have.

I understand that putting more power on the trike is legally restricted, but primarily for speed reasons.

Is it possible for me to buy a motor and/or battery and fit it myself?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted...

Thanks

What you can do depends which one she has. It might be an idea to tell us, or better still, show us photos of the battery, motor and LCD.

 

It's not illegal to increase the power of your bike using the existing motor, but it is illegal to change the motor to one rated more than 250w

that's good news.. it's only the motor power that we need to increase, for the hills which are not ao much steep - as long slopes.

 

it's a Jorvik Elite Low Step Through Electric Folding Tricycle JET-E

 

this one...

https://jorviktricycles.com/jorvik-elite-low-step-through-electric-folding-tricycle-jet-e

someone posted this message.. but now it's not here... it looked like a pretty complicated procedure...

 

"O would recommend an XF07 front hub kit for your wife's trike. The kit comes with a throttle, making it easier to use for your wife. Https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits#xf07kit"

You'll need a new controller and probably higher discharge current battery. Luckily you have a bafang hub motor so it will be compatible with off the shelf controllers.

 

Controller for Bafang 250w hub drive | Pedelecs - Electric Bike Community

You'll need a new controller and probably higher discharge current battery. Luckily you have a bafang hub motor so it will be compatible with off the shelf controllers.

 

Controller for Bafang 250w hub drive | Pedelecs - Electric Bike Community

thank you so much... but I'm lost in the jargon. Will my local e-bike shop know what I'm/you're talking about??

EDIT: Disregard my posting, a later post indicates it is a direct drive so altering the gear ratio via the chain cogs is not here an option.

You don't necessarily need to increase the "power", but the torque at the driving wheel(s).

Its torque that does the "work", its power how fast the "work" gets done.

Increasing the torque might be more easily achieved with the existing motor by "simply" changing the gearing, that is one or both the cogs the chain engages with. All totally legal, and likely to be quite modest in costs.

Edit: any half bright local bike engineer will readily understand what this means and should be able to work out how they can help. The bike maker could well have their own gearing options.

Edited January 4, 20242 yr by Ocsid

A simple shunt mod might be all you need. It costs nothing. If you want to know more, show pictures of your motor controller.

A simple shunt mod might be all you need. It costs nothing. If you want to know more, show pictures of your motor controller.

is this it??

thank you so much... but I'm lost in the jargon. Will my local e-bike shop know what I'm/you're talking about??

Yes they will but I wouldn't get your hopes up. I can't see where the controller is currently located and it has hardwired lights. People have swapped out parts on prebuilt bikes before but each design is a new challenge, it depends what the bike shop find. The trike uses generic parts so that's a plus.

Yes they will but I wouldn't get your hopes up. I can't see where the controller is currently located and it has hardwired lights. People have swapped out parts on prebuilt bikes before but each design is a new challenge, it depends what the bike shop find. The trike uses generic parts so that's a plus.

is that the "controller" that I showed in the picture above?

is this it??

No that's the display unit. Controller could be hidden in the frame or in the hub motor if bafang have started doing in-built controllers, I'm not sure.

is it the thing on the wheel hub??

A simple shunt mod might be all you need. It costs nothing. If you want to know more, show pictures of your motor controller.

and how do I get a "simple shunt mod"??

someone posted this message.. but now it's not here... it looked like a pretty complicated procedure...

 

"O would recommend an XF07 front hub kit for your wife's trike. The kit comes with a throttle, making it easier to use for your wife. Https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits#xf07kit"

N point in doing that. The motor is not the problem.

N point in doing that. The motor is not the problem.

then how??

someone posted this message.. but now it's not here... it looked like a pretty complicated procedure...

 

"O would recommend an XF07 front hub kit for your wife's trike. The kit comes with a throttle, making it easier to use for your wife. Https://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits#xf07kit"

in the time I posted it and refreshed the page, you have already posted a picture of your wife's trike. I could see that your wife needs a throttle. I could do the modification for you if you were in Southend.

and how do I get a "simple shunt mod"??

Need to see the controller first. It's either in the frame behind the fold or in the base of the battery. It's where all the wires go. If it's in the frame, it'll be the aluminium box type, which should be easy to adjust. The ones in the battery base are harder because they're normally potted.

 

Shunt mod means add a blob of solder to the shunt to change its resistance. The controller measures the current by the voltage drop across it. When you change the resistance, the controller allows more current because it thinks it's delivering less than it is. We used to do this modification a lot. It's normally safe to increase current by 20% from 15A to 18A. 30% is probably the limit.

 

I'll explain more when you show the controller.

Need to see the controller first. It's either in the frame behind the fold or in the base of the battery. It's where all the wires go. If it's in the frame, it'll be the aluminium box type, which should be easy to adjust. The ones in the battery base are harder because they're normally potted.

 

Shunt mod means add a blob of solder to the shunt to change its resistance. The controller measures the current by the voltage drop across it. When you change the resistance, the controller allows more current because it thinks it's delivering less than it is. We used to do this modification a lot. It's normally safe to increase current by 20% from 15A to 18A. 30% is probably the limit.

 

I'll explain more when you show the controller.

 

Can you see the controller on the picture above?? I don't know what I'm looking for.

Can you see the controller on the picture above?? I don't know what I'm looking for.

You fold the bike, then look at the rear side of the fold. I'm only guessing, but it's probably behind a panel that you can unscrew. Take a photo if you're not sure.