Build for a Neighbor

cannonball2

cannonball2

Well-Known Member
Been getting a good bit of attention from my neighbors as I ride my Ebikes thru the hood. I have been asked to build a simple bike for an older gent. Will be based around a vintage Roadmaster girls frame so he wont have to throw a leg over. Will use a 9C on 36v 15ah SLAs. I dare not leave Li-Ion charging to a non electrically inclined person. The build will be a nostalgic theme but with a mix of new(read left over) stuff. This should be a gentle but capable performer for him. The trick is going to be trying to keep 30lbs of batteries low on the frame. Havent concluded that yet.
 
Cannonball 2 did you see the new Staton gas electric gearbox?

http://www.staton-inc.com/store/pro...se_Tri_Hybrid_Gear_and_Chain_Drive-904-0.html

I plan to do a build with it soon. The bike will shift 5 gears automatically through a shiftkit. Self charge the battery when using gas only or coasting. It'll have an electric drive motor attached to the gearbox. A mid frame mounted alternator driven by a rim pulley and belt. This way the only time the battery gets used is when using the electric motor on level ground. A switch can be used to switch between alternator power and battery power. I'd wire a charger up to the alternator which will cut off when the battery is fully charged.
 
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Sounds interesting. Missed the part on the self shifting. Thats a pretty complex system you are going to build. What is the voltage of the DC drive motor? Wont an on board charger require 110vac? That would require an inverter. Most higher voltage chargers will take 4+hrs to charge a battery pack from LVC. Thats a lot of gas engine operation. Might be simpler to use a hub motor and let it charge the pack in regen, but thats a pretty good load on the little gas engine. Also wont the DC motor be dragging in gas operation? Might be easier to have two independent systems, using the gas motor for long range and the E system for short runs.
 
Been talking with Miked 826 on this same subject in the hybrid section. The whole setup would use a 350 watt motor as an assist to the engine; that's mounted on the hybrid gearbox. The left side of the rear wheel would drive a low rpm alternator; mounted in the mid frame. A switch could be used to use either generator power or battery power.
 
Got the hub kit yesterday. Same but different as the first. This one has an Infinenon controller that looks jut like the first and has 63v caps, and 75v fets, so good for higher voltages. Also indicates it has cruise. The hub is a 9C but it is rated on the unit as 36v500w. The first 36v kit actually had a 48v500w hub. So Im thinking that the hubs may be the same or not. If its actually a 36v hub, will probably be pretty peppy on 55v. There are some #s on a sticker on the hub maybe indicating the wind. I have been to the 9C site and can find no info on wind #s. Anybody got a clue on this?
 
Well the first step thru frame was non-usable due to hidden rust near a drop out. Couldnt blame the seller, as it all looked fine until I started working the stuck seat tube loose with a hammer. Got a really clean 1953 Schwinn frame on the way. Good thing this guys not in a big hurry. Thinking of switching this build to a 350w geared motor on 24v., never tried one. Understand they can be a bit noisy. This bike is for a rather sedate user so the 15mph top speed should be just right. I could use the four SLA batteries I have in parallel/series for a total of 30ah(mega range) or just run a pair @15ah for a lighter build. I dont think this bike is going out of the neighborhood, or maybe the paved bike trails over on the islands so range is not a major concern.
 
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Basically finished the build with a neighbor provided bike. A new Schwinn/Pacific Bike step thru. Added a retro rear carrier and an enclosed battery box. Everything is in or on the box. It never has to be opened to operate, only for repair/replacement. There is a 20amp circuit breaker, a battery master switch and a charge port on the left side. I left room for one more battery(raise to 48v) for added performance if they want. Normally dont like to mount the batteries this high but they are fairly light for SLAs, they really are not very noticable at all. The SLAs are 10ah. I have been riding it all morning of and on shaking it down and the LED battery meter is still on full, I doubt its very accurate. Speed is surprising for 250w. Tops at 18mph on the Garmin. Its leisurely getting there though if you dont help it. Its a very pleasant easy going ride perfect for the intended users. Have a Crow Cycles center stand and a retro head LED light on the way and still have to stain and finish the battery box.
 

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This is just what I was looking for! Im an older gent too! Could you list all the components so a first time builder could put one of these together? I have a huffy bike and think this would be perfect for me!

Bob
[email protected]
Thanks in advance!
 
Basically its just a 250w mini hub kit from ebay with a straight forward install. A lot of kits come with a rear rack to mount the batteries, this one didnt so I added one. I also added a front brake to be on the safe side. Battery mounting is an issue on a step thru and the rear rack is the simplest way. I really wanted to mount the batteries low on the frame in the rear, but that idea got pretty involved for this build. I wanted to make the bike as user friendly as possible and simple to use/charge for people not really mechanically inclined, so a good deal of effort went into the battery box. With one of the kits with the rack and battery bag included, you can be up and running in an afternoon. Neat routing of wiring is the biggest challenge.
 
Had the neighbors bike back yesterday to check out and make any adjustments necessary. Has about 35mi on the odo. Really needed nothing, checked fasteners for tightness, adjusted the chain etc. I rode it a few miles and am still pretty impressed with the little 250w motor, at least here in the flats. They are really happy with it, finding it very user friendly and simple to charge. All of my bikes are tweeked and are a lot of fun, but in a different way. The absolute simplicity of this bike makes it just plain fun!
 
Getting ready to bite the bullet on this and was wondering something. Around here we have some hills. Nothing brutal, but hills none the less. The ebay site I'm looking at has a a 250 watt motor or a 500 watt motor. Will the higher wattage mean more help on hills? What is the relationship to wattage and ability to drag my heavy old body up hills Is more wattage more ability to do work? I guess I should add I'm looking at the 36v motor


eagle42101
 
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More wattage equals more torque. You would probably be better off with the 500w unit if you don't want to pedal much. You have the option of over volting the 36v motor to get more speed and torque, they are very tolerant of this up to a point. Most all 36v hubs like the 9C and its clones will easily run on 48v. This will up the 500w hub to 720w assuming the common 15 amp limit in the controller. Or just run it on 36v.
 
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