250w hub motor scooter mod log

Joined
Feb 19, 2010
Messages
369
Location
Antioch, CA
So a few weeks ago I ordered a scooter off eBay for $560. It looks similar to the ecoreco and vomo scooter just a bit uglier. I bought it to get around San Francisco to and from work. I really wanted a vomo and sent them some emails and never got a response so that scared me a bit. I also didn't want to wait 2 months to receive it so I went with the knock off. It was quite an ordeal because the seller gave me the wrong tracking number and there was a delay because of the Chinese holiday. Long story shorts the scooter showed up almost two weeks late, that was problem #1. Upon closer inspection I noticed the scooter didn't have disc brakes,and the battery wasn't a Samsung battery like the listing said. The battery was dead so I tried to charge it and the plug for the charger wasn't for American outlets. So I sent a very pissed off email to the seller and demanded a partial refund. With the refund I ended up only paying $300 for the scooter so I'd say it was a steal. I rode it around the block and really want to boost performance. It's a 250w scooter and performs like one lol. I'm thinking of selling the 36v battery and charger and getting 12s lipos in there. I also want to get a better controller and throttle. Those are the pricier mods I have planned. I've already removed the seat and some hideous trim that was on the deck. I going to eventual make a new deck out of a lighter material like wood or aluminum, but I'll probabl just add grip tape for now. The bars on this thing are ugly as hell and super long so I'm going to cut the top off and add a stem and drag bar from a bicycle. I have a few pics but will post more soon. Let me know what you guys think!
 

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So I've finally had some time to start playing with this thing. I ordered some handlebars that are usually found on fixed gear bicycles, so I just need to get a handlebar clamp and I can mount those up when they arrive. I balanced the 2 lipo packs that I had and pulled the 36v lion pack from the scooter. I quickly realized that there isn't a lot of room to work with, especially if I want to run 10ah of lipo and a lyen controller. I threw some andersons on the stock controller and hooked up my lipos, which are 5mm too tall so the deck won't go on without some spacers. I fired up the scooter and took off without the deck, in the dark, with flip flops and no shirt lol (I was very excited to find out the top speed). According to the app on my phone the I hit 20 mph. The stock controller is absolute garbage, I can't wait to swap it out! There is a delay in the throttle which I can't stand, and 13amps of acceleration is nothing! It was fun going 20 though. I forgot to check motor temp when I got back, but I'm not too worried about it. I'm also considering running 75v 5ah but am unsure how the motor will take it. I really don't want to burn it out, but I want to be able to hit at least 25mph. I'm going to get an aluminum plate, or possible delrin and make a new deck that looks better and is lighter than that boxy steel one it came with. Spacers will also have to be made on the lathe so the deck will clear the lipos. Next step is to get the lyen controller out and flashed. I think it will be a fun little scooter with 100 amps of acceleration. I also need to stiffen up the folding mechanism on the bars, they're a bit too wobbly.
 

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That deck looks like it was born for a 18650 cell width ways you could fit a fair Ah 10s in there easy, I like this I got my own scooter that I wanted light as possible but torque as hell I've got a unite my1020 on a razor e300( old skool) but this build looks light enough to carry up many stairs, mines light so this must be crazy light with the hub motor and lipos
 
Ya it is designed for them. I've also considered finding another battery that's the same size and running 72v, but I'm not sure how the motor would like it. I took some measurements and I can either fit 3 6s packs in there with the controller on the fender, or 2 6s packs and the controller under the deck, otherwise I need to modify the frame. I just pulled the controller out of my stash and it's huge! (its a 12 FET lyen controller.) The good news is that the controller won't have to work hard at all. Its been a while since I messed with it last so I need to get parameter designer on my netbook and flash it for 12s lipos. Then I'm going to wire it up and see how it performs at 12s. If I'm not satisfied (which I probably won't be) I'm going to run 66v and see how the motor reacts. If I get to that point I'll probably add thicker phase wires and andersons. As far as weight goes I still haven't weighed it. My goal was to get it lighter than my old e300's (about 40 lbs) and just as fast. I've built 2 e300's on the past, one with a 1,000 watt unite and one with a 6,500 watt turnigy (this one was lighter than 40 lb) and wanted to go a different route with this scooter. I like the idea of a hub motor so I'd like to see how far I can push it without burning it up lol.
 
Well I had no luck getting parameter designer on my netbook. I did however get XPD on my netbook and it worked flawlessly! I set the lvc, and max current to my liking and went for a ride. All I can say is wow! With the current set at 60 amps and the small wheel diameter, this thing has tons of torque!I hooked my watt meter up and went for a ride. The motor pulled just shy of 2,000 watts. Since I have no deck on the scooter I was standing on the side rails with one foot all the way in the front, if it wasn't there I would've been riding wheelies. I really need to make a new deck for this thing, I could feel the frame twisting as I cruised around the neighborhood. I definitely like the steel tube frame of the e300 better, but whatever I'll improve this one as much as possible. I think I'll just keep running 12s 5ah and see how long the charge lasts with my commute. I do want more range so maybe i'll look into getting 2 8ah packs and see if 'i can squeeze them in there with that monster controller. I'm going to get another watt meter on order along with a handlebar clamo. I'm still trying to decide what material I want to use for the deck. I can't wait to clean all the wiring up and get the deck made. I also need to put more time into stiffening up the bars because its sketchy having them move with all that torque.
 

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Went to lowes today and picked up a piece of wood to make a new deck. I was going to get some polycarbonite but decided to try my hand at some woodwork (I'm not a wood guy at all). I trimmed the board and drilled out the holes for the mounting screws. I bolted the board to the scooter and it looked horrible! I pulled the deck back off and rounded off both ends and the edges and sanded it all smooth. I also added a chamfer on all the sharp edges, bolted it back on, much better. I think I might wrap it in grip tape or maybe stain it. I'd like to hog out a long notch on the bottom for the lipos to clear, until them I'll run two washers under each bolt. This thursday I'm getting trained on the waterjet and will have full access after thursday, so this deck is just a temporary one. I'm working on the wiring now and am getting the new charging harness completed, hope to get it done by tomorrow night. I also pulled all the cheap lights and reflectors off which makes the scooter look much better. This week my new handlebars came in so I'm just waiting on the stem to come in the mail so I can get them mounted because the ones this scooter has are garbage. I also need to work on the clamp for the folding mechanism because there is a lot of movement in it which is scary when you're ripping around, that'll get addressed later.
 

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Depends on what you're looking for. I wanted a hub motor because it makes the scooter more balanced(no motor hanging off one side of the scooter) Hub motors can also take a lot of abuse so that's what I wanted. I have about $350 into this thing so far (I had a lyen controller and lipos) so for my particular situation the ezip is not a better buy. Not putting the ezip down it has suspension, dual disc brakes and a 1,000w motor,that's pretty good for out of the box. I'd say that's a great scooter for most people, especially if they don't want to do a lot of mods, just my opinion.
 
Thanks James! I finally got my stem in today so the bars are ready to be installed, hopefully I can get to it this weekend, work is crazy right now. I also received some retainers for my andersons. I pulled the original charger port out and filed it a bit so a paralled (from the main power going to the controller)set of andersons sticks out of the frame and is retained for easy charging. I had a parallel balance cable that I added a db9 connector to so I can bolt that next to the anderson, then I can balance charge every time if I want to. Everything fits nicely in the deck space, just need to hog out the bottom of the deck this weekend.
 

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I notched out the old charger port hole to make room for the db9 connector which took a while, but I got it in there. I think on of the jst connectors got pinched/bent while inserting them through the hole because once I connected the 2 lipos, I saw the magic genie (smoke from burning electronics) and immediately pulled them apart. Luckily the batteries weren't damaged so I'll have to redo that harness again unfortunately. I also chopped the handlebars off and installed the new ones, which look much cleaner. The new bars are a bit shorter so they are more responsive. I took it out for a cruise up the hill in front of my house and down the street a bit. When I got back I checked the motor temp with an IR gun and the hub was 90 degrees F, so I'm confident the motor can handle the extra current and voltage I've been pumping into it. Other than that I didn't get much done, hopefully I can finish the deck this week along with the balance plug harness. After that I want to pull the back wheel and see how I can add disc brakes because the band brakes it has are dog sh**!
 

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Got the new balancing harness sorted out, just need to mount it in the deck. I took it to work for the first time this week and it was so much fun riding in San Francisco. I was riding wheelies down the sidewalk and hitting top speed on the streets. It is so fun weaving in an out of traffic and transitioning from sidewalk to street, it makes getting around so much fun. I need to dremel the frame a bit more to mount the db25 connector. I had issues when I connected the last harness because the balance leads were paralelled and the main leads were in series :oops: . I got the new harness made and was able to charge successfully so all tha'ts left is to mount the connector. I'm going to experiment with different wood stains to give the deck some more character. Hopefully I can get all that done this weekend.
 

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It's pulls nice on the hill in front of my house. I get off on powell in the city which is pretty flat, especially where I work (6th and howard), I've been meaning to go hit some steeper hills. I noticed you haven't posted in your thread and I didn't want to ask if you received your vomo yet, sorry man. Hopefully they update you soon, keep us updated, I'm really curious to see how you like it.
 
That sucks! I'd be pissed if I paid that much for one of those and couldn't get uphill. I really hope you get your vomo soon, they look so bad ass!

I finally got the db25 connector mounted to the frame, so no more removing the deck to charge!!! :D I also threw a quick stain on the deck, and it looks much better than it did before. I'm thinking maybe do another coat, but this deck is just a prototype so I may experiment with it more. I also still need to notch the bottom of the deck to clear the lipos. I was looking on hobbyking and found some 12ah 6s lipos, so I think I'm going to get a few soon, they're back ordered right now. They even have 20ah packs! I've been waiting a while for lipo packs of this capacity to be available, and they're super reasonable.
Today I got off the train one stop early just so I could add an extra mile or so to my commute. It is so much more fun riding in the city than in my neighborhood, I just kind of wish the top speed was a few mph's higher. I will also start looking at getting disc brakes on this thing because these brakes suck. Anyway I took a few pics of progress made this week.

lipos I'm looking at: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/stor ... _Pack.html
 

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Couldn't stop thinking about those lipos so I went back to hobbyking's site and realized I was looking at the international warehouse, so I switched the site to the US warehouse and saw the lipos were in stock, so I ordered 2 packs. The length is going to be a snug fit but I think they're going to clear. I can wait to get them installed, then I can dramatically increase my range and not be worried about running out of juice. I pulled the front end apart because there was some play in it which I couldn't stand so I took a closer look. When I got it apart I noticed the fork nut was loose which was the cause of the problem, and the headset bearings were nearly dry, so I re-greased them and got the front end back together. I was hearing some noise in the front wheel yesterday on the way to work and confirmed it was a wheel bearing that's going out. I hopped on ebay and ordered some Nachi 6200Z bearings. They're Japanese made bearings and are supposed to be super smooth and quiet. I was also able to get the rear wheel off and inspect the brakes, which are horrible. I could maybe try better quality pads, but I doubt they'll be much better. I'm thinking of making an aluminum insert to sit inside the wheel where the pads sit and machine a lip on the outside face for the disc. I was thinking of making it a light press fit or even a slip fit and have 4 bolts securing it to the wheel. I'd then make some caliper brackets and weld them to the frame. I think this will work, but am still thinking of other options. I'm also considering taking one half of an e200 rear wheel (sprocket side) and bolting a disc to that and running front disc brakes. I still haven't decided which way I'm going so I'll have to keep thinking about that one.
 

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So I was cruising in the city today and I saw a guy on an ecoreco. Too bad he was going the opposite way as me because I would've asked him to race. I don't know what his battery level was like, but he was having a hard time getting off the line. He was probably 180-190 lbs and he was kicking quite a bit off the line. Half way down the block he was maybe doing 12mph. Again, I don't know if the throttle was pinned or if he was low on battery, but I wasn't impressed by what I saw. I rode a wheelie when my light turned green and giggled to myself. I was able to hog the bottom of my deck out tonight. It was my first time using a router so don't judge too hard. The lipos now clear with no spacers, but I might take some more off. This is a prototype so I'm experimenting this this deck until I'm happy with the look, and I'll do a final version.
 

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Nice job, enjoying your work!
 
Saw another ecoreco today, I almost went out of my way to see if he wanted to race, then realized how that might come off as weird (some people have no interest in modifying scooters and use them solely for transportation). I'm really happy with my scooter, but wish it had another 5-8 mph and disc brakes. I've been thinking of how to add disc brakes and I might just add them to the front, it seems a bit risky (to the motor) to add it to the rear. I've also thought about maybe adding another hub motor in the front, but haven't full thought that one through yet. I came home today and got 3 packages in the mail, it was all the stuff I ordered last friday. I got the 2 12ah lipos, the new wheel bearings, and a spare tube. Can't wait to get these lipos installed and go for a long ride, no more range anxiety! I mounted my gopro to my front forks and recorded my morning ride the other day. I don't think you can tell but right after I take off I turned right a bit, hit the throttle, and broke the rear wheel loose :D . The headset is noisy in the video because its been coming loose, so I apologize for that, also the front bearing is shot so you can hear that as well. Other than that its not too bad of a video, I was riding like an a**hole because I was late, an extra 5mph would really help on those long streets, the acceleration is phenomenal!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__FqSAQhLQw
 

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Got the lipos charged up and got the andersons crimped on.Small problem- the lipos are about 1/2" too long, the controller doesn't fit. I knew it was going to be a tight squeeze when I bought them, but didn't give myself enough leeway for the wires and connectors coming out of the controller. Luckily the 12 fet is overkill for this scooter. So I'm planning on getting either a 6 fet or a 9 fet from lyen (probably 9 just need to double check dimensions). I'm kinda bummed that everything didn't fit inside the frame. I even pulled the stock controller out of my stash and thought about hooking it up and running it, then I remembered how boring it was to ride with it. Anyway, I got the new wheel bearings installed, they are much smoother than the cheap stock bearings it came with. I tightened up the headset (again) since I had the front wheel off. She's all back together and ready for the work week. Lipos are sitting on the workbench waiting to be installed. :(
 

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So I had a change of plans. I've decided to make this scooter a dual motor drive. I love the performance it currently has but I want more top speed, and I haven't seen a dual hub motor scooter (not saying someone hasn't built one). I did an RPM test on my rear wheel (laser tach) and am getting about 970 no load rpm. I looked on alibaba and found a seller that has motors that spin over 1500 rpm no load, and they have hubs for disc brakes. So now the plan is to run 2 of these motors with 2 6 fet lyen controllers. I'm thinking 30 amps per motor which will put me at 3000w. The batteries are rated at 10c (probably BS) but in case it's true that's 6000w so I shouldn't tax them too bad, but who knows. I had plans of running a cycle analyst but I don't think I can hook 2 controllers up to on CA, please correct me if I'm wrong. Anyway I just wanted to give an update, I just bought the motors and a new fork ($250) so hopefully they arrive soon.
 
shortcircuit911

This is a really cool project you have taken on. I really enjoy following along.

The Wify and I have E-Twow Booster S2 which have 36 volt, 6.5 Ah Li-Po Battery. They go 19 mph with a 22 mile range and weigh 24 lbs.

We wanted the lightest e-scooters we could find, so these fit our needs.

I have a few questions for you as I am not very good with the electrical side of these scooters.

1) You’re using the same 36 volt wheel motor that I have, so are you driving it with a higher voltage to get higher speeds?

2) Your two 12Ah, 22.8 volts batteries are connected in series to get 45.6 volts?

3) Is that Thunder charger a fast charger? What do all the wires do?

3) Does Lyen make custom controllers or are you programming them to do whatever you want?

4) Would it be possible for me to modify my E-Twow’s 36 volt motor by adding a Lyen controller and some larger batteries as you have done?
 

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Cotemar said:
shortcircuit911

This is a really cool project you have taken on. I really enjoy following along.

The Wify and I have E-Twow Booster S2 which have 36 volt, 6.5 Ah Li-Po Battery. They go 19 mph with a 22 mile range and weigh 24 lbs.

We wanted the lightest e-scooters we could find, so these fit our needs.

I have a few questions for you as I am not very good with the electrical side of these scooters.

1) You’re using the same 36 volt wheel motor that I have, so are you driving it with a higher voltage to get higher speeds?

2) Your two 12Ah, 22.8 volts batteries are connected in series to get 45.6 volts?

3) Is that Thunder charger a fast charger? What do all the wires do?

3) Does Lyen make custom controllers or are you programming them to do whatever you want?

4) Would it be possible for me to modify my E-Twow’s 36 volt motor by adding a Lyen controller and some larger batteries as you have done?

Please don’t insult my intelligence with range claim: “They go 19 MPH with a 22 mile range”. Since it requires about 400W to travel 20 MPH - 234Wh battery “might” last 10 miles at that 19 MPH. Realistically, more like 6-8 miles.

I've enjoyed your posts and adventures with these scooters and I like them but you do more to hurt the brand and your credibility by making these unrealistic range claims.
 
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