Bought my first bents today.

StudEbiker

StudEbiker

100 kW
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
1,999
Location
Ashland, OR, USA
Found a couple of bents on Craigslist I couldn't pass up. A Bike-E with SACHS 3x7 rear hub and a Sun EZ-1 SX with a (I think) WE brushed front hub kit on it. I don't know what I am going to do with them yet. I have been thinking of doing a Sun EZ Sport CX, so I may just fix these up and sell them and try to get a sport SX. I bought them sight unseen and was pleasantly surprised that the Bike-E was equipped with the SACHS 3x7. The padded seat on the Bike-E is badly weathered, but other than that they are both in petty decent shape. Little tuning up they should both make decent cruisers.

bikee.JPG

sunez.JPG
 
Nice score! Now, will you be growing a big bushy beard and squeezing into
a lycra outfit a couple of sizes to small for you too? :mrgreen: Sorry couldn't resist...

Best fo luck with cleaning the bikes up, lots of area for batteries thats for sure
long rides wil be very comfy with the high back seats too i assume.

KiM
 
Big bushy beard you got right AJ!! But the lycra is for the upwrong crowd. More like baggy cargo shorts. I have an EZ-1 , very comfy but I really like the 26" rear tire on the TourEasy and the rear suss. on my Easyrider.
 
Quick question Studebiker. A new member, creakinator, was asking about puting a motor on a sun EZ3 trike the other day. Someone advised she would have to change to a fork for a 20" wheel, and I suggested a motor in a 16" wheel would probably work. It looks like your front wheel on the EZ-1 has the motor in the original 16" fork. Does that indeed appear to be the original fork on the EZ-1 with a standard type front hub motor in a 16" wheel?

Thanks,
 
Rassy said:
Quick question Studebiker. A new member, creakinator, was asking about puting a motor on a sun EZ3 trike the other day. Someone advised she would have to change to a fork for a 20" wheel, and I suggested a motor in a 16" wheel would probably work. It looks like your front wheel on the EZ-1 has the motor in the original 16" fork. Does that indeed appear to be the original fork on the EZ-1 with a standard type front hub motor in a 16" wheel?

Thanks,
Click to expand...

I will check when the weather gets a little drier. The fork looks to be original though. I am almost certain it is a brushed motor. So which of these bikes do you guys think is the better candidate for electrifying?? I know I can't keep them both so I am trying to decide which one is the better candidate for playing with.
 
Thanks Studebiker.

As far as which to motorize I like all 3 options listed below. But a lot depends on how you plan to equip it.

Option 1: Since the EZ-1 already has a hub motor on it just add batteries (and throttle and controller, if necessary) and play with it for a while.

Option 2: That Bike-E with it's big beefy frame would be easy to mount a mid-drive of some sort.

Option 3: Get something with bigger wheels, like Torker mentioned above. I was really happy with my Vision Recumbent that had a front 20" wheel and rear 26" wheel. My brother rode a 20"/26" Burley Recumbent for years, and shortly before his stroke had purchased a Rans 16"/20" Recumbent. He did not like the small wheeled Rans. He was a big guy, weighing in at about 250# when he got the Rans.
 
Option 3 is the one I'm leaning towards. Here is the one I have been looking at that I think I would really like to play with right now:

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=25268&hilit=+giant#p369753

So yeah, maybe just tune these up as regular riders, sell them, and get into an SX sport.

One thing about these though is that they both have square tubing which makes for easier mounting of a mid-drive. The Sport CX is round. :(
 
Electrify the BikeE so we can all find out how the simplest of bike frames works as an ebike. Since the first time I saw a BikeE I wanted to build a long rectangular battery box and put wheels under it and comfy seat on top. :D
 
Yeah Ypedal, I've been reviewing that build already today. I'm thinking I might keep the Bike-E for awhile just because of it's coolness. Might even re-paint it and do it up a little. Looking forward to some sunny weather now that I have some projects to play with. 8)

Anyone know if those roll up fairings are still available anywhere??
 
Not sure what you mean "roll up fairing" . This is the next bike I want to electrify. The rear suspension isn't great but it makes a big difference on a recumbent since you can't stand up for the bumps.
newbikentruk6.jpg
 
I would check out te fairings that ZZipper Makes, they roll up, but I would also be interested if Ypedal bought something similar else-where.

Check this site for the ZZipper ones:

http://www.zzipper.com/

tinted_30_teardrop.jpg


image012.jpg


I believe all these fairings will fold up as that is the way they are shipped, in a 9in. cylinder, but why would you roll it up? I guess if it was a hot day and you want more of a breeze? I would be afraid of scratching it!
 
We still have my wife's Bike-e with a 16" brushed C/L that I laced up myself. Definitely works well but she fell of one time too many and is now on the trike. Bike-e makes a great front wheel drive e-bike as the front fork is steel! It is also narrow so you may have to use the big vise to "adjust "it a bit like I did. She rode it for about 6 years while her balance was good with no electrical or mechanical problems. ( Well, other than falling off recently!)
otherDoc
 
Well, I got out this morning (even though it is way soggy out there this morning) and took a look at the front wheel on the EZ. Tolerances are super tight and the spoke angles are nothing pretty but yeah, it all looks stock. The EZ is also stickered as being from NYCE Wheels which is kinda cool. 8) I am starting to really dig the little Bike-E though. It kinda fits in with the other "orphans" around here too (Studebaker, TidalForce) I'm thinking I might do something kinda crazy with it and really personalize it as it is kind of beyond trying to bring it back to original condition as the anodizing has worn off on much of the frame. I had been seriously looking for a Giant Revive for awhie. This one seems quite similiar (albeit without the rear suspension :( ) Anyway, c'mon sunny weather! :)
 
John in CR said:
Doc,

What caused the falls? Too slow, wet-sand-rocks loss of traction, geometry?
Click to expand...
Probably all the above contributed to her falls at any given time. The last one she skidded on sand by the side of the road and landed on her knee ripping it open. She has yet to roll the trike (knock on wood) but does corner on two wheels occasionally. She refuses to wear gloves and knee/elbow pads. The Bike-e had fairly good low speed balance but my wife doesn't have the reflexes to get her feet down in time. The trike is really a godsend and she knows it!
otherDoc
 
Well, I took The Bike-E for a short ride down to the LBS to get a replacement cable for the hub (the old one was frozen solid!!) and it was pretty fun there (downhill), but on the way home, I could swear I head the bike say, "LiPo me." :twisted: Dang, that's the first time I've ridden a non-powered bike in a LONG time. It really reminded me why I got into e-bikes in the first place! :wink:
 
I think you will like the Sun EZ-Sport CX or AX as well if you can find one - they are moderately common. I have a couple of CXs, and they are excellent bikes for electrifying. The Mid Rack right below the seat is a perfect location for batteries on either side, down really low. The balance is great. I've got front hub motors on mine, one C405 and one geared brushed which is a totally awesome motor for its size. The CX would be my choice as it is cromolly, rather than the AX. No issues with the standard front fork. I find the fairing does amplify the hub motor a fair bit though.
 
I second the handling of a front motored bent with the batteries on the bottom tube. I loved it. And mine was 21 lbs. of lead :shock: but being so low and centered it was like it was not there. I also remember running windshields back in my motorcycle days. They will amplify all the sounds under and behind them but in any kind of cool weather they are awesome.
 
To update, I sold the EZ-1 on Thursday. I got it cleaned up pretty well and it didn't take long for someone to snap it up. Here is a picture of what it looked like after cleaning and tuning.

IMG_2377.JPG

I have decided to keep the Bike E. I am going to start a build thread soon and when I do I will post a link to the thread here:
 
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