E-Trike - need Ezee kit retailer and info

[Soj]

I'm getting a Lightfoot Sprite Trike which needs to be fitted with an EZee kit, but I have to buy all the e-stuff myself, and there are some things I am unsure of.

I used to ride bike 30 - 50 miles a day, 3 to 5 times a week. However now I am disabled and have some balance issues. So the two wheeler is out.

I also no longer drive at all - haven't had a license in 7 years. So this will be my only form of transport. Hence a cargo-capable trike.

The cargo capability in and of itself precludes any tadpole trike as far as I'm concerned, but on top of that - getting in an out of a tadpole is difficult to unsafe for me, so ... tadpoles are out, hence the delta trike configuration (plus the cargo thing).

I have shoulder issues that would make "normal" steering problematic and that could exacerbate pain issues. So I'm getting side stick steering (you don't twist to steer - you push forward on the side you want to turn, the other side goes back. It is mounted under the seat).

The motor will be on one rear wheel (the right I think) and the pedals will power the other wheel (left I think) so I'll sorta have 2 wheel drive unless i poop out (which is likely).

I have exercise fatigue issues - so no pedelec lest I be stranded.

For the same reason - fatigue issues - I'm not sure the "2-wheel drive" configuration is that great an idea, either. In fact, if I'm not pedaling at all - and the motor is not on the geared wheel - I'm not sure how that would even work?

SO What I think I need is:

• a 20" wheel kit with enhanced battery (36V 9Ah battery seems to be standard, but I think the 36V 15Ah battery can be special ordered from Ezee in a kit.). I have no idea what KIND of 20" wheel kit I actually need, depending on the suitability (or not) of the 2-wheel drive idea.
• An extra battery of the max that I can get in an EZee kit (to match the one that comes with the kit)
• the optional brake levers
• the cycle analyst

I don't need to worry about PAS sensors or a "bottom bracket torque sensor" because I'm going with a throttle and not pedal assist.

I don't understand what the 3 different kinds of throttles are. Thumb lever, twist and half-twist? A thumb lever sounds like it would be hard to operate, but would mounting a twist throttle when you already have twist grip shifters be a problem? And what's the difference between twist and half-twist?

How far down can you safely run a Lithium battery? When I asked a vendor this question, the answer I got was "Till the onboard BMS circuit trips. Then it will shut itself off. ". Aside from the fact that I have no idea what an "onboard BMS" is - apparently they don't think disabled people should be allowed to have e-bikes because if I run it down until it shuts off, how am I supposed to get home???? I realize this probably varies from battery to battery - but I need a ballpark figure at least so I can be sure I don't get stranded.

If I've got this figured out properly - this was another question the vendor blew me off on - ALL lithium chargers are actually smart chargers, in that the charger will STOP charging when the battery is full so it can't over charge. In addition, I've been told that the batteries that come in the EZee kits are also smart BATTERIES, so that they actually communicate with the charger. My main thing is - do I have to unplug the charger when its done charging so I don't damage the battery? I THINK the answer is no, the smart charger will shut off.

I have no idea if there's anything else I should be concerned about. I haven't been able to find anybody in the US who carries much of anything in stock for EZee. NYCE cycles doesn't seem to carry them at all anymore. It's a special order from everybody else. So any suggestions for who to order through within the USA would be useful.

 

[chvidgov.bc.ca]

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[chvidgov.bc.ca]

I've found that a thumb throttle may be more useable than a twist throttle, as it is easier to microadjust the throttle level with your fingers, and the rotation isn't as susceptible to small movements due to road imperfections/bouncing, as you can use the crook of your index finger to hold/move the thumb lever. On a torquey motor like an EZEE those very small throttle variations can lead to a surgey ride. Having said that, I do use a twist throttle on my etrike, with bar end friction shifters which don't impart a turning moment to the wheels (a twist gear shifter can do that). I switched to "silver shifters" on my trike (from Rivendell) which are friction shifters - they give you exact dialing in of each shift as cable stretch can be compensated for without adjustment, which can be a factor on a long drive train with a big chain.

EZee is available from http://www.ebikes.ca

 

[Soj]

EZee is available from http://www.ebikes.ca

It isn't available to me from there. Firstly, its across the border so that means custom duties are involved. And secondly, they're the vendor who blew off my questions. Seriously, they can't spend 10 or 15 minutes answering a few basic questions when I'm planning on spending a couple thousand dollars with them? Apparently not.

There's even more to it than that but I'm not really here to bash them, just to get the answers I need and find an alternate source that DOESN'T have to go through customs.

 

[Soj]

I've found that a thumb throttle may be more useable than a twist throttle, as it is easier to microadjust the throttle level with your fingers, and the rotation isn't as susceptible to small movements due to road imperfections/bouncing, as you can use the crook of your index finger to hold/move the thumb lever. On a torquey motor like an EZEE those very small throttle variations can lead to a surgey ride. Having said that, I do use a twist throttle on my etrike, with bar end friction shifters which don't impart a turning moment to the wheels (a twist gear shifter can do that). I switched to "silver shifters" on my trike (from Rivendell) which are friction shifters - they give you exact dialing in of each shift as cable stretch can be compensated for without adjustment, which can be a factor on a long drive train with a big chain.

I had to go look up what "friction shifters" are. My question is, with limited dexterity and sometimes limited sensation, will I be able to use a friction shifter? With an index shifter, it's, well, INDEXED so I'm not going to miss the gear. But it seems like with friction shifters there must need to be some tactile feedback to tell when it's in gear?

 

[chvidgov.bc.ca]

I haven't found that the friction shifters require any particular attention to use them. They are a little pricey though. BMS's (Battery Management Systems) are a circuit board that protect the battery from damage from too low voltage. If you didn't use a BMS you wouldn't get home either, except you would have a perma-dead battery, so you will have to manage your range if you can't pedal home with a dead battery. Or get more battery that works for your range. If you want to know how close you are to running out of electricity before the BMS shuts down (when your pack is effectively empty and needs to be protected from further discharge), you will need to monitor your energy consumption using a product like a watt meter or a Cycle Analyst - the most common standard in the hobby - another product from ebikes.ca. You should give them another try methinks, as they are reliable vendors and strive to produce products that the ebike community will love - like good torque arms, integrated solutions, the CycleAnalyst, and arguably the best/most versatile ebike battery charger available - their new Satiator product. The EZEE motors are a well known and quality solution. I run one myself. I am in Victoria though, so it is nice not to have the border in between me and Vancouver.

As far as guessing how far a particular battery will carry you..."your mileage may vary" depending on whether and how much you pedal. Typically measured in watt hours (energy) consumed per mile - and I stress measured. Knowing the watt hour size of your battery and a quick division will get you your estimated range. Watt hours typically range between 10 and 30 per mile on a typical ebike, depending on terrain, and rider fitness, so there is no blanket estimate possible, without testing your usage pattern. A "big" battery might contain 1000 watt hours (48V nominal, 20Ahr). A "small" battery might be just a few hundred watt hours, say a 36V nominal 10Ahr battery - which would be suitable for a small geared motor and close in urban riding up to 20 miles. The "big" battery I mentioned would get me over 60 miles, with my terrain and fitness, if I pedal at a "nice" pace.

 

[dogman dan]

A front wheel motor kit is what I'd put on that bike. However, it does look like you could do a rear motor on that type of frame.

Grin cyclery is the place to get a nice ezee kit.

As for range, actual range will often be more, but for 36v riding up to 25 mph, 1 ah = 1 mile is a good rule of thumb. That rule will get you a size that is big enough including some extra for the windy day, or steeper than normal route.

if you convert that (riding about 25 mph) to watthours per mile. It's about 35 wh per mile. that wh/mi does not include the extra.