My new Bike E Recumbent

[Greengabbard]

I just bought a Bike E CT recumbent on eBay for $300. I'm super excited for its delivery on the 11th of this month. I've been excited about building an electric bike for a long time. I've been riding a friction drive that I built for a couple years now. It just seems fitting to complete my collection with an electric. My days are filled with research about different options for motors, batteries, etc. I'm convinced that I'm going with a mid drive unit. I really like what I see from Cyclone( http://www.cyclone-tw.com/order-1chain.htm ). I'm most interested in their 500 Watt kit. $350 without the battery and charger or $800 for everything. I'm like everyone else and choke at the high price of batteries. But the investment could be worth it.

Any thoughts? Alternate suggestions?

I'll post a picture of my bike as soon as its gets here.

 

[BarelyAWake]

Somethin' like this one?



If so, it looks to be a sweet ride for sure

As for the Cyclone prices it all seems to check out about right... except there's no way an unfaired 24v 500w ebike is going to do "50 km/h" or 31mph unassisted, recumbent or not - 0.6hp is 0.6hp lol, 30mph is usually the realm of systems twice that, 48v/1000w or so, jus' as a heads up

I'm like everyone else and choke at the high price of batteries. But the investment could be worth it

You're right it is, don't choke - the batteries are by far the most important part of an ebike & is the number one cause for satisfaction/dissatisfaction. Get the best you're able (AH) and the rest will work out.

Welcome to bein' bent lol

 

[Greengabbard]

Yup that's the one!!!

I don't know what I'm hoping to get as far as speed goes. On my friction drive I can go 25 MPH on flat ground without pedaling. But 30 would be nice... How much experience do you have with Electric bike kits? Do you have any good recommendations?

 

[BarelyAWake]

Looks to be a comfy ride fo'sho, I'm a bit bent meself lol

Speed? If you'd like 30mph, then 48v 1000w is the way to go - but range is the bugbear so whatever voltage/wattage you choose, get the maximum AH (amp hours) you can possibly afford & you'll be happy with whatever speed you end up with. While a bit spendy LiFePO4 batteries are about the best choice for reliability & longevity, so good call on that man

As for experience... well, rather then "toot my own horn" I'll jus' mention this is prolly a good idea w/anyone heh: http://motorbicycling.com/showthread.php?t=49545

 

[Greengabbard]

Got home today to a wonderful surprise. My new (to me anyway) Bike E was delivered today a full five days before it was supposed to according to the tracking website. I can't wait to put it together!!!

Any experienced Bike E owners have any advice for me / maintenance tips / etc?

 

[BarelyAWake]

Congrats! New toy whoohoo! A very nice cardboard box indeed lol



Well, there's not much to advise really as part of an ebike's charm is the relative lack of maintenance etc... but there's a coupla lil things to reduce it further if you wish.

One is the application of a anti corrosive on the electrical connectors, dielectric grease or a similar spray is a good one - if the grease, a small paint or toothbrush aids a cleaner & thorough application, the following is a common product;

http://www.amazon.com/Permatex-22058-Dielectric-Tune-Up-Grease/dp/B000AL8VD2

& speaking of, another use for the dielectric grease specifically is to help prevent excessive water intrusion with hub motors - the axle slotted to permit the wiring to pass through a small dab of the grease in the slot will prevent that problem, even if submerged by a creek crossing or w/e. The sprays are better for controller boards & the busier, fine multipin connectors... but all of this I do as I ride in a particularly harsh, corrosive environment - seaside & winter use. You could get away without such if you choose.

Other'n that it's just the usual w/any wiring - tidy enough there's no chafe or tangle, loose enough there's play in the harness for movement like handlebar turning & motor/wheel removal... cable ties & shrink wrap your friends, but you likely knew that already lol

They really are pretty much Plug n'Play - but in the first few runs, with a fully charged pack you outa do a "worst case" range establishment. Sticking somewhat close to home as you'll be pedaling back, run the batts from full to utterly flat with as little pedal assistance as possible & clock your mileage. Once figured, divide it by half & that's your "point of no return" as any further you'll need a charge to get home.

Knowing that is all ya need, the ebike computers (range/reserve/amp/etc) are defo nice - but a bit o'navigation never hurt no one lol

 

[Greengabbard]

Took my Bike E out for a five mile ride today after work. Trying to get used to the thing before I put a motor on it.

Had a good ride but I have a had couple things I noticed that I wanted to talk about.

1) When I'm going pretty fast (say 20+ MPH) I notice that pedaling hard can cause me to feel a bit unstable or maybe even a little wobbly.

2) Steering when I'm pedaling hard uphill is difficult to control.

Is the steering weird because the handlebars are so short? Would longer handlebars make a difference?

 

[bigoilbob]

Took my Bike E out for a five mile ride today after work. Trying to get used to the thing before I put a motor on it.

Had a good ride but I have a had couple things I noticed that I wanted to talk about.

1) When I'm going pretty fast (say 20+ MPH) I notice that pedaling hard can cause me to feel a bit unstable or maybe even a little wobbly.

2) Steering when I'm pedaling hard uphill is difficult to control.

Is the steering weird because the handlebars are so short? Would longer handlebars make a difference?

Longer handlebars made all the difference in the world for my BikeE2 tandem recumbent motorization. I'm not blazing fast, but can do 20 m/h. I would have been all over the place with stock bars. They sell them, but it's been ~3 years since my install. I'll see if I can find who I bought them from.

 

[bigoilbob]

Separately, dude, don't go over 22-23 m/h on ANY Bike E. I own my motorized tandem recumbent and an RX. My RX is my daily rider and I love it. But it's not fast and not safe when ridden fast. Those tires are just too small.....

 

[Greengabbard]

Longer handlebars made all the difference in the world for my BikeE2 tandem recumbent motorization. I'm not blazing fast, but can do 20 m/h. I would have been all over the place with stock bars. They sell them, but it's been ~3 years since my install. I'll see if I can find who I bought them from.

Thanks! I'll take any help I can get. I've been looking at cobbling it together from various pieces. But an all in one option is more desirable.

Thanks!

 

[Greengabbard]

Separately, dude, don't go over 22-23 m/h on ANY Bike E. I own my motorized tandem recumbent and an RX. My RX is my daily rider and I love it. But it's not fast and not safe when ridden fast. Those tires are just too small.....

I've been known to pedal at speeds of over 23 MPH at times. I'm not being skeptical of your advice. But I'd like to understand why you say it. What are the indications you get when riding faster than that. Why do the size of the tires come into play? Educate me.....

 

[bigoilbob]

I've been known to pedal at speeds of over 23 MPH at times. I'm not being skeptical of your advice. But I'd like to understand why you say it. What are the indications you get when riding faster than that. Why do the size of the tires come into play? Educate me.....

No diss on your riding. My RX just gets goosy at above these speeds. Here's why, in my view. Less gyro force from smaller tires and wheels. Gyro force goes up as the square of the radius (wheel size), but only goes DOWN as the angular velocity goes down. So, losing redundant terms, it increases WITH radius, even though angular velocity is reduced (at the same speed) with increased radius. Also, that bigger tire/wheel build will probably have more mass, which also increases gyro restorative force. And even with the same tire pressures, the smaller tire will buck back and forth more as it goes over ruts, as it is being pulled/pushed at higher angles. Finally, my RX handlebars (and my old E2 handlebars) are just too narrow to reliably make the fine enough adjustments at higher speeds.

But if your combo of smoother roads, better handlebars (don't know what you have on your Bike E model) and greater skill, keeps you in your comfort zone, mo' power to you.

Folks, engineer who aced dynamics in school, but I always skip to the end when deriving gyro force equations. And it's been many years. So, if I got this all wrong, set me straight and I'll thank you for it. Also, I'm also aware that some folks think (perhaps correctly) that gyro stabilization is "small" compared to steering stabilization. I'm just trying to account for my real world experience racing downhill on my BikeE RX.....