Anybody used an "Off-road" brand 36v kit?

wheelbender6 · #1 12-13-2009, 11:29 AM

These "off-road" brand kits are shipped from Austrailia and listed on ebay.
I'm interested in a 36v model that bolts to the kickstand area of the frame and drives the pedal chain.
It looks simpler than a hub motor.

deacon · #2 12-13-2009, 12:41 PM

I hope it comes with a freewheel for the crank... for that price it should...

wheelbender6 · #3 12-13-2009, 07:32 PM

The off-road kits are pricey, but appear lighter than a good hub motor. That's why I wanted to see if anybody has ridden one.
I saw a post on a forum site where somebody had built one of the even more
expensive off-road kits, that mounts two e-motors on the down tube. It costs way north of 2 grand w/o batteries

deacon · #4 12-13-2009, 09:49 PM

Yikes darn ouch

Egor · #5 12-14-2009, 02:23 PM

Sounds like a good idea. Would it just help you pedal on the up hills?
So if you were not pedaling the motor would not help!
Battery's are heavy so if you added too many there would be no advantage. I think the only way that you could do something like this you would have to have some sort of regenerative assist.
Their are places I want to go with my MB but the trail says no engines. The small two strokes are light and would be nice to have as an assist only when I start to poop out. I am getting old and would like to do the same things I was able to do twenty years ago. LOL Have fun, Dave

wheelbender6 · #6 12-16-2009, 07:49 AM

It's very flat where I live, so the motor would reduce the sweat factor.
Since the off-road kit drives the pedal chain, it cannot provide regen braking.
I love riding my 2 stroke to work, but an ebike still has a few advantages.

deacon · #7 12-16-2009, 07:57 AM

If its flat enough most any ebike will work for you. The biggest problem with them is the battery drain from hills and the batteries themselves. Expense vs weight vs range ratios. It does look like good system. The currie system with a five hundred watt motor would be a good one as well. The five hundred watt hub motors do a good job and the price on them is coming down.

I used my hub 350watt motor again and it was okay, just too small for my taste. From my riding experience such as it is, I would go with 500 watts and 36v minimum. But i'm riding in a town called HIgh Point. I bet a 24v 500watt or maybe 400watt would work for you. I think I would even try a 400 watt and over volt it. a 400watt/24v at 36volt would be a 600 watt 24v equivalent. I think.

pre-war Schwinn · #8 12-16-2009, 08:12 AM

My first bike was electric, it was cheap and utilized a rear hub motor, they were ok but melted... due to the cave man builders not knowing heat will destroy the internal wiring.. Now in the year 2009 a newer motor is available that has the "guts" to pull 350 pounds up a steep hill and not overheat even in hot weather!!!!!!!! it is self contained, and only needs small batterys hooked together to form 48 volts, to run for a long time. I bought one and used it on my very heavy bike and it has already prooven itself for long rides. I love this motor and it is very cheap! you get a black box, throttle, and hub motor, a rack for the batteries, and a full support from a "California" seller.. that it will satisfy you the first day!!!!. get one, and mount it in place of your front wheel. they send it in any size you ask 24' 26" 20" 0r 700, any size.
the cost isless than 300 bucks without batteries......... you simply hook together 4 12 volt batteries and create 48 volts of power.. it will propel your bike at 35 mph on flat, and 7mph on steep hills. it will take you ten or more miles on it's own power. and could easily be a "add on" for a pre- built motor bike, since it has just a "thumb throttle" to add to the handlebars. it is silent, and it is super designed to "run" no matter what!!!!!!!!!!!!!
check out "www.campsolution.com" a web site that has them listed on the second page under an old picture that looks cheap, and scares everyone away, but I bought that $239.00 model, and it is a "new 2009 motor" designed to run without fai look into the"48 volt" model, it is the state of the art type and is shipped disguised as a painted hub motor..You get a beautiful three phase three wire motor that "Wilderness Energy" sells for 500 plus....

it is the perfect motor I recomend it

deacon · #9 12-16-2009, 11:36 AM

I wish I had waited to buy one from him. My crappy 250watt was four hundred bucks no battery and the controller burned up in less than five hundred miles.. Of course I did over volt it once, but it didn't matter it was just a crappy system. I still have the hub and it runs now but it is still trash.

If you recommend it I can say this; for convenience, lack of noise, and stealth, you can't beat a hub motor.

wheelbender6 · #10 12-18-2009, 06:31 AM

Wow! You guys provide a lot of info.
I guess the I'm not sure how well the hub motors can withstand the Houston heat. Seems an externally mounted motor can run cooler. I figured that was why Aussie companies use them.