My experience with "leafbike" electric bike kit

bike567

1 mW
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
11
Location
Vancouver
I'd like to share my experience with "leafbike" engine.
First of all, I was using a no-name direct drive motor 500W 48V for several years. The engine was set on the 26 inch rear wheel.
I was able to climb a hill which had a 20% grade and 500m length, with a load of 120kg. I was pedaling as much I could to help the engine. With no engine I was not able to climb the hill.

I decided to purchase a direct drive 1000W 48V engine from "leafbike" for similar 26 inch rear wheel. I re-used the battery (48V 20Ah LiFePO4).
The reason to purchase was based on my existing experience with the 500W engine, hoping the new 1000W engine will have more power.

Result:
On the same hill after 100m the engine and cables melted. It seems that the controller was not good to limit the amount of electricity for the engine when the throttle was fully engaged.

The old (no-name) 500W engine had its own controller which was good to limit the power even if the throttle was fully engaged.
It seems that the firmware which programs the microcontroller is important, not only the engine itself.

"Leafbike" customer service was not cooperating, stating that it was "customer fault". PayPal decided in their favor.

The end of the story: I bought a geared engine from ebikes.ca - which was a lot pricey (I paid about double compared with leafbike) - but this engine is able to climb the 500m hill (20% grade) even if I do not pedal. The battery is the same (I re-used the battery).

I wanted to share here my experience - anyone which looks to purchase an electric engine kit for a bike and plan to climb hills can read and decide.
 
Awesome to see some reviews on Leaf. I'd like to know if your first 500w was geared
of DD?

Tommy L sends....
mosh.gif
 
As I said, the first 500W engine was direct drive (DD). I bought it from Ebay together with a LiFePO4 battery as a "kit". I know that geared motors have more torque, but that DD 500W + its controller was able to help me to climb the hill. I was using that 500W engine since March 2010.
 
A 500W slow wind motor can outperform a 1000W fast wind motor climbing hills. Please provide a link to the motors you have to clarify the problem. Otherwise this is just more useless garbage.
 
The URL for the new engine is:
http://www.leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/26-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/newest-26-inch-48v-1000w-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-903.html

For the old 500W engine there is this URL:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/48V-500W-ELECTRIC-BICYCLE-MOTOR-KIT-15AH-LIFEPO4-/130328434810?ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123
(but since this was more than 3 years ago - I am not sure how much it helps).

I used 48V 20Ah battery (even in the kit is stated 15Ah)

Remark: it is not in my intention to write posts to be assessed as "useless garbage". This is my first post and that remark is not quite encouraging.
 
OK, I see the problem. The 48V 1000W motor you bought is an extremely fast wind with an rpm over 700rpm @48V. Great for someone that wants a lot of speed and is not big or going up hills. Terrible for someone your size climbing 20% grades for 500m. This is the one you should have bought.
http://www.leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/26-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/26-inch-48v-1000w-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-620.html
Still a fairly fast wind at 450rpm.
Your link to the 500W motor is dead, but that sellers 48V 1000W motor is only a 430rpm motor and would have also worked. He didn't list the rpm for the 500W motor but with a max speed of 30-40kph, it had to be around 350rpm making it a pretty slow wind.
 
bike567 said:
Remark: it is not in my intention to write posts to be assessed as "useless garbage". This is my first post and that remark is not quite encouraging.

I'll address your remark. It's not the intention of the members here to slam new members. It's difficult to help others without knowing spec's when
comparing items.

Much to learn about electric motors. Not sure if you are aware of the terms used here as "Fast Wound" and "Slow Wound" motors.

It's a RPM per volt thing.
If you are using 48v and at 48v the wheel can spin at 700rpm then you have a motor that is 14rpm per volt.(better for speed in 26" wheel)
If you are using 48v and at 48v the wheel can spin at 350rpm then you have a motor that is 7rpm per volt. (better for climbing 26" wheel)

But now you can put these DD hubs into different sized rims, so the 700rpm in a small 20" wheel would be a good hill climber. And
the 350rpm motor in a small wheel would be great for climbing up the side of buildings! Just kidding, but I'm sure you get the point.
Wheel size and motor combinations are to be considered for your build, as is all the other components :)

Also, there is so much more to this. But it is important to know what your needs of the bike will be and build to be able to achieve it. :wink:
That Leaf motor that you blew up, was not up to the task you need it to perform. It would have probably lasted for years of use on flat
ground and no hills or wind.

Speed (which increases drag) and headwinds/hills all put load on a motor. We often get asked here on this forum: "what is the best motor"
or "controller" Or "batteries".

The answer is always based on what the end user will use it for. Many of us here have several builds. One for Speed, another for Climbing,
Off Road, Commuting etc....

Lastly, would you please update your profile to include your location. Thank you! and welcome to the hobby!

Tommy L sends.....
mosh.gif
 
Thank you both for the detailed explanation. This helped me to understand what happened.

I think both buyers and leafbike would benefit if leafbike adds this kind of information on their web page for each engine they sell.

Something like this:
"This engine has fast wind and is more suitable for high speeds on flat road and mild hills.
For climbing steep hills with heavy riders this engine (URL for the other page here) should be used instead.

On the other page - similar statement with reversed logic:
"This engine has slow wind (high torque) and is more suitable climbing steep hills with heavy riders.
For higher speeds on flat road and mild hills this engine (URL for the other page here) should be used instead.

I would also add something about disk brakes. The fast wind engine has a clear picture on their Web page showing the holes where the disk brake should be mounted. The other one does not have such photo. It is mentioned in text, and a generic photo with wheel assembled is displayed, but compared with the other engine for me it was still not clear where to attach the disc. This contributed to my decision.

I would like to mention two other smaller inconvenients:
- the disk brake needed a spacer to reach the position in the caliper. They sell a "flange" and I bought one. Unfortunately it is too thick so I could not use it (disk was hitting the frame) and I ended up buying two spacers from ebikes.ca (about 2.5mm width each).
- the free wheel was touching the engine wall hence it could not rotate. A 1.5mm spacer was needed here as well to keep a small distance between the part of free wheel which rotates and the engine wall.

The engine from ebikes.ca did not need any spacers (for the disk brake nor for the freewheel) but again the huge disadvantage was the big price (compared with leafbike).

As you mentioned - there is no "perfect" engine, so this is why we need all this data to decide.
For example - the geared motor I have now:
- I enjoy the high torque and the ability to pedal with no resistance (I do not feel the engine when I pedal with no electricity to the engine, unlike the previous DD one)
- I try to ignore the fact that there is no way for regenerative braking (due to gears) and the slightly bigger noise from gears

I posted this information due to following reasons:
1. To understand the technical reason which was behind this unfortunate event.
2. To make this information available to any prospective buyers - it might help them to make a decision which engine to choose.

In the meanwhile I am thinking if it's worth to prepare a review for the engine from ebikes.ca - I have here some (minor) issues as well. I am discovering them and try to address, hence my e-bike project is still in "beta" version. This would be another thread.
 
I almost considered buying one. The price was too good to try. But then I found out the weight. Way too heavy for my taste as a foldable bike.
 
The price for the leafbike kit is not so low after you add shipping (the shipping charges are not displayed on their web page from the beginning). To be more specific, the kit I bought was USD 481.52 (including shipping to Canada).

Regarding the way to burn a "fast wind" engine I have these comments:

Let's say we know that this kind of engine will melt if a heavy biker rides it on a 20% grade.
When we ride on plain terrain it should be OK. But what about a slower grade (let's say 2%). It should be OK to engage the engine to maximum ? But what about 7% grade ?. Riding on hills will always rise this question: is the hill in front of me mild enough to go, and at what power ? Who is doing the math ?

I would make a comparision with a piece of software which accepts positive numbers as user input. If by mistake the user enters a character or a negative number (unexpected input) then the software would crash ? A good one would validate all kind of user input and proceed only for valid input (positive numbers).

The same with the electronics (and firmware ?) associated with the electric engines. Here the user input is the throttle. It should be expected that user input to be validated against current conditions (engine temperature, maximum current intensity and may be other parameters). Sensors are needed here - let's say a shunt for intensity, some hall sensors for... etc. This means even if the rider engages the throttle too much (how much ?) and the grade is 20%, the controller should not honour the request.

It seems that this standard is not yet achieved by leafbike and I am afraid that it is the same for all electric bike industry. In the equation of power, grade, temperature and speed, the decision (and liability) is transferred to the rider. Simply enough, eh ?

I am wondering if an electric car would have the same logic (do not press the pedal too much on steep hill, doing so your car engine will be melted, he, he, he ....). I have a hybrid and I can see how the board computer mitigates the power between the gas engine and the electric one on steep hills. They did a good job there.
 
I too want to share my leafbike experince. I bought a 20in 36v 750w kit for a sidewalker scooter. I love it ! BUT! The wheel isn't round , a spoke is bent. I'm running it and exept for slight wobble it's great. Leaf bike dosn't make mistakes.....one e mail from them says "Spokes very strong can't bend". Another one after that says " tap with rubber hammer two or three times it will be fine". lol.What i'm saying is if you buy someting from them and everything is right , you will be very happy..If something is wrong you are on your own. OR BEAT it with a hammer. I love this kit so much I bought another 750 motor and wheel...from them ....if the wheel is round it will be worth it...I'm 200 pounds and it will pull me up anything wobble and all.
 
trinantietam said:
I too want to share my leafbike experince. I bought a 20in 36v 750w kit for a sidewalker scooter. I love it ! BUT! The wheel isn't round , a spoke is bent. I'm running it and exept for slight wobble it's great. Leaf bike dosn't make mistakes.....one e mail from them says "Spokes very strong can't bend". Another one after that says " tap with rubber hammer two or three times it will be fine". lol.What i'm saying is if you buy someting from them and everything is right , you will be very happy..If something is wrong you are on your own. OR BEAT it with a hammer. I love this kit so much I bought another 750 motor and wheel...from them ....if the wheel is round it will be worth it...I'm 200 pounds and it will pull me up anything wobble and all.

Forget built wheels from China. Buy loose motors, save a little on shipping and learn to lace your own wheels. If you've got any mech skills and able to change a guitar string most people can lace 1-cross motor wheels.

Folks should only buy from China if you're happy eating the entire order because return shipping will never ever work out.
 
Welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your problems with the Leaf motor.

Steep hills and electric motors are a challenge and require a properly sized and adjusted system to avoid overheat.

Suggest ignoring the rude posters, there is an ignore feature in the forum you can use.

Which geared motor is working well for you? Always good to see descriptions of things that work as well as things that don't. Ilia has been a good vendor.

The torque a motor can make is related to the physical magnet strength, width, airgap and diameter (and gears if it has them).

The winding arrangement determines the voltage and current to make this torque.

A "faster" wind works at lower voltage and higher current. It doesn't change the torque the motor can make, just what voltage/current it takes to get there.

If the phase wires melted the controller's maximum motor current settings were too high (or the phase wires too small). New wires and new settings can make that motor work well.

If the leafmotor and your 500W motor are the same diameter, width and weight, and both DD, then they are likely fairly similar in the torque they can make. But the voltage and current required to get that torque can be very different.
 
Nothing like chiming in on an old post. A long time ago when I decided to ditch my front wheel friction drive 12 volt motor (cannot remember the name of it and am too lazy to look up old posts) I spent a lot of time deciding on what to replace it with. Back then choices were no where near as wide as today and Crystalyte hub motors were fairly new. One great feature of the Crystalyte ads that was very helpful and aided me in my decision was the three different motors and the suggested purpose of each, raw pulling power, normal and high speed with the projected speeds possible. (ZAP, Zero Air Pollution, just remembered)
Since LiPo4 was not available if even invented back then I went with four 12 volt batteries wired to provide 48 volts which was sufficient power if limited range. The kit I bought came with everything needed included controller, charger, battery bags, racks and the motor pre mounted in a wheel including tire.
The Crystalyte motor was great but not even a little waterproof and with the help of ypedal providing technical advice and the eventual purchase of the LiPo4's the Crystalyte provided more then 6K miles of service before the grandkids got old enough for me to have to provide daily shuttle services and the bike gradually moved further back in the garage and eventually sold. When the grandkids parents moved I wanted another ebike and this time there were myriads of products out there that far exceeded the ability of my earlier conversion and very little more expensive then the cost of my earlier bike, motor and batteries.
Fortunately for me the long term experience of the Crystalyte motor provided the knowledge I needed to help make the decision. Waterproof was very important (I live in Florida) and speed not so much, 20 mph was more then sufficient and I wanted pedal assist as well as throttle control. After a lot of searching I chose a Pedego which now has more then 2K miles on it and has been mostly trouble free. That decision, smaller motor, smaller battery (48V 10 AH) was all based on learning from early Crystalyte ads. At 72 y/0, 250 lbs, mostly flat terrain, pedal assist, I have a 40 mile max range. Plus, and a big plus, is the Pedego is mostly stealth and provides extra pleasure when I pass a lycra on his 5,000 dollar skinny tire going over one of our giant bridges.
My advice, research, research and do a final research before spending.
Mike, Pedego Interceptor
 
Please forgive me for barge in with my own dilemma, it's just that this particular post and replies are the closest answers to my questions. I intend to buy this
https://www.leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/29-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/29-inch-48v-1500w-front-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-1076.html
for my 29" mtb, can't go very high with the price and leaf bike engines even almost doubled by transport cost are considerably lower then european prices. First of all, i want to say that i intend to buy it for very long recreational trips, not for hills and acrobatics, that's not my style. I am lousy at mechanics and engines, therefore i try to play safe and buy good things, yet in reasonable prices. So, here i go:
1. Is it the right choice? I don't want to buy something that breaks next month. The guarantee is next to nothing, to send it back and get another will cost almost as buying a new one.
2. Even if my purpose is for very long trips (i did 60-80 km without any engine with no problems), some destinations will have hills after hills, some quite challenging - sometimes i walked by the bike; is this engine safe for that kind of terrain?
3. Please advice me - front wheel engine or back wheel engine? I put more faith in a back wheel engine, yet the weight is more balanced with a front wheel. I don't know what to choose.
Thank you very much in advance for your patience!
 
Jean@Romania said:
Please forgive me for barge in with my own dilemma, it's just that this particular post and replies are the closest answers to my questions.

That 1500W motor should not be put in a front fork unless it is a solid steel non-suspension fork. And then still use two torque arms. So the advice is to use a rear wheel motor and also use two torque arms. Choose the 25mph motor for better hill riding ability and add Statorade for better cooling:
http://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/statorade.html
Can be bought in Europe here:
https://fasterbikes.eu/en/cooling/257-10-ml-statorade-ferrofluid-magnetic-cooling-liquidcooling.html
 
Just for general info, I have found that a hubmotor (as opposed to a mid-drive) is very appropriate for flattish land. With a hubmotor, the pedaling drivetrain is unstressed, so it lasts a long time. With a mid drive, you have to shift occasionally to take advantage of it's features on a hill, plus the chain and sprockets wear out sooner.

The steeper the hill, the more appropriate a mid drive is, and the more you must simply "put up with" any compromises that are a result. However, if your hills are "medium", there is definitely the option of using a simple hubmotor. The first upgrade to making a hubmotor able to tackle hills is...to swap it into a smaller rim. Going from 26-inch down to 24-inch helps, and for steeper hills, a 20-inch is even better.

Doing that may look a little odd, but...the data and real world experience doesn't lie. Using a geared hubmotor is fine, but I would insert a temp probe so I could see how hot the interior is was getting. To put it in plain English, my hills may not be as bad as your hills, in both steepness and length.

If the motor that you have right now can tackle your particular hills, and still shed the heat of climbing? keep it. Just know that the geared hub you bought, and the Leafbike DD hubmotor you started with are both "neither good or bad"...they are each useful for certain jobs, and each of them has their strengths and weaknesses. If a particular kit is struggling for the job you gave it, then consider selling that kit while it is still running, and sell it to someone who will use it in a an application that it is well suited for.
 
SlowCo said:
Jean@Romania said:
Please forgive me for barge in with my own dilemma, it's just that this particular post and replies are the closest answers to my questions.

That 1500W motor should not be put in a front fork unless it is a solid steel non-suspension fork. And then still use two torque arms. So the advice is to use a rear wheel motor and also use two torque arms. Choose the 25mph motor for better hill riding ability and add Statorade for better cooling:
http://www.ebikes.ca/product-info/statorade.html
Can be bought in Europe here:
https://fasterbikes.eu/en/cooling/257-10-ml-statorade-ferrofluid-magnetic-cooling-liquidcooling.html
Thank you very much, i will go for the safe choice, 25 mph, back wheel engine, additional cooling. In fact, i will look for some hubsinks as well, i want my future engine to have a long life. I am happy i found someone who really knows this stuff, you guys are great.
 
spinningmagnets said:
The steeper the hill, the more appropriate a mid drive is, and the more you must simply "put up with" any compromises that are a result. However, if your hills are "medium", there is definitely the option of using a simple hubmotor. The first upgrade to making a hubmotor able to tackle hills is...to swap it into a smaller rim. Going from 26-inch down to 24-inch helps, and for steeper hills, a 20-inch is even better.

Doing that may look a little odd, but...the data and real world experience doesn't lie. Using a geared hubmotor is fine, but I would insert a temp probe so I could see how hot the interior is was getting. To put it in plain English, my hills may not be as bad as your hills, in both steepness and length.

Good to know, i totally need to learn a lot more about this. I didn't buy the motor yet, i am about to, and i wan't sure what to choose, considering other people unhappy experiences like how this entire conversation started from. Now, i decided to buy this

https://www.leafbike.com/products/d...-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-1065.html

with Statorade and hubsinks for a better cooling, and go for the 25mph version, not the maxed 45 mph model. I got hydraulic disk brakes as standard on my Cross Viper, this engine goes for mechanical disk brakes, i will ask if i can keep the original brakes or not and look for a seasoned bike shop mechanic to assemble it properly for me.
I am free to any other suggestions, like i said mechanics really is not my strong suit.
Thank you very much for your info so far, i find it great to know.

[moderator edit to fix link]
 
For most people, a decent hub motor is the best option, IMHO>

My hub motor is rated at 3kw, but it has ferro fluid in it and I can pump 5kw thru it and ride up long hilly roads without the motor overheating. Right now the Lyen controller is run in sensorless mode and is programmed for around 70 amps max output, which gets me 45 mph on flat road and very good torque to propel my 210 lb bodyweight up 3 steep long roads in my area. I could adjust the LYEN controller to pump out higher amps and higher phase amps, to increase my top speed to over 55mph and increased my torque so the ebike has even more climbing power and could possibly pull wheelies from a dead stop, but I dont need those scenarios. I keep the controller programmed so it does the things I need, and luckily those parameters do not stress the controller, battery or motor to the point of overheating them.

From the photo , you can see im running a 19" rear wheel and a 21" front wheel . I think this is a excellent setup.

I had a 750 watt geared bafang hub motor that was rated to have around 70 NMS max torque on a 48 volt battery....My gearless hub motor on 72 volts is definitely putting out higher NMS of torque, even with me programming the controller phase amps to a relatively low setting. ebiker1.jpg
 
and go for the 25mph version, not the maxed 45 mph model

If you plan to ride at 25-MPH, I would recommend getting the 35-MPH version. It has electromagnet wires that are thicker and shorter, so less waste-heat due to resistance. Even if you are actually riding at 20-MPH most of the time, if you find yourself in the position where a texting car-driver is trying to accidentally kill you, having a little headroom in the top speed is very desirable.
 
spinningmagnets said:
and go for the 25mph version, not the maxed 45 mph model

If you plan to ride at 25-MPH, I would recommend getting the 35-MPH version. It has electromagnet wires that are thicker and shorter, so less waste-heat due to resistance. Even if you are actually riding at 20-MPH most of the time, if you find yourself in the position where a texting car-driver is trying to accidentally kill you, having a little headroom in the top speed is very desirable.

Noted, thank you! I chose the 25 mph version considering some hills i travel sometimes to a great place not far from me, around 15 km away. The last 3 km are very challenging, really sweating there. If a 35 mph engine can dig that with no problems, hell i'll go for it. I was hoping for a bonus speed from the very start but i don't want to force the engine too much, after all it's main purpose is much longer rides. Also i want to follow your advice and go for Statorade and hubsinks for the same reason, longer the life of the engine, better for me. After all, i live in a country where i earn 380 euro/month and it's considered above decent salary. Buying a bike engine it's considered a waste by most of the people and i got a lot of advice that i should better buy a second hand car for 2000 euros then a bike engine for 700-800 euros. :)))))) What can i say, this is an older dream of mine and i love bikes, i am set up to do it this time. Damn, if i would earn 2000 euros /month, what a jewel of a bike i would get! After i will get this engine and have it up and running on my bike, i will post a picture here.
Thank you guys, without you i was going to have some problems soon after i bought it. Starting with those hills... Definitely i don't want to use that engine for a month only.
 
Their kits are terrible. I wouldn't touch them. The controllers are not matched to the motor's continuous capabilities, and as far as i know, not programmable.
That 1000W motor is wound WAY too fast ( 40mph winding, which requires 2000W continuous, on a 1000W motor? WTF? )

That being said the 1500W motor is still my favorite direct drive hub today, even though it has the same high default winding that does ~40mph on the road. ( a more sane choice is a 5T or 6T if you don't have a 48v 80A capable battery! )
 
Hello guys,
I promised i will come back with news about my new Leaf Bike engine. So, here we go...
1. It came with no instructions. Good luck, inexperienced people!
2. The wheel came a little unbalanced, nothing that can't be repaired. Still, we're talking about a brand new product.
3. Happy with the long list of qualities, very nice movie showing how well IT WORKS, i didn't notice the battery is not on the list... My bad. So much for the way smaller price, in fact the final cumulated price after i will get the battery too will be a little higher than european prices, for a lower quality product. "Promise me son not to do the things i've done"...
Now, i feel dazed by this turn of events, low on money, soon critical low on money, after i buy a battery, which actually i have no clue where to get a cheaper, yet good enough battery...
When all will be done and assembled i will load a picture of this adventure's results...
 
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