Thought I would share some info regarding my first ebike build / conversion as well as my opinions/ review:
Equipment:
2009 giant trance x3 large 26" wheels full suspension with hydraulic brakes (my old mtn bike just never really rode it because I found I liked a hard tail better for throwing it around- guessing that prior to motor 3 weeks ago total mileage was less then 300)
BBSHD kit from LUNAcycles 68-73mm) with upgraded color dpc14, gear sensor, and bafang 42th aluminum chain ring* (I have purchased the luna eclipse 42th to adjust chain line but need the 5mm spacer to prevent the ring form hitting chain stay- on order) left hand thumb throttle, and hydraulic brake sensors
Panasonic bottle battery 11.5 amh PF
Install:
about 2 hours and if you are remotely mechanically inclined is not hard - if nec. luna had links for instruction on their website but none in the kit which I did not need. I did spend the extra and bought the bafang tools as well which made install much easier. The motor came with the "hot rod" programming already so the only thing I changed was shifting the pas settings from 5 to 9. More on this later but I have found that I generally don't use anypas level above 3(of 9) and if want/need more power I use the thumb throttle.
The trance has an almost horizontal downtube near the BB due to the rear suspension- this means the motor does not "swing up" as high as on a hardtail frame but still has plenty of ground clearance- could be an issue for riding over logs and slamming motor- but I have not had an issue other then having to dismount once to get over a log on some single track.
key notes-
1. brake sensor- I did not install the brake sensors since a slight back pedal will kill the motor and the install option is no good with out having to fabricate some type of mount- would not recommend at this time.
2. Gear sensor- I love it, I did not install it initially and while I was able to easily stop the motor and think about shifting so was not so violent- the sensor makes shifting without the motor torque so much easier- not nec but I think the convenience and the reduction in torque when changing gears will extend the life of the drive train- defiantly think it is worth the money.
3. monitor /screen- no real opinion over others works fine and I have setup a startup password otherwise it just works do wish that it did a better job of monitoring voltage but if I run into issues may add a Battman or some other gauge that can better monitor "how much fuel" is in the tank
initial results or thoughts after putting 150 miles on it in 2 weeks (yeah it is that fun)
1. top speed- with full throttle, pedaling, and slight downhill - 43.5mph (verified on bike and also iphone app)
2. My sweet spot- On pavement with knobby 2.2 tires- I have found that with pas set at 3 of 9 I can general avg 14-16 mphs on variety terrain / hills and will not break a sweat while riding- have gone up to pas 5 on steeper or longer grade hills but never higher than that
3. distance ride- using the parameters of my sweet spot above was able to ride 24 miles with a max speed of 35.5 avg spd of 15.9 mph and total elevation gain of 1400 ft with the steepest grade of 6.8% and steepest decent of 6.5% - OH I weigh 235 lbs and bike with motor and battery is ~52lbs- this took the battery to as low as I am willing to go (when putting it under full load and throttle the voltage would drop to 43.3 volts) but just running at PAS1 would show battery voltage of 48v and when placed on charger the charger read 49.2 volts- so yes I could have gone farther but it is my desire to never use the last 20% of the battery- as well I only charge to 80% and then to 100% right before I begin my ride.
4. All battery- flat cruising 26-28 mphs, climbs went up a 20% grass hill 42/36 gear ratio 8 miles an hr and had a hard time keeping front wheel on ground with no motor strain at all.
Review:
I have no other experience other than riding a fat tire ebike of a friends on flat land(beach) so limited knowledge but so far this motor has been more than awesome and has me riding my bike again as well as considering using it to commute to work (14 miles one way with several 8% grade hills). The kit from luna was complete and came with all the spacers and items I needed and shipped quickly. Motor has never been too hot to touch as a matter of fact warm to the touch at best. Will try to post a pic
scott
Equipment:
2009 giant trance x3 large 26" wheels full suspension with hydraulic brakes (my old mtn bike just never really rode it because I found I liked a hard tail better for throwing it around- guessing that prior to motor 3 weeks ago total mileage was less then 300)
BBSHD kit from LUNAcycles 68-73mm) with upgraded color dpc14, gear sensor, and bafang 42th aluminum chain ring* (I have purchased the luna eclipse 42th to adjust chain line but need the 5mm spacer to prevent the ring form hitting chain stay- on order) left hand thumb throttle, and hydraulic brake sensors
Panasonic bottle battery 11.5 amh PF
Install:
about 2 hours and if you are remotely mechanically inclined is not hard - if nec. luna had links for instruction on their website but none in the kit which I did not need. I did spend the extra and bought the bafang tools as well which made install much easier. The motor came with the "hot rod" programming already so the only thing I changed was shifting the pas settings from 5 to 9. More on this later but I have found that I generally don't use anypas level above 3(of 9) and if want/need more power I use the thumb throttle.
The trance has an almost horizontal downtube near the BB due to the rear suspension- this means the motor does not "swing up" as high as on a hardtail frame but still has plenty of ground clearance- could be an issue for riding over logs and slamming motor- but I have not had an issue other then having to dismount once to get over a log on some single track.
key notes-
1. brake sensor- I did not install the brake sensors since a slight back pedal will kill the motor and the install option is no good with out having to fabricate some type of mount- would not recommend at this time.
2. Gear sensor- I love it, I did not install it initially and while I was able to easily stop the motor and think about shifting so was not so violent- the sensor makes shifting without the motor torque so much easier- not nec but I think the convenience and the reduction in torque when changing gears will extend the life of the drive train- defiantly think it is worth the money.
3. monitor /screen- no real opinion over others works fine and I have setup a startup password otherwise it just works do wish that it did a better job of monitoring voltage but if I run into issues may add a Battman or some other gauge that can better monitor "how much fuel" is in the tank
initial results or thoughts after putting 150 miles on it in 2 weeks (yeah it is that fun)
1. top speed- with full throttle, pedaling, and slight downhill - 43.5mph (verified on bike and also iphone app)
2. My sweet spot- On pavement with knobby 2.2 tires- I have found that with pas set at 3 of 9 I can general avg 14-16 mphs on variety terrain / hills and will not break a sweat while riding- have gone up to pas 5 on steeper or longer grade hills but never higher than that
3. distance ride- using the parameters of my sweet spot above was able to ride 24 miles with a max speed of 35.5 avg spd of 15.9 mph and total elevation gain of 1400 ft with the steepest grade of 6.8% and steepest decent of 6.5% - OH I weigh 235 lbs and bike with motor and battery is ~52lbs- this took the battery to as low as I am willing to go (when putting it under full load and throttle the voltage would drop to 43.3 volts) but just running at PAS1 would show battery voltage of 48v and when placed on charger the charger read 49.2 volts- so yes I could have gone farther but it is my desire to never use the last 20% of the battery- as well I only charge to 80% and then to 100% right before I begin my ride.
4. All battery- flat cruising 26-28 mphs, climbs went up a 20% grass hill 42/36 gear ratio 8 miles an hr and had a hard time keeping front wheel on ground with no motor strain at all.
Review:
I have no other experience other than riding a fat tire ebike of a friends on flat land(beach) so limited knowledge but so far this motor has been more than awesome and has me riding my bike again as well as considering using it to commute to work (14 miles one way with several 8% grade hills). The kit from luna was complete and came with all the spacers and items I needed and shipped quickly. Motor has never been too hot to touch as a matter of fact warm to the touch at best. Will try to post a pic
scott
