New crystalyte motor - G series

[Hyena]

Hey guys,
I thought some of you be interested in a new crystalyte motor that is about to be released - the G series.
It won't suit many of us chasing the big numbers but for euro legal motor it may not be a bad option.
It seems to come in 70 and 100mm wide front wheel variants so I'm guessing the motor itself is quite narrow and thus pretty low powered. I'm not sure how they intend to market it but I wouldn't expect it'd reliably take much more than 500w.
The front wheel is 3.7kg, the rear 4.2kg

It has a different design to most other hubs, most interesting is the way the spokes mount!
The rear motor also seems to have a splined mount for fitting a cassette (up to a 8 speed) which I've not seen on a hub motor before.

xlyte-G1.JPG (89.26 KiB) Viewed 4656 times

xlyte-G2.JPG (83.87 KiB) Viewed 4656 times

xlyte-G3.JPG (92.18 KiB) Viewed 4656 times

[Brentis]

I have no affiliation with the seller, just noticed this yesterday while perusing Ebay.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Crystalyte-G-Series-Motor-REAR-Front-Electric-Bicycle-Hub-Motor-Cassette-/120810183706?pt=Cycling_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c20d91c1a

I couldn't make sense of the lacing until Hyena posted a laced wheel pic.

Interesting for a super lightweight build.

[adrian_sm]

A real freewheel cassette. Awesome. I don't know why it has take so long for this to happen.

Those spokes will be a pain as the heads don't look like they are at the normal right angle to the main spoke, so each spoke will need a bit of a tweak to get the right angle.....

Just by eye-balling it, it looks quite similar in size to the old 400 series. My 408 has been running on ~80v 30Amps for a while now without issue.

Got a link to where we can find more specs?

[Hyena]

I don't have any more info other than the below tech drawings. As it states in the ebay add these aren't actually released yet so info on them is a bit thin.
Just for the record I don't intend to buy or sell these - just passing on the info.
Given no one in Australia is selling crystalyte gear currently I don't expect we'll see them here any time soon.

xlyte-G-spec.jpg (65.83 KiB) Viewed 4628 times

[adrian_sm]

Crystalye 400 front & rear disc specs for comparison.

Source: http://ebikes.ca/store/diagrams/M400F.pdf

x408-front.PNG (35.85 KiB) Viewed 4621 times

Source http://ebikes.ca/store/diagrams/M400RD.pdf

x408-rear-disc.PNG (51.27 KiB) Viewed 4621 times

[amberwolf]

It almost looks like with a little drilling, you could use motorcycle/moped spokes on that thing, and avoid the whole problem with bike spokes breaking at teh j-bend.

[neptronix]

Thanks for the heads up! I do see the appeal here. Let's hope these motors are actually machined correctly and that the price is from the typical giant markup that hi-power cycles has.. more down to earth price would be mid-upper $200 figure..

[MadRhino]

What I see, is that it would require a custom spoke set to lace. The thick flange doesn't correspond with usual J bend width and angle, I think that the mod would weaken regular spokes, having to straighten the J and bend it again a few mm wider. Then, if this design makes for easier cross pattern lacing in smaller rims, it also makes for 2 spoke lenght because one of each pair of holes is way out and low.

[John in CR]

Cool, a plastic hubmotor. I wonder if it's been tested in any manner whatsoever. I'm sure Kenny has been testing prototypes for a couple of years, and it's build the the absolute best quality components such as bearings and hall sensors. At least it's interesting and different. Now who's going to be the first fanboy to buy one, so we can see what it looks like with the frock lifted up to see inside and how it fits together.

[johnrobholmes]

Very interesting. Good to finally see a cassette on the rear! I'm not so hot on the lacing, looks like an absolute pain the the dick to get right with four different lengths needed for a proper rear. Although the "flange" spacing is further apart than usual, so that will make it nice and solid.

[Russell]

Hmmm...try lacing it again!

xlyte-G3.JPG (114.47 KiB) Viewed 4550 times

-R

[neptronix]

It does look like plastic, the more i look at it...
Also, it looks like you have to de-spoke the motor to get it apart?!!?

So, yeah. This seems like it could make a good mid-drive motor but if the above things are true, seems like lacing it to a wheel and expecting it to take rough terrain or lots of power could be a big mistake.

at ~8 pounds, the front motor could make for an awesome mid-drive setup.

[biohazardman]

Looks like the standard Clyte paint and a bit of a rough casting to me. I would be shocked if they tried a plastic unit. The cassette thing would be great for those wanting the illusive 11 tooth high gear but I wonder if the quality is any better than the freewheels already available. Guess we will know the specifics in the months to come.

[gtadmin]

Hmmm...try lacing it again!

xlyte-G3.JPG

-R

Russell, isn't that the valve hole? Or are you pointing out the valve hole should be over one spoke?

[amberwolf]

Russell, isn't that the valve hole?

Yes, but it is between the narrow part of spoke crossings, making it tougher to access than if it were one spoke set over.

[Philistine]

I'm not sure how they intend to market it but I wouldn't expect it'd reliably take much more than 500w

I will repeat what I said about the "sparrow" motor....

Apparantly Crystallite has offered to supply the first 100 buyers of this motor with a big tube of lube, a vial of muscle relaxant, and the Village Peoples greatest hits....

Not that there is anything wrong with it, "some of my best friends ride the G series"

[dogman]

Nice to see cylte hasn't had the sense to dump the 12mm axle and it's inevitable problems with axle spinout, nor improved the wire exit from the motor, even when doing this complete a redesign.

If I wanted a moderate powered motor to put on a very nice lightweight bike, the very first thing I'd want, even before the cassete, would be a round axle and a torque arm setup that elimiated the risk to my superlight carbon dropouts. DUHHHH!

And the fancy spoking, why? How about just putting a decent quality spoke on it? Then you don't have the difficulty replacing a spoke because they don't break constantly anymore. Instead they redesigned so you can replace their crap spokes easier? Sheesh!

On the positive side, +1 for sure, for a narrow dropout model to put on the front wheel of folders. Dahon owners will like that!

[gogo]

Could it be that those spoke flanges were designed with radial lacing in mind? If its true that the only real problem with radial lacing is that it tended to break bicycle hub flanges, maybe this is beefy enough to have addressed that.

Maybe the picture is not from the factory, but from someone who laced up a wheel in a conventional manner and who doesn't understand the intended use. Whoever did lace that wheel, after all, screwed up the valve location too.

[EDIT]
I see in this picture from ebay that it uses custom spokes for a cross lacing. Still, the hub flange spoke hole arrangement looks like it might be compatible with radial lacing. Also, the hub would have to be de-laced to get it apart?

spokes2.jpg

(159.98 KiB) Downloaded 4 times

[Ypedal]

clyte tried casette setups on the 4 series a while back but it lacked a bearing at the end of the shaft to support it properly, hard pedalers would break the side covers or the thing would flex and rub the axle making a racket and failing.. so it was back to freewheels for the 4 series.

this is not for the high power crowd...

[rui_fujino]

when would we know how much or how good this is?
surely some of us has already tested them?

[Drunkskunk]

It might make a cute paper weight.
while I think it's great they made a motor for the 70mm dropout bikes, those spoke angles have to go.

Even if you lace it radial, you are going to be putting force on the spoke heads in a direction they were never ment to take force.

[auraslip]

They probably figured out that they could save X amount of weight per motor and X $$$ per 10,000 units by getting rid of some of the metal in motor by doing that new spoke hole design. I'm not opposed to it, if it works well.

WRT to not fixing the axle problems, does crystalyte even make the axle/stator assembly? Are there any companies that actually make an stator like dogman described? I'd be fun to order the stators from them to sell as replacement/upgrades for burned out 9c motors. Cheaper shipping weight too.

[johnrobholmes]

Also, it looks like you have to de-spoke the motor to get it apart?!!?

I had not even considered this. No way in hell I would ever buy a hubbie that needed the rim removed to take it apart.

[Sunder]

I really wanted one of these when I first started reading this thread...

The dismissive content after that though has made me think again.

[MadRhino]

Obviously, it was never meant to be serviced. I guess the chinese designer read somewhere that in America we are fond of disposable razors and lighters, then decided to make a disposable plastic motor especially for us.

Sorry John, you might never see the inside of one, unless they start selling them 29.99$ and your kid break it to pieces with a hammer.