Cannonballs Express.

[cannonball2]

This is my current build. A bike for fun. Started with an abused Diamondback frame from the 90s Im guessing. Came off ebay disassembled in a box for $30. Have been piecing it back together with decent but lower end stuff as its really a street rider. Trying yo keep it as light as possible. I was told that the MP2 was a 1200w unit. Havent run the specs thru the simulator yet but have it geared high for assistance above 30mph. Has a 52t single front ring with 7speeds from 14-34t rear. Cant believe the chain clears the smallest cog but it does! Will be running my latest battery which has been raised in voltage by the addition of one more 7.4v cell making it a 15s/55.5v nominal battery. Will come off the charger at 60+v. The GM controller will handle the voltage. The battery will fit nicely in the triangle using the threaded inserts for the water bottle, and the controller above it on the lower V of the shock mount where strangely there are two more threaded inserts in perfect position. Not real obvious in the pic is the wiring has been cut. Will run it directly to the controller plug ins instead of trying to hide it all some where. Will also eliminate the second set of plugs supplied stock. Has been an easy build so far. Some builds just seem mean spirited this one is not.

 

[silverbear]

That should make a great rider.
SB

 

[cannonball2]

Thanks SB. Guess Ive hit the age where a full suspension frame is a necessity!

 

[silverbear]

I'm half way there. Once I experimented with a moped suspension fork on a vintage cruiser there was no going back. Now front suspension is a given starting point. No rear suspension yet, but fatty tires and a good seat are my nod to comfort. Might as well enjoy the ride while you're getting there, eh?
SB

 

[kevyleven007]

Yeah I bet that smooth's out the bumps nicely.

 

[wheelbender6]

Cool. That DB frame looks like the "Switchblade" model.

 

[cannonball2]

Ive been riding it the last 2 days pedal only and it is a nice ride. Pretty cush for lower end components. Not sure what model frame it is, decals just say Diamondback racing, V link Pro. Its 7005 alloy and very light, I bet the rear hub motor/wheel weighs as much as the rest of the bike! Discovered today while fabbing the battery box that there is pedal interference. Will have to replace the bottom bracket with a wider spindle version.

 

[cannonball2]

Finished the wiring. I really hate messy wiring, the harnesses sent with the MP2 are really long so the only thing to do was to cut them. A word of caution here. If one is going to do similar, I would advise assembling the harness connectors together then cutting. The wiring colors are often totally different from one side of the connector to the other. The only wires that held the same coloring was the Hall wiring. The throttle for instance not only changed colors but the normally black ground wire was a voltage wire and the blue became the ground! If cut together its an easy thing to see the color change. I had to root through the trash to retrieve connectors. A whole lot of soldering and shrink tubing, but its done. Just lacking a battery mount, so may get a ride this pm.

 

[cannonball2]

Just got a ride. I had added a 7.4v cell to both home built packs. The GM controller cut the battery out at anything over 60v. Had to put the pack into the cargo bike. Its cheap 6fet controller would run the pack over 60v, so I rode the voltage down to 59.1 and transferred the battery. I have not installed instrumentation so its all seat of the pants. The acceleration is better, top speed is slightly better. Ride is very nice! Have the controller set at 20amp continuous, 30 peak. All I really need. Need to set the regen higher. The cruise control is killer! The horn is nice to warn Peds, they never hear you coming! Once finished this will be a very enjoyable Ebike!

 

[cannonball2]

Got a speedo and ammeter/voltmeter installed and was surprised at some of the numbers. I initially thought the MP2 more efficient than the cargo bike with the 9C motor. I had forgotten there is a 20lb difference between the bikes. The MP2 bike will cruise at bike speeds(10-12mph) @ 3+ amps. 15-17@8-9amps and 25@ 13-15amps. All in it hits around 28-29 at off the charger voltages. The cargo bike will out run it as it can handle the 63v the 55v battery comes off the charger at. The GM controller shuts out at 60v. Having the voltmeter is cool, you can watch it on regen, and I actually added a few tenths of a volt pedaling a while, gives you and indication the regen systems is working well. Not that its adding much energy back.

So far this is a very nicely matched bike, just about as light as a build like this gets considering the components@ 46lbs. An aluminum non-suspension bike would be lighter Im sure.