Author Topic: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?  (Read 13058 times)

Offline Snookoo

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converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« on: October 03, 2008, 10:59:22 AM »
Hi there,
I plan to convert a 26" Mountainbike! I'm not yet sure which combination of motor & battery (lifepo4) to pick.
What's the best compromise in speed, power, range and weight?
Btw I want to keep on pedaling all time and just want to be assisted.
I plan to mount a carrier front and back and ocasionally carry some decent load.
I weigh about 150 lbs.

What would you pick?

500w kit 
1000w kit 

   
36V 15Ah  10lbs
36V 20Ah  16lbs
48V 12Ah  13lbs
48V 20Ah  22lbs

thanks for any suggestion!
greetings
nicolai




Offline Leslie

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #1 on: October 03, 2008, 12:17:36 PM »
variable.

Hilly area 1000 watts,
Flat area and need mileage 500watrs


48V 20Ah  22lbs
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 12:30:20 PM by 317537 »

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Offline Snookoo

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #2 on: October 03, 2008, 03:51:23 PM »
48V 20Ah, I see.

Whenever I'll leave the bike I'll want to take the battery with me so it won't get stolen...
22 lbs = 10 kg is a bit heavy for that I think.

I might go with a 500W and a 48V 12Ah (or maybe 48V 15Ah) ....

I wouldn't dare leaving the 48V 20Ah battery on the bike unless I had a good cover or lockable battery case, but I don't know where to get such....

well thanks so far!

Offline Leslie

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #3 on: October 03, 2008, 05:13:20 PM »
48V 20Ah, I see.

Whenever I'll leave the bike I'll want to take the battery with me so it won't get stolen...
22 lbs = 10 kg is a bit heavy for that I think.

I might go with a 500W and a 48V 12Ah



I use a formula when calculating batteries I just add up the amp hours on each cell regardless of the over all voltage and call them distance ah (dh not real hours BTW)..  All though this is not PC it works perfectly easy when chosing. 

The more cells, the faster you, the further you go in the time, the more distance hours,

The more amp hours, the longer you travel, the more distance hours.

Apples and oranges...

Its only relative to the same chemistry types. 

Like compare my ah SLA's, even calculated per battery works a charm,  rated at 36v (3x 18ah) SLA batteries at 18 ah = 54 distance housr compared to 48v (4X12 ah) 48 distance hours.  I estimated wind resistance would play a big factor and the fact that the bigger batteries handle the discharge rate way better so the 36v with the larger size make it woth while,

I feel the bigger lifepo4 even though so much different to SLA's the amp hours x by the cell number works and the bigger batteries would handle discharge better too..

Those Lifepo battries are like gold and yes if people knew what are to begin with, will steal them fast.

BTW I know little about lifepo4s because I don't own them,  Id still buy the bigger ones and lock them on the bike so no one ever can remove them at all..
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 05:27:13 PM by 317537 »

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Offline Leslie

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #4 on: October 03, 2008, 05:16:44 PM »
Yes 48 volt 12 ah have better distance hours than 36v 15 ah.

Good choice... :D

But for an xtra 3lbs 36v@20ah I think you will go a lot further
« Last Edit: October 03, 2008, 05:19:22 PM by 317537 »

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Offline Spacelander 1946

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #5 on: October 03, 2008, 09:11:38 PM »
More Volts for more speed....

More Amps for more torque & distance.....

Easy

PS I would go for the 1000W + 48V 12AH combination....Zoom Zoom!
« Last Edit: October 04, 2008, 04:22:12 AM by Spacelander 1946 »
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Offline shakkan

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #6 on: October 03, 2008, 11:36:08 PM »
i got a ping battery 36v-16amp. I should have got the next size up but couldnt really aford it. get the biggest that your money will allow,dont buy cheap stuff

Offline muzza.au

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #7 on: October 04, 2008, 12:11:37 AM »
Whenever I'll leave the bike I'll want to take the battery with me so it won't get stolen...
22 lbs = 10 kg is a bit heavy for that I think.

I might go with a 500W and a 48V 12Ah (or maybe 48V 15Ah) ....

I wouldn't dare leaving the 48V 20Ah battery on the bike unless I had a good cover or lockable battery case, but I don't know where to get such....

well thanks so far!
G'day Snookoo,

I lock my bike up at the train station every day and I had thought about taking the battery with me every day, but carrying the approx 6kilos around in addition to my backpack didn't appeal, so I built a cage for my battery.

You could build your own "battery cage" like I did. See the thread http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=348.msg3410#msg3410 for pictures of it.

I used metal brackets meant for house building that I got from the local hardware store and cut them to size and riveted them together and mounted onto a pack rack, then spray painted black. I slide the battery into it and then close the end flap and padlock it up. I also wrap a cable lock around it and through the pack rack and wheel.

Muzza

Offline Snookoo

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #8 on: October 04, 2008, 02:57:26 AM »
thanks for your input everybody.
I just seen the 48V 20A is so expensive, so I'll probably go for a 48V 12Ah.
I just will have to recharge more often, but that's ok isn't it.

With a 48V 12Ah battery, the 500W version will get me more far than the 1000W, won't it?
I feel like the 1000W version should be combined with a 48V 20Ah to make sense....

Yes, I might build s.th. like that battery cage, it's a great idea. Riveting it is good! Just need to get the tools for riveting (just rivets and a hammer that is I think)

greetings

PS: nicobie don't talk like that about my man 317537  :-[

Offline Spacelander 1946

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #9 on: October 04, 2008, 04:30:45 AM »
Dont forget.... If you are going to use 48V battery pack on the GM500W kit you will fry the controller.....replace with a GM1000W controller or best buy the complete kit, no extra recharging required, OK......Cheers & good luck.
« Last Edit: October 04, 2008, 04:38:39 AM by Spacelander 1946 »
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Offline muzza.au

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #10 on: October 04, 2008, 07:55:16 AM »
Quote
Yes, I might build s.th. like that battery cage, it's a great idea. Riveting it is good! Just need to get the tools for riveting (just rivets and a hammer that is I think)
No you need a pop rivet gun:


to go with the pop rivets or aluminium blind rivets:


Muzza.au

Offline Snookoo

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #11 on: October 04, 2008, 09:48:30 PM »
Gutdammit I'll get the 1000W version and a 48V 20Ah battery :)

Ah a pop rivet gun, I see...

btw: I just wrote an email to goldenmotor about the rim quality problems I read about in this forum. Yao replied that since 3 months they have upgraded their wheels to double wall rims! So that downside is out the way! :) :)

now i'll get me a used 26" mtb from ebay......

thanks everybody for your help




Offline biohazardman

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #12 on: October 05, 2008, 05:53:21 AM »
I agree with the better part of them here.  48v for hills once you have it you will never want to be involved with the 36v again.  Had I known what I know now I would have gone straight to 48 and saved a good amount of money. Get the best battery you can afford it will likely be the most expensive part of the project and you don't want to do it twice. Foxpower makes some pretty good batteries and the last ones I bought arrived in less than a week.

http://www.foxxpower.com/  You can buy them off of e-bay also.  A bit better than most of the Chinese Lifepo4s at near the same price.   Nice hard case batteries and charger also.  I have been running a 36v for 1200 miles with no problems at all. 

Offline Leslie

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #13 on: October 05, 2008, 10:21:39 AM »
Gutdammit I'll get the 1000W version and a 48V 20Ah battery :)

thanks everybody for your help


The wife says size does count. :P  lol

I hope they are great for you.

Lett us know how you go..

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Offline Mel in HI

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Re: converting 26" MTB - what motor & battery would you choose?
« Reply #14 on: October 06, 2008, 10:49:16 PM »
Don't pay much attention to the poster that goes by 317537. He is obviously a clone with an agenda. Most likely a GM lackey.

Actually don't pay much attention to nicobie, a name I don't recognise as giving much help.  Smeee aka Leslie (317537 upside down) may be hard to understand at times (probably being that he is talking upside down all the time hehe), but at least he tries to help and he has basically brought this board back from the dead as hardly anyone was posting for a while.  Now I hardly post, but attacking someone who is helping doesn't help people who want it.