Comparison between Magic Pie and HBS hubmotors

[Bikemad]

Leslie,

When you get a few spare minutes (which probably doesn't happen very often), it would be helpful if you could give your opinion on the differences you have experienced between riding with the Magic Pie and riding with the HBS motor.

For instance, which has most torque, which is noisiest, which feels the smoothest, which responds quicker, which accelerates faster, is the difference in the weight noticeable, which gets hotter, which produces the most drag, which is best for pulling heavy loads etc. as it would be very interesting to know how these two motors directly compare with each other and how you would rate them. Think of it as a sort a mini review, although in reality it's probably more like "twenty questions", but with more elaborate answers.

If anyone else has first hand experiences with both of these hubmotors, it would good to hear other opinions too, or if someone has a specific questions relating to this topic, then you could also post them here.

Alan
 

[Leslie]

Well Its pretty hard to asses ATM.

The old 12 fet GM controllers used to kick like an old mule.

The only other comparison is with the ecrazy controller.


But my first assumption is the MP controllers are lacking in the take offs.    Despite soft start in the old controllers, I was looking for the pedals still pulling 30 amps during take offs.


But this could be down to my lack of experience with the magic controllers.  Certainly when pulling close to 50 amps on the MP there were moments I was bedazzled the the magic controllers potential.


The MP has a click noise compared the HBS camel groans and dense magnetic pinging during take offs, however the clicky noise soon become a distant hiss sound until the whir sound, of wind, and tire to road, all but deafens one the the noise an MP puts out.  I assumed the clicky noise is normal. and rode on.  While there is slightly more cogging in the MP than the HBS the MP still rolls a good distance after motor assist ceases.

The MP controller on the mp shows significant performance boosts in the higher RPM.  At higher RPM is where I noticed a higher of intake of current.

In essence the MP controller felt like it had a low latency soft start going on with it.  But with the shunt mods this goes away at 50 amps.  

The sag point that is a disappointment has the MP only drawing a few amps from a stand still making the take off sluggish with software settings under 25 amps max.  But one is pleasantly reimbursed with a following  ratchety whir of power after a 5 or so meters. I guess the motor sound could be best described to sound like a rear gear cassette in freewheel with a nice warm whirr to it.

I still have a working HBS motor and a MP ready for an external controller with identical gauge and brand phase wires . And I have a working MP with internal controller with current management almost under my spell.


Now all I need is to cut all the phase wires to identical length and some more data will flow once I get bike no 2 out of the dream

I truly believe the MP is not giving its best all round performance with the 6 fet magic controller and will give you a better idea when I can get either my HBS and MP motors to run on a single bike easy to swap over...

I even might call my old GM dealer and see if hes got any of those old 12 fet GM variable regen controllers.