Do you cut your kit cables to fit?

[majornelson]

Looking for some general advice/best practices around kit installation...

Is it best to just leave the cables as is and bundle them up when doing an install? Or should I consider cutting and trimming to fit the frame?

With my first build, I bundled up all of the cables and hid them in a small bag next to the controller. It's okay but I think I can do better...

Thoughts?

 

[Ykick]

First build will usually change so bundling and dressing wires seems to make most sense. Eventually, if/when you settle on a frame and general configuration for motor, controller, battery, handlebar controls, etc., you may find it worthwhile to tidy things up and perhaps remove as many connectors possible for best wet weather reliability.

 

[majornelson]

Do most of the custom builds here have the connectors (are the majority of them) removed and the various parts are wired directly to the controller? Or are there flat, small connectors that are used to replace the bulky ones that come with the kits?

Just wondering what best practices are...

 

[spinningmagnets]

I'd run with the wires bundled up for a few weeks. Once I verified everything is working good and the parts are used enough that resale value is greatly diminished, I'd trim everything to proper length and swap-in whatever connectors were my preference.

What I wish to avoid is to try a new kit, and after a week, I realize the parts I have chosen are inappropriate for the job I have, and I decide to try and sell one or more parts as "lightly used/like new", so as to buy the right stuff.

"Too Big" motors are expensive, bulky, and heavy...too small will overheat if pushed. A certain battery pack may be much bigger than needed if you charge every day, too small and it will be strained to it's limit (dying much too soon in the process).

No way to be certain about a given kit until you use it, too few local ebikes to test out and compare...my hills may be worse/easier than your hills. JMHO, YMMV.

A used motor can be sold for half it's new price (or more), a fried motor is "wall art".

 

[majornelson]

spinningmagnets,

Hmm, haven't done this long enough to have "wall art" but I'm certain my day will come.

What are your preferences for connectors?

 

[dogman dan]

I tend to prize neatness a lot less than others, but don't want it extra funky. So I don't cut wires unless I want thicker ones or something. Find creative ways to make the small bundle blend in. I mount controllers near the seat a lot, and can tuck a lot of extra wire under a seat.

 

[cal3thousand]

I'm with Spinningmagnets here.

zipties go a long way on ebikes, especially during the first couple weeks of ironing everything out. Once you've settled on the bike component locations (controller comes to mind as something that may change "homes"), then go and shorten them to length (if a clean look is what you are after).


When doing this, I prefer to add some chaffing protection that also dresses up the bike by combining several cables into 1 or 2 jackets. I did this with my wife's bike and ran 2 down the frame with all the hydraulic brake, CA, throttle, derailleur and speedo lines running inside:

http://gcs.cableorganizer.com/gcs6.aspx?q=BS0375-UPPL&crowdBy=no

I'll post up a pic of the actual lines on the bike if there is any interest.

 

[spinningmagnets]

What are your preferences for connectors?

I like the XT90's for the controller/battery/charger

The XT90 shank accepts Turnigy 10-Ga wire easily, and the Turnigy 6mm heat-shrink insulation fits over the 10-Ga (with thick silicone insulation) and can fully insert into the connectors butt-end recess. The XT90 uses 4.5mm diameter pins.

For the XT60 size, the Turnigy 12-Ga wire easily fits, and will accept 4mm and 3/16-inch (4.5mm) heat-shrink. The XT60 uses 3.5mm diameter pins.

I have recently found a chart that indicates 12-Ga wire can flow 40A DC current continuous, and 10-Ga can flow 55A continuous (obviously more amps if only a temporary peak for both wire and connectors), both of which are below the rating of their respective connector (XT60A, XT90A), so the current limiting factor is the wire, not the connector.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/...0_Connectors_Male_Female_5_pairs_GENUINE.html
http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__24707__Nylon_XT90_Connectors_Male_Female_5_pairs_.html

 

[majornelson]

Well, I've determined that I really suck at soldering. But, I did manage to finish my build by stuffing all the cables into the cargo box. So far, so good...

See it here:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=52559&p=794191#p794191