GoldenMotor.com Forum
General Category => General Discussions => Topic started by: mike662 on May 23, 2010, 01:02:58 AM
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Ok so I don't know where my last message went, so here's my question. I've finally decided to buy the 48V 1000W hub kit from goldenmotor.ca but have a few questions before I purchase. First, is this motor reliable for those who have it already? Second, will my aluminum Costco bike support it? Here is a picture of it:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7LXRFDONhnU/S_h9hPTgQzI/AAAAAAAACZM/NteG6MWmdVU/s800/IMGP0517.JPG) (http://picasaweb.google.ca/mike662/Bike#5474263357066330930)
BTW it would have the rear wheel kit. Also, is this decently easy to install by just following the instructions, or do you need to have a pretty good technical background to get this working? I read through the instructions online and they don't seem complicated. Thanks in advance everyone!
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No. ::)
Sorry just kidding. :P
It looks awesome.
People say alloy frame can be a problem but I rode alloy with 27kg of lead acid and it was fine. The hub was a rear hub.
Some more important questions need to be asked.
What is your max rider weight of anyone who may ride this bike?
How fast do you want to go?
What are your ambition for this bike. Is it a town bike on flat roads? Or is going off road?
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As for the other stuff you asked.
The kit is easy to install.
You may want to hold out for the MP2 as the wheel is centred strong good for an aluminium frame.
MP2= very soon
20" MagicPie is under production now and will be available by end of May 2010. You need a special USB interface cable from us to program the controller. It supports reverse and other existing cruise controller functions.
The Magic Pie II. 20" cast rim.
(http://www.goldenmotor.com/e-Bike-DIY/20inch MagicPie.jpg)
Picture supplied by Yuan Yao (above)
(http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1919.0;attach=2114;image)
Image and design modifications by Who42 in GM forums.
Yes Who42 was kind enough to offer support to all future customers and GM has taken some great suggestions on-board from all the good members here to make what GM is calling the best all round Ebike hub motor ever to be made.. The Magic Pie 2
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One minor thing, get a better bike lock! I can break that thing off in 5 seconds..
Plus your going to invest over 500 into this bike your going to want to upgrade that lock....
Outside of that looks like your going to have a great time.
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Excactly what he said, get a ART sertified lock or atleast a lock that's heavy duty and can withstand alot!
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Steel is 3 times stronger than aluminium. It is also 3 times heavier.
Anything that weighs the same as a steel frame will do it.
Nobody usually hauls the weight I do on my GM.
Lets see.
On an alloy frame much weaker then the above and no rear shockies. I strap 27kgs of lead to the frame the . Then I place a approx 32kg child on the back rack with a pillow. Then I place a child 22kg on the front bar on a pillow strapped ontop of the SLAs. The I put a 5kg trailer onto my bike and a full grown adult of 57kg sits in the trailer.. I ride 16kms without any failure.
Lets see.
My alloy bike weighs 22kg
Lead acid pack. 27kg
GM hbs hub 5kgs
rack, rubber straps and what not 5kg
first child 37kgs
second child 22kg
Me 70kg.
Thats 166 kg with out the bike frame. and 188kg with frame
Trailer and passenger 63kgs.
Now we are up into the 250kg limit. Then ride this bike doing similar stuff around for over a year at speeds exceeding 40kph. Until I melt the poor 36v motor.
Proof of melted motor.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/soulelectronique/oct2009009.jpg)
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/soulelectronique/RTW.jpg)
My first 48v SLA build on an alloy frame. I took the crate off and fastened a pillow to the rack and rode 3 children to school and back.
(http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c251/soulelectronique/evpwraust.jpg)
My rear dropout. Rather small compared to some aluminium frames.
How is his frame going to break in 5 seconds?
Many people have problems with the drop outs with front hubs a alloy forks.
Providing your dropouts are nice and strong don't worry unless you are a very large person.
If anything you may need a stronger rear shock. Thats all and nothing more.
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Thanks for all the replies. So I guess I'll go ahead and get the 1000W kit. It seems that the older stuff breaks less than the MP. I'm 165lbs and I've been biking only few km trips that have small inclines but I can't be showing up all sweaty wherever I go so I need something fast. Also, my bike lock is 1/2" steel but I figured it could be easily broken if there is someone who has the tools. Where can I get a solid bike lock and what is the price of one?
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I would tell you to get a kryptonite, $50+ US
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/products/ProductDetail.aspx?cid=1001&scid=1000&pid=1100
Or get the one I got, each link in the chain is longer than my middle finger. (Dont get this unless your really worried lol):
https://www.kryptonitelock.com/OutletProducts/Products/ProductDetail.aspx?cid=1001&scid=1002&pid=1168
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Where can I buy such a lock in Toronto?
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Most Bike shops are going to have that brand I did a quick search and the guys below have what your looking for:
http://www.ucycle.com/products/accessories/kryptonite-evolution-mini (http://www.ucycle.com/products/accessories/kryptonite-evolution-mini)
180 John St.
Toronto | Ontario | Canada
M5T 1X5
416 979 9733
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I just have a few more questions sorry! Will the torque at full throttle mess up my bike since it's made of aluminum? Is it possible to to put a bigger gear on my wheel to go faster? My gear shifter is not the grip-shift style or the other older style. It's the kind where you use your thumb to push on the buttom to go up to a higher gear, and click with your index finger to go down a gear. This shifter is attached to the brake handles. Is it possible to attach these shifters to the brake handles on the GM controller? And finally, does anyone have a GM motor fitted bike in the Markham/Thornhill area that they could demo? I'd like to see the thing in real life before spending $1k on everything. Thanks for all the help so far everyone!
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How much weight do you plan on pulling?
If you're are worried about the torque on the aluminium dropouts you can make up a torque arm just to be 100% sure... Do your nuts up really tight but not so you pry your dropout appart,
The GM axle is thicker than a normal axle and it has machined flat edge on opposite sides so it fits snug into your dropouts. This also avoids axle spin and bird nesting your wires,
Interesting story about aluminium dropouts
Some "nice" person tampered with my ride when my wife was out doing some shopping at night. . The loosened all four axle nuts front and rear, undone the handle bars and unbolted one brake calliper hinge allen bolt until almost falling out. Packed a trialer full of stuff and rode it some distance.
She called me up on the mobile telling me there was something seriously up with the bike after she left outside the mall. The rear hub in an aluminium dropout survived all this without a hitch. A feat no one would normally tempt.
I think your dropouts should be fine. The shifter will do fine as long as it is a shifter that can do the your gears and not a hub gear.
If your install goes well you will be elated with the MP regardless of it costing you 1k. cross fingers. Gm are good on replacements if your hub doesnt work as expected but there is a due process to fault finding before you can get returns which some find frustrating.
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Sounds good. I'm not putting any weight on it except my 170lb self, so all should be good hopefully. Now I just need to wait to see one of these in real life and for the canadian dollar to go up a little!
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I am 265lbs an I get up to 25~30 mph with little effort, I still understand your concern it is a lot of cash.
Can you go to a bike shop and demo a bike there? It will most likely be 250w but at least you can get a idea... A 1000w bike kicks ass.
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I got a demo from Gary from goldenmotor.ca yesterday. Review can be found here: http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=2206.0
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Hi everyone, I'm back! So it's been 3 weeks today since I ordered my kit and it finally arrived in Canada just after midnight. Now I'm getting really excited! I ordered a torque arm off ebay (http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310220047394&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_1152wt_911) and after waiting two weeks for it, I emailed them and they said they haven't shipped it yet and are awaiting it to come from a factory! Now it's almost been three weeks and they still haven't shipped it, so I do not recommend buying from them. I did, however, take a look into myelectricbike's idea (http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=45.msg401#msg401) and found that taking an adjustable pipe wrench and adjusting it to the size of the axle would work fine on my bike as my rear frame would line up perfectly with the wrench. I just hope the wrench isn't too thick and I'll probably end up replacing it with the ebay torque arm once I get it for aesthetic purposes. I'll keep you guys updated once I get the package and start building. I'll take some pictures and videos along the way too if anyone wants. Fingers crossed that all goes well!
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I did, however, take a look into myelectricbike's idea (http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?topic=45.msg401#msg401) and found that taking an adjustable pipe wrench and adjusting it to the size of the axle would work fine on my bike as my rear frame would line up perfectly with the wrench. I just hope the wrench isn't too thick and I'll probably end up replacing it with the ebay torque arm once I get it for aesthetic purposes. .
Make sure you have enough thread over your wheel axel, it must be completely on or else it will pop off and possibly damage the nut or you axel.
If you feel your wrench adds too much width at the dropouts, bench grind it down until the width is acceptabe, I know your excited but make sure you have everything 100% perfect.
Adjust your derailer so it cant rub against the hub and make sure your tires are pumped up well.
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I know being excited can make a person rush but I will be sure to do everything up to 100%. I wouldn't want to have to wait another month to get stuff reshipped in case I break something. I don't have access to a grinder so I might have to use a non-adjustable wrench or something thinner than an adjustable one to make things fit.
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I used a Combination wrench (aka combination spanner), similar to this one:
(http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/6580/35413g.th.jpg) (http://img716.imageshack.us/i/35413g.jpg/)
The guys who built my bike bend it in the right shape and the ring is ideal to fix it to the fork with a strip of metal and a bolt (and a piece of old inner tube to keep it from scratching the paint).
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Hi everyone, so I finally got my package on the 23rd and got straight to work on it. First problem was the inner tube valve being short, so I went to Canadian Tire and got some valve extensions which did the trick. The biggest problem I've had and still can't rectify is that the wheel is very hard to turn once the bolts are tightened up. At first the wheel wouldn't spin at all, but after taking it off and putting it back on a few times its a little looser now and it's possible to pedal. I looked for some help on here http://goldenmotor.com/SMF/index.php?PHPSESSID=a83d8b8990d274d6a230aef43fe38c22&topic=1790.0 and I really couldn't do much as I was not able to even take the gear cluster off the hub. It was suggested that the wheel stiffness may be coming from the gear cluster binding with the hub so I should put a shimmy between the two. Anyone know where I can get a proper shimmy? I looked at Canadian Tire and Home Depot and couldn't find anything. Even if I find something I can't get the gear cluster off even after using a long wrench and trying to get it loose by hitting the wrench with a hammer. I just don't understand why the gear would bind to the hub if the hub is from GM and the gear is from GM too. Shouldn't the parts fit properly? Later on I finally got everything hooked up and the wheel spins, but stops instantly after power is no longer applied due to the excessive friction that is occurring somewhere. When I tried to ride the bike, there is an insanely loud squeaking noise coming from the hub, so bad my ears were ringing for a while after I ran the motor. Could it be from whatever is causing the excessive friction (gear cluster binding to hub?). I've attached some pictures if anyone can tell me.
Also, just wanting to make sure, if the wheel spins counter-clockwise then the axle would spin clockwise and I should have the torque arm set up to take mostly clockwise movement, right? Thanks!
Pictures (it's a link because I can host them in higher definition on google): http://picasaweb.google.com/mike662/Ebike#
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Mike,
Is there any sign of binding on the sprocket side of the freewheel when you turn the pedals backwards, or does it just ratchet normally?
Does it run true, or is it possible that it may have been cross threaded and has not screwed on correctly?
It almost looks as if the freewheel is slightly too wide, and its centre part (the fixed part which is threaded to the hub) is rubbing against the inside washer on the axle. (see attachment below)
If you can slide a piece of paper in between the freewheel and the washer and turn the wheel without damaging the paper, then it should be ok, if you can't, it doesn't have enough clearance.
It may be necessary to put a washer with a smaller outside diameter between the axle and the existing washer. It probably won't have to be very thick to make the slight difference required, but it must be small enough to fit inside the centre of the freewheel.
You might have to file out the centre of a smaller washer to the correct shape to fit over the axle, or possibly cut a small piece of steel tube to use as a spacer instead of the extra washer.
As far as the torque direction is concerned, you may find more torque is generated in a counter-clockwise direction by the regenerative braking than the clockwise torque from the motor under full load.
The torque arm must be able to resist the torque in both directions!
Alan
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Ah thank you Bikemad, this solution makes much more sense to me! I can move the pedals backwards no problem, so that is why the freewheel-binding-against-the-hub idea wasn't making much sense to me. This is why I was asking about the spacer tube before because I thought if it was a little longer it might fix the problem. I will give this new idea a shot in about an hour or so and if that does not work I'll take it down to a bike shop.
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So I found the problem. Looks like the washer that GM included is too large or the spacer tube is too short. Either way, the part of the gear cluster that is affixed to the hub was grinding against the washer, hence the hard-turning wheel and the ear-piercing squealing coming from the hub when it was turned. I can't find any washer that will fit just right so I'll try to grind this one down a little or go to the bike shop and see if they have anything. Maybe I'll pick up a 3-speed gear cluster too. Here is a picture of the grinded washer:(http://lh3.ggpht.com/_7LXRFDONhnU/TCY7qd5Tj-I/AAAAAAAACfQ/jYCnPN_xHqA/s640/IMG_1776.JPG)
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For simplicity's sake I used a single speed gear (intended for BMX bikes) instead of a gear cluster because I had clearance issue's. Pedaling without the motor on is HARD work for anything but the shortest trip's. I rarely use anything but the lowest gear for starting off and then apply power. I can't imagine you would use your bike from now on without power to the motor, it's just not enjoyable trying to push that much dead weight around... Good call on the torque arm's, just remember to check brakes, tire pressure, etc on your bike on a regular basis. Your brakes will also wear down faster, even with regen I went through a set of pad's pretty quick so you might want to keep a spare pair around. Lastly you might want to switch to "slime" intertube's. This has saved me from pushing my bike home after getting flat's atleast 3 time's in the last year. Have fun!
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Hello there
It is my first post in this site and I am not sure how to get around it , but I wanted to write to get an opinion of a techie as I value knowledge like a plus in life.
This is my e-bike and about one month ago I asked to have my brushless motor to be replaced being under warranty.
I complained rightfully that I did not have enough torque compare to other same models e-bike , I could hold easily the bike from going forward with my legs, not even being able to climb a little hill.
In the other hand that bike was flying at about 40-45 km/hour leaving most of e-bikes behind, the torque was the problem.
The company installed a new brushless motor, same one , I could see the difference in torque but to my disappointment I have lost speed now going the same speed as others around 30km/hour.
I tried to get back the old one to see what was the difference but the old motor was shipped back to the company.
I am trying to understand the technical reasons for that, gain in torque and loss of speed, before loss of torque but higher speed, somebody has an answer ?
question:
Is there a way I could get my e-bike going faster as before, it is a 350w with 48 volts battery.
I measure the voltage going to the brushless motor and I only get 33-35v, as I believe it may have been higher(http://[img])[/img] before.
I there a way to change settings on the throttle so it can increase the voltage going to the brushless motor.
Any answer would be appreciated.
Thank you
charles
No. ::)
Sorry just kidding. :P
It looks awesome.
People say alloy frame can be a problem but I rode alloy with 27kg of lead acid and it was fine. The hub was a rear hub.
Some more important questions need to be asked.
What is your max rider weight of anyone who may ride this bike?
How fast do you want to go?
What are your ambition for this bike. Is it a town bike on flat roads? Or is going off road?
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I measure the voltage going to the brushless motor and I only get 33-35v...
I there a way to change settings on the throttle so it can increase the voltage going to the brushless motor.
Hi Bike Lover,
Firstly, welcome to the forum!
May I ask what controller are you using on your shiny beast?
Great ride, I also would like to know how many girls fit on the back as I am tipping it's lots! I like that ;)
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Hello
I have the original controller in my home so I can read the info.
The brand of the controller is written in chinese.
I can read :
48V ERT-WZKC4815D-B
15+-1A R-CH091-1
42+-1V
2009.08
at the bottom right 022-28752071.
This is the original one, I asked the manufacturer to replace it with a 20A thinking I could get more speed and gosh the torque is great, can easily pull a car, no kidding, but I feel the speed is the same, so I am disappointed, no 40-45km/h as before.
About your question my wife and daughter can squeeze in the back, they are also small in size.
Any clues how to make it go faster?
charles
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G'day Bike Lover,
Are you sure they replaced the motor with the same type. On the outside it may look the same but how the coils have been wound may be different. The first one may have been wound for more speed, less torque. The one you have now may be wound for more torque, less speed. See the following for info on differences in windings on hub motors: http://www.ebikes.ca/hubmotors.shtml (http://www.ebikes.ca/hubmotors.shtml)
Also changing the controller to a higher amp one, as you have, will only increase torque, not speed. You see increasing current increases torque. To increase speed, you have to increase the voltage. If you want more speed, you may have to change your battery to a higher voltage one, or add a battery or series to what you've already got.
muzza.au
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So I found the problem. Looks like the washer that GM included is too large or the spacer tube is too short. Either way, the part of the gear cluster that is affixed to the hub was grinding against the washer, hence the hard-turning wheel and the ear-piercing squealing coming from the hub when it was turned. I can't find any washer that will fit just right so I'll try to grind this one down a little or go to the bike shop and see if they have anything. Maybe I'll pick up a 3-speed gear cluster too. Here is a picture of the grinded washer:
(http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/galleryfiles/365/xternalmikeadpaters.gif)
An XLR three pin plug jacks the type used on a microphone, if they are long enough, can be pulled apart and manipulated to work as the spacer tube. I missed place one of mine and used and XLR, When I found the spacer tube they were almost identical in size. . Maybe you could use one as an extender on the old one?
You can get them at a musical instrument store.
Maybe Gary will have a solution and help you out here.
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question:
Is there a way I could get my e-bike going faster as before, it is a 350w with 48 volts battery.
I measure the voltage going to the brushless motor and I only get 33-35v, as I believe it may have been higher before.
I there a way to change settings on the throttle so it can increase the voltage going to the brushless motor.
Any answer would be appreciated.
Thank you
charles
Your voltage is severly lacking if it is a 48v battery.
The pack voltage and controller output voltage should be no different regardless of your throttle because the controller only limits the 48v in pulse width not pulse ampitude.
It depends how you are testing the voltage. Have you tested the battery voltage? Its hard to get the voltage tested with a multi meter on the controller output as a multimeter is not good at DC pulses . Well my meter freaks out with PWM.
I soon am going to purchase a hand held ocilliscope for cheap to measure PWM under 1mhz. Maybe this is not fast enough but I assume that the PWM is under 1mhz on most controllers.
(http://www.goodluckbuy.com/images/detailed_images2/image/20100514171642_ourdev_533429.JPG)
http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ARM-DSO-Nano-Pocket-Sized-Digital-Oscilloscope-2-8-/270548972022?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Security_Equipment&hash=item3efdf9b1f6 (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ARM-DSO-Nano-Pocket-Sized-Digital-Oscilloscope-2-8-/270548972022?cmd=ViewItem&pt=AU_Security_Equipment&hash=item3efdf9b1f6)
Things to check.
Is your battery charging?
Are your battery connections good and strong and allows lots current to the controller?
It sounds like a flat battery to me. But I have been wrong before..
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Mike.
Make a new spacer tube out of some good thick steal pipe. Find a recycle steal yard and take your spacer tube with you and ask them to cut you a longer one.
A cheap flat steel file will make it smooth and perfect. 8)
A couple of dollars for the time they take should cover this.
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Make sure the thickness matches your spacer tube as close as you can. Maybe it should be rust resistant like the GM spacer tube too. Galvenized steel I think!.
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Hello I am not sure how to reply to some of you since I do not see the reply button for each of the answers given to me.
The battery voltage is around 53 and it is only 6 months old.
When I connect my digital multimeter, I have to put on AC not on DC to get a proper reading of around
33V in full throttle measuring either 2 of the 3 wires going to the brushless motor.
Is the voltage going on the motor AC or DC sometimes I am confused.
I thought about putting 60V going to the controller but since I think the power to my lighting systems is around 6V, increasing the voltage of the battery to increase speed will not burn my electronic componants?
I also read that my windings might overheat and melt down, leaving me with no bikes at all.
To check the winding , I am not able to do it that easily, since my previous brushless motor went back to the factory and it is hard for me to convince my dealer to dismantle brand new motor having around 12 little allen bolts to just check the windings.
(My lighting, flashers, alarm system, cruise control seems to be connected to the controller.
My charging system seems to work right, I am checking my charging light and when I am cruising it comes on if I do not draw too much power from it.
If I put 60V putting another battery in series, will my controller fry since it is a 48 v controller. I could easily buy another one for 14 bucks but I am trying to avoid to be stuck with a dead controller, having to go far away to get another one.
I do not have a schematic for putting another battery in series but I also wonder how can I charge 60v when my charger gives only 48v?
I am thrilled to have people liking e-bike sharing their knowledge in the web, so I am not the only one, thanks to all.
Thank you for the ones that take the time to write me, you know who you are, thank you for your answers.
I am eager to receive them, my e-bike is one of my babies , and if I can make it unique and better, I am happy with this.
I wait for your answers if you have one.
charles
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Hello I am not sure how to reply to some of you since I do not see the reply button for each of the answers given to me.
The battery voltage is around 53 and it is only 6 months old.
When I connect my digital multimeter, I have to put on AC not on DC to get a proper reading of around
33V in full throttle measuring either 2 of the 3 wires going to the brushless motor.
Is the voltage going on the motor AC or DC sometimes I am confused.
I thought about putting 60V going to the controller but since I think the power to my lighting systems is around 6V, increasing the voltage of the battery to increase speed will not burn my electronic componants?
I also read that my windings might overheat and melt down, leaving me with no bikes at all.
To check the winding , I am not able to do it that easily, since my previous brushless motor went back to the factory and it is hard for me to convince my dealer to dismantle brand new motor having around 12 little allen bolts to just check the windings.
(My lighting, flashers, alarm system, cruise control seems to be connected to the controller.
My charging system seems to work right, I am checking my charging light and when I am cruising it comes on if I do not draw too much power from it.
If I put 60V putting another battery in series, will my controller fry since it is a 48 v controller. I could easily buy another one for 14 bucks but I am trying to avoid to be stuck with a dead controller, having to go far away to get another one.
I do not have a schematic for putting another battery in series but I also wonder how can I charge 60v when my charger gives only 48v?
I am thrilled to have people liking e-bike sharing their knowledge in the web, so I am not the only one, thanks to all.
Thank you for the ones that take the time to write me, you know who you are, thank you for your answers.
I am eager to receive them, my e-bike is one of my babies , and if I can make it unique and better, I am happy with this.
I wait for your answers if you have one.
charles
33v DC pulse with an AC meter = 66v DC. You maybe getting some feedback from the coils swtiching and AC sinusoidal equasions in the meter is not correct for DC pulse with no AC centre 0v, I believe, but I am no AC expert.
Um you need to contact the manufacturer for this problem. do not do unusual testing if youre not sure what youre doing. Seems they made your bike weak in torque.
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Ok so I've been gone for a little while but my ebike is complete (mostly). I still need to attach one more torque arm just so I feel safer but so far the bike is going good. Without really trying I hit 52km/h once but don't want to do that again or for too long until I get another torque arm installed. I am still very disappointed that GM sent me original parts that should fit but did not and that caused me a great deal of trouble. I had to make multiple trips to bikes shops, spent many hours trying to grind things down, and eventually grinded down a washer that I bought from Home Depot to fit on the axle between the provided washers and the freewheel. My gear shifters don't come off of the old brakes so I can't figure out how to take the handles off so for now they are still there but inoperative. Eventually I'll cut them off once I get a proper metal saw. Here is a pic:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7LXRFDONhnU/TDkUdeGCNgI/AAAAAAAAClc/Ew1kA8-1iNE/s912/IMGP0689.JPG)
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Nice job!
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Looks like a nice bike!
On torque arms: Upon first installing my Pie in some tiny aluminum dropouts, I had an "incident" after riding the bike ~100m. After getting off to assess the damage, the Pie had twisted inside of the dropouts and bent them open. When it happened, I was up to cruise speed, not applying much torque. I fully understand the term "bird's nest", and my repair job on these wires now resembles a "hot dog". I use the story now with bystandars as a testement to the raw, awesome power that is the Pie.
Mmmm.... Hot Dog Pie...
Anywhoo, instead of buying torque arms (I'm impatient at times), I picked up a pair of hardened steel brackets from Home Depot; the type used on Unistrut shelving (flat, three holes). Using a Dremel tool with a carbide bit, I carved out slots to match the width of the flat sides of the Pie axel. As a by-product, I had metal shavings embedded in the skin of my hands for 4-6 weeks afterwords. Ask the n00b: Never forget personal protective equipment! Painted the brackets and installed them using hose clamps on the torque end (I see you took a similar route). Only issue was undoing it all when I got a flat... YES, use slime tubes.
Una pregunta... will the Pie take a Shrader (sp?) valve? I've been running on Prestas, but Slime makes an ultra-thick tube with Shray-der valves only. I'll bore out the holes if I have to, but I figure it's free to ask first.
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So I found the problem. Looks like the washer that GM included is too large or the spacer tube is too short. Either way, the part of the gear cluster that is affixed to the hub was grinding against the washer, hence the hard-turning wheel and the ear-piercing squealing coming from the hub when it was turned. I can't find any washer that will fit just right so I'll try to grind this one down a little or go to the bike shop and see if they have anything. Maybe I'll pick up a 3-speed gear cluster too. Here is a picture of the grinded washer:
(http://edcommunity.apple.com/ali/galleryfiles/365/xternalmikeadpaters.gif)
An XLR three pin plug jacks the type used on a microphone, if they are long enough, can be pulled apart and manipulated to work as the spacer tube. I missed place one of mine and used and XLR, When I found the spacer tube they were almost identical in size. . Maybe you could use one as an extender on the old one?
You can get them at a musical instrument store.
Maybe Gary will have a solution and help you out here.
I found it hillarious to see XLR jacks being used as a standard in E-Scooter charger connections. So hillarious, in fact, that I installed an XLR jack for overnight-charging of my own E-Bike batteries.
http://www.electricscooterparts.com/36vchargers.html (http://www.electricscooterparts.com/36vchargers.html)
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Ok so I've been gone for a little while but my ebike is complete (mostly). I still need to attach one more torque arm just so I feel safer but so far the bike is going good. Without really trying I hit 52km/h once but don't want to do that again or for too long until I get another torque arm installed. I am still very disappointed that GM sent me original parts that should fit but did not and that caused me a great deal of trouble. I had to make multiple trips to bikes shops, spent many hours trying to grind things down, and eventually grinded down a washer that I bought from Home Depot to fit on the axle between the provided washers and the freewheel. My gear shifters don't come off of the old brakes so I can't figure out how to take the handles off so for now they are still there but inoperative. Eventually I'll cut them off once I get a proper metal saw. Here is a pic:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7LXRFDONhnU/TDkUdeGCNgI/AAAAAAAAClc/Ew1kA8-1iNE/s912/IMGP0689.JPG)
Good solution.
I bought a single lever shifter and put it up on the bars. and just used one brake switch on the throttle side, its hard to brake and throttle with the same hand at the same time as sometimes full the throttle release is impeded by your thumb, have the switch on the throttle side, so you don't get caught doing both.
The rack is looking pretty cool.
Have you taken it for a spin yet?
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Ok so I've been gone for a little while but my ebike is complete (mostly). I still need to attach one more torque arm just so I feel safer but so far the bike is going good. Without really trying I hit 52km/h once but don't want to do that again or for too long until I get another torque arm installed. I am still very disappointed that GM sent me original parts that should fit but did not and that caused me a great deal of trouble. I had to make multiple trips to bikes shops, spent many hours trying to grind things down, and eventually grinded down a washer that I bought from Home Depot to fit on the axle between the provided washers and the freewheel. My gear shifters don't come off of the old brakes so I can't figure out how to take the handles off so for now they are still there but inoperative. Eventually I'll cut them off once I get a proper metal saw. Here is a pic:
(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7LXRFDONhnU/TDkUdeGCNgI/AAAAAAAAClc/Ew1kA8-1iNE/s912/IMGP0689.JPG)
Hi Mike
Sorry to say I am reading of your troubles a little late in the game. You should have contacted me directly. I found some lock washers at home depot that solve this problem. I could have sent you a few. I will try to find a picture and part number for them to help out others that have this problem in the future. The problem comes from the cylinder inside the freewheel. they have one size only and it fits the 500w motors no problem. But on some ( not all ) of the wider 1000w motors the cylinder is not long enough. I must have had a brain fart and not warned you of this problem before it happined. I am sorry for that. I try to keep up with the forum but some of the posts are so complex they make my head spin and I need sleep before I can continue ??? Are you still having this problem?
Also about the shifters and brakes in one unit, go to a local bike shop and pickup a new set of shifters that don't have the brake levers built in to them. They are surprizingly cheap and fit well with the GM levers. I had to do this on the bike I let you test drive, it had the same problem. I cut off the levers but then decided it looked like crap and bought a new set.
Gary
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Hi Mike
Sorry to say I am reading of your troubles a little late in the game. You should have contacted me directly. I found some lock washers at home depot that solve this problem. I could have sent you a few. I will try to find a picture and part number for them to help out others that have this problem in the future. The problem comes from the cylinder inside the freewheel. they have one size only and it fits the 500w motors no problem. But on some ( not all ) of the wider 1000w motors the cylinder is not long enough. I must have had a brain fart and not warned you of this problem before it happined. I am sorry for that. I try to keep up with the forum but some of the posts are so complex they make my head spin and I need sleep before I can continue ??? Are you still having this problem?
Also about the shifters and brakes in one unit, go to a local bike shop and pickup a new set of shifters that don't have the brake levers built in to them. They are surprizingly cheap and fit well with the GM levers. I had to do this on the bike I let you test drive, it had the same problem. I cut off the levers but then decided it looked like crap and bought a new set.
Gary
Thanks for the reply Gary. I'm not having any more problems with it now so all is good but I'll be doing some tune-ups along the way when I have time. I've been in Poland for the last week and still am so I haven't had access to the forum lately.
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Good solution.
I bought a single lever shifter and put it up on the bars. and just used one brake switch on the throttle side, its hard to brake and throttle with the same hand at the same time as sometimes full the throttle release is impeded by your thumb, have the switch on the throttle side, so you don't get caught doing both.
The rack is looking pretty cool.
Have you taken it for a spin yet?
Yup, the 52 km/h I did was while riding the bike. It was the reading I got off my GPS and not the speedometer on the bike at a standstill. I was riding it for a week before I went overseas and it was holding up great. I just wish the offset rear wheel wasn't so offset because I can't get my rear brakes working and I decided that I don't want to use regen as it could put some pretty bad back-and-forth strain on my dropouts.