what's happenin

deacon · #1 10-18-2009, 04:32 PM

Someone who knows more about controllers than me please help me out here. I have just got back from testing my latest ebike configuration. I am running a 500 watt 24v motor with a 36v contoller and 800 capacity. No reason for the motor to perform so badly. The throttle will only pull about 25% t then it just shuts the motor down. I don't get it. The motor will run at about 25% capacity even up the hills. But only if I throttle it back. I don't get it.

I think I will pull off the controller and try running it through a straight switch to see what the motor is really capable of doing. This controller has given me trouble in each of builds I have tried it on. It is supposed to be a heavy duty one but I think it is putting out less than the 40 amps its listed at. It might be bogging down around 20 amps but I have no real idea, that is just a guess.

deacon · #2 10-19-2009, 02:29 PM

I figured the controller issue out by removing it. The bike ran on 24volts and climbed the hills but very slowly. The bike is geared so that I couldn't pedal assist. (dont ask why). I put it on 36 volts and blew the fuses. The fuses were the same as the max amps of the controller so obviously the controller had reached its upper end and just shut down. If I had set it up to pedal more it probably would not have happened. Also I think I need a larger sprocket on the bike wheel to reduce to strain on the motor. At least I hope that would reduce it. For sure I need the ability to pedal more. Actually that may be all i need to make the bike usable. I will have to keep an eye out for a thrift store mountain bike to rebuild it on. I think I am going to stay with the chain drive till I beat it.

karma1968 · #3 10-19-2009, 04:51 PM

if that's the dc motor your using on your blog. you will need to reduce the sprocket to larger type or two stage gear reduction.

deacon · #4 10-19-2009, 06:18 PM

Yeah I think I will probably have to go with a 72 teeth instead of 44... But first thing is I got the pedal sprockets changed so that I can pedal assist. I'm going to give it a try tomorrow then if I need to, I'm going up to 72 teeth I think. If I do that I will probably go to a larger bike as well.

deacon · #5 10-20-2009, 02:55 PM

I moved the motor to a different bike and set the pedal gears up a little higher and it works much better than it did. I think I will move the chain down one more notch to get a little more pedal assist.

I got a thrift store 20" 6speed but the derailleur was broken so I have a one speed but I can set it up for a couple of different gears so it's okay. The motor does a pretty good job even if I don't pedal assist. Much better than before for some reason known only to the bicycle gods. im not complaining I bought the bike for $6.29. Now that I know what I know, I'm going to a 24" bike with a 72 or 80 tooth rear sprocket next.

To be honest, I don't think it runs as good as the rhino friction drive. It does look better though. I think I will also mount the batteries on the bike rather than use a trailer. I'm not positive about that yet though.

**Norman** · #6 10-20-2009, 03:57 PM

Deacon a while back I found that toys are us had a sale on e bikes same brand that walmart sells walmart price is about $380.00 toys are us was $213.00 I tested one out in the store and there is no need to pedal if you don't want to and if you pedal assist they have a setting for that. I don't know if they are still on sale or not but if you want to ride and not experiment then they would be a nice ride.

deacon · #7 10-20-2009, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Norman

Deacon a while back I found that toys are us had a sale on e bikes same brand that walmart sells walmart price is about $380.00 toys are us was $213.00 I tested one out in the store and there is no need to pedal if you don't want to and if you pedal assist they have a setting for that. I don't know if they are still on sale or not but if you want to ride and not experiment then they would be a nice ride.

If all I did was ride, my mind would turn to jelly even faster... It's like the most fun I ever had was when I was poor as a church mouse and lived at the beach. I had to be really inventive and found that it was a lot of fun to make things work. I tied a cheap reel to an eight foot bamboo pole and went surf fishing. That kind of thing.

I really think that is a good deal on an ebike though. For anyone who didn't want to reinvent the wheel it is would be a good deal. I still think my square wheel will work one day.

deacon · #8 10-21-2009, 04:42 PM

Well I made it work but I don't like it. I am returning to my rhino drives. I like them much better. Far easier to deal with and they actually performed better than the chain drive.