RC motors vs Traditional E bike motors?

[socalfusions]

I'm curious to what is an ultimately more desirable motor for e bike / e motorcycle applications? RC motors seem to be able to do anything that a low KV, higher pole count "traditional" e bike motor will do while being quite a bit lighter and even cheaper in some cases. From what I understand the lower KV value of these motors are desirable because of the need for very high torque upon starting from a stop and to turn a large wheel, however I've seen multiple examples where people choose an rc motor over this. It appears that since most rc brushless motors are sensorless that you need to add a hall effect sensor to gain control at very low rpms. Does it take THAT much more work to install a rc brushless motor over traditional brushless e bike motors?

What is the preferable choice when taking weight, price, and power into consideration?

 

[Thud]

What is the preferable choice when taking weight, price, and power into consideration?

There is no single correct answer to your question.

Just as there is not one perfect vehicle for every situation.
Dump trucks do different work than the family sedan but both are far better suited for their intended purpouse.
It is ultimatly a personal choice to decide what you want from your equipment...& understand that it applies to bicycles & motorcycles as much as the 4-wheelers.

Does it take THAT much more work to install a rc brushless motor over traditional brushless e bike motors?

I wont even begin to debate one set up over another. Horses for courses.

There is nothing simpler than a quality hub motor. 1 moving part. & a miriad of advantages that the stealth gives to a powered bike.

If your a fabricator, puting an rc motor on a bike is a walk in the park....getting chain lines perfect are my personal challenge...& doing it on a cramped suspended chassis is a real challenge....thus the return to bottom bracket drive systems. wich are great to ride also. but require some dramatic reductions to get your motor geared to pedal cadence.

If you want reliable as a hammer & to be running as soon as possible & can live with the weight, there are performance oreinted hub motors that may scratch your itch.
ultimatly, you need to be honest with yourself & reasonable in your e-bike expectaions.
hope that made sence.

 

[socalfusions]

What is the preferable choice when taking weight, price, and power into consideration?

There is no single correct answer to your question.

Just as there is not one perfect vehicle for every situation.
Dump trucks do different work than the family sedan but both are far better suited for their intended purpouse.
It is ultimatly a personal choice to decide what you want from your equipment...& understand that it applies to bicycles & motorcycles as much as the 4-wheelers.

Does it take THAT much more work to install a rc brushless motor over traditional brushless e bike motors?

I wont even begin to debate one set up over another. Horses for courses.

There is nothing simpler than a quality hub motor. 1 moving part. & a miriad of advantages that the stealth gives to a powered bike.

If your a fabricator, puting an rc motor on a bike is a walk in the park....getting chain lines perfect are my personal challenge...& doing it on a cramped suspended chassis is a real challenge....thus the return to bottom bracket drive systems. wich are great to ride also. but require some dramatic reductions to get your motor geared to pedal cadence.

If you want reliable as a hammer & to be running as soon as possible & can live with the weight, there are performance oreinted hub motors that may scratch your itch.
ultimatly, you need to be honest with yourself & reasonable in your e-bike expectaions.
hope that made sence.

Thanks for the comprehensive response!

 

[wineboyrider]

I think Thud hit it out of the park with that one. If your more mechanically inclined than a motor drive is the way to go. I am somewhat mechanically inclined and gave up on my cyclone setup, because I would rather ride my ebikes than fix or tweak them everyday....FTR I have no experience with RC motors other than what I have used on my RC cars..

 

[bobc]

I like making stuff so it was a no-brainer for me: $50 got me a ludicrously powerful RC motor (>3kW for 1 minute) and $12 got me an RC speed controller for it. If I'm stupid with it I can blow up the ESC - so I don't do that (and it's only $12 for another one ;^). The bike does 20miles now at 20mph & the most expensive thing on it is the lipo. I'm taking the 2 speed reverse select gearbox off it - I simply never use the lower gear.

 

[socalfusions]

I think Thud hit it out of the park with that one. If your more mechanically inclined than a motor drive is the way to go. I am somewhat mechanically inclined and gave up on my cyclone setup, because I would rather ride my ebikes than fix or tweak them everyday....FTR I have no experience with RC motors other than what I have used on my RC cars..

Are you saying that rc motors require more fixing and tweaking to keep them working properly?

I like making stuff so it was a no-brainer for me: $50 got me a ludicrously powerful motor (>3kW for 1 minute) and $12 got me a speed controller for it. If I'm stupid with it I can blow up the ESC - so I don't do that (and it's only $12 for another one ;^). The bike does 20miles now at 20mph & the most expensive thing on it is the lipo. I'm taking the 2 speed reverse select gearbox off it - I simply never use the lower gear.

Rc motors appear to be very cost effective!

 

[wineboyrider]

Are you saying that rc motors require more fixing and tweaking to keep them working properly?

Just saying any drive the wheel aka direct drive or through the gears is more mechanical maintenance.

 

[salty9]

RC motors are usually cooled by prop wash when used in aero applications. Heat kills them quickly.

 

[wineboyrider]

RC motors are usually cooled by prop wash when used in aero applications. Heat kills them quickly.

Kills rc controllers too in ebike applications too if not properly modded.

 

[emergence]

And don't forget the noise - rc is going to be much noiser. Also if you have nice running gear on your bike you have to factor in how often it will need replacing as an rc motor running 2 or 3 kw will wear it out much faster than your legs whereas a hub motor is not using it at all.

I've been thinking tho, that if you wanted you could get a sealed hub gearbox and run a belt to the motor for a much quieter cleaner setup. Definately not a cheap option. and i'm not sure how noisy the motors are by themselves.