Electric Schwinn Meridian Trike

My Schwinn trike with a Tricruiser motor.



Battery pack and controller



Tricruiser motor

https://www.curriestore.com/product/IZIP-Frame/439/

Controller

http://tncscooters.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=41_74&product_id=180

Throttle

http://tncscooters.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=65_79_83&product_id=72

Battery pack is a homemade 11s 3p A123 pack that runs in parallel with a 10s 4p 18650 laptop cell pack.

About 14 ah that will push this trike about 40 miles with light pedaling.

Thanks !

It is a quiet, very torquey and reliable setup.

Takes off like a jack rabbit !

The Currie Tricruiser rear end is a bolt on deal but kinda hard to find.

The batteries are all recycled from bad Dewalt tool packs and laptop packs and are easy to find.

Saved lots of money building them and homemade battery packs are the best !

Thanks !

Sure you could. That would be cool !

My box is made from scrap wood that a friend gave me.

I would not have used so thick plywood but the price was right.

The top is the bottom cut out of a Rubbermaid container flipped over held on with a bungee cord. I wanted a setup that would be ok in the rain.

Am always looking for containers to put batteries in at the fleamarket.

The packs are charged with a Hyperion charger hooked to an old Dell running Windows Xp and the Hyperion software.

http://www.hyperion-world.com/blog/2010/12/hyperion-eos-1420i-net3-charger-presentation/

Software

http://media.hyperion.hk/dn/pc/pcsoft.htm

Then connected in parallel and discharged.

The 18650 pack would be way overloaded if connected by itself and would not work well at all.

The A123 pack will run the bike by itself but only for about 18 miles.

Together they will top 40 miles.


These are screen shots.



The A123 11s 3p pack charged after a 14 mile ride.



The 18650 laptop cell 10s 4p pack after a 14 mile ride.




The A123 pack after a 40 mile ride.



The 18650 pack after a 40 mile ride.


This is with light pedaling since it is a fixie.

The cells are about 6 years old. 2006 was a good year for batteries !

The 18650 pack is a B pack for sure made with the 2600mah cells I had that measured about 2100mah when tested.

I rated it at 8300mah 37v.

The A123 pack is made of 2300 mah cells that also tested at about 2100 mah.

It is about 6300 mah at 36.3v.

Notice at 14 miles the A123 pack is still almost fully charged.

Max load on the 18650 pack is about 16 amps.

Max load on the A123 pack about 35 amps.

The smaller 18650 pack has more power than the A123 pack but the A123 pack can deliver the higher amps needed at start off and going up hills.

Going down the hills the 18650 pack charges the A123 pack.

This works fine and is setup for the small hills and stop and go traffic around my house where I ride.

40 miles straight no stopping going up hill would not work so well and would require a different setup.

The controller was listed as a 40 amp 800 watt controller.

When I got it the part number was correct but it had a sticker that said 60 amps and 1000 watts.

The Watts up meter shows that it will deliver 55 plus amps when needed.

Takes off like a jack rabbit !

Updated battery pack about 300 miles later.



Cell log meters

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__10952__Cell_Log_8M_Cell_Voltage_Monitor_2_8S_Lipo.html

Watt's up meter

http://www.all-battery.com/wattsuprcwattmeterandpoweranalyzerwu100version2.aspx

XT60 connectors and balance wires

http://stores.ebay.com/BackBay-RC-Accessories

This is how I got the 40 18650 cells.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoIpsuCDkl0&feature=channel

A123 pack building

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQJUEeKo7KQ

http://rcflyers.org/rcflyers/page11/assets/A123 Battery Pack Assembly.pdf

Buying dead Dewalt packs on eBay I have found about 8 cells out of ten are ok to use.

Now and then all 10 cells are OK.

The A123 cells are also in the DC 9280 packs, 8 cells.

Tested with the Hyperion charger.

It's my wife Nancy's now ! She loves it

These trikes can kick some off road sugar sand butt too ! ! !

Who would have thought ! We were going through sand that people with nice mountain bikes had to walk through !

Mine does not have a motor but I converted it to a 5 speed.

Way out in the woods

I used this for chain lube before we did the off road ride and the chains stayed clean !

http://www.whitelightningco.com/products/index.htm

No oil slinging on the bottom of the trike either.

This trike is getting some serious miles put on it, on and off road. It has replaced the old Mercedes.

My most reliable problem free motorized bike (trike) so far ! Charge it and go !

Teco charges about 10 cents per kwh.

The trike will go about 7 miles and use 100wh

So this trike burns about 10 cents of fuel to go 70 miles !

http://www.tampaelectric.com/electricvehicles/buying/

Rode it about 14 miles in the pouring rain and all is well.

My first time riding any bike or trike in a downpour like that. It was different !

It really has replaced a car in my life !

paul said:

very nice ride. my electric bike has taken the place for most of my travels also unless going to grocery store or somewhere i am going to pick up things or need to carry scuba gear. i love the trikes

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Thanks !

Stoney said:

very interesting

Click to expand...

Thanks !

BarelyAWake said:

"Different" - good way of putting it

TBH I like riding in the rain, when it's hot/summertime that is, but 'round these parts if I wasn't willing to ride in the rain whenever it may happen, I'd get little to no riding in at all lol

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I am a rainy day newbee rider for sure !

Was kinda fun

Was riding it hard today and wrecked.

Freakin axle broke on the right side and for the second time in my life I took a hard hit to the head and lived to tell about it thanks to a helmet

Broke ribs and left ankle.

So I googled tricruiser broke axle and found this.

http://www.bicycleretailer.com/news/newsDetail/6905.html