40km/h ezip

[Blacklisted]

Love this forum.

As I've been looking for a wiki on the Currie Ezip Trailz and not found one I'll paste some info here along with my challenge.
Izip model specs http://www.currietech.com.au/Currie%20IZip%20Trailz%20AL.shtml?openmenu=5 Same except for alloy frame

My goal. I want to push my factory Ezip to 40km/h with a bare minimum of money or modification. I also peddle but I don't want the motor to stop helping at 35km/h, I can easily do that entirely with peddle power on a normal light bike. My roundtrips are generally 15 to 30kms and I use throttle to get up to speed, climb small hills and cut through head winds. The motor's squeel is tolerable especially when you're in traffic.

Albe's ebike thread is brilliant. He has pushed the bike as far as 35km/h with 36volt new battery. The defualt controller and motor seem to handle this.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2793&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=ezip

The options I'm considering and want opinions on are:

BATTERY: Instead of just a 36volt battery, I'm wondering if the controller can take just a little more, maybe 39 or 42 volts! I'd have to ask PingBattery if the cells can be arranged to deliver such voltages. http://stores.ebay.com.au/PingBattery
I've dismantled the battery box and measured it up as follows in preparation for a custom order. Two SLAs, each 151 (L) x 65 (D) x 110 (H) mm.

OR

GEARING: In combination with a 36volt setup, a slight adjustment to the gearing of the motor to the rear wheel could lift the speed a bit more. Can't remember the exact number of teeth on each sproket (I think the motor had 9 and the rear wheel 18) but what do people think about putting a sprocket on the motor with approx 3 more teeth? Will it kill it? Will I need to put more links in the chain?

OR

REPLACE MOTOR: I saw a reference to a replacement motor and controller kit which with the purchase of a 36volt PingBattery would break the bank. Maybe I would need to go to 48volts to reach my target of 40km/h. Has anyone tried this motor? It's almost as expensive as a new Crystalyte hub motor but maybe it's better. I don't know yet.
Here are the links to the specs of the original motor and the upgrade one:
http://www.cn-dcmotor.com/productShows.asp?ArticleID=192
http://www.powerpackmotors.com./Powerpack-enhanced-shipping_included.html

Any thoughts and advice on my theories to get just a bit more currie out of the Currie would be appreciated.

(You can't watch this video too many times http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJqVRO5zUkA)

 

[vanilla ice]

I tried 42 on my Currie and it wouldn't work. With a 48v controller swap it should do 40 on the stock little motor with stock gears. Thats what I'd do. Err am doing. I think Reid or Tyler clocked the stock ananda at ~35amps peak, I'm going to try a 20amp 48v box instead and see what happens. Compared with 35*36v its actually a reduction in peak watts.

 

[TylerDurden]

I'm going to try a 20amp 48v box instead and see what happens. Compared with 35*36v its actually a reduction in peak watts.

That's why solder was invented... to fill-in shunts.

 

[Blacklisted]

That's why solder was invented... to fill-in shunts.

Tyler,

Newbie type question, but what does taking the shunts out of the circuit acomplish? Is it a solution for Vanilla Ice's controller's current limitation or for my controller's voltage limitations?

If my Currie 24volter can be overclocked by soldering as in your pic, that would be great.

 

[Jay64]

I look forward to hearing about your project as it gets along. I just wish my ezip worked at all. Still haven't gotten that dang thing to even go from the day I got it!

 

[vanilla ice]

Filling in the shunts increases the amp limit. The voltage is limited by the spec of the components in the controller.

 

[albie]

Try bigger front gearing...

but you have to also remember that once you hit the upper speed limit on the ezip motor (ie mine was at 35km/h)... hardly any power gets delivered if you want to go faster. I have toyed with the idea of bigger front gearing (I've got a big front gear coming in over the next few weeks as a human powered upgrade for my setup), and really getting it faster than 35km/h will involve you pedalling heaps but no power will be coming out of the motor. Yes you will need a new chain (i think my new front crankset is like 50T or something).

I still firmly believe that if you can get a bigger / better controller and throttle which will handle the higher voltage, you should be able to go past 40km/h easily. Also, highly recommend going a lifepo4 pack due to the weight issues (on my new setup with the x5... 48v SLA packs is bending my new rack! haha - thank god i'm getting a new topeak rack for the new topeak bike battery bag i have). I didn't go the bigger / better controller as it was pretty hard to get a brushed motor her in aust... well you can get one but they are pretty expensive. Worked out the costs / stealthyness for long term and i found that the upgrade i'm doing now is better for the long run but more costly for the short term.