GoldenMotor.com Forum
General Category => Magic Pie & Smart Pie Discussions => Topic started by: Garm@n on April 18, 2013, 07:49:31 PM
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Okay, it was a nice day, rain held off, I took my mp3 for a speed test. Bit of a failure, gps screen not visible due to bright sunlight. What I did notice is how hard the rear brake grabs when I apply it. I made a comparison with the front brake, like night and day. I feel this hard braking is the regenerative braking, but I am not sure, can anyone confirm this is what I am encountering? I don't have a usb cable to turn off this feature and test. I'm thinking this current setting for regen braking feels very dangerous as I feel my body aggressively propelling forward, also during slick or loose gravel road conditions would be a problem. Thanks
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All I can suggest is get the USB cable and play with it, my regen braking was set pretty low as a factory default probably because it was a front wheel, but I've cranked it up to 100% because being a trike it has a lot more weight over the front during breaking, I have read reports here of overbraking causing lockup on front wheels.
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Thanks OZ. Man, that seems like a huge waste of money to change the value of the regen brake setting, >:( and I'm not even sure if that's the problem. Also the other problem I see is I am a Mac user, and it looks as if this only works for windoze computers. Anyone around TO beaches want to plug their computer to my hub :) So Oz your certain that what I am going through is the regen braking system? Thanks
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Yup mine was also set to regenerative braking at factory default setting.
But I had a rear wheel motor...
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do you remember what it was set to? and did the wheel brake too hard. If 50% setting is deafult, do you think this is too high for smaller wheels?
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Nope I can't remember, because I have disabled it.
Braking at rear is not powerfull....so I didn't noticed a lot :)
Also I don't like this brake feature it can destroy your bike dropouts...
Or you have to install strong torque arms.
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I wonder if I remove the pads on my rear wheel would help. I don't think the default is not set properly, As I cant find users complaing the same as I am. I personally am not ready to buy a cable now and later pay for a battery and naile for shipping twice, especially to just disable the braking system. Do you if anyone has created their own (DIY) usb cable for the mp3?
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Even at 50% the regen will be very strong with your 16" wheel because the braking effect from regen will be ~63% stronger than a standard 26" wheel turning at the same wheel speed. As your 16" wheel needs to spin ~63% faster than a 26" wheel to achieve the same road speed, this will increases the comparative regen braking force even more. ;)
If you loosen the adjuster on the rear brake cable so that the lever has to pull closer to the handlebar before the pads actually clamp against the disc, you should be able to use regen without applying the mechanical disc brake simply by partially pulling the lever, but you will probably find that the regen is still far too much for typical continuous braking. Pulsing the brake on and off is the only way you can control the excessive regen effect without a USB cable.
Unplugging the brake switches would turn off regen completely, but this would also prevent the motor power from being cut off during braking, which is not something I would recommend for both safety and legal reasons.
Alan
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I wonder if I remove the pads on my rear wheel would help.
I would not unhook any regular mechanical brakes. If your battery kicks out you will have no brakes at all.
Gary
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From memory my 20" front wheel was set to something like 15-25% regen braking, possibly they set the default setting lower to compensate for smaller wheels and front or back. I only have to feather my front brake lever to activate the regen brakes and hardly use it hard enough for the front disk brake to activate at all. My rear brake lever isn't connected to the regen system as being a trike, it is a dual cable lever for both rear brakes with a parking brake lock, I'll eventually fit a sensor somehow.
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I noticed 1 cable does the regen braking and the other is a kill switch, true? If true I can swap the cabling I would move the rear brake line with the kill switch and the front break has the regen cabling or is it better to leave the regen braking disconnected. I would like to test this but I am away from my bike.
BTW if there is 1 kill switch, is this not dangerous without back up
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As both brake switches are connected to the controller by a single signal wire, operating either brake will instantly cut the power going to the motor and engage the regenerative braking, so swapping the brake switch cables over will not make any difference. :(
Alan
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When I arrived home I wanted to confirm the kill switch. It is only on 1 brake lever, not certain if regen braking is 1 or both levers, need testing. So your sayig the kill switch should be on both brake levers? should I be concerned as to why this is?
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I can't say about any others but on the Smart Pie both brake switches work only one wire to the controller, activating either does the same thing, it cuts the throttle and starts the regen braking at whatever level the motor is programmed to. I've traced all the wires myself, I'll copy it onto a spread sheet & post it one day as I had to trace every wire because I didn't use the standard wiring loom.
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Since it seemed odd that the motor cutoff is only working with 1 brake lever, I did another test. I took cable 1 and plugged to slot 4 and cable 4 into slot 1, then back to 1-1 and 4-4, only the right lever brake cuts off the motor. Am I right to assume the left cable on the lever is faulty or the port that plugs into it?
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From your description, it definitely sounds as if the wiring, plug or switch on your left hand brake lever is faulty.
If you had swapped the brake connectors over and the opposite lever then activated the regen, it would have been due to a fault inside the front harness multi-connector instead.
I'm now puzzled as to why you say it's your rear brake that's too powerful, as in my experience, most rear brakes are typically connected to the left hand lever, but perhaps yours is different?
As your left lever is faulty (assuming it's the one connected to your rear brake) you should only experience the strong regenerative braking force when the front brake is applied, and not when the rear brake is applied on its own.
Alan
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As I recall the left hand brake lever controls the rear brakes and the front is controlled by the right brake lever. I have another folding bike that has rear coaster brakes and the left hand lever brake is connected to the front brake. So I am not certain what the correct setup would be for lever braking systems.
I guess what your telling there are three maybe four possible problems...
1 the lever
2 brake cable
3 connecting ports
*4 motor controller (still a possibility?)
How do I test each, cable seems obvious, but the 2 or 3 other possibilities I would like to know any testing procedures. Or is it just best to drive over the Gary's house :)
Thanks Alan
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I can't say about any others but on the Smart Pie both brake switches work only one wire to the controller, activating either does the same thing, it cuts the throttle and starts the regen braking at whatever level the motor is programmed to. I've traced all the wires myself, I'll copy it onto a spread sheet & post it one day as I had to trace every wire because I didn't use the standard wiring loom.
I can confirm this. All on all kits the brake lever simply closes a switch that kills the motor and activates regen (if regen is enabled). Two levers are simply wired into the same circuit.
Gary
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Since it seemed odd that the motor cutoff is only working with 1 brake lever, I did another test. I took cable 1 and plugged to slot 4 and cable 4 into slot 1, then back to 1-1 and 4-4, only the right lever brake cuts off the motor. Am I right to assume the left cable on the lever is faulty or the port that plugs into it?
I'm assuming from this test both levers are mounted on the bike. If the left lever is unplugged and the right lever in 1 or 4 it cuts the motor it is working fine and the 8 pin wire harness and controller are fine. Then the opposite setup of right lever unplugged and the left plugged into either 1 or 4 and does not cut the motor then the lever is faulty or the pins in the plug are bent.
Gary
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Or is it just best to drive over the Gary's house :)
Please don't do that, my home is for my family, not for my business. No one in my family is interested in people dropping by from the internet.
Gary
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Thanks OZ. Man, that seems like a huge waste of money to change the value of the regen brake setting, >:( and I'm not even sure if that's the problem. Also the other problem I see is I am a Mac user, and it looks as if this only works for windoze computers. Anyone around TO beaches want to plug their computer to my hub :) So Oz your certain that what I am going through is the regen braking system? Thanks
You could just come to the next Meetup. If you let me know your coming I will bring my laptop and stab your pie with my USB cable. When can do several tests and I'm sure you can find a setting that is appropriate. I can bring a spare brake lever to and we can resolve that as well.
Gary
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Sorry for the tardy response, I Just got home, rode over a nail and had to walk my bicycle home the last 6km, then repair the tube :-[ As for the kill switch not working. It could be the lever or cable. I unthreaded the cable cap but unable to remove the cable from the lever to swap. Now, for the next meet up, it depends on the location I will try and make it and inform you. I'll post something if there is a update with the lever cable I am trying to remove
edit:
Just checked the pins. Both pins are fine. Now it's either the cable (continuity) or lever.
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The cable is soldered to the switch.
Yes you have to unthreaded the cable clamp.
And push the wire through the lever.
Now you will be able to remove switch cover.
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There is no need to take anything apart. If I am correct at reading how you tested it and there are no bent pins then it is the lever that is defective.
Gary
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Do I need to create a ticket, or do I need to do more testing?
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Sure create a support ticket and we will get it sorted.
http://www.goldenmotor.ca/FAQ/questions.php?questionid=24
Gary
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As for the bill of Sale I assume the email from GM confirming my purchase would suffice as a receipt?
BTW it's only the one broken lever brake and cable is to be shipped not the entire unit?
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Don't worry about any bill of sale. I'm not asking you to send me anything. Just create the support ticket and I'll send you a new brake lever. Anyway lets kindly take this to the ticket please.
Gary
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thank you
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Thanks GM and GS for the lever. The lever now cuts off the power, but it seems it's for the right handle, who cares it works. As a interesting note on my field test my bike hit a small bump and the motor cut out. I noticed the LED on the throttle was not lit. So I re-seated the power connectors but it still not working, checked voltage on battery with meter, measured 36V. My only suspicion was the new lever installed. Re-seated and the throttle light up again. Test ride went fine. Not sure what triggered the power failer. Any ideas?