I am planning to build a custom carbon fiber recumbent bike frame and install a Bafang M800 motor afterwards. Does anyone have or developed a CAD drawing of the M800 motor geometry? I wanted to try different configurations before spending to buy an M800 since it is a frame integrated solution. Trying to develop an ultra light application. Thanks .
Custom Carbon Fiber Recumbent Frame M800 bracket
- Thread starter Big_Daddy
- Start date
I think you can buy the mounting brackets for those, that you could integrate into your frame?
If not, there are some projects around like this
https://www.emtbforums.com/community/threads/light-carbon-with-bafang-m800.19270/
that might have useful info.
If not, there are some projects around like this
https://www.emtbforums.com/community/threads/light-carbon-with-bafang-m800.19270/
that might have useful info.
BigDaddy- where do you plan to ride this machine when built?
i can't help you with the M800, but i know a lot about the Troytech style recumbent layout, having built and ridden one back when i was 20, lo some 43 years ago... i went to a muffler shop and had them bend a length of 3" x .062" wall tubing: the bottom bracket/pedals were about 6" lower than the Troytech, then up and over a 16" front wheel and then back down for a similarly angled layback seat to be about 6" off the road, then the frame bent up slightly such that two chainstays were welded straight back to the 26" rear wheel. the seat back was supported with a pair of bolt on aluminum tubes. the main tube was hole sawed to allow a headtube to be welded in at the appropriate angle above the front wheel. rather than Troytech's ridiculous looking long curved handlebars, i mounted a conventional cruiser bike handlebar on a pivot directly under the seat pointing up and a bit forward such that the bar ends perfectly aligned down low with my hands fighter jet style. two aluminum tie rods connected the bars to the fork just under the frame.
the thing cornered like it was on rails, and the braking was outstanding with just a rear brake in dry conditions and i never got around to adding a front brake. being all steel, it was sort of heavy but that was the prehistoric tech of the day... the big problem- climbing hills sucked, badly. all recumbents are lousy climbers. a point that is moot for ebikes!
which is why i'd scratch build another more sophisticated one in a heartbeat save for my original question. they're about the most dangerous vehicle you can dream up in traffic in terms of being seen by drivers- especially big pickup trucks. i've done a lot of risky things over the years, and riding that on the street was right up there...
i can't help you with the M800, but i know a lot about the Troytech style recumbent layout, having built and ridden one back when i was 20, lo some 43 years ago... i went to a muffler shop and had them bend a length of 3" x .062" wall tubing: the bottom bracket/pedals were about 6" lower than the Troytech, then up and over a 16" front wheel and then back down for a similarly angled layback seat to be about 6" off the road, then the frame bent up slightly such that two chainstays were welded straight back to the 26" rear wheel. the seat back was supported with a pair of bolt on aluminum tubes. the main tube was hole sawed to allow a headtube to be welded in at the appropriate angle above the front wheel. rather than Troytech's ridiculous looking long curved handlebars, i mounted a conventional cruiser bike handlebar on a pivot directly under the seat pointing up and a bit forward such that the bar ends perfectly aligned down low with my hands fighter jet style. two aluminum tie rods connected the bars to the fork just under the frame.
the thing cornered like it was on rails, and the braking was outstanding with just a rear brake in dry conditions and i never got around to adding a front brake. being all steel, it was sort of heavy but that was the prehistoric tech of the day... the big problem- climbing hills sucked, badly. all recumbents are lousy climbers. a point that is moot for ebikes!
which is why i'd scratch build another more sophisticated one in a heartbeat save for my original question. they're about the most dangerous vehicle you can dream up in traffic in terms of being seen by drivers- especially big pickup trucks. i've done a lot of risky things over the years, and riding that on the street was right up there...
Barncat said:
Hey Barncat, thanks for the feedback. I seriously don't do roads, and only have to navigate 2-3 blocks from my house to 20+ miles of some of the most beautiful bike trail in North Central Florida. I live in a small rural community and even stay off those streets except getting to the trail head. I am strictly a bike trail rider! Even my MUP is half deserted during the week with the packs out only on Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday I get my ride in before most of them even get to the trail. Also I am building this one from Carbon Fiber. I am recently retired and have plenty of time for fabrication. I like pretty bikes and will take my time with building this one. I already have a Schlitter Encore full carbon High Racer and a Rans Phoenix LWB so I plan to make this a nice looking bike. My Encore has similar "gullwing" handlebars to the Troytec and I just love them. Most of my ride through the woods is relatively flat and straight so the long handlebars have never been an issue. For me it makes for a comfortable reclined ride.
tigcross
100 W
I love the Troytech frame, but I don't think it is well suited for a mid-drive like the M800. I would be concerned about the extra stresses on the boom, deviation pulleys and the overall hassle of combining such a long chainline with a powered crankset. Perhaps you might look at the Bafang G310 geared hub motor? it's super light and very torquey.
tigcross- i'll second your observations. the last place i'd put a motor in this case is way out front at the pedals. i used 3 lengths of bike chain on my build back in the day which had a circuitous path over a couple pulley systems, transmitting only human power. i'd locate a motor down low a couple inches in front of the back wheel.
BigDaddy- that's cool. no need to ride the street then. you'd of course have pedals on this proposed build and can therefore ride the trail system without incurring the scorn of other cyclists. i'm in Tarpon Springs and (illegally) ride lesser travelled sections of the trails nearby as my bikes are sort of hot rodded and sans pedals, though i'm very cautious and courteous near other trail users. these days about 1 in 5 bikes going by is an ebike. after decades of serious cycling, i can't sit on a conventional bike seat due to minor nerve damage...
at any rate, i'll be curious to see what you come up with. if you like the "gullwing" bars, fine. i loved my fighter pilot layout, which IMO would be the ultimate performance AND comfort setup in a high powered ride. just not safe or legal on the street.
BigDaddy- that's cool. no need to ride the street then. you'd of course have pedals on this proposed build and can therefore ride the trail system without incurring the scorn of other cyclists. i'm in Tarpon Springs and (illegally) ride lesser travelled sections of the trails nearby as my bikes are sort of hot rodded and sans pedals, though i'm very cautious and courteous near other trail users. these days about 1 in 5 bikes going by is an ebike. after decades of serious cycling, i can't sit on a conventional bike seat due to minor nerve damage...
at any rate, i'll be curious to see what you come up with. if you like the "gullwing" bars, fine. i loved my fighter pilot layout, which IMO would be the ultimate performance AND comfort setup in a high powered ride. just not safe or legal on the street.
BigDaddy- coincidentally, the second recumbent i built back then was similar to your Schlitter, and the third similar to the Rans long wheelbase, but built of aluminum tubing salvaged from a scrapyard and TIG welded by a real expert who lived in the same town. wish i'd appreciated how difficult those pretty welds were, as i only learned to do that decades later. i found the third iteration to be the best overall in terms of pedaling performance as i believe it's best to keep the bottom bracket below the hips and torso for best blood flow and power output. if i were you i'd drop the bottom bracket relative to the Troytech.
i was big into the HPV association back then and all the fully faired speed record bikes, though i never built a faired model. that's an enormous amount of work for an impractical street machine. i lived near the hilly NY/PA border then and as mentioned pretty quickly decided that a conventional road racing bike was best suited to all the climbs. mostly moot in FL.
i was big into the HPV association back then and all the fully faired speed record bikes, though i never built a faired model. that's an enormous amount of work for an impractical street machine. i lived near the hilly NY/PA border then and as mentioned pretty quickly decided that a conventional road racing bike was best suited to all the climbs. mostly moot in FL.
Barncat said:
Yup, very good points!
That's why I've build my moving BB bike the way it is, though I've moved the BB up little - there can be too much of a good thing I guess
Maybe I would be able to fit at least a narrow 26" tire upfront AND retain some suspension...
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