Trident Spike Trike build + Magic Pie 5 Vector + Solar panel

This is my first build and I appreciate all the resources I've found in this forum already.
I have a Trident recumbent tadpole trike that I've added a Magic Pie 5 Vector 20" aluminum wheel [solid no wire spokes] along with a Unit Pack Power triangle battery 48v 20Ahr 13s9p.

The conversion went pretty smoothly. These motors have a built in sine wave controller that is programmable to 24v. 36v or 48v. The programming can be done with an Android App or a USB cable and a Windows PC program.

I really like the performance of the motor. It's very quiet as in nearly inaudible when riding. The motor is so large and flashy [with their trademark circling apostrophes] that for sure ain't stealthy. And there is the weight, nearly 20 lbs with the tire, but in my case that was a slight plus. Pedaling my trike around the lake I live on has been problematic as even with a heavy tread on the rear drive tire, with my weight distributed across 3 tires I've done a lot of tire spinning. Combined with the battery weight and the torque the motor has, it's made the rough parts through grass and sand doable.

Next will be the addition of a solar panel, that will serve as shade from the Florida sun and a range extender. I have a 300w 42v semi-flexible panel [36" x 61"] and am in communication with Genasun about a charge controller that will work with it. Trying to decide weather to mount it with a front to back arch or a side to side radius?

I've tried hauling a trailer with my dog in it, but would prefer to make a side car for her. Open all feedback, tips or ideas about any of the above!

Due to some back and knee issues over the years I've drifted away from biking and this whole e-bike option has allowed me to fall back in love with biking. Thanks to all of you who have shared the ups and downs of your experiences with your bikes.

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Update : The US site for Golden Motor didn't offer an option for the Bluetooth dongle. For that reason I was under the impression that the newest version of the Magic Pie controller included Bluetooth. After going to the same page on the Canada site I saw that they did offer the Bluetooth dongle. So I contacted Gary and found out I needed to order it. He was kind enough to send it with free postage. He has been helpful all along. So the upshot is that the App DOES WORK with my phone and Android version. Mine is a Moto E4 Plus running 7.1.1 Android os. It just arrived and I did use it to update the Regen braking and RPM settings. I'm assuming it will now work as a monitor of riding sessions. If not, I'll keep you posted. I'm a happy E-biker!

Sweet! Good place for the batteries under the seat. And I think you will enjoy the troublefree performance of the rear hub motor. It is similar to my trike build with the heavyish 9Continent rear hub on it. Which as given me no issues for 19,000 happy miles..

djbeede said:

I've tried hauling a trailer with my dog in it, but would prefer to make a side car for her. Open all feedback, tips or ideas about any of the above!

Click to expand...

Side carrier mounted on the trike (no outboard supporting wheel) is going to make turns (most likely in one direction vs the other) potentially problematic, especially at speeds above some critical point. If the dog is really small/light, then it's not such a big deal, but if yours is anything like mine are.... I can't clearly tell from the pics, but looks like a 25-30 pounder, which could be enough to be a problem.


Side car, mounted to but not "on" the trike, with it's own wheel, has potential issues, like with wheel scrub, and possibly causing problems making turns (from the wheel scrub/drag). You can test this before building a whole sidecar by just putting a boom with the wheel on it in the position you want it in, and weigth on the boom just inboard of the wheel, to see what effect it might have.


Side note: Side car on the trike may make it an illegal vehicle in your area (it would here in AZ), if bicycles are defined as "three wheels or less in contact with the ground" like they are here, beause you'd have four wheels. Local LEOs may not even care, but figured a heads up was in order just in case.


But if the dog was really small/light, you could put a carrier up behind your seat, with the dog looking over your head. This might work even with a medium sizer. The carrier would be mounted to the seat and the trike frame, not to the rear swingarm (so the dog gets a better ride).


For trailers, there's a lot of ways to make one that's better than the kind you have there; I've done quite a few but the most successful has been the Mk IV. If I were to build one to carry small loads or a small dog, I'd make it like a short verson of Mk III built with the wheel setup of Mk IV. (you can find these in my Amberwolf's Flatbed Kennel Trailer threads).

Basicaly the idea is to have much larger wheels on the trailer for a better ride, but still have the trailer slung down between them close to the ground so it doesnt' have any tippiness.

I'd be looking at bigger dog trailer, with the panel on top.

Nicely done!

good ebike and dog.