Want to keep your own break levers instead of having to use theirs?

[Bob91403]

Nowadays, a lot of manufacturers are putting their shift mechanism IN the brake levers. So, if you want to use GM's brake levers, and use their built-in regen switch, you have to buy the old twist shifters, or some other separately mounted thumb shifters. Here's an idea, why not just put pressure switches on your original brake levers. Here's a source,( http://www.kapowwe.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=1-1-184 ). For $10 you get two pressure switches, (You can shrink tube them on to your break levers. Put them under whatever finger you want to use. Better yet, shrink tube them on to the tops of the levers. That way, just pushing down lightly on the tops of the levers, you would start regen. ) Cut and splice, the pressure switch wires and GM brake lever wires. Solder & shrink tube those together. You can even short out the back cap on the laser, if you want to keep them. For $10, unless they came with batteries, I'd just pitch them and appreciate the switches.  

[Leslie]

Hi BOB!

I honestly thought this out for a little bit.  I thought about rigging switches up to V brakes, and to the levers.  It is all just too impractical.  Unless you can do molding or machining.  Some do have there hands on some good tools.  But even then, it would be hard  long job.  

The heat shrink is not a good idea either, it would have to be tight, so tight it may end up activated permanently, or otherwise it may move around until it does get tight and activate when not in use or intermittently.  NOT!  

How much pressure will it need to activate in time?

Is the rider going have enough pressure on it 100% every time.  There are too many variables in other ideas for this important function to be considered reliable.

The idea of the brake switch is

1: For safety, Cuts the motor off if there is an error in the throttle or controller.

and

2: To stop the user from operating the motor and brakes at the same time.  

Operating the brake and motor at the same time can put much stress on the battery and place undue stress on the motor and most importantly place undue stress on the forks and dropouts.  It has to be pretty tight timing.  The front brakes as you know is the most important.  So the front brake and its switch could be best located on the throttle side, as the user often release the throttle to brake, some times a little throttle remains as the base of the thumb can cause the throttle not to back off 100%.  In some controllers there is a small delay when brake and switch for the controller to deactivate the motor and give regen.  letting off that throttle just a bit when the rider reaches out for the brake lever in my mind makes a big difference to the forces that may remain from the motor due to any delay that may occur in the controller.  

I honestly feel it would be wise just to get a new shifter.  The reasons are important that the brake switch reacts at the first touch moving the brake lever.

What I tell you next depends on whether or not you have the front hub or the rear,

If you have a rear hub you can use the front brake to operate the rear brake regen so that the stopping power v brake/regen is placed evenly on both wheels. Another reason I like rear hubs.

On the front hub the rear brake can be on the throttle side so that regen and v brakes are not pounding at your forks at the same time.

Both strong rear braking and front regen braking isn't too bad to have rely on the throttle side.  Get used to using the throttle side brakes so you do release that throttle just a little.

Can you do us a favor?.  Can you test the brake switch while you hold the throttle on and tell me if there is some delay in the brake switch deactivating the motor and if there is a delay estimate how long the brake switch takes to deactivate the motor..  Even if its a 1/4 of a second I need to know.

Then we may decide what the No.1 best advice to give all concerning the newer controllers.]

Thank you.

[Bob91403]

All you can seem to do is criticize. Of course you don't shrink the tubing at the switch. You only shrink the area around the switch necessary to hold the switch in place, duh. As for any of your other points, how would one switch be any different than another? The GM brake levers are just another switch. I'm sure it will work. Why don't you spend the $10, and prove me wrong?

[Leslie]

All you can seem to do is criticize. Of course you don't shrink the tubing at the switch. You only shrink the area around the switch necessary to hold the switch in place, duh. As for any of your other points, how would one switch be any different than another? The GM brake levers are just another switch. I'm sure it will work. Why don't you spend the $10, and prove me wrong?

The GM brake switches are designed for the job and you cant go past this.  I don't think heat shrink is up to the task for a bike brake switch to be honest as the brakes are the front line of many impacts, and there is the wire curly wire hanging off somewhere to catch onto something that has to be considered too.

Why wouldn't I go spend $10 on two switches, because $10 on two levers is easier and more certain to work out of the box.


Oh I did it again.  Gave my opinion.

My bad.

Its an awesome idea.  Way better than the real thing. 

Sorry. 

[Kamilion]

Why not use a real compression switch specifically meant for bicycle brake lines?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3631



It's meant as a brake light anyway.

[Bob91403]

So did your bike then come with separate shifters? Or, did you have to buy new ones? Did you choose twist or thumb? Personally, I prefer thumb. With twist you have to take you hand off the throttle. Must be like using a clutch. That brake light switch looks interesting. It goes on your brake cable, and screw anchors to your brake cable at the stationary point on the brake. It looks a lot nicer, and more adjustable, than the switch they used to offer. Again, it's a matter sensitivity. With contact switches it only takes contact, you don't have to actually apply the brakes to start regen. I don't touch my brakes without first letting go of the throttle, that just sounds silly to me.    

[gacrux]

I have solved the brake problem antother way. I dismounted the original GM brake and released the microswitch.
Then I mounted a small angle iron, one side attatch to the gear/break house, and the other with a hole with threads adapted to the threads on the microswitch.
Then I mouned a bolt in the breake handle so the microswitch is activated when breaking.

[Leslie]

Why not use a real compression switch specifically meant for bicycle brake lines?
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3631

It's meant as a brake light anyway.

Now thats the good out of the box solution.  Easy and professional.  Maybe GM could look at this and replicate something similar.

Cheers.  8 tunes too lol.  You got to love the Chinese translation of things.

[Leslie]

I have solved the brake problem antother way. I dismounted the original GM brake and released the microswitch.
Then I mounted a small angle iron, one side attatch to the gear/break house, and the other with a hole with threads adapted to the threads on the microswitch.
Then I mouned a bolt in the breake handle so the microswitch is activated when breaking.

Nice! well done DIY.  Looks pretty reliable except that those micro switches, I am not sure about yours but they can lose the red buttons easy. It looks like you have already done this but I must say a dab of super glue can fix that easy but watch you don't jam the switch.   

[Bob91403]

What I'd really like to see is a touch switch. Anybody got a design for a discharge capacitor type switch?

[Leslie]

Ive made stuff respond to heat and touch.

Its not a cap you need its a Darlington pair transistor.



MPSA14 is what Ive used as they have two transistors in a single package..

Ive had them running with a single wire.  I think I needed bare feet on the floor though,

[Electrobent]

Before I had a regen controller, I just ignored the brake wires and mounted the throttle in such a way that one could not have it and the powered wheel's brake on at the same time.

When I went regen, I used a magnetic reed switch because I did not trust the GM brake levers which did not seem as heavy-duty as the ones that came on my bike.

Maybe GM should forget about the brake levers and instead ship some sort of switch that can be applied to any existing brake lever.  That should be cheaper and since there is no customer support, the increased complexity should not pose GM any problems.