BBSHD on a Tadpole Trike - Rocket Recliner

Just finished adding power to a Performer tadpole trike I've had for a couple of years: a BBSHD with a 52 volt battery pack.


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I've test-ridden dozens of ebikes. The one I continue to ride the most is a BBSHD at 52V, 30T sprocket. Climbs everything, never gets hot.

Took it out for a road test up a dead-end valley road along a mountain stream next to Shenandoah National Park.

For the first run I just wanted to see what it was capable of, so ran on throttle alone. On flat ground, no pedaling, it topped out at 40mph, averaging 30-35mph over 11 miles. Looks like it will do this for more than 30 miles, more if I pedal. Pretty crazy.

Here's some video of that first run:

https://youtu.be/1a6xMwJA6zs

[youtube]1a6xMwJA6zs[/youtube]

spinningmagnets said:

I've test-ridden dozens of ebikes. The one I continue to ride the most is a BBSHD at 52V, 30T sprocket. Climbs everything, never gets hot.

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Dang, a 30T sprocket would surely climb anything. I actually went the other way. I ended up switching out the stock Bafang sprocket for a larger 52T one. There was so much power I wasn't making much use of the gear set. I'm mostly looking for higher cruising speed on paved roads.

Haven't had a chance to do more than a couple of short test rides with that one. Does let me maintain a top speed at a more comfortable cadence, but will have to see how it does on a steep hill. Gearing down would certainly be an option. Even the stock sprocket would climb a local hill in high gear.

Here's the stock Bafang 46T sprocket versus the larger 52T one from Lekkie.
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Installed:
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Just some shots from recent rides.
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I like it, nice job! Good pictures too.

My Performer trike with a BBS02 and a 48V battery tops out at 25 MPH on the flat, and I actually have it set to cut out at 20 MPH since most of my riding is on multi use paths and that's the top legal speed in Oregon for an electric assist bike.

I just kept the original 46T chain wheel and use different gears depending on what I am doing, etc. I almost always use the PAS system and pedal, and sometimes just pedal without any assist, which was a goal with this build to eliminate range anxiety. My 10 AH battery is good for about 40 miles depending on how fast I go and how much I contribute.

With pedal assist at 2, this setup ranges 20-30mph with essentially no effort, just moving my feet in a circle. The battery is rated at 13.5ah. I was hoping for 30 mile range. If you're getting 40 on yours I should be in good shape.
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In a practical sense, 25mph is a much more reasonable speed for a bike. Above that doesn't leave you much room to correct for mistakes. It's fun to go full speed, but there aren't many places I'll be able to do that. That said, it's just a mile from the house downhill into town to a coffee shop and a brewery. The extra speed does keep me moving as fast as traffic on the road, which feels safer than getting passed.
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And thanks for answering questions about your build. Very helpful.

Nice video. The trike looks real nice. I miss my old tadpole sometimes as it was super fun. The roads in my area got full of pot holes so turned me off riding it as much as I would have liked. I also like your seat, mine was not as comfortable as it could have been if I bought a nice one like yours. ....wayne

great clean job

52t is too much sprocket 52V imho

do not know bents but wheels-gearing very much

low 40s even 30s provides plenty speed plus low speed efficiency - majority gearing