Battery help for a semi-informed beginner

[Andje]

Batteries:
http://www.bmsbattery.com/index.php?main_page=checkout_payment
26X Headway 38140S 12ah - screw tab
6X4bus connector
650
http://www.ebikes.ca/store/
Cycle Analyst stand alone model
165$
http://www.cyclone-tw.com/order-M.htm
Cyclone 960w Motor
500$
http://www.hobbyking.com
2xiCharger iC6 Digital Balance Charger 6cell
120$
2XCell-Log Cell Voltage Monitor 2-8S Lipo
60$
Assorted connectors/wire:
75$
http://www.amazon.com/Axiom-Odyssee-Seatpost-Rack-Black/dp/B000C12CU8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1283147322&sr=8-1
Axiom rear rack
50$
http://www.amazon.com/Axiom-Monsoon-Front-Pannier-Black/dp/B000IQ9MGE/ref=pd_sbs_sg_5
Waterpoof Panniers:
Axiom Monsoon Front/Rear Pannier Set (Red/Black)
85$
Kryptonite or other Antitheft u-lock and a cable
So that's realistically a 2000$ project...
Now, i'd definitely eliminate 1100 over 3 years of bus passes minimum... so realistically thats a 900$ investment of my own cash to do a project right... And i thought it could be done for under 1500... i guess it could if you cut the battery range in half, doubled the charge time and then halved the cell protection, got rid of the waterproofing and taped it together...



so i guess

 

[jdcburg]

You can cut some corners if you want: unless you need the logging feature of the Celllog 8S you can go with the 8M for $14 ea. Also the Turnigy WattMeter could replace the CA for ~$100 less. You can get a Turnigy Accucel 8150 balancing charger for $80 less than the iCharger. Different feautures, different quality levels but acceptable IMO.

If you really want to save some $ and you don't mind the work, you can build yer own. I put together my 8 speed through-the-derailleur system using a geared 24V 350W Unite brushed motor and a freewheel crank from SickBikeParts. You can read about it here - http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=15529. It's not pretty or stealthy, but it works. It even has a 2nd freewheel on the BB spindle so I don't drive the motor when I am pedaling. A rough accounting: motor, controller, throttle - $100. batts - $240. Homemade BMS (balancing charger, Celllog and WattMeter) - $150. Freewheel cranks and parts - $100. Mounting hardware, wires, connectors, chain, etc ~ $150. DIY satisfaction - priceless - jd

 

[Andje]

thanks jd, i may consider cutting the charger/cell log corners. I do want the logging feature for power consumption tracking over time, but perhaps it will have to wait. Ditto charger; as long as the one i'm getting does 6s and has a hvc in it i could even just get one and charge the batts one after another with it. The batteries/engine/panniers are what they are and cost what they cost.

I actually have a gas/electric hybrid bike allready with the 350w Unite geared on it. It uses the sickbikeparts gas kit which includes the pedal freewheel. My 49cc gas goes to a jackshaft which goes to the pedal gears. I modified the jackshaft to be longer and installed an extra freewheel sprocket on the jackshaft for an electric engine to turn. Then the electric got mounted on a rack behind the seat. The result is a bike that can always be pedaled but which has an electric engine going to a freewheel so the chain and engine dont turn and a gas engine that has a clutch so it doesnt turn. The weight is more noticeable then the extra friction when pedaling. You can use the gas, the electric, your feet or any combination thereof and it all runs through the back derailer letting you use the gears.
My electric only pushes me up to about 19km/hour with a shitty 24v10ah 1c battery, but i'm confident with gearing changes it could go 25 or so. I mostly have it on there to re-start my gas engine at red lights without having to pedal, so i'm not bothered by it's low top speed on the hyrbrid.

For this next project though, i am very loathe to cut more corners then i absolutely have to. The worst thing would be building it all and then being dissapointed with the outcome. I want an 8 speed that will do 50kmh+ and will go at least 25km at full throttle; if it pooped out halfway to school or it maxed out at 40 i would be dissapointed since i know i could do a gas set up that would easily do that (hell i allready have one). I want to move away from the mechanical/vibration/gas smells/noise that the gas kit brings without losing it's performance. This limits the corners i can cut substantially. I have been looking at building my own cyclone style kit with an rc engine, but fabrication is the thing i am least set up for at the moment, and it's much easier to reinforce an existing kit then to set up my own.

A lot of noobs come on and say "i want 50km/h and 200km range and also i want it all for 475$". I know it'll cost money to do what I want, however i am surprised how it adds up so high without including the bike cost. I had previously discounted the company produced 2000$+ ebikes availiable as ridiculous, but now i see that they must be barely turning a profit.

 

[Andje]

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=13423&p=199887&hilit=900+cyclone#p199887

 

[jdcburg]

Yes you need more than what I have. My setup does 20 mph (32kph) w/o pedaling. The range is ~28 mi (45km), but that's with pedaling lightly most of the time and helping more on the hills. The only other thing I have found is that my torque curve and the motor's are quite different. My next build (possibly a recumbent) might have the motor driving through a 3 speed jackshaft to a left-hand drive and the derailleur kept standard on the right side. We'll see... jd

 

[Andje]

http://ca.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Honeywell-Clarostat/HRS100SSAB090/?qs=sGAEpiMZZMvWgbUE6GM3OeJvVUDcDi8N51ZDBAc83TE%3d

 

[Andje]

http://bushnell.homeip.net/~bill/bike/pictures/cyclone_motor/pages/page_25.html

 

[Andje]

http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6241