brake lever switches

[wattsup]

on my bike I only need one brake lever for the rear brake as the front is hydraulic. I have cut the wire to front brake and insulated but do the wires need to be joined together to get motor cut off function and braking effect.

[Bikemad]

Do the wires need to be joined together to get motor cut off function and braking effect.

No, keep them insulated from each other.
Joining the wires has the same effect as pulling the brake lever, the motor will cut out and regen will cut in.

Alan
 

[wattsup]

thanks alan, that is what I thought.  another question is,  on the twist grip throttle, there is a light switch. I will not require lights so I was wondering if this switch could be used as a safety switch on the throttle. example; switched on bike and moved it away from what it was leaning on and accidentally rotated throttle and bike shot forward. thinking that the switch, when off, you could move bike around safely with power on, and when ready to go, put switch on and throttle is activated. possible ?

[Bikemad]

The easiest way to utilise your switch would be to connect it to those brake switch wires that you've just insulated.

Pressing the switch in will simply prevent the throttle from working.

I have my regen connected to the brake levers and also to the red on/off switch located on the throttle housing (I simply connected the two sets of wires in parallel) and I find it very useful, particularly when I'm walking the dog.
If I leave the regen switched On and then twist the throttle four times, the controller beeps and switches to brake switch failure mode. While in this mode, I can simply press the cruise button for instant half throttle, which enables me to easily ride around the field, using my left hand for brake, steering and throttle, keeping my right hand free to use the ball flinger for picking up and flinging the ball without stopping.

When I'm going down steep hills (at tired doggy speed) I leave the switch in the On position, which gives me permanent regen, and anti-lock braking on the rear as well. Sometimes I even pedal against the regen to go slightly faster just to keep my legs active.
 
I also make sure the switch is On and activate the brake switch failure mode before I set off downhill with a freshly charged battery. This automatically disables the regen and prevents it from overcharging an already full battery pack, which could be very dangerous for my Lithium Polymer battery pack!
Pressing the switch again at the bottom of the hill (back to the Off position) automatically returns the throttle and regen functions to normal.

I also find it very useful for very steep descents when off roading as I can leave the regen switched on and just let it work like an anti-lock auto descent system without touching the brakes, just like some 4x4s have.   

Alan
 

[wattsup]

thanks for that, so simple. light switch wires connect to redundant brake switch wires, colours being unimportant. just got to untidy my wires to make connections. I really did not want to mess around with throttle wires I must say.

[DirtyGinge]

Hi All

What I have done is put the white wire from the throttle though the switch, if the switch is off, there is no throttle, if the switch is on, you have throttle....at least then you can still freewheel down a hill etc.......no brake effect....

however on the pie controller, you will need to bypass the switch with a 12K resistor also, so the controller doesnt beep....

Safe for the kids and curious adults....as the first thing everyone does young and old, is to turn the throttle....at 50 amps the end result is never good

[wattsup]

just thought of something good; if I do as Alan says with redundant brake wires to light switch, I operate switch to kill throttle and get regen charging of battery without braking, ie; down a long hill. yes or no ?

[wattsup]

Do the wires need to be joined together to get motor cut off function and braking effect.

No, keep them insulated from each other.
Joining the wires has the same effect as pulling the brake lever, the motor will cut out and regen will cut in.

Alan

note to self....read thoroughly what people say
 

[MonkeyMagic]

Do the wires need to be joined together to get motor cut off function and braking effect.

No, keep them insulated from each other.
Joining the wires has the same effect as pulling the brake lever, the motor will cut out and regen will cut in.

Alan note to self....read thoroughly what people say

huh? Alan reads posts perhaps more thoroughly than the topic author !!!

I still also don't understand what this refers to??

Wattsup - note to self, write your posts clearer

[Bikemad]

John's original post stated, "I have cut the wire to front brake and insulated but do the wires need to be joined together to get motor cut off function and braking effect."

I naturally assumed that John was asking whether the wires should be connected together to enable the remaining brake lever to still activate the motor cut off function and braking effect.

just thought of something good; if I do as Alan says with redundant brake wires to light switch, I operate switch to kill throttle and get regen charging of battery without braking, ie; down a long hill. yes or no ?

When I'm going down steep hills (at tired doggy speed) I leave the switch in the On position, which gives me permanent regen

Alan
 

[MonkeyMagic]

ohhhhh okay I'm not so lost anymore

Monkeys note to self is read the first post again then the last lol

[wattsup]

help! I cocked up my post, put note to myself in wrong place. sorry alan. I did read, but did not fully understand. I do now, and its great as it all works as I want it to and i,m chuffed. I suppose in my case its a bit like measuring.. measure twice  cut once. read twice write once. did not mean to offend, if I did.