Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

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Brucey
Posts: 44521
Joined: 4 Jan 2012, 6:25pm

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by Brucey »

they are not all the same in that respect; quite a few of these hubs use a roller clutch (for low drag when not motoring) and that is one of the parts that routinely breaks on cheap hubs.

cheers
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Colin Stanley
Posts: 323
Joined: 12 May 2007, 7:05pm
Location: Somewhere in Kent

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by Colin Stanley »

Several years ago I fitted a front wheel electric drive conversion to our tandem. It was at a time just before my wife was going to have a replacement knee, so I needed the extra effort...
The kit fitted well and worked well (I just used a throttle on demand control). Sadly, the Li-ion battery lasted just over one year. I wish I could get a replacement, but can't seem to find a supplier, unless I buy 500...
I can't find the firm who supplied the kit, which is a shame as they were quite helpful at the time.
Interestingly, I have seen a similar battery on Police bikes recently in Maidstone.
Keezx
Posts: 490
Joined: 20 Dec 2014, 10:44am
Location: The Netherlands

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by Keezx »

I know because sometimes I take it for shopping...
Never use the motor , it's too slow for me...
reohn2
Posts: 45158
Joined: 26 Jun 2009, 8:21pm

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by reohn2 »

Colin Stanley wrote:Several years ago I fitted a front wheel electric drive conversion to our tandem. It was at a time just before my wife was going to have a replacement knee, so I needed the extra effort...
The kit fitted well and worked well (I just used a throttle on demand control). Sadly, the Li-ion battery lasted just over one year. I wish I could get a replacement, but can't seem to find a supplier, unless I buy 500...
I can't find the firm who supplied the kit, which is a shame as they were quite helpful at the time.
Interestingly, I have seen a similar battery on Police bikes recently in Maidstone.


Try these chaps out:- http://www.recellyourbattery.com/
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Colin Stanley
Posts: 323
Joined: 12 May 2007, 7:05pm
Location: Somewhere in Kent

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by Colin Stanley »

reohn2 wrote:Try these chaps out:- http://www.recellyourbattery.com/

Have looked on their website and they say they don't recell electric bikes. Unfortunately, I sent the battery and its charger back to the firm I bought the kit from so they could test it. They told me that the battery was dead and couldn't be repaired. The price of a new one was as much as the price for the whole kit. So I didn't replace it. It was at the time 'er indoors' was getting stronger from her knee op' so we just carried on riding unassisted. However, I wouldn't mind reinstating the kit on my old Raleigh Superbe 26in wheel shopper. As I said, the firm I bought the kit from has now gone.
niggle
Posts: 3435
Joined: 11 Mar 2009, 10:29pm
Location: Cornwall, near England

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by niggle »

So if you use a conversion kit what are your options for lighting? A dynohub is IMO the most convenient for commuting on a bike without electric assistance, but it would seem silly/inefficient on an ebike, and a front hub motor would rule it out anyway. The most obvious solution is to take power for the lights from the main battery, but is that possible with these kits? Having to recharge lights as well as the main battery sounds like rather a chore.
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[XAP]Bob
Posts: 19793
Joined: 26 Sep 2008, 4:12pm

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by [XAP]Bob »

Colin Stanley wrote:
reohn2 wrote:Try these chaps out:- http://www.recellyourbattery.com/

Have looked on their website and they say they don't recell electric bikes. Unfortunately, I sent the battery and its charger back to the firm I bought the kit from so they could test it. They told me that the battery was dead and couldn't be repaired. The price of a new one was as much as the price for the whole kit. So I didn't replace it. It was at the time 'er indoors' was getting stronger from her knee op' so we just carried on riding unassisted. However, I wouldn't mind reinstating the kit on my old Raleigh Superbe 26in wheel shopper. As I said, the firm I bought the kit from has now gone.

So long as you know the voltage and current requirements then you can probably build your own quite effectively out of RC batteries.
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Notsydney
Posts: 1
Joined: 9 Sep 2016, 1:45pm

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by Notsydney »

My partner's bike has just had an electric conversion - front wheel hub motor, battery on rear rack. Works ok but the plate on which the battery sits is fixed to the rack with cable ties and the rack is a single one so the battery sits on it rather than in it. Also the battery overhangs the back of the rack by a few inches. The company who did the conversion insists no problem with this but we are concerned about safety. Does anyone have advice about the correct way to secure a battery and plate to a rear rack?
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georgew
Posts: 1526
Joined: 27 Jan 2007, 4:23pm

Re: Advice sought - Electric bike conversion kits

Post by georgew »

After my second heart attack it was obvious that the damage meant I could no longer ride with the DA to and from meets and after a right old earwigging from a fellow member I sent my Moulton TRS27 off for e-assist conversion to these people:
http://www.arccinnovations.com/ARCC_Inn ... Bikes.html
Cost a fortune but it did mean I could re-join the group after a couple of years of absence. I chose this system as it uses stock Bosch batteries of 4AH which are said to have a range of 30 miles but in reality given a few hills it's more like 25/26 miles. I carry a spare battery to increase my range and I have to say that it is a superb system and the only drawback I can see is the cost. To my eyes it is primarily intended for City commuting and I would see it doing this superbly well.

It becomes more attractive with the advent of a new battery from Bosch which is said to be 9Ah and which should more than double the range.......at a price of course.
I'm intending to write a review of the above when I have some time.

The best advice for anyone intending to do this would be found at the forum below whose members have a huge amount of expertise.
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/
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