KMX Cro + A123 + Adaptto Commuter

So I've been a lurker for a year and a registered lurker for another, but now I finally have (almost) everything I need to make my dream machine. I've been commuting solely by bike for the last two years, and it's been fun but there have been some rough patches. Winter days when I went without cereal because frankly, I felt like I was risking my life with those ice patches under the snow...

This build will take me to and from anywhere in the city I need to go, it'll function as a comfortable place to sit while camping/enjoying the hill I didn't climb, and other tomfoolery. I don't really want to go fast, I want torque and cargo/hill climbing capability. But, I have headroom in the speed department, so hey! =)

This build will be parked outside 24/7. I'm thinking about ordering a TerraTrike cover for it, which may help keep it from getting noticed too... we'll see. For security, I have a Xena alarm... but I really want to get a Telna-mobile powered GPS tracker so no matter where I am, I can set an alarm on it and/or check on it or know if it's being disturbed. I doubt anyone is going to carry off a 100lb trike, but... accessories, man! =)

I am installing a FIAMM Freeway Blaster on it, so It'd be very cool to program a Geogram One to go off and turn on the horn upon vibration. And alert me of the vibration. That way, the Xena could be sold and I could just use the rear wheel lock on the controller in combination with a cellular lock. I would literally ride into a parking spot, lock my front levers, lock my controller, and just walk away... and arm it from my phone. But that's a secondary concern, and I have so many projects going on right now...

Specs:

-KMX from Steveo,
-Cromotor v2 laced into a 20" Alex rim with added NTK thermistor, venting holes in the cover and fully coated stator.
-Front wheels are stock hubs laced into 14" Prowheel rims.
-24s 20ah Cellman A123 pack from a guy in Seattle.
-Adaptto Max-E from Andreym. Pleasant surprise #1; usb connector for charging my phone at the handlebars when it's quadlocked.
-Someday... might do a 34-85/16t schlumpf. Currently at 40/16t.

I'll be using andersons for most connections because I got a tricrimp for a steal.

The last part I'm waiting for is a thumb-throttle, for some reason I thought I already had one but I don't. So, I'm not spinning up the motor tonight!

Checklist:
-Weld ABS sheetstock together into batterybox. This will go behind the seat, attached to both frame and seat-- raised to accommodate the chaintubes. I will finish the box with my dremel to make it pretty, and maybe spray it to protect it from UV. It doesn't get far below freezing so I'm not worrying about keeping it warm.
-Wire everything up, test, mount, and then tidy it up.
-Ride to the top of a hill with an earthy double-corona, a snifter of Islay, and a sunset.

Finished ABS battery box, updating/programming adaptto, mounting, did some wire cleanup except for the throttles and display. Excess wire was just tucked under the seat where it won't be visible... =) Tomorrow morning, I'm going to put the seat foam back on, ziptie the throttle and display cables, mount the display on a spare bullhorn, and tear up some snow for the first time.

I tested it in my living room with the phase amps turned way down since I only have one torque-arm, turns out that's still enough to really push me back in my seat =)

In other off-topic news, found out that my application for a neuroscience doctoral program has been passed up the ladder, and they're paying for me to visit for my interview. There's lots of other details, but most importantly this torquey cromotor will be absolutely perfect for traversing the extremely hilly, tiny, and freakishly low-crime city I would be going to... crossing campus... and getting guaranteed "parking" at the building of my choice. I plan to stash my belongings in an Ortlieb for quick in-and-outs. The trike will also double as a handy study spot since it has such a comfortable seat! =)

Hey xenodious,

I just joined a few days ago and am planning a bike build real soon. Super excited to see how the Max e controller works out for you. Already ordered a cromotor. Funny thing, I am in Spokane too.
Oh, where did you get your cellman pack from?

Thanks, Brake.

I was going to get it from Cellman, but a guy in seattle had one he just let sit for a year while he kept it topped off. Didn't realize it was too large for an upright bike. I bought it off him for just under four figures shipped! Killer deal.

I LOVE THE MAX-E. I did have a mishap after I flashed the RC8f firmware, where the fine-tune adjustments were so out of whack that it caused the controller to glitch out when unloaded at speed and one torque arm got busted off, just from rapid motor deceleration. But, good side-- it had surface rust underneath it, so it was barely held on anyway. I'm going to clean it up and have it welded on...

Other than that mishap, it's been a dream. Autodetect works fabulously, torque is incredible, silence is golden, interface is great. With my separate BMS, it's still easy to set it as "recharged". I also like the function to specify a range and have it limit power so you don't run out. As soon as I get saddlebags I'm taking this bad boy on a ~73 mile ride which puts me on a ~20wh/mi budget the whole way.

All in all, I'm in love.

We should meet up sometime! I can't wait to tear through the Centennial. The Bowl and Pitcher has open outlets for charging. As does the Safeway by Northpointe, outlet right by the always-lit bike-rack. North Division Cycle is ebike friendly, one of the mechanics rides a BionX kit daily. I know of only two other spokanite ebikers, and I've only spied one recumbent rider. But I'm sure there are others...

Awesome. Now I really want one. It has been difficult to figure out what to get and having more positive feedback really helps. I will be riding mostly all over the south hill and this looks like about the best setup going right now. Cant wait to hear how the test ride goes. Especially in this new snow. I rode a couple miles on Tuesday night, no tracks 5 inches of fresh. What a workout.

Id really like to see your setup sometime. I am still sourcing parts and it will be a while before I'm done. Just stoked to hear of someone nearby that has that controller. Unbelievable.

And good luck with the interview!

Turns out my battery box is not robust enough: 2/6 attachment points failed. But I know it was because I hit some air... damn this thing is fun! Got cheers from many random folks. Especially on the college campus while I fish tailed around. I'm thinking I might form rails and ziptie it to the back of the seat instead of using abs pipe clamps+ glue. Grr. I want to commute with it tomorrow...

PS: I don't think I want to exceed 45mph on this thing, but I also haven't yet found a clear stretch of road around here where I have the opportunity! On clear tarmac, and not icy slush, I may... really, I must have the toe-in perfect because it handles excellent at high speed. And I really feel like it eats potholes-- at least, when I hit them with the front tires instead of the rear.

After closer inspection during this late-night fix, I found that the two mounting points were not so faulty after all. One broke when I flipped the trike within 15 seconds of touching the throttle for the first time, I just didn't realize it. The other one didn't break, but stretched enough to whiten from the strain. Quite admirable, considering the major joint that broke left two of the smaller joints to support half the battery. All joints have been beefed up and should be solid by morning. I love working with ABS. It really is strong stuff... I'm also going to be careful not to bounce the trike like a pogo stick down the stairs...

In hindsight I'd have preferred to get the 1/4" ABS although this 3/8"s is working quite well. It's just about getting it in the right shape and getting a large enough contact area to support a 30+lb battery from one side while I bounce along.

I still need to figure out some kind of hatch to keep the face of the battery clean. Preferably with a lock. Although, the battery is such a tight fit in its custom box that it's practically theft-proof already. Even with straps behind it it's hard to pull it out!

So far, the most surprising thing is how little I actually feel bumps in the road. I thought I'd be wishing I had suspension the whole time, but I only feel front-wheel impact through the handlebars, not much through the seat. Potholes are no problem!

I will most likely ride it into work tomorrow, secured only by chain/U-lock and that Xena alarm, no GPS yet, but I've been reading up on the Geogram One. It's the way to go for open source tracking. I'll be building an "accessory box" under the controller which will house a 135db horn, GPS, and... in the future, a switchbox for lighting. A short bit of code should allow me to setup the Geogram, with its sensitive accelerometer, to trigger blips of the horn when the trike is bumped.

Fun tip: when riding in the slush and leaving a roostertail behind you at 40mph, DO NOT come to an abrupt halt. the momentum of that rooster tail will lead it to your head, and you'll have to explain to your wife why your head is caked in gravel and why you can't wipe the smile off your face.

Currently my stats say 31wh/mi, but I know that's because I did LOTS of donuts spinning the tire at 50mph, but going nowhere and drawing low amps due to the incredibly slick roads here. Can't wait to get this beast on some dry tarmac.

Triple threat to that battery box. My screws for the seat mint fell out so I was leaving on it. Holy crap! all fixed and sturdy again, sitting safely inside at work

That's great. I'm glad it's working good. You didn't waste any time. Must have been a blast!

Yeah I got up to "52mph" according to my triple-average diameter measurement, but would like to check with GPS. I didn't actually mean to, I was in a semi-rural 35mph road and the guy in front of me was speeding so I just tried to keep from falling behind... and I did!

Got plenty of cheers from passersby, but one guy yelled, "*honk* That's illegal a***ole, get that f**king s**t off the f**king road! *honk* when I was going 25mph... in a 25mph zone.

All in all positive experience, really want that GPS tracker asap though. I'd like to know when someone touches it no matter where I am, as opposed to just within earshot.

Also, interesting side effect I can't imagine programming around-- the "wheel lock" feature of the controller is NOT well combined with a parking brake. It causes the trike to just try to keep rolling. Good thing I changed the default phase amps from 200 to 20. Otherwise though it's quite handy.

Talked to Utah Trikes, they sell their "UTCustom" heavy duty rack with KMX mounting hardware. Sold, especially considering it has large flat plates that I can dremel to fit the depth of my Cromotor axles. Along with a headlight mount, a Geogram One, antenna, some connectors... and a Telna Mobile sim. Apparently they do a credit check before they ship it out but I'll be able to put together an enclosure for the Geogram.

I am currently taking my battery inside every night so nobody steals it. It'd set the alarm off, so I know I'm being paranoid... but eventually, I'm going to put an ABS hatch with a hasp lock on it to further protect the battery and prevent theft.

I found a nice mellow, earthy, cool cigar to have with my Laphroig as soon as the snow is gone... plan on riding up top of Beacon Hill.

In other news, I've officially balded my used rear tire completely. When spring hits, the knobby fronts will probably become slicks, and the rear will definitely get some new knobbies for the off-roading.

It's actually shockingly easy to pedal this thing at 18mph, I can maintain speed easier than my upright bike even in the snow, even with incredibly heavy tires. Love bents...

This EXACTLY what i want to do, same bike same motor, same battery (or 2 of the 36v ones to put in 2 saddle bags.) Here is whats stopping me. Attaching the cromotor to the frame. Did you have to stretch that frame to get the cromotor to fit? Details or a link to this would be SUPER!

It's a pretty darn close fit as is, just use a bottle-jack if you have one and carefully spread it about 5mm, see how much it pops back, then use that to get it out just barely larger than the motor. It's actually super easy to do. The cromotor may be recommended for 145mm dropouts but it is just a couple mm over 135.

Definitely go with two 36v packs. It would be super easy to mount both packs alongside the seat with a few abs fittings and a couple sheets. My battery box is holding up great, although I've still got to make it prettier because the mounts are a wee bit ugly. Straps of ABS sheet, heated to spaghetti, draped over the seat, and then slathered with ABS glue. Strong, tight, but fuuugly. I want to carefully bend the larger sheets I have left and make a sort of tailbox/seat fender for it to conceal everything and make it extra pretty. But it was the best I could do for an all-in-the-living-room ebike.

I am LOVING it through and through, getting good performance out of my A123 pack even into this -20C weather we have now. Cellman BMS shuts off between 30-40 amps, but I can still get up to 40mph and I rarely go over 30mph. I just can't pull donuts on clean tarmac. And after riding it for a few minutes, performance improves. Only downside is that I think a bit of water got into my very tight-fit battery box, and the battery is now frozen in there.

The display heater on the Adaptto unit works wonderfully well. Takes less than a minute for fast screen refresh at 10W.

Passed my first cop car today. Definitely stared and took a peek, but just watched me go by. (I was pedaling anyway, not just for his benefit, so I was going 18mph in the outer lane)

My Geogram ONE got here. As soon as I get my Telna mobile GPS I'll configure it, but tomorrow morning... I'm building the enclosure. I hope the accelerometer is sensitive enough. Then I can fearlessly park it at work... perhaps mounting it on springs would increase its sensitivity? though it would dampen bumps by small metal thieving tools... at any rate. It's a sweet unit, and it works all by itself forever. But I'll take advantage of GPS Trace Orange, thankyou very much...

Also need to cut holes in the handlebars and route cables through them for prettiness. But the trike lives outside now and did I mention it's fracking COLD!?

Xenodius - any chance of video? Sounds like a fantastic vehicle! What a blast

I've been busy and alternating schedules with my wife, but next time we have a day off, I'll give her the camera! =)

It's a massive blast.

I don't have any good way to take video while I'm on it yet.

That would be great. Looking forward to it
I've been eyeing up the greenspeed recumbents on and off thinking they'd make an amazing evehicle. There is also a video of a mean 8000w tadpole on YouTube that looks spectacular. I'll try and find the link.

Edit: Sorry - make that 20,000W! WTF? http://youtu.be/WKAMus3oSdw

That's Matt Schumacher aka Recumpence

Well, that also is a totally mental build!

Thanks for the info. Cromotor is defiantly what i will do on my first hub build. Thing im going to go with the 1650w cyclone mid drive setup. However 10k watt cromotor electric T-rex may be in my future.

Having run 10kw on mine for barely a second, I gotta say-- it's ridiculous and very fun. It'll be perfect for shooting up and down the hills of Pullman when I move there, but... for now it is a little overkill. I'd consider a mid-drive for an offroad, upright bike... but this really is perfect on a trike.

Re spreading the rear dropouts, the easiest and most controlable way to do it is to use a peice of threaded rod that will fit in the dropouts (cheap at the local hardware store) 2 nuts and 2 washers and use a spanner to wind the nuts apart to the apropriate width.

yeah man. i like it. any more photos?

I'll take some this afternoon while I do some minor things to it... if I do...

Met up with ES member Brake and had a great time, he helped me out by welding on my Doctorbass torque arm (despite a forgetful hindrance on my part) and I still owe him a beer. I expect his build will be pretty great, as he has some good fabrication experience and tooling available. I ended up riding 11 miles back, 2 of which were downhill at low speed with regen (woohoo! totally captive axle!) and the last 9 ended up being on a major road at 30-45mph with traffic. I only used 4ah! =O

Definitely taking this thing up to mount Spokane when I get the chance. Math and experience says if I assist to the base and throttle to the top, I should only use about half my pack-- maybe a bit more. And I'll hardly need a lot of power during the 4600ft descent.

Making a trip to a nearby city here in a little while-- Pullman WA. "only" 85 miles. Up and down a bit, average slope 1.4%. I've already found places along the way I can stop to charge... Street View helped me find a couple open 110v outlets, as well as two places I can stop in and pay to eat (and hopefully, take my battery in with me!) My goal is to use no more than ~80% of my pack for the whole trip, just for fun =) Should only need one charge.

Also have to get panniers for the trip. I'm thinking I'll go to REI and see if I can find a single pannier, or just go with whatever they have... if after the trip I don't like them, then I'll return them and order the Ortlieb Bike Packers I've been drooling over.

Got panniers. Currently halfway and recharging for the next 44 miles. Only used a bit over half charge for the first half, but winds are picking up and I wanted coffee from a town with 600 people

I agree on the pics.

What kind of range are you getting say just cruising around town at 20-25mph