Hi Mogal and
to the forum.
The brake switches are a very important safety feature which is also a legal requirement in many countries.
The horn switch on the handlebars can be connected to the brake wire to allow regen braking to be used, but this would not comply with the legal requirements as the power to the motor should be cut when
either brake is activated.
The biggest problem with a separate switch is remembering to press it in an emergency. If your cruise is set at full throttle and you are happily cruising along at maximum speed, what happens if a car pulls out in front of you
(or an animal runs out into the road) and you instinctively grab the brakes and try to stop as quickly as possible? You probably won't think about pressing the horn button first, so while you are trying to quickly stop, the motor is still producing maximum power which would put a lot of additional load on your braking system, greatly increasing your stopping distance and the likelihood of an accident, especially if your front wheel locks up while the rear wheel is still driving you forward!
Fitting a mechanical disc brake on the rear would prevent this situation, but a better alternative would be to fit some hydraulically operated switches to both the front and rear brake lines:
The more recent controllers appear to be well sealed against water problems, and I've just discovered
this video showing how much water the motors can still operate in. Although it seems to work fine in the video, I wouldn't want to try that test with mine.
The battery is definitely not 100% waterproof and should be fitted with a suitable waterproof cover if you intend to use it
(or leave it out) in heavy rain.
The available range on the 48V 10Ah will vary tremendously from one rider to another, and is hugely affected by power settings, speed, weight, inclines, headwinds, and also by the amount of pedal effort you are actually providing.
Check out
Bartek's Bike Range Simulator for more details.
Alan
