Best 48V 250W hub motor for hot rodding?

davidsvoboda · Aug 17, 2015

Hi, so I am considering buying a street legal hub motor for my 48V 15Ah battery (capable of 100A maximum output).
Which hub motors are best for "hot rodding" - would I be able to run some as high as at 750Watt and still maintain the appearance of a legal 250W motor?

Thank you!

David.

motomech · Aug 17, 2015

Where do you live that having a motor rated at 250 Watts is important(Nobody fills out their profile these days)?
750 Watts is only 15 Amps on a 48 V battery and any 250 W rated motor will do that, provided it's not asked to climb long, steep hills on a 90 Degree day.
The 350 W minis will take up to 20 Amps.
The key is to match the motor speed rating to the intended usage.

davidsvoboda · Aug 17, 2015

greeting to mexico!!

I will be going for my masters to the United Kingdom - Brighton, I am worried my current set up - monstrous 3 Kw turbo bike kit mid drive will get me in trouble if I ride it there to school daily.. :/

motomech · Aug 17, 2015

Salutos,
Britton, Euro regs, I should have guessed. Your use of the term "hod rod: threw me off :lol:
Mini's range in weight from the teeny tiny 1.85 Kg Q85 to the over-weight mini Q128 at 3.0 Kg.
In general, the more a motor weighs, the more power it will handle.
An exception to that rule are the 350 to 400 Watt Q100 "H" models, That are the same size as the standard Cutes, 2.1 Kg.
We suspect they are fitted with higher power magnets.
I have run them @ 44V/22 Amps, or 970 Watts, although E life Bike offers a 9-FET 19 Amp controller that is a little more reasonable and combined with a Q100H, makes for the best "mini hot rod" combo I.M.O.
At one time, there were some folks offering 250 Watt stickers on the Sale section @ Pedelecs UK. You might see if they are still available.

Russell · Aug 17, 2015

davidsvoboda said:
Hi, so I am considering buying a street legal hub motor for my 48V 15Ah battery (capable of 100A maximum output).
Which hub motors are best for "hot rodding" - would I be able to run some as high as at 750Watt and still maintain the appearance of a legal 250W motor?

Thank you!

David.

I would not consider 750W to be "hot-rodding" a 250W motor unless you are planning to use that power continuously. For example I run my YOUE 250W geared motor at 1000Wp however I pedal all of the time and ride at (mostly) moderate speeds keeping my average power consumption to less than 250W. If you plan on using average power levels higher than rated then you should consider oil cooling the motor.

-R

davidsvoboda · Aug 18, 2015

so I won't do wrong if I go with this one- http://www.elifebike.com/peng/iview.asp?KeyID=dtpic-2012-8A-RK1S.8TKFU

I would like it to be fairly lightweight too - maximum 3 kilos. And - do you I just order a controller for 48V 750W motor and run it with it and that's gonna do the trick?

Thank you!

Russell · Aug 18, 2015

davidsvoboda said:
so I won't do wrong if I go with this one- http://www.elifebike.com/peng/iview.asp?KeyID=dtpic-2012-8A-RK1S.8TKFU

I would like it to be fairly lightweight too - maximum 3 kilos. And - do you I just order a controller for 48V 750W motor and run it with it and that's gonna do the trick?

Thank you!

That motor has a wider dimension than the standard 135mm at 144mm plus it's a 1 speed. Is that what you want?

What size wheel are you using and what is your desired unassisted top speed? Once you answer those questions you can determine the rpm of the motor you will need. Getting the motor that spins at the desired RPM/V can be difficult as most vendors don't seem to understand the concept. Usually the RPM they quote is for a nominal 36V...but not always.

I really like my 8 RPM/V YOUE 250W motor for its combination of torque, speed (27 mph 12S LiPo 700Cx40mm) and serviceability.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Motor-E-bike-Motor-Rear-Wheel-Drive-YOUE/1888938628.html

I've also enjoyed the 2 (front) MXUS geared motors I've owned. The 6.6 RPM/V model was a little brute while the 8.9 RPM/V model was fast (29 mph on 12S LiPo/700Cx40mm) but lacked low-end torque. I would love to find one somewhere in the middle.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Motor-E-bike-Motor-Front-Wheel-Drive-MXUS/1880894600.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Cassette-Motor-E-bike-Cassette-Motor-Rear-Wheel/1888675185.html

You really can't go wrong with a Bafang, either the front SWXK5 or rear SWXH though they generally only come in a slow wound version. I don't know anyone who has tried their latest smaller SWXU model.

The Cute Q100H is generally the go-to motor for those who want the smallest motor that can still handle some power. I've only used the regular 201 RPM Q100 (actual 6.4RPM/V) so I can't comment on the H's performance. The standard Q100 isn't particularly strong but I did appreciate the ability to use a 160mm disc with a conventional alternating lacing pattern and its smooth operation. The 260 RPM Q100H does provide decent speed in a 26" or 700C wheel when used at 48V.

Yes there are lots of choices but as I said you can narrow it down by determining the parameters that are important to you;
wheel size used
speed desired
front or rear application
freewheel or cassette
disc compatibility
serviceability

-R

davidsvoboda · Aug 19, 2015

Russell said:
davidsvoboda said:

so I won't do wrong if I go with this one- http://www.elifebike.com/peng/iview.asp?KeyID=dtpic-2012-8A-RK1S.8TKFU

I would like it to be fairly lightweight too - maximum 3 kilos. And - do you I just order a controller for 48V 750W motor and run it with it and that's gonna do the trick?

Thank you!

Click to expand...

That motor has a wider dimension than the standard 135mm at 144mm plus it's a 1 speed. Is that what you want?

What size wheel are you using and what is your desired unassisted top speed? Once you answer those questions you can determine the rpm of the motor you will need. Getting the motor that spins at the desired RPM/V can be difficult as most vendors don't seem to understand the concept. Usually the RPM they quote is for a nominal 36V...but not always.

I really like my 8 RPM/V YOUE 250W motor for its combination of torque, speed (27 mph 12S LiPo 700Cx40mm) and serviceability.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Motor-E-bike-Motor-Rear-Wheel-Drive-YOUE/1888938628.html

I've also enjoyed the 2 (front) MXUS geared motors I've owned. The 6.6 RPM/V model was a little brute while the 8.9 RPM/V model was fast (29 mph on 12S LiPo/700Cx40mm) but lacked low-end torque. I would love to find one somewhere in the middle.
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Motor-E-bike-Motor-Front-Wheel-Drive-MXUS/1880894600.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/36V-48V-250W-High-Speed-Brushless-Gear-Hub-Cassette-Motor-E-bike-Cassette-Motor-Rear-Wheel/1888675185.html

You really can't go wrong with a Bafang, either the front SWXK5 or rear SWXH though they generally only come in a slow wound version. I don't know anyone who has tried their latest smaller SWXU model.

The Cute Q100H is generally the go-to motor for those who want the smallest motor that can still handle some power. I've only used the regular 201 RPM Q100 (actual 6.4RPM/V) so I can't comment on the H's performance. The standard Q100 isn't particularly strong but I did appreciate the ability to use a 160mm disc with a conventional alternating lacing pattern and its smooth operation. The 260 RPM Q100H does provide decent speed in a 26" or 700C wheel when used at 48V.

Yes there are lots of choices but as I said you can narrow it down by determining the parameters that are important to you;
wheel size used
speed desired
front or rear application
freewheel or cassette
disc compatibility
serviceability

-R

Thank you so much! I definitely need rear wheel (because I have 20mm axis on the front Marzocchi fork)

Wheel size- 26inch
speed unassisted - lets say 22 (miles per hour) maximum would be great.
rear
disc needed for 160 mm disc brakes..

also if I could have some cassette there that would allow me to change gears, that would be great, as I would like to take it off road also..

Best 48V 250W hub motor for hot rodding?

davidsvoboda

100 W

motomech

10 MW

davidsvoboda

100 W

motomech

10 MW

Russell

1 MW

davidsvoboda

100 W

Russell

1 MW

davidsvoboda

100 W

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