go-e ONwheel friction drive kit

Sorry if this has been discussed, but I can't find it in any search results.

Any opinions about this kit? It's like the Commuter Booster that was discussed in the past, but no longer available. I don't need a high powered e-bike, just something to flatten the hills a bit and help me against headwinds.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1206555795/go-e-onwheel-bike-motor-kit/description

Okay, the motor is only 24v. It's limited to 250w, which is enough for me, although it can be reprogrammed up to 800w. I'm kind of afraid that one day, I would forget to remove the motor from the quick release bracket and it would get stolen. The whole setup seems pretty light, although that's partly because the battery is only 8AH. Still, it seems neat and well thought out. Price seems good. I can't imagine a complete hub motor conversion kit going for any cheaper. I'm just about ready to pull the trigger on this. Any reason I shouldn't?

Timelord said:

Sorry if this has been discussed, but I can't find it in any search results.

Click to expand...

comes up easy for me.
https://endless-sphere.com/forums/search.php?keywords=onwheel&terms=all&author=&sc=1&sf=all&sk=t&sd=d&sr=posts&st=0&ch=300&t=0&submit=Search

Wonky search engine. I hadn't searched for "onwheel," just "go-e." Oh, well. Since nobody seems to to have any opinion for or against it, I'll splurge on the kit.

Yeah, search doesn't do two-letter words yet (and go-e would be considered by the search to be a two-letter word (go), a one-letter word (e) and an operator (-) telling it to ignore anything with an e in it. So it wouldn't find anything).

So it's best to try to search for longer words in a phrase or name, or for the whole name (go-e onwheel), etc.


FWIW, this thing looks just like the add-e that's also posted about here on ES. AFAICT it comes from the same geographical area, so I wonder if it is actually the same thing renamed, or if partners fell out with each other and one/some went off and are making it under a new name? Or if it is just someone copying the add-e....

Looking at the Add-E, it's much more expensive at almost 2x as much for the tuned (more than 250w) version and less powerful, topping out at 600w vs 800. It uses a proprietary 130wh battery pack in a bottle with integrated electronics, so it can't be upgraded and replacing the cells when they're worn out will be a pain, if not impossible. The go-e uses a 200wh standard bottle battery and all the electronics are in the drive unit. I assume the battery can be replaced or upgraded to a larger pack by the user if desired. I also prefer the way the go-e drive unit slides out sideways on the non-chain side, rather than forward and needing some kind of locking latch. Less complexity and chance of failure that way.

Different guys behind this. The Add-E is done by Fabian Gutbrod while this is from Frank Fox and Peter Pötzi. I think they all come from Austria probably because Europe has much more interest in ebikes than the US. We're so backwards that way.

I wish the go-e had PAS. I can't figure out how this assistance level works. Does it just put 25% (or whatever level is selected) of its maximum output whenever you pedal, regardless of how hard you're pedaling?

go-e ONwheel pops up again...

"Brand New. go-e ONwheel converts your bike into an e-bike in seconds - $580 (visitacion valley)"
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bop/5890907528.html



add from San Francisco "Bought go-e on Kickstarter. I should be receiving it soon. I decided that I don't want it anymore
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1206555795/go-e-onwheel-bike-motor-kit/description