Which hub motor?

I just got my new to me trike. An HP scorpion fs 26. I want to find the right hub motor. I want top end speed more than a fast start. I'd like a top end of 30 to 35mph. I think that means 48v and a 750 to 1000 watt motor. I live in flat florida. I'm thinking no gears. I have a 135mm dropout. I'll want as many gears that will fit. Quality of motor is more important than lots of gears. And sensor or sensorless? I'd like the least resistance motor on coasting.

I'm considering LifPo4 48v 18amps. Rides will be 10 to 35 miles. Trike and rider 180lbs. Plus battery and all electronics. I want a reliable battery with a reasonable warranty. I don't know one source from another.

All thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

Thanks,
Harvey

Since you want no resistance coasting, you need a geared motor. 8t Mac should be about the speed you want, on 48v. But possibly you will need an ever lower turn count. EM3ev has some speed charts that can help you decide.

You will need about 1500w, to cruise above 30 mph. So 48v 30 amps controller for it. The longer rides will have to run slower, to make it on that size battery. But 10 miles will be there at full gallop.

Or am I just completely misunderstanding, and you want the lowest drag direct drive motor? If you go DD, don't worry about drag, to coast well on a DD, just feed it 50w of power, and cogging vanishes.

Either way, 1500w to cruise 35 mph. Better to have plenty, than find wind drag limiting your speed, even on a lower drag bent. If you go dd, I got a nice 35 mph from 72v 20 amps, and normal rpm 9c type motors.

I'm riding a Mac 8T right now with the 40 amp controller - the Infineon 12-fet-3077 - at 48 volts. So at 2000 watts. At full throttle and full pedal, on the flat, I can get upwards to 30mph, but no faster. If 35mph were my goal, I'd consider the Mac 6T, with the Infineon 12-fet-4110, at 60 volts. Paul will not warranty that, so anyone trying would assume the risk. That's 2400 watts and well beyond the limits of the motor. But if only occasionally throttled to high speeds, it may be possible to control the heat. Also ways the motor can be cooled, through vents or cooling.

Without a doubt, its best to research and compare kits and vendors. Having a trusted vendor willing to work with you to achieve your goals is often overlooked, but can be most important to achieving your goals in a safe and reliable way. You may want to consult my Top 10 eBike Conversion Kits & Where to Buy list to help you select. Best of luck.

Thanks for your valued thoughts. 30 to 35 mph is top end not cruising speed. I'll cruise between 15 and 25. My thinking is to get a motor a little bigger than I need to run cooler. Would that be true?

The list of best choices along with the thread is helpful. Pardon my lack of knowledge but what is a fet?

ebent said:

Thanks for your valued thoughts. 30 to 35 mph is top end not cruising speed. I'll cruise between 15 and 25. My thinking is to get a motor a little bigger than I need to run cooler. Would that be true?

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You should be just fine with a MAC 6T with the Infineon 12fet 3077 controller, and a 48 volt battery. Standard issue, under warranty and Paul is a great vendor. You can get everything you need from Paul, including battery, and he's quick in getting the goods out.

The list of best choices along with the thread is helpful. Pardon my lack of knowledge but what is a fet?

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fet, short for mosfet is a field effect transistor, and mosfets, of the metal–oxide–semiconductor variety. It is the essential ingredient in controllers, the transistor that parses the current into the phase wires in a steady controlled manner. Most hub motors are three-phase. There are lots of different manufacturers offering fets in various sizes. The Infineon controllers offered by EM3ev use either the IFRB 3077 or 4110 mosfets and in packs of 6, 9 or 12. The 4110 is rated for a higher amperage, and the more mosfets in a controller, the more amperage they are capable of delivering, safely, without over-heating.

My Falco rear wheel gearless hub motor has no noticable drag when peddling. The wheel does not spin out as much when you pick up the back end and spin it, but you really can't feel that when peddling. You CAN feel the extra 20lbs and no doubt some of that is drag, but it's pretty minimal.

I suggest a MXUS from Kinaye if you're in the USA

I decided to go with a 3540 crystalite hub. On order is a 48v 20ah lithium mang. all cell battery. A big challenge on this trike was to find a space for the battery. I will hang 4 gussets from existing bolts. The aluminum gussets will be welded to a 3/8" plate of aluminum. This shelf will be directly under the seat. The 3/8" plate will allow me to create threaded holes for bolting down electronics.
One bolting point is the chain idler. The bolt goes through the frame tube to allow 2 points. There are 2 more bolts, one on either side at the pivot point. that provide 2 more points to hang gussets. To make the shelf level there will be 2 sizes of gussets. The three bolts will be replaced with longer bolts to create room to hang the gussets. I perceive this to be a good solution. The machinist comes recommended. Hopefully it will be good work.

Good choice, eliminating the least resistance when coasting requirement allows use of a good direct drive motor.

That opened up larger motors, able to take more power when you want it, with little penalty other than the weight of the motor. I use the older 5300 motors, and love them at 2000w. Plenty of giddy up when you want it, nearly 35 mph on 48v, but still shockingly efficient when ridden at 15-18 mph.

So your choice is exactly what I would have suggested, if you had said direct drive motor. It's a good un.

You are on the right track with battery placement. Big flat pack one 18560 cell tall perfect.

I'll watch and see what you think.

Also have a pair of FS26's and considering adding another to play with edrives. Currently have 10 speed cassette with Dualdrive & front triple on both.

Been looking at the BBS02 pretty closely. Lots of tradeoffs between hub & mid applications.

Not willing to give up a freehub & cassette which limits hubs. Considered 9C although it has fairly high cogging, and tends to get warm on long ascents. Rear tire removal on the road is a bit of a chore with nearly any hub.

BBS02 at 500 Watts would still need some trinkets to get it right. It is possible to rig a double ring on it, just not sure how small the ring can be. If its possible to get into the 32T range it may fit the need. Also will have to rig a couple of ultra-reliable microswitches on the trigger shifters.

Not an immediate priority probably 3-4 months away before any parts are ordered.