Author Topic: Pedal assist function with Magic Controller does not work the way I prefer  (Read 5501 times)

Offline liared

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Helge wrote:
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The pedelec sensor makes the motor go full power as long as you are pedaling, this is not a good solution. You are better off using the thumb throttle and then gradually reducing the throttle when going up-hill. I only fitted the pedelec to make the bike legal, but I never use it. Unfortunately the design of the pedelec circuit makes it very hard to use.

Thanks for your input Helge.
I think I have found another good practical solution to the "full throttle" phenomena when using pedal assist on my current direct drive 250 Watt front hubmotor.
I have a 7 gear Shimano internally geared hub for the back wheel. I have exchanged the original 20 cog sprocket with a 16 cog sprocket in the rear wheel.
By choosing the appropriate gear (1 to 7) I can always maintain an even balance between pedal force and motor assist.
Or expressed differently - I can use and maintain (all the time) my preferred pedaling force independently of speed or road slope.
If I choose to use less pedal force as compared to motor force for a while I can maintain that by shifting gears to maintain this ratio (pedal assist force/motor force).
Same thing is valid if I choose to have a period of more exercise = maintained harder pedal force for a chosen period in relation to motor assist force.
The combination of 7 gears and reduced number of sprockets on the back wheel makes this possible.
Now and then I like to rest a while from pedaling, for instance when riding down a slop - I then just stop pedaling letting the bike run by itself for a while. Stop pedaling for a while is also my way of reducing speed when that is appropriate with regard to the traffic situation.
I almost always peddle letting my motor assist me as I choose - I like the exercise component as well as the feeling of riding a bicycle instead of riding a moped.
I commute 36 kilometers (roundtrip) every workday, also in winter season and the pedaling keeps me warm even on a cold Swedish winter day without me feeling exhausted or being drenched from sweat when I arrive at home and at work.

The above description about how I used the pedal assist function was based on how it worked on an e-bike I had before -a 24V 250W direct drive hubmotor where the pedal assist function responded immediately (full power) when turning the pedals and also stopped immediately when not moving pedals.
A combination of 7 gears on the back wheel and reduced number of sprockets and “fine tuning” forward speed by now and then starting and stopping pedaling gave me a feel/illusion/experience of cycling almost “normally” – nice cycling exercise at self chosen speed but an exercise with a comfortable motor assist.
After mounting the new 36V 250W Golden MiniMotor kit and the Magic controller I immediately noticed that my old preferred cycling pattern no longer worked. I was no longer able to “fine tune” my cycling the way described above because the pedal assist kicks in and out only after many turns of the pedals. I this intermediate state of no response it feels like I am pedaling “in the air” losing contact with the bike for quite a while.

I am sure there are intended good reasons for the different pedal assist function that is built into the Magic Controller but I my case this makes it impossible for me to ride the way I prefer.
Although the Magic Controller has many other valuable functions that I really would have like to have I finally decided to replace the this controller with a simpler “standard” controller with immediate pedal response function as I am used to have.
If there is a way to modify the pedal assist function of the magic Controller the way I prefer I will of course mount it back.
The 250W MiniMotor is however “Super” with impressive torque compared with the direct drive hub motor I had before.
« Last Edit: August 21, 2009, 09:50:27 PM by Bikemad »

Offline liared

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I just wrote in previous post:
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a 12V 250W direct drive hubmotor

Sorry, this was wrong, should be 24V 250W.


(This has been corrected.)
« Last Edit: August 21, 2009, 09:53:50 PM by Bikemad »