That's some nice work their Mike..............as usual.

I have been following the e-bike thing for a while. I would love to have something of an enduro type that could get speeds up to around 60 mph. I could use it most days to get around. The thing holding me bike right now is cost and form factor. Their are a lot of nice e-bikes starting to show up in the market place.

If you could build an electric specific frame that utilized common dirt bike parts for the rest I would bet it would be a hit.

The Stealth bike is capable of 50mph, but at 10G is a bit much. The dirt bike parts would be great on a frame for the 8000W plus systems.

As the panda pointed out, the modules are paralleled through the balance leads with a 6 to 1 adapter for balance charging as a complete unit/module. I could have permanently connected the balance leads, but disassembly would then be more difficult. Also, if a cell within one pack happens to go south, it would try to equalize with the other cells in the other packs through the small balance wire, which might be problematic! The way the modules are built, everything is...well...modular - and easy to remove/replace in the event of a problem(which hopefully never happens).

The Stealth bikes look cool, but I am not a fan of the hub motor concept(unsprung, rotating mass that also has a gyroscopic effect) - and they are quite expensive as well. It is also a lot closer to a bicycle than a motorbike IMO - they are a very heavy bicycle. A frame that accepts readily available parts is more my speed for sure - at least 65mph top speed and a 20-30 mile or so range would make for a nice commuter and/or play toy, too. I have considered making a 2 speed tranny as well - one speed for trails, etc., and a taller gear for the street commute. The range will only get better as battery technology moves forward, too. It only takes time and money to make it happen(and I have neither in abundance). :)

The stealth bike is interesting, but way out of my range.

A 30 mile range for most days would be perfect for many things I do. I would definitely want something a little more substantial than a bicycle but less so than a hard core street bike. That's why I said an enduro type. I also want something comfortable to ride and anything like a crotch rocket would be out for me as well.

I'm still trying to find a decent ebike kit just for tooling around - not really for serious transportation. Although, the ~10 mile trip to work via bike would be nice. The best deal I've found thus far are the kits found here: http://www.ampedbikes.com/kits.html

$840 for 750 motor (premounted to reinforced rim/spokes), ESC, 36v 12Ah Li battery, etc is pretty good IMO. 750w should be adequate for decent speed with minimal pedaling, although I was really looking for something in the 1500w range. But finding setups that spec true wattage can be tough - lots seem to be of the "flame sticker" variety as far as specs go.

There is another site, http://www.electricrider.com/, that has higher power stuff. The "7240" kit includes a 2880w motor (truly??) running on 72v, 40A ESC, etc for over $1k (minus battery). But the cost is rather high and the only power options they sell are SLA (yuk). Getting equivalent voltage/Ah Lithiums would cost me at least an extra $500, not to mention a charger that will do 18-19s...

Brian, the motor that my bike is running pulls 1500w continuous without overheating in the Texas heat @40-44mph. It will pull 2000+W going up steep inclines and this is with a 12Fet controller.

Snell, so what exactly are you running? I would just like to get a kit that works, ~1500w, is reliable, and not stupidly expensive. That means motor, ESC, battery, throttle, and all the extra necessary bits and pieces required (like torque arm, wiring, etc).

I know I could assemble all the parts I need from various places, like the hub motor from one place, R/C aircraft HV ESC, throttle from someplace else, yadda yadda. But that's a PITA, not to mention the overall cost is about the same from what research I've done.

Too bad Castle hasn't come up with kits. I would feel much better about getting something that I know will work from a US company who stands behind their product.

I'm running a Goldenmotor Magic Pie and got it from goldenmotor.ca. I got it the motor for the torque and slender size. I'm running it sensorless as I can't deal with broken sensor wires, forcing me to pedal in the heat. Well it's not so hot anymore.

The controller is custom from Edward Lyen in San Francisco. It's worth the time and money(cheap for what you get) to get the controller from him over the off the shelf stuff. He has different controllers both in sensored and sensorless configs. From little 6 fets ESC's, to motorcycle level controllers. He can wire the controller up for every accessory for the availabe ebike hardware. You can tweak the controller settings with the Cycle Analyst and through your PC. You can add copper braid wires on the fet traces for higher amperage if needed.

Motor selection is up to you. The Crystalyte motors at electric rider are good stuff and can take some serious abuse if you like going overboard. Some have even soldered up thicker motor wires on those motors. I just use 12awg wires and Castle 6.5mm bullet connectors for mine now. I noticed a small increase in off the line torque. An Ebay cheapy 1000W motor will do as well. The controller is key.

It's funny, we have had the hottest August in Texas history, and when the temps "cool" down into the mid 90's it feels great!!!

HAHAHHAH, so true.

Would love to see an RCM ebike kit that made the hub motor redundant

Something like the Brammo would be cool too.

And as dry as it's been I was actually wishing for a hurricane, or even a nice tropical storm. :yes: :lol:

yep im very interested in the e-bike projects too
the stealth bike looks awesome but i would rather build one
actually wondering how the red leopard 5692 size motors would go on a bike
would be great to have one motor each wheel for crazy offroad stuff

i work as a mountainbike technician so have access and info on that side of things and motors escs and batterys just keep getting better and better
it looks like the way forward
would love to have a lightweightish downhill bike that could motor back to the top of the hill under its own power

Hi Mike,
Are these modules something you made just for yourself or is it going to become one of your fine products for us to purchase? This is the cleanest way to go lipo on an E-vehicle I've seen yet.

Thanks
Ray