maurtis
New Member
Hi all! I finally got my bike rolling last weekend so figured it was time to start a build thread. This build has been very slow going, months in the making, since I have been funding it with fixing and flipping scooters/minibikes/etc on Craigslist.
Previously I had a 66cc 2 stroke cruiser that I really enjoyed riding around on errands, but the wrist pin bearing blew at around 400 miles. While I loved motorized biking, there was a lot left to be desired with the HT build. So that got me thinking about electrics.
I stumbled on a Mongoose CX24V450 on Craigslist and rode that around on 24V SLA for a while. Fun, but a kid's toy. I went on to change out the rear freewheel and go to 36V lipo. Better and would do mid 20's (even hit 31 MPH once), but I was still dreaming of a little more, so the planning commenced.
I was originally going to go with an older steel mountain bike frame, like a 90's GT, but then a straight bar Schwinn Heavy Duti appeared on Craigslist that looked promising. When I got it home, on closer inspection I found that the horrible paintjob was covering up cracks in the frame... blech. Repairable, but not the most desirable start.
Then a few days later a 1999 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme popped up for $50, in great shape! While smaller framed than the Heavy Duti, it already had better brakes, 135mm rear dropouts (most hub motors are 135mm or 150mm), gears, etc.
With a goal of 35 MPH cruising and 10 miles of range, I started shopping for a motor. While contemplating massive overkill, I decided to go with a faster wind but cheaper Golden Motor Pro 901. This is the same motor used in the Yescom hub 48v 1000W kits on eBay. Not as much torque as some of the bigger guys, but very reasonably priced and I can always swap out rear wheels later.
I went with just a bare motor since I knew I would be replacing the rim anyway, and went with Weinmann DH-39 for the front and rear. I laced the rear myself:
I spent a lot of time on Endless-Sphere absorbing what I could. I knew I was going to want a build that had the potential for a lot of power. Since these hub motors can eat weaker dropouts for lunch, I ordered a set of Dr. Bass' torque arms and had them welded to the frame. I then painted them silver and cleared with clear engine enamel (to help handle the heat). My dropouts no longer worry me
For my rear brake I am using the regen feature on my controller (a Lyen Extreme Modder 12fet) and rear v-brakes, and up front I went with a Sturmey-Archer 90mm drum. And my fork is a beehive springer from VMB. Here is a picture after mounting the controller and front fork. The tires I am running are 2.4" CST Cyclops Pros, $13 each from Amazon and beefy, with Kenda downhill tubes inside.
Previously I had a 66cc 2 stroke cruiser that I really enjoyed riding around on errands, but the wrist pin bearing blew at around 400 miles. While I loved motorized biking, there was a lot left to be desired with the HT build. So that got me thinking about electrics.
I stumbled on a Mongoose CX24V450 on Craigslist and rode that around on 24V SLA for a while. Fun, but a kid's toy. I went on to change out the rear freewheel and go to 36V lipo. Better and would do mid 20's (even hit 31 MPH once), but I was still dreaming of a little more, so the planning commenced.
I was originally going to go with an older steel mountain bike frame, like a 90's GT, but then a straight bar Schwinn Heavy Duti appeared on Craigslist that looked promising. When I got it home, on closer inspection I found that the horrible paintjob was covering up cracks in the frame... blech. Repairable, but not the most desirable start.
Then a few days later a 1999 Schwinn Cruiser Supreme popped up for $50, in great shape! While smaller framed than the Heavy Duti, it already had better brakes, 135mm rear dropouts (most hub motors are 135mm or 150mm), gears, etc.
With a goal of 35 MPH cruising and 10 miles of range, I started shopping for a motor. While contemplating massive overkill, I decided to go with a faster wind but cheaper Golden Motor Pro 901. This is the same motor used in the Yescom hub 48v 1000W kits on eBay. Not as much torque as some of the bigger guys, but very reasonably priced and I can always swap out rear wheels later.
I went with just a bare motor since I knew I would be replacing the rim anyway, and went with Weinmann DH-39 for the front and rear. I laced the rear myself:
I spent a lot of time on Endless-Sphere absorbing what I could. I knew I was going to want a build that had the potential for a lot of power. Since these hub motors can eat weaker dropouts for lunch, I ordered a set of Dr. Bass' torque arms and had them welded to the frame. I then painted them silver and cleared with clear engine enamel (to help handle the heat). My dropouts no longer worry me
For my rear brake I am using the regen feature on my controller (a Lyen Extreme Modder 12fet) and rear v-brakes, and up front I went with a Sturmey-Archer 90mm drum. And my fork is a beehive springer from VMB. Here is a picture after mounting the controller and front fork. The tires I am running are 2.4" CST Cyclops Pros, $13 each from Amazon and beefy, with Kenda downhill tubes inside.
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