stuee147
Senior Member
- Location
- north ayrshire
hi all
iv been looking at E-bike conversion kits and there are some very good looking ones out there now that dont cost the earth. but i have a couple of questions im hoping some of you out there may be able to help me with.
firstly im looking to fit the convertion to my home built trike and the kits iv been looking at are 48volt 1000 watt kits due to the weight of the trike and panniers i thought it best to look at the higher powered end of the market rather than the 24 volt and 36 volt models.
so first question is how long is the pedal assist cables and how easy is it to extend them (i know it can depend a lot on the make/type of kit im just looking for a general idea) . im guessing it would be a short cable run but how many cables is it ? im hoping only 2 or 3 but knowing my luck its loads which would make it hard to extend that cables.
the second question is do you think it would be possible to fit the pedal assist sensor to the bottom bracket at the rear of the trike? if you look at the pic bellow you can see i have left the triple on the bear section of my trike and im using it as a chain guide, so the chain runs from the pedals at the front over the triple at the back and onto the rear wheel.
now would the chain running over the top of the triple like that give a proper reading to the pedal assist sensor if i fitted it to that bottom bracket instead of running extra cables all the way to the front onto the pedals.
im not sure how the sensor works so im not sure if the chain would give enough pressure ?
my next question is about the brakes the kits im looking at have power cutoff switches in the brake leavers that come with the kit. but i have funny leavers both of them have spring loaded buttons that lock the brakes on so they act like a hand brake, and also the front brake leaver has duel cables one to each of the front wheels so i dont really want to change them. but im guessing the power cutoff switch is nothing more than a micro switch that cuts connection when the leaver is pulled ?
can anyone tell me if im thinking right as if i am i will just modify my existing leavers my self.
and the last question i have (for the moment anyway lol) is about the batteries.
the kits iv been looking at have 2 options for batteries the first is a Lithium Ion battery the type iv seen on most e-bikes. but the other option and about £100 cheaper is 4 small 12 volt lead acid deep cycle batteries that come with a bag that straps to the top of the pannier rack.
which option is best ? i know the Lithium Ion battery is a lot lighter and smaller but on the trike im not overly worried about the weight and size im more concerned about the usability and life span and things like that. i also have some 80 watt solar panels and a controller that i have used in the past to charge caravan batteries and i would like to use them on the trike as well, but im not sure if i would need a special charge controler for the Lithium Ion battery or will the one i use for lead acid batteries work fine??
also if you have used one of these conversions in the past or even still do use one how do you find it ?
any recomendations as to types or makes ?
thanks
stuee
iv been looking at E-bike conversion kits and there are some very good looking ones out there now that dont cost the earth. but i have a couple of questions im hoping some of you out there may be able to help me with.
firstly im looking to fit the convertion to my home built trike and the kits iv been looking at are 48volt 1000 watt kits due to the weight of the trike and panniers i thought it best to look at the higher powered end of the market rather than the 24 volt and 36 volt models.
so first question is how long is the pedal assist cables and how easy is it to extend them (i know it can depend a lot on the make/type of kit im just looking for a general idea) . im guessing it would be a short cable run but how many cables is it ? im hoping only 2 or 3 but knowing my luck its loads which would make it hard to extend that cables.
the second question is do you think it would be possible to fit the pedal assist sensor to the bottom bracket at the rear of the trike? if you look at the pic bellow you can see i have left the triple on the bear section of my trike and im using it as a chain guide, so the chain runs from the pedals at the front over the triple at the back and onto the rear wheel.
now would the chain running over the top of the triple like that give a proper reading to the pedal assist sensor if i fitted it to that bottom bracket instead of running extra cables all the way to the front onto the pedals.
im not sure how the sensor works so im not sure if the chain would give enough pressure ?
my next question is about the brakes the kits im looking at have power cutoff switches in the brake leavers that come with the kit. but i have funny leavers both of them have spring loaded buttons that lock the brakes on so they act like a hand brake, and also the front brake leaver has duel cables one to each of the front wheels so i dont really want to change them. but im guessing the power cutoff switch is nothing more than a micro switch that cuts connection when the leaver is pulled ?
can anyone tell me if im thinking right as if i am i will just modify my existing leavers my self.
and the last question i have (for the moment anyway lol) is about the batteries.
the kits iv been looking at have 2 options for batteries the first is a Lithium Ion battery the type iv seen on most e-bikes. but the other option and about £100 cheaper is 4 small 12 volt lead acid deep cycle batteries that come with a bag that straps to the top of the pannier rack.
which option is best ? i know the Lithium Ion battery is a lot lighter and smaller but on the trike im not overly worried about the weight and size im more concerned about the usability and life span and things like that. i also have some 80 watt solar panels and a controller that i have used in the past to charge caravan batteries and i would like to use them on the trike as well, but im not sure if i would need a special charge controler for the Lithium Ion battery or will the one i use for lead acid batteries work fine??
also if you have used one of these conversions in the past or even still do use one how do you find it ?
any recomendations as to types or makes ?
thanks
stuee
