There's nothing on the bike that can't be rebuilt or repaired. I just read your thread and wanted to give you some positive encouragement, the photos you took from your rides looked really cool, i hope there's gonna be more of them in your future!
My econo-e-bike
- Thread starter E-HP
- Start date
A new wrinkle came up on resurrecting my bike. I just saw the new slew of ebike legislation our lame governor, with his dumb priorities, signed in as of Jan 1. Not sure if I’ll need to make things more stealthy or not, since it depends on enforcement.
Most ES builds would be illegal, as many/most e-bikes i see on the riding paths will be. Of course the really expensive mid drive e-bikes, like $pecialized meet the criteria for being legal. Maybe they participated in helping draft the laws (we wouldn’t know, since the new thing is that everyone involved has to sign NDAs so they can do all the shady back room deals they want and the public can never know).
My controller is no name and not labeled, and my heat sink mod covers the power markings on the motor. I hope the torque sensor works really well in case I need to ditch the throttle some day.
Most ES builds would be illegal, as many/most e-bikes i see on the riding paths will be. Of course the really expensive mid drive e-bikes, like $pecialized meet the criteria for being legal. Maybe they participated in helping draft the laws (we wouldn’t know, since the new thing is that everyone involved has to sign NDAs so they can do all the shady back room deals they want and the public can never know).
My controller is no name and not labeled, and my heat sink mod covers the power markings on the motor. I hope the torque sensor works really well in case I need to ditch the throttle some day.
What state/what legislation? Do you have a link to the legislation?A new wrinkle came up on resurrecting my bike. I just saw the new slew of ebike legislation our lame governor, with his dumb priorities, signed in as of Jan 1. Not sure if I’ll need to make things more stealthy or not, since it depends on enforcement.
Most ES builds would be illegal, as many/most e-bikes i see on the riding paths will be. Of course the really expensive mid drive e-bikes, like $pecialized meet the criteria for being legal. Maybe they participated in helping draft the laws (we wouldn’t know, since the new thing is that everyone involved has to sign NDAs so they can do all the shady back room deals they want and the public can never know).
My controller is no name and not labeled, and my heat sink mod covers the power markings on the motor. I hope the torque sensor works really well in case I need to ditch the throttle some day.
California. Haven’t seen it, but just been bombarded with YouTube videos trying to explain it all during the last week, now that folks figured out it flew in under the radar at the beginning of the year. Some videos have mothers supporting it from the “save our children” angle (maybe parenting never occurred to them, so better have the police handle it). Reading past legislation, they never really make things clear, which is often intentional anyway.
docw009
10 MW
I read that the new rules in California now explicitly ban throttles for class 3 ebikes, It seems to me that this was already true, but there are some bikes that limit throttle to 20 mph (class 2) and then run up to 28 mph with pedal assist. I'd have to agree with the stricter class 3 being pedal only, but if your bike can ghost pedal that fast, it;s almost like a throttle,
Bikes were always limited to 750W, but now that appears to apply to peak power. That part makes many new bikes over the limit,
I predict enforcement will be sporadic of course.
Bikes were always limited to 750W, but now that appears to apply to peak power. That part makes many new bikes over the limit,
I predict enforcement will be sporadic of course.
It’s almost like it’s not designed for direct enforcement (like how does a cop determine peak power), but for after the fact charges if something else goes wrong, and they can say the perp was riding a highly illegal ebike when they ran over a jogger. Seems like class 2 is out, which is a big category of non-Specialized bikes lol. The fine structure is interesting, and enough room to allow you to go the “ride it until they catch you” route before the fine gets too hefty.
If that's any consolation, current EU laws only classify e-bikes as: max 48V system (not specified if charged or nominal), max 250W drivetrain (not specified if continuous or peak), max speed 25km/h with progressive support reduction, no throttle allowed.
Anything else falls into an out-of-classification two-wheelers (not motorcycles, because motorcycles are a homologated subset of those) and effectively aren't allowed to ride anywhere except private land.
At least around here, virtually noone cares as long as you don't ride like an idiot, but I know that UK, Germany and NL are getting much stricter with their inspections.
Anything else falls into an out-of-classification two-wheelers (not motorcycles, because motorcycles are a homologated subset of those) and effectively aren't allowed to ride anywhere except private land.
At least around here, virtually noone cares as long as you don't ride like an idiot, but I know that UK, Germany and NL are getting much stricter with their inspections.
Sadly if the current propensity for creating tons of poorly written “knee jerk reaction” laws existed at the turn of the last century, we probably would never have had cars or anything motorized on the streets. Back to dirt roads and horse drawn wagons.
Up until now, nobody here has cared much, so I’ll take a wait and see approach.
Hey, remember the red flag thing in London? That's how I feel about current e-bike laws.
en.wikipedia.org
Red flag traffic laws - Wikipedia
Could it be in reaction to the disruptive events from the "hooligan youth ebike gangs" that have been happening in So. Cal.? Ex: Tossing firecrackers as bombs into dumpsters and then running from (into?) the police?
I'm sure they are already breaking other laws with their behavior anyway. But, absent enforcement, the current mentality is just to make another law so the gov appears to be doing something about it, which is easier than figuring out how to enforce the current laws without police. You know, the California way, offer counseling and support through social workers. That will stop them, by showing them a better way. Maybe go gluten free, and stuff like that; we all know the benefits of good nutrition lol.
marvin78
10 kW
Same here...
When our coppers started ordering roller benches to 'test' ebikes on, I was a bit worried. But those roller benches are not capable of testing for power at all, they require a cop to sit on the bike and pedal it and they 'manually' determine if there is assistance past the legal limit.
I am Dutch, the above is for all Dutch 'inspections'. The people I see getting busted by random checks are all behaving like knobs, cops who are not involved in a big traffic check won't look at you twice if you're riding normally. And the big roundups, they don't happen often and even when they do I've found they concentrate on the young kids on fatbikes more then on people riding mtb's with added middrives.
It usually is, our 'crackdown' was instigated by our media covering the stark increase in more serious accidents due to unrestricted fatbikes in the hands of teens. This is also I feel the reason most cops will ignore you unless you fall into that category.
As to your US ebike laws and what sparked them, I have a feeling you can blame Surronster and people like that for riding their edirtbikes everywhere in manners which aren't making them very popular with other road users.
OK, since the motor arrived to convert my other bike, which I can hopefully install this week, I’ll have something else to ride (if I throw some batteries in a backpack for now). Now I’m ready to focus on the repairs and upgrades. I’m going to move toward lightening my bike up to something similar to around 5 years ago, but with 24” wheels and the current performance. I watched some videos breaking down a upp triangle pack with 20s4p 19.2Ah of LG 21700 cells inside. No cell holders. I think I’ll disassemble my old 52v triangle, and put the old battery in a case and make that into a dedicated backup power supply for power outages or camping. Then I think I could easily fit 20s3p with cell holders into the triangle case.
If I use Molicel P45B cells, that would be 13.5Ah and 135A continuous, so when pulling 70A it should have very little voltage sag. They have a 3C charge rate, so that would mean my normal charge time would be around 40 minutes, charging at 12A, since I use around 8Ah on a normal ride. I could throw some lipos in my rack bag when I need more range, but I can shed a lot of weight for daily riding.
If I use Molicel P45B cells, that would be 13.5Ah and 135A continuous, so when pulling 70A it should have very little voltage sag. They have a 3C charge rate, so that would mean my normal charge time would be around 40 minutes, charging at 12A, since I use around 8Ah on a normal ride. I could throw some lipos in my rack bag when I need more range, but I can shed a lot of weight for daily riding.
slaphappygamer
10 kW
Looking nice. I like that you brought the flames back.
I also really like where your headlight is. I was thinking of getting a second one and installing it there with its own switch. I don’t do a lot of night riding, but sometimes (randomly) I do have to work overtime and come home later. Especially during winter when the time falls back. It’s hella dark at like 5:30pm! Not a lot of street lighting along my commute either.
I also really like where your headlight is. I was thinking of getting a second one and installing it there with its own switch. I don’t do a lot of night riding, but sometimes (randomly) I do have to work overtime and come home later. Especially during winter when the time falls back. It’s hella dark at like 5:30pm! Not a lot of street lighting along my commute either.
FWIW, putting the light about halfway from your eyes to the ground, heightwise, will let you see bits of shadow cast by the light which will make things more visible than if the light is higher up and not casting shadows you can see; the contrast makes things more visible to you especially when that is the only thing (or the brightest by far) lighting up your path.
Well they’re not back yet. That’s a 5 year old picture when my bike was much lighter, so I want to get it back down to that weight.
I started pulling off parts and disassembling my bike. I realized the I had 2 7s lipo packs that were paralleled with my triangle pack, that I can use to run my new tsdz8 build for short test rides until I decide on and order a new pack 
. The two lipos were at the exact same voltage, after being bulk charged in series for at least several hundred of light cycles without balancing (I love it when you get packs that evenly matched).
I’m about 1/4 done with the disassembly, and once the main battery is off, it will be a lot easier to get the rest done. Im just happy Im finally making progress. I haven’t found any broken or bent parts other than what I know of, so that’s good. I still need to locate the little buck converter that I’ll use to power the torque sensor.
I pulled my full suspension bike down from the ceiling and was going to ride it around a bit before installing the kit. Then I realized I had taken the chain off when I needed one for my current bike. I ordered a new one which should get here in a couple of hours. In the meantime time I located all of my bike tools for pulling the cranks and removing the bottom bracket, chain tools, etc. I moved the bike to my back patio, so I don’t have both projects going on in the same small space. Hopefully the chain will be the only hiccup in the installation. I have a week before the display shows up, so I’ll probably ride it this weekend before starting the install.
EDIT: So much for hidden damage. As I took stuff off the handle bars I found more stuff. My shifter just fell apart into pieces when I took it off the bars, so I'll need to order that. My grips are pretty mangled, so I'll need new ones. I already have the replacement brakes. I only need the right side, but I just got the set. Moving to the back. my rack is trashed. I couldn't see it with the rack bag, but after removing it, I could see it was all bent up and the rails are all chewed up from dragging along the pavement.
EDIT 2: Listing the things I need to complete. My list goes back 5 years, so I might as well get it all done.
Repairs:
. The two lipos were at the exact same voltage, after being bulk charged in series for at least several hundred of light cycles without balancing (I love it when you get packs that evenly matched).I’m about 1/4 done with the disassembly, and once the main battery is off, it will be a lot easier to get the rest done. Im just happy Im finally making progress. I haven’t found any broken or bent parts other than what I know of, so that’s good. I still need to locate the little buck converter that I’ll use to power the torque sensor.
I pulled my full suspension bike down from the ceiling and was going to ride it around a bit before installing the kit. Then I realized I had taken the chain off when I needed one for my current bike. I ordered a new one which should get here in a couple of hours. In the meantime time I located all of my bike tools for pulling the cranks and removing the bottom bracket, chain tools, etc. I moved the bike to my back patio, so I don’t have both projects going on in the same small space. Hopefully the chain will be the only hiccup in the installation. I have a week before the display shows up, so I’ll probably ride it this weekend before starting the install.
EDIT: So much for hidden damage. As I took stuff off the handle bars I found more stuff. My shifter just fell apart into pieces when I took it off the bars, so I'll need to order that. My grips are pretty mangled, so I'll need new ones. I already have the replacement brakes. I only need the right side, but I just got the set. Moving to the back. my rack is trashed. I couldn't see it with the rack bag, but after removing it, I could see it was all bent up and the rails are all chewed up from dragging along the pavement.
EDIT 2: Listing the things I need to complete. My list goes back 5 years, so I might as well get it all done.
Repairs:
Replace derailleur hanger
Replace handlebar
Replace rear brake lever and caliper
Replace grip shifter
Replace rear rack
Motor: Heat sink install
Check spokes
Electrical:Cable consolidation and reconductoring
Torque sensor and buck converter install
Replace breaker switch with AC unit
Remove pre charge circuit
Mount analog CA input
Fabricate digital CA input to replace Grin unit
Fabricate new connector box
Last edited:
I'm thinking about reconfiguring where components are on my bike now. I checked the clearance behind the seat tube, and it looks like I could fit my controller there, but with only about 1/4" of clearance between the controller and rear tire. I'm not planning on running bigger tires, so it's tight but doable.
This will allow me to make a tray under the rack, where the controller currently sits. The tray would be used in the short term to mount my lipos, with the current battery configuration. When I rebuild the battery, I could still use the tray for my lipos to extend the range for longer rides. It should look a lot more like the 2019 version of my bike with these changes. Not sure where I'll locate my connector box yet.
This will allow me to make a tray under the rack, where the controller currently sits. The tray would be used in the short term to mount my lipos, with the current battery configuration. When I rebuild the battery, I could still use the tray for my lipos to extend the range for longer rides. It should look a lot more like the 2019 version of my bike with these changes. Not sure where I'll locate my connector box yet.
Bad news. I stripped the bike down, but then discovered it wasn’t my derailleur hanger that broke off, but the frame. Devastating. Now it seems my options are a new frame (I love this frame so that would suck), have the part welded (need to look into this), or run single speed (wouldn’t be the worst since I never shift anyway, but in the rare case where I need to pedal, I’d need to push instead. If there are options I didn’t thinks of, let me know. I guess I could get a chain tensioner and manual shift the chain if I ever need to.
slaphappygamer
10 kW
With a torque sensor, a single speed may not be so bad. I should’ve moved on installing a torque sensor sooner. I just looked at it again and the price went from 85 USD to the tarrific price of 250 USD.
It's the rare emergency when I need to pedal home, but ya, for everyday riding, I would never need it. I just thought of an option from another Chalo post, with the old school hangers that attach to the dropout, but I'm not too sure that will work since the Leaf came with such a short axle.
Well I guess my old eyes just don't see as well as they used to, or I was at a bad angle lying next to the bike, but after removing the axle nut, I could see it wasn't the frame,just the hanger as I had originally thought 
. I guess after getting a few welding quotes that were 2 to 3 times what I paid for the frame, I had to look more closely on what the work would entail. Doh!!! OK, back on track and removing the bottom bracket now.
. I guess after getting a few welding quotes that were 2 to 3 times what I paid for the frame, I had to look more closely on what the work would entail. Doh!!! OK, back on track and removing the bottom bracket now.What frame is it?
