Magic Pie versus Complete Novice (A Long Winded U.K Review)Sexy photos inside!!

[Leslie]

You two are mad when you both get going    

Andrew

Yeah you have to watch those cheeky Monkeys, they can misbehave if you let them free on the net.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AZn5nWIj_g

When the tiger hungers to munch on Monkey meat, there aint much the hungry tiger can do, Cheeky Monkey persona , Hmmm.  What to do? The mind boggles?

Can you relate to this video Mr M Magic?  

[Andrew]

ok, I now understand cogging and torque and momentum of differing size wheels - it all makes sense

I did a 4 hour charge when the battery arrived. I then did a 10 hour charge before really using the battery.  Then did a quick first run on the bike only for about 5 miles and then did a 12 hour charge. Should I just now do top up charges or should I give any more long charges?  in total i've done no more than 10 miles on the battery since the bike has been built.

The performance figures in my review were first impressions on a 2 mile quick ride. 17 mph may have been conservative. I've just been out again and got 19mph w/slight head wind and then 26mph with slight tail wind. Obviously conditions play there part.

By the way, my rear tyre is 40psi and the front has a little less as there is less weight at about 35psi.

[GM Canada]

Now my better half wants in on the action

I know that feeling! My wife and both me kids and most of my friends all have bikes as well. Group rides are alot of fun!

Gary

[Andrew]

Yep Gary,  i think these bikes definately open up new horizons. I'm hoping to get my other half on my bike today for the first time and then i'm sure she will be hooked.

Whilst you are there Gary,,   Would it be easy to connect up a GM frog battery with a GM HBS motor kit?  and is there much difference between 250watt mini motors and 500 watt motors?


Andrew

[Leslie]

ok, I now understand cogging and torque and momentum of differing size wheels - it all makes sense

I did a 4 hour charge when the battery arrived. I then did a 10 hour charge before really using the battery.  Then did a quick first run on the bike only for about 5 miles and then did a 12 hour charge. Should I just now do top up charges or should I give any more long charges?  in total i've done no more than 10 miles on the battery since the bike has been built.

The performance figures in my review were first impressions on a 2 mile quick ride. 17 mph may have been conservative. I've just been out again and got 19mph w/slight head wind and then 26mph with slight tail wind. Obviously conditions play there part.

By the way, my rear tyre is 40psi and the front has a little less as there is less weight at about 35psi.

Your battery should be well balanced.  Just remember that when the charge light indicates full battery this is only the end of what they call bulk mode charge.  It can take some time to balance the pack after the charge light indicates charge complete..

If you drain the battery down low you really need a longer balance charge.  You can leave it on the charger all night in these cases..

My Luv, she rides the ebikes all the time.  Takes the day off and rides around.  With a trailer its awesome.  No parking troubles, park right up at the mall doors.  Empty trolly into trailer and off she goes to the next stop all over this town.  If its not raining, she actually feels empathy for the people struggling with trollies on bumpy hilly rough road tar in the parking lots.  If it is raining, its them feeling sorry for me soaking in a wet rain coat like today.

Riding around the town, OMG I zig zag around cars through the grid locked roads and road rage gets perpetuated by people stuck in their cars at me, ha.  FU the finger and off into the distance I go.

I ride past the court house and all the busted drink drivers are looking at me with daggers shooting from there eyes..

I saw an ebike years ago, I chased him down and asked him where to get this bike from.  We bought three of them the next week.  I see a good thing, I don't abuse it, I find it, build or buy it, it and use it.  Why cant other be like Smeeeee.

BTW I do 45psi in both front and back tires.  40 psi is ok, 35 is too soft , 50 is too much for standard inner tubes IMO.

[Andrew]

ok, i've been told!!  

I will pump the tyres but to be honest I like a bit of cushioning in the front tyre because the roads where I live are made up of several decades of filled in pot holes, so the roads are filled in patches more than they are actual original laid tarmac.

i've used  the bike today for about 8 miles and I will charge it over night. I haven't recorded any new performance figures as today i've tried aligning a GPS with a chinese wireless bike computer which so far has proved to be completely pants, but  i suppose thats what you get for spending a few pounds on chinese ebay sellers.

My better half had go on my bike today and was very impressed. I just have to twist her arm enough to agree to spending the money on another kit.

Rgds
Andrew.   Please keep the replies, heads up, and tips coming.

[MonkeyMagic]

Andrew have you tried 24V setting yetttttttttttt?

Les man!! With your mouth open so big, you better remember that we monkeys are known to have superior fecal throwing accuracy abilities!! hehe

I love those monkeys but they are crazy!! When I was in Venezuela, I saw them first hand in the amazons and my guide who was a native indian grabbed me and told me to run! Haha so we did. Later he said that you keep well away from those monkeys because they usually are in family packs and will trick you some how and bash you to steal food and your belongings lol

Ok back to the topic... Yes having the smaller wheel would be a difference in top speed - but I'm pretty sure the higher RPM only applies to the 16" wheel.

Still haven't managed to get my 16" wheel powered back up but I know there is a member or 2 on here with one going.

nd Les - what are you saying?? You will have a dual drive Magic Pie - AND 2 x single drive??? wattttttttttt

Man you should connect them altogether and go on a big family ride and see what performance and range you get !!!! hehe

[Andrew]

monkey,,  I haven't tried 24v setting yet, but I think I will tomorrow because i'm an impatient b@stard. I will change the max and continous amp settings too.

[Bikemad]

Can't wait to write up an article about the whole thing.

Nice one Andrew!

I've just managed to find enough time to sit and read your complete review without any other distractions whatsoever, and I must say that you've made an excellent job of both the review and the bike, and the end result was certainly worth the wait.

Any chance you can post some close up pictures of those bespoke washers for the dropouts?

I wish now that I purchased the external controller, or even gone for a different higher amp controller. As this would have given me more future options and would make it much easier to modify a kit for more power or to replace the controller unit.

My better half had go on my bike today and was very impressed. I just have to twist her arm enough to agree to spending the money on another kit.

There appears to be an obvious solution here, when you've managed to twist her arm enough, simply buy a rear external Pie kit and swap it over with yours, then you can refit your internal one onto the better half's bike instead!

I'm sure she would appreciate the neater (and more secure) installation of the internal controller.

Problem solved.

Alan
 

[Bikemad]

here's a quick pic of current set-up.  Any ideas? I understand that the max and cont. Currents are much more limited than the controller suggests.

Andrew,

If you hold down the "Alt" key while you hit the "Print Screen" button it saves a screenshot of just the active window rather than the whole desktop (like your camera shot). 
You can then paste (Ctrl + V) this into Paint (usually found at Start/All programs/Accessories/Paint on XP) and save as a .JPG file for uploading to Photobucket etc. or simply attach it directly to the post by clicking on Additional Options and then the "Choose File" button. Browse to where you saved the file and then click the "Open" button to select, before posting.

Please Note: Attached images are not displayed on the "Preview" screen and will not be visible to "Guests" on the forum, but all members who are logged on will be able to see them.

I hope this will be of help to other members too.

Alan
 

[Andrew]

Thanks Alan I tried print screening the desk top image but could not paste and save the jpg image. So after losing my temper I just took a camera shot instead(as you can see). Thanks for the tuition, I was wondering yesterday how people manage to capture just the window and not the whole screen,  now I know


As for the washers all I can do is take a photo from under the bike pointing up to the washer, now the the rear wheel is all centred and the wires located and cabled tied etc I really don't want to remove it to get the washers off.  I will take a photo today and post it later.

[Leslie]

Andrew have you tried 24V setting yetttttttttttt?

Les man!! With your mouth open so big,

 


No its just two single MPies are better, obviously WAY better than a single dual pie.    And no comment on my range abilities?

You started the Magic Pie chess game with the check and mate post.

I knew I would get an amazon Monkey story if I showed you that tiger Monkey clip.  Most entertaining.

Fancy that! Being mugged and bashed in the jungle by a family of monkeys.

And now Im down a working cycle analyst the only thing I throw at these forums with accuracy would be worth Monkey dung flung.

Now the advantages of the 20" is the great take off performance and efficiency off road would be awesome compared to a road MTB.  And regen at the higher RPM would be better on the 20".

My point was to show the wheel sizes have different qualities that deliver different performances.

I could use a 20" for my trips as the 20" prolly does what I want in many aspects of my requirements.

[Andrew]

It's an axle washer with the same shape hole as the axle itself( like the ones that come with the kit) but it has had a piece welded on which sits in the dropout gap and acts like wedge by filling the gap.

[Leslie]

It's an axle washer with the same shape hole as the axle itself( like the ones that come with the kit) but it has had a piece welded on which sits in the dropout gap and acts like wedge by filling the gap.

Torque washer.

And suspension seat post would help with your weight there.  Make it more cushy both on you and wheel.

Hint hint!

The gals love a big seat with gel padding and suspension seat pole attatched to the seat.

[Andrew]

i've now tried changing amp and voltage settings today and it made no difference what so ever to performance. No change in torque, speed or acceleration. the motor stayed stone cold throughout. I tried 24v with amps at 20cont and 30 max,  and then 24v with 30c 50 max.  

I think Alans idea of passing the pie wheel to my other half as a gesture of good will, and then buying a pie wheel with and external or even a higher amp controller might be on the cards over the coming months  

for instance, would a 35 amp infineon controller be ok with a 48v 12ah GM battery?  and would it free up more power?