FS Frame + Cromotor + Lipo

[gensem]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Fastrax-CFD-2000-Alum-Suspension-MTB-Frame-19-5-C-T-/270717182728?pt=Mountain_Bikes&hash=item3f08006308#ht_4622wt_954

Good seller, got the frame from him.

[gensem]

.

[GCinDC]

just worried lipos in a sagging bag will get damaged by shock...

[gensem]

just worried lipos in a sagging bag will get damaged by shock...

I tought about that too, but i dont think the cells ll have enough clearance to move but I might be wrong. Either way we ll find out in a couple of weeks if my arm keeps healing in the same pace.

[GCinDC]

i made a bag like that, for a much bigger triangle, and what i found was that the battery didn't stay snug up against the toptube like i'd hoped... instead gravity pulled it down and wanted to shape it like a tear drop (if viewed like cross section)...

if you have a hard liner between the bag and the shock that will help, but i'm guessing the shock action will eventually tear the fabric at the least and rub whatever is inside if they stay in contact like shown in your photo...

anyway, i'm really tempted to get one of these frames. so i've been researching them a bit:

i think hodaka is the parent company and they show the (more recent?) CFD 2500. (the 2500 has symmetrical chain-stays unlike the 2000 - an afterthought for the chain, that they corrected in the 2500, i wonder?)

The site is copyrighted 2001 , but the chronology goes to 2005. Looks like they've been building aluminum/scandium frames since 2001.

Can you measure the narrowest part in the rear triangle? How big of a tire will fit? 2.5"?

[gensem]

i made a bag like that, for a much bigger triangle, and what i found was that the battery didn't stay snug up against the toptube like i'd hoped... instead gravity pulled it down and wanted to shape it like a tear drop (if viewed like cross section)...

if you have a hard liner between the bag and the shock that will help, but i'm guessing the shock action will eventually tear the fabric at the least and rub whatever is inside if they stay in contact like shown in your photo...

anyway, i'm really tempted to get one of these frames. so i've been researching them a bit:

i think hodaka is the parent company and they show the (more recent?) CFD 2500. (the 2500 has symmetrical chain-stays unlike the 2000 - an afterthought for the chain, that they corrected in the 2500, i wonder?)

The site is copyrighted 2001 , but the chronology goes to 2005. Looks like they've been building aluminum/scandium frames since 2001.


Can you measure the narrowest part in the rear triangle? How big of a tire will fit? 2.5"?

I tought about the bag ideia and Im about to cut an old topeak rack and use as a bag base.
I saw the 2500 in the taiwan site too but was not able to find it for selling.
I ll measure tire clearance when I get home, I didnt bother to measure yet because it looks big.

[gensem]

Clearance is really good, I just measured.

3" clearance with wheel brakes, and 3,75" if you grind the brake bolts.

[GCinDC]

150mm between the dropouts?

[gensem]

150mm between the dropouts?

Did not bother to measure too but its also big. I ll measure after work. but if I was to guess I would say its indeed 15cm. The frame is good, i mean much better than I tought I would for 370 dollars. But im brazilian and im used to pay too 2, 3 times the regular price so it might not impress you much.

[gensem]

Its bicycle sized, exactly 135mm

[gensem]

Shaping up




Battery case (Oatnet's idea)

[GCinDC]

woah. cromotor there?

did you add a brace in the triangle?

[gensem]

woah. cromotor there?

did you add a brace in the triangle?

Yup its a cromotor

Im using Doc torque arms and soldered a flat bar to support the controller inside the frame triangle.
Hoping to get the bike running in 2 or 3 weeks. Im still short of a controler and also need to assemble gary´s lite bms.

[hillzofvalp]

yum. cromota

[Philistine]

That looks badass, love the all matte black and the cromotor.

My mate has a similar setup using the same Falcon EV bag, on a Kona Stinky (very similar frame setup as yours), and he has no probs with it at all. He has been getting slight chafing against the suspension on the bottom but nothing serious. He is really happy with the setup and in my opinion the falcon EV bag in a suspension frame like that is a great commuter option. Best of luck with it.

[GCinDC]

did you get the cromotor laced? do you know what rim it is? looks bigger than a 20"..

and are those the croforks? i see dual disc adapters...

[gensem]

That looks badass, love the all matte black and the cromotor.

My mate has a similar setup using the same Falcon EV bag, on a Kona Stinky (very similar frame setup as yours), and he has no probs with it at all. He has been getting slight chafing against the suspension on the bottom but nothing serious. He is really happy with the setup and in my opinion the falcon EV bag in a suspension frame like that is a great commuter option. Best of luck with it.

I love the matte black coz it doesnt drag much attention and want to stay under the radar.
Can you elaborate on the chafing issue? You mean the tire chafing on the frame?
This frame had 135mm space but I gave it a little heat and it has around 155mm now.

I have the Falcon EV bag too, plan to put the 24fet controller inside of it and ll be hoping the controller does not overheat.

[gensem]

did you get the cromotor laced? do you know what rim it is? looks bigger than a 20"..

and are those the croforks? i see dual disc adapters...

I found an experienced motorcycle wheel lacer in Sao Paulo, so I gave up lacing the cromotor to a bicycle wheel.
Its a 17" 140 moped rim with michellin moped tires, OD is about 23". Front wheel is going to be 24" bicycle rims with 2.5 or 3.0 tires that ll end up having around 25-25.5" OD.
Yes, the front fork is a DNM modded to use dual rotors by Hal9000/Accountant.

[Philistine]

All I meant about the chafing issue Gensem was because my mate was stuffing his EV Falcon bag so full of LIpo and controller (I think he has about 12s3P and his controller and DC/DC converter etc.. all in there), that the bottom of the bag is pressing against his suspension in the triangle, so the bag is chafing a bit). Having said that he has been riding like that for 12 months at least with no issues. I hadn't noticed you were going the Oatnet route with the box on the forks, I imagine that will work well as well. Best of luck. Cheers, Phil.

[gensem]

All I meant about the chafing issue Gensem was because my mate was stuffing his EV Falcon bag so full of LIpo and controller (I think he has about 12s3P and his controller and DC/DC converter etc.. all in there), that the bottom of the bag is pressing against his suspension in the triangle, so the bag is chafing a bit). Having said that he has been riding like that for 12 months at least with no issues. I hadn't noticed you were going the Oatnet route with the box on the forks, I imagine that will work well as well. Best of luck. Cheers, Phil.

I see (never heard the word chafing before)...
Im copying Oatnet, going to put 8x 6s 8000 in the box, but the support its not fixed in the fork its soldered to the frame.
Im eager to get the bike running.

[GCinDC]

I found an experienced motorcycle wheel lacer in Sao Paulo, so I gave up lacing the cromotor to a bicycle wheel. Its a 17" 1.4 moped rim with michellin moped tires, OD is about 23".

so what spokes did you get?

[gensem]

I found an experienced motorcycle wheel lacer in Sao Paulo, so I gave up lacing the cromotor to a bicycle wheel. Its a 17" 1.4 moped rim with michellin moped tires, OD is about 23".

so what spokes did you get?

There were no off the shelf spokes that fitted cromotor with a 17" rim, so I got 9g 110mm black spokes from newsonsportec (ebay).
Front wheel is going to use 12g sapim spokes.

Tire

[farmkid4]

Great looking build cant wait to see how it turns out!

Keep the pics coming

[gensem]

OK... frame is broken...
I told the guy to go easy on the flame solder because we were just giving the swing arm "a heat". I now have a broken swing arm. grrrr
Hope I can come with a solution coz I dont trust a soldered swing arm. (ll post pic tmr)

[fabiograssi]

OK... frame is broken...
I told the guy to go easy on the flame solder because we were just giving the swing arm "a heat". I now have a broken swing arm. grrrr
Hope I can come with a solution coz I dont trust a soldered swing arm. (ll post pic tmr)

Aluminum frames don't tolerate this procedures in a rule of thumb. With a cromota in the ass, worst...

Maybe build a steel swing arm with myamura, from Santo André (I think, but have the contacts...).

Do you know him?