Bonnell 775MX (modifications; what and why?)

[lvumlow]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and recently picked up a 775MX. I could not really find any helpful information on this platform and not really interested in a post that is negative so I wanted to open a discussion for people who are interested in this platform and ways to improve it. If this platform is not for you, no problem - I can respect that but please post in a topic that shares your views. I want to keep this thread positive and focused on people who are generally interested in this platform and ways to make it better. With that...

I am hoping to get some feedback on the bike.

I have had mine for a couple of weeks and have had a chance to get some seat time so I feel like I am ready to start modifiying to bike for my needs. I know everyone will have their own "goal posts" for the modification journey but would really like to hear the "what and why?" comments. Hopefully, we can keep this constructive so it helps the people who really like it and can benefit from the information.

I guess I will start...

I am a 30yr. motorcycle racer with experience in Desert, Motocross, GP's, Scrambles, Enduro's, etc... and live in a location where it is challenging to get my dirtbikes to a location where I can ride but I do have many mountain bike trails so so added MTB riding to my arsenal of recreation. I would like to avoid the whole argument about high powered MTB's on trails so let's try to get over that and just focus on ways to make the 775MX better. Now that you know a little about my background, maybe my comments/observations will make a little more sense.

The fist thing I noticed about the bike was the weight. Although, it is light from a eMoto perspective, it does have some considerable weight - even in the eBike realm. I dont believe this is necessarily a bad thing, the weight can help stabilize the bike and has a place with the right riding style but back on point, the extra weight has led me to wanting to upgrade the brakes. The MT5's are surprisingly confidence inspiring. I think they felt great out of the box but I am an aggressive rider and can see the need for more based on my style so I am looking to upgrade the MT5's. I would love to get some opinions. I have some Hope Tech4 V4's on my analog MTB so I am planning to move them over but that this would be my 2nd priority for the new 775MX after a Tubless conversion with some Andreani inserts. This will add more "plushness" to the ride and that also leads me into some Fasst Flexx bars to help isolate vibration/fatigue. I have run them on all my motorcycles for years and have a lot of rock gardens in my area so it seems like a nice complement to the bike. Thoughts?

The second observation is the gearing. Most of the feedback I have seen comes from people searching for more top end speed. This is not the case for me. Actually, I have little interst in opening the top end range as most of my desired riding will be backwoods single track but I have found that even on tight singletrack trails, I wish I could pedal more (I am usually going too fast to pedal with the OEM 38T/24T gear ratio (1.58:1). I am looking at the CYC Heavy-Duty Drivetrain, but not for the reason most people are - I am not interested in opening the top end but I would like to add some ranges that will allow me to pedal more on the trails. If you simply install the CYC HD DT to the OEM configuration you will find that there is only 2T larger and all the rest of the range is up (too low (high speed-less torque) so I am considering the CYC modification with additional changes to the front ring. Based on my calculations, if I drop the front ring down from a 38T to a 32T sprocket, it should land me somewhere in the middle range; giving me 2 levels up and 2 levels down which in theory sounds perfect. Thoughts?

I am still getting used to the bike so this is just a starting point for me and hopefully there are some members here that are familair with the bike and can make some positive contributions to this thread for like-minded people. I dont mean to sound cautious but we know forums can get ugly and since I am new to this site I am not familar with the crown but my initial searches seemed to be filled with positions that are not really helpful for someone who likes the bike and really wants to improve it. Surprise me and let's chat about real modifications that will help the bike reach it's optimal potential.

Thanks

 

[nutnspecial]

Pics or it didn't happen . . . . lol

No comment on your higher end component upgrades, i've been running mainly a 25yo XC frame and components lol.
I can still pedal as I wish though, and that's what I had actually wondered about CYC (and bonnel's application of).

Correct me if wrong, bonnel has just the one speed (for durability no doubt), and that's why you're considering the heavy duty 5 speed from CYC? Makes sense, one speed doesn't feel that bike-like.
I have been considering a kit, and even with a 1x5 (or 1x12 etc) drivetrain my main concern is the initial gear reduction to the crank.
I read somewhere that the top half of motor rpm is too fast to pedal with? While this could still work I'm guessing there would be some efficiency and torque considerations? My bike would also be considered to be geared high with one reduction to the rear. But it still does good with both blipping throttle and then maintaining with the pedals, and feathering throttle as I wish at whatever speed. I run out of 'pedal' rpm about 5% before top speed which I'm happy with and still seems good with pedaling and power at a crawl.

TLDR
So yes do the 5 speed, and wondering if you'll also play with the first reduction. Smaller on the motor/larger for chainring would be my guess.
+1 tubeless with DH casings and good bars. And there are some 6 piston monsters out there if hopev4 still aren't enough.

Welcome!

 

[lvumlow]

Pics or it didn't happen . . . . lol

No comment on your higher end component upgrades, i've been running mainly a 25yo XC frame and components lol.
I can still pedal as I wish though, and that's what I had actually wondered about CYC (and bonnel's application of).

Correct me if wrong, bonnel has just the one speed (for durability no doubt), and that's why you're considering the heavy duty 5 speed from CYC? Makes sense, one speed doesn't feel that bike-like.
I have been considering a kit, and even with a 1x5 (or 1x12 etc) drivetrain my main concern is the initial gear reduction to the crank.
I read somewhere that the top half of motor rpm is too fast to pedal with? While this could still work I'm guessing there would be some efficiency and torque considerations? My bike would also be considered to be geared high with one reduction to the rear. But it still does good with both blipping throttle and then maintaining with the pedals, and feathering throttle as I wish at whatever speed. I run out of 'pedal' rpm about 5% before top speed which I'm happy with and still seems good with pedaling and power at a crawl.

TLDR
So yes do the 5 speed, and wondering if you'll also play with the first reduction. Smaller on the motor/larger for chainring would be my guess.
+1 tubeless with DH casings and good bars. And there are some 6 piston monsters out there if hopev4 still aren't enough.

Welcome!

I appreciate the feedback.

I have to wonder how many Bonnell's were sold. There is very little content on youtube or the internet in general and considering the long pre-order waitlist, I am surpised there is not more content out there.

With that being said, I was quite surprised by the engineering that went into this bike. I tend to think like an engineer and was very impressed with the attention to detail. The did not simply throw a X1 pro on a standard frame and call it a day. The went to a lot of trouble and expense by designing a frame from scratch with provisions to deal with the extra power. I am sure weight was a concern for them but even knowing the bike was going to be on the heavy side, they still decided to go with the added expense of using a Chrome-Moly frame and every bolt has the torque settings laser engraved into the frame at each location so I can really appreciate the extra effort put into potential design failures and fine details like that. I am very impressed with the bike in general.

I wanted this thread to be helpful to any future Bonnell owners so I put some time into the gear ratio discussion. I have seen multiple examples of people who have installed the X1 pro kit on a normal bike and have blown through a complete drivetrain in very little time so I hope this helps both people looking into whether or not they want a platform like this or have one and want to improve it.

There are two models; the 775MX and the 775AM. The main difference is power. The 775AM comes with the CYC Photon kit and with the reduction in power delivery, they can utilize a standard transmission so the shifting/pedalling issue is a non-issue on that platform. For me, I wanted the power so I went with the MX and it comes with the more powerful X1 Pro Gen 4 and as mentioned above, they seem to have thought things very well through and have a single speed sprocket with a sprag clutch so the rear hub is bullet-proof. Honestly, the bike runs great in the OEM configuration but as a rider you are primarly limited to throttle riding. This led me down the drivetrain rabbit hole. Dont quote me on these numbers but I used AI and compiled a table for all the gears and potential top speeds for each if you consider the CYC Heavy-Duty Drivetrain upgrade. It is made from Chrome-Moly steel and seems to be built with durability in mind. It comes with a stronger chain and I am very interested to see if the numbers in the chart below are accurate. I will be installing everthing tonight and will gladly post up some pics and updates by the weekend.

I made some assumptions about the speed limiter strategy so this table assumes the limiter is RPM based so given an OEM top speed of 37MPH with the OEM gearing of 38T front and 24T rear for the secondary, AI's calculations should be accurate - see table below. For those interested; the primary drivetrain has an OEM configuration of 11T front and 63T rear. The front is quite small so I dont see any options to change that so I believe the only options for changing the primary setup would be 11T-53T on the low side and 11T-72T on the high side and both will require a different chain. I decided to reduce my primary drivetrain to 11T-53T. My resononing is because when you upgrade to the CYC HD DT, the OEM equivelent would be the same as being in 4th gear so there is only one gear lower and 3 gears higher. I addressed this with the primary gear ratio change which lands me in the center range of the OEM ratio with 2 gear options up and down so I am hoping that will be the sweet spot for the type of riding I plan to do (tight single-track in the woods).

UPDATE: I probably should have mentioned the chainring options are paired; OEM (primary small is always 11T) 38T for the front secondary and 63T rear primary. If you change to the 32T front secondary, it comes with the 53T rear primary. If you change to the 40T front secondary, it comes with the 72T rear primary. I hope that makes sense.





Below is the table of gear ratio's with the CYC HD DT with both the OEM primary ratio and the change I am making (11T-53T)

Front / Rear	Gear Ratio	Top Speed (mph)	Notes
38 / 15	2.533	37 × 2.533 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 59.2	Much faster than original
38 / 17	2.235	37 × 2.235 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 52.2	Faster
38 / 20	1.9	37 × 1.9 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 44.4	Slightly faster
38 / 24	1.583	37	Stock
38 / 30	1.267	37 × 1.267 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 29.6	Slower, more torque
32 / 15	2.133	37 × 2.133 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 49.8	Faster
32 / 17	1.882	37 × 1.882 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 44.0	Slightly faster
32 / 20	1.6	37 × 1.6 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 37.4	Very close to stock
32 / 24	1.333	37 × 1.333 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 31.1	Slower, more torque
32 / 30	1.067	37 × 1.067 ÷ 1.583 ≈ 24.9	Much slower, maximum torque

This has also led me down the "Chain wax" discussion. Since I now have two new chains (both the primary and secondary drivetrains), I decided to get the Silca wax system and will report back once I have some ride time with them. I would be interested to see if anyone has some thoughts on that rabbit hole.

 

[nutnspecial]

Excellent, just keep posting your progress and that will bring more eyes.
I may test a stealth on custom build this winter and will have more experience.
32t chainring looks perfect for your MX at stock kit crank speeds (first reduction).
6kw and <80lbs is similar to my 'custom', geared for 40mph top and it does well.

As to my question I don't think it was clear. But easy enough answered (at least in part) - the manufa page states 300rpm max at crank, so my thinking is I'd maybe want to change that first reduction to maybe 150 or 200 max crank rpm. Yes more torque to worry about breaking stuff, but motor output would be better matched to pedal input rpms. At that point 38t chainring would be good for 40 or 45mph guessing.

Without actually trying one IDK, just the concern I had about the kits - if crank is usually getting power @ over 150rpm, then pedal input would be 'ghost' I would think. Maybe not, depending on the freewheel setup.

Does your MX have the proper style hub/driver to accept the 5spd DT? Were you able to obtain the kit minus the hub?
I'm not up on all the latest stuff, but read SRAM stuff has options for steel driver/body/cassettes too- wouldn't matter too much to me if I had 9 or 10 gears VS 5.

 

[lvumlow]

Excellent, just keep posting your progress and that will bring more eyes.
I may test a stealth on custom build this winter and will have more experience.
32t chainring looks perfect for your MX at stock kit crank speeds (first reduction).
6kw and <80lbs is similar to my 'custom', geared for 40mph top and it does well.

As to my question I don't think it was clear. But easy enough answered (at least in part) - the manufa page states 300rpm max at crank, so my thinking is I'd maybe want to change that first reduction to maybe 150 or 200 max crank rpm. Yes more torque to worry about breaking stuff, but motor output would be better matched to pedal input rpms. At that point 38t chainring would be good for 40 or 45mph guessing.

Without actually trying one IDK, just the concern I had about the kits - if crank is usually getting power @ over 150rpm, then pedal input would be 'ghost' I would think. Maybe not, depending on the freewheel setup.

Does your MX have the proper style hub/driver to accept the 5spd DT? Were you able to obtain the kit minus the hub?
I'm not up on all the latest stuff, but read SRAM stuff has options for steel driver/body/cassettes too- wouldn't matter too much to me if I had 9 or 10 gears VS 5.

...to my knowledge, the CYC HD DT package comes in a complete kit. I did not see any options for components by themselves from CYC, but all those components are stand alone parts which should be available (Microshift Advent Shifter and Rear Derailleur, AlexRims e-Bike Rear Hub (Model: 5SB)) so you should be able to source what you want. If you go with CYC, you will get the hub, cassette, derailleur, shifter & cable but you will need to by the cable sheath. I didnt want to tear down my OEM wheel so I just built up another complete wheel so I can switch back easily if needed.

My best attempt to guess the RPM for the motor would use the following calculation:

Primary gear ratio is approx 3.5:1 so I am guessing that with the 300RPM "crank speed" referrence you are looking somewhere around 1000RPM for the motor itself and if that is anywhere close - you are likely looking at somewhere between 800-1000RPM optimal. You still have the secondary gearing to play with. I should have my setup running and tested by the weekend. My main goal is to have the option to ride my Bonnell like an analog on the trails through a full range of speeds and still have the option to rip the throttle when I like. Another thought on my part was getting home if I deplete my battery (I tend to take longer rides so it seems inevitible so I might as well be prepared to pedal home if needed and the OEM setup will not cut it for that). I will definately post up. I have a couple to rings to play with so I am confident I will have some solution this weekend.

 

[lvumlow]

I was hoping there was more Bonnell interest but I have not seen very much content so far. I guess I will wrap up my assessment and maybe more users will find this later.

I got my CYC heavy-duty drivetrain installed. It is much needed if you have a desire to still pedal. The OEM configuration results in ghost pedalling beyond 7-8mph so it is pretty much throttle driving beyond that and while that can be fun, it does detract from the mountain biking experience a little so I installed the CYC to give me more options; I can still use throttle only if I want but I also have the option to pedal at speeds up to 20mph which is an improvement for me. I wanted to gear the bike down so I purchased a 32T front ring but when I went to install it, I found that the smaller ring will not go over the torque sensor and to remove that seemed to be a little more work than I had planned. After testing the bike, I would still like to pursue that option down the road but will need to do some resarch so I know how to get it installed. The bike is too fast for my taste, the OEM configuration is equal to being in 4th gear so you only have one ring down and 3 up which results in more top speed. This does allow me to be more efficient with the pedal assist and engage in the trails through a wider speed range so I highly recommend the 5 speed upgrade.



I mentioned earlier that I converted to tubeless and added some Andranni tire inserts, this is probably the first upgrade I would recommend for anyone new to the 775MX platform. It gave me more range for tire pressures and adds some suspension along with the ability to ride flat if needed. This is another highly recommend and affordable upgrade option. I converted to Schrader valves just for convenience and seemed like a no-brainer if you are already going to tear the wheels down for the inserts.

Brakes: this is a big issue for me; i am a heavier rider and the bike is already on the heavy side so that combined with an aggressive riding style will favor the best braking you can get for the bike. The Magura MT5's are actually surprisingly good, I was very impressed with them but I would encourage anyone with this bike to over engineer the braking system; especially if you upgrade the transmission and increase top speeds (mass + speed = exponential demand for braking performance). I went with the Hope Tech 4 - V4's since I had them on another bike and since I was replacing them anyway, I also converted to stainless steel lines. I have heard lots of varying opinions on SS lines but I can say that after my conversion, I can feel the difference. They are rock solid and while eveyone has a different preference for braking - my preference is to modulate with my finger so I want alot of power on-deman if needed. The Hope's are simply incredible so I am very happy knowing that if I end up in a situation where I need some heavy braking, I have some power on reserve. The MT5's are likely sufficient for the average rider but I get the feeling that most people who gravitate to this platform are likely experienced riders and want more braking, especially if you are going to push the bike to its limits.







My last upgrade was to deal with vibration and comfort, I have been running Fasst Flexx bars for over 20 years so it was a logical choice for me and I am more comfortable with some isolation and movement on the bars. It may not be for everyone and unfortunately, you may not be able to make a determination without trying them. I am very pleased with them and highly recommend them if you have the budget. The elastomer choice will be preferential and likely depend on your final bar width. I chose the softest (blue) because I have a very narrow bar width (for navigating through tight tree lines and narrow trails) and the softer elastomers compensate for the decreased leverage. If you decide to go with the Flexx bars, experiment and find your preference but I feel like they compliment the bike nicely and was a worth-while upgrade.





My final conclusion is that the bike is an amazing platform, very well engineered and rock-solid bike. It is on the heavy side but I find comfort in that but believe Bonnell did a great job and most people will love the bike right out of the box. This is definatley not a beginner bike and will likely land in the garages of previous racers and experienced riders. If you have one or just got one, please post up your thoughts and maybe this thread and grow and be helpful in the future.

 

[Dululu]

I wanted to gear the bike down so I purchased a 32T front ring but when I went to install it, I found that the smaller ring will not go over the torque sensor

I would also like to change the front ring to a 30T or 32T. Have you figured out how to install it, what tools are needed for this modification?

 

[E-HP]

I was hoping there was more Bonnell interest but I have not seen very much content so far. I guess I will wrap up my assessment and maybe more users will find this later.

Ya, that's pretty unusual around here for a thread that has almost a thousand views. Bike looks cool though, and very clean. Maybe folks just aren't sure where the line is and don't want to accidentally cross it out of respect. Normally a build like yours would generate a lot of open discussion and many comments.

Anyway, Ride safe and have fun!

 

[hillslayer@]

I can't afford the hospital bills owning one would cause.

 

[DBP]

I purchased my Bonnell 775 MX a month ago. I had hoped to get an e-MTB with a single gear and no derailer that I could ride at my preferred cadence (70 RPM) and use the throttle as needed to maintain my preferred cadence on inclines, rather than having to down shift. I was disappointed to find that my preferred cadence only allowed me to ride at 9 mph. Normally, I ride most MTB trails at around 15 mph. I purchased a 22T rear sprocket from Boennell and replaced the standard 24T sprocket. That only got me up to 11 mph. Since 22T is as small as sprocket that Bonnell offers, I decided to make my own 16T sprocket which I calculated would allow me to achieve my goal. The 16T sprocket worked perfectly until I came to a steep incline. Due to the high torque, the teeth on the 16T sprocket that I had made, broke off the sprocket. I see that the smallest sprocket on the 5 speed CYC HD drive train kit is 15T so I am in the process of installing the CYC kit. Hopefully, the 15T sprocket on the CYC kit will be much stronger than the 16T sprocket that I made and allow me to ride at my preferred cadence. I will then have to live with a derailer.

 

[DBP]

I am in the process of installing the CYC HD drivetrain on my 775 MX. I notice that the hub that came with the kit is only a 32H while the stock hub on the 775 MX is a 36H. I am a bit concerned that putting a 32H on a high torque eMTB might be a mistake. I am curious if any of you guys who have installed the 32H hub have experienced any issues?

 

[lvumlow]

I would also like to change the front ring to a 30T or 32T. Have you figured out how to install it, what tools are needed for this modification?

Sorry for the delayed response, I have not researched how to remove the torque sensor but I may play with that during the off season. I would definately like to fit the 32T at some point. I have no need for higher top end speeds but would love to have more resolution in the lower gear range. With that being said, the default gear ratio's on the CYC HD drivetrain is workable for me. From an overall upgrade perspective, I have been happy with the upgrade. It makes the bike much more engaging although I have had times where I needed to be aware of shift points. It can easily be abused if you are not paying attention to load conditions. I cannot speak to durability as of yet, I only have about 100 miles on it since the upgrade but I will definitely post up as I get more miles on it.

I am in the process of installing the CYC HD drivetrain on my 775 MX. I notice that the hub that came with the kit is only a 32H while the stock hub on the 775 MX is a 36H. I am a bit concerned that putting a 32H on a high torque eMTB might be a mistake. I am curious if any of you guys who have installed the 32H hub have experienced any issues?

I suppose the 32H/36H discussion will come down to the abuse the bike is going to take (rider weight and riding conditions) but I built up a new wheel so I can swap back to OEM quickly if needed. I can't help but to feel like Bonnell made some calculations here; there are just too many other small details that they engineered into the bike with what appears to be durability as the main driver so I will need some more miles on mine before I can offer any real help on the subject. I can say that I am glad I have the option for both configurations. I enjoy the bike much more with the transmission on it and hope it holds up to the load. I was not looking for a throttle only solution, there are many times that I enjoy riding the bike like a normal MTB and really enjoy having all the options that go along with it. I will be sure to follow-up once I have better history.

 

[Dululu]

I am in the process of installing the CYC HD drivetrain on my 775 MX. I notice that the hub that came with the kit is only a 32H while the stock hub on the 775 MX is a 36H. I am a bit concerned that putting a 32H on a high torque eMTB might be a mistake. I am curious if any of you guys who have installed the 32H hub have experienced any issues?

No issue but I am not a too crazy rider. I am using a DT swiss FR 541 supposed to be the strongest Rim around, and cherry on the cake, you will gain almost 3lbs mine is tubeless but with Cushcore insert.

 

[Dululu]

Sorry for the delayed response, I have not researched how to remove the torque sensor but I may play with that during the off season. I would definately like to fit the 32T at some point. I have no need for higher top end speeds but would love to have more resolution in the lower gear range. With that being said, the default gear ratio's on the CYC HD drivetrain is workable for me. From an overall upgrade perspective, I have been happy with the upgrade. It makes the bike much more engaging although I have had times where I needed to be aware of shift points. It can easily be abused if you are not paying attention to load conditions. I cannot speak to durability as of yet, I only have about 100 miles on it since the upgrade but I will definitely post up as I get more miles on it.



I suppose the 32H/36H discussion will come down to the abuse the bike is going to take (rider weight and riding conditions) but I built up a new wheel so I can swap back to OEM quickly if needed. I can't help but to feel like Bonnell made some calculations here; there are just too many other small details that they engineered into the bike with what appears to be durability as the main driver so I will need some more miles on mine before I can offer any real help on the subject. I can say that I am glad I have the option for both configurations. I enjoy the bike much more with the transmission on it and hope it holds up to the load. I was not looking for a throttle only solution, there are many times that I enjoy riding the bike like a normal MTB and really enjoy having all the options that go along with it. I will be sure to follow-up once I have better history.

Definitely you need to build a new wheel since you cannot use the cassette on the OEM you gain some little noise since the freewheel is not silent anymore. I think regarding the 32T you do not need to change the primary ring (53T) and chain you can just buy a steel one from Amazon. I think you would have to push the axle from the left side to access the 3 bolts behind the TS and you would have to be careful not to cut the sensor cable in the process I will try tomorrow since right now I do not have the 16 notch 44 mm tool .

 

[dbz927]

Hey mate, I just found your forum, and am similar in background, and intended use.
Prior to purchase i had the same intention, i prefer to pedal more, and couldn't find much info, even ECW youtube vids weren't easy to get a grasp of the peddling "cadence"

Now that I have the bike, I am of the exact same thought, comfortable peddling 'tops out' around 8mph.....

So, i had also found the rear gear kit, though I haven't sourced one yet here in Aus.

Question: I am not very "hands on" mechanically, and wondered if the kit just 'bolts up" easily. You may have mentioned more info on the process, sorry if ive missed that. Or is there someone showing a conversion on YouTube etc?

Grateful for the thread, cheers, enjoy your riding

 

[lvumlow]

Congratulations on your purchase. You are going to be very happy. I love mine.

As for the transmission modification, i would recommend you build up a second complete wheel. This will allow you to switch back to OEM quickly and easily. If you buy the CYC HD Drivetrain, you will get everything you need but the spokes, rim and a new valve stem (you can move your rotor over easily). I took mine to a local bike shop to have it built but if you have some skills and learn fast, you may be able to build it yourself but I would recommend you have a shop do it so it is done right the first time and you can focus on riding.

Once you get everything done, you will enjoy the trails much more being able to engage at any speed but be aware of the load during gear changes. I have accidently gotten caught between gears and the power can cause damage if you are not aware. Once it is locked into a gear, I never have any issues with it jumping out. I am still under 200 miles so I need more time to give better feedback but I really enjoy the bike much more now and if anything presents an issue, I can swithc back to the OEM setup easily. I have found that the pedaling really extends the battery range as well. The pedal assist can easily be tuned to your liking but you may want to configure it to only assist by cadence and not just torque. That adjustment made things a lot better when stopped. I found the default configuration is very sensitive to pedal pressure and can be problematic but once I changed the PAS to cadence, that issue went away. You also may want to get into the habit of switching back to mode 0 when you stop to kill the throttle, it is very easy to forget or others around you may not be aware the throttle is live but switching to mode 0 will disable it and it is much safer so get used to that early.

Enjoy your bike!

 

[Dululu]

Completely agree about going back to 0. I went a little further during a crash my leg was under the spinning rear wheel since the bike felt on the throttle side in open position, the way I was I could only reach the button to stop it but it took like 10 sec to stop it way too long! Since that I installed an on an off scwitch on the signal wire coming from the throttle.

 

[JasonSurRon]

I really the discussion going on here! Thank you to the guys making these bikes work better! I too feel like the gearing on these bikes is a problem in some cases. The trails I ride are crazy steep and all climb up 2000’ from the valley floor. The stock gearing was too fast and lacking the required torque, so I made a 30T sprocket. It works great. Keeping a normal pedaling cadence was the next issue. I picked up some really short isis unicycle cranks to allow for faster pedaling. 89mm, 125mm, and 155mm. It’s defiantly easier to spin quickly with short cranks. Also, find that I can rely on the torque sensor for throttle control more often too. Less risk of pedal strikes is really nice. 89mm was good but I couldn’t help as much to extend the range by pedaling… 125mm is what I’m using now. Happy with them so far.

 

[lvumlow]

Nice job, you should consider selling them? I never mentioned the pedal strikes before but that is definately a problem. I may still shorten the cranks to help with that. I am a little heavier than most of my friends so I figured I may be sacking out the suspension more than an average rider so a spring upgrade is on the horizon as well.

 

[JasonSurRon]

Nice job, you should consider selling them? I never mentioned the pedal strikes before but that is definately a problem. I may still shorten the cranks to help with that. I am a little heavier than most of my friends so I figured I may be sacking out the suspension more than an average rider so a spring upgrade is on the horizon as well.

Yes! I made a few out of stainless. If anyone wants one, I’d be glad to sell them one at cost. They cost me around 45 bucks each for the first small batch. If I get more interest, the price could come down due to volume discounts. Let me know and I’ll be glad to send one. I work at a Bonnell dealer in Golden, CO.

Swapping a stock shock spring is very straight forward, and required for what seems like 60% of all riders. This is the most important “setting” for suspension,… proper sag. With the proper spring rate, the bike should “sag” under the riders weight, to about 25-30% of its stroke. It’s best if this sag % can be achieved with very little spring preload. I like to have about 1.5 turns past initial contact, on the spring’s adjusting ring. Defiantly try to avoid adding too much preload to the stock spring to make up for a spring that’s too light. They can bottom out on themselves, break the shock, or bike frame. If bottoming out is a problem after installing the proper spring, make sure the compression damping is set properly. Count the clicks from fully closed (ClockWise) to fully open (CCW). Then, set the compression adjuster to about 50% open, or half the number of clicks out, from bottoming out. Then, see how that feels….try adjusting the compression by closing the compression adjuster a few clicks at a time. Closing or turning the compression adjuster clockwise, will keep the shock riding higher in the stroke and resist bottoming out more. Next, Set the rebound to about the same % open by doing the same counting of clicks from open to closed…. Rebound will help keep the tires on the ground. If the bike feels like it’s bucking, or feels like a pogo stick, then add rebound. If the rebound is too slow, the bike will pack up or squat in rough terrain.

I like to run my all damping as “open” as possible. Rough and slow trails are great with open valving, while bike park and jumps will be dangerous without enough damping. So, get the sag set, and adjust the damping to suit the ride. Compression seems to be my favorite adjustment. It fixes most of my issues. I simply adjust rebound to roughly match the compression in terms of % open from fully closed.

 

[DanGT86]

Interesting stuff in here. I feel like there were a lot of us wanting a bike just like this in the DIY space. Bonnell got a lot right with this thing but in my opinion they should have gone with a left side single speed drivetrain for the motor and standard pedal cassette on the right. This would have allowed the simplicity durability and power they were going for while allowing all of you to get the normal cadence you are after.

Id love to see more info about their clutch rear hub. Silent hubs are on my bucket list!

Thanks for posting about this bike. Looks super fun.

 

[JasonSurRon]

Did somebody say DIY?? I’ve done a couple. This is a Banshee Legend, CYC Gen 4, EXT Ferro, 150mm cranks, 15Ah 72V battery,…. I still need to perfect a chain tensioner. Using an old derailleur for now. I also did a Santa Cruz V10. Nice but delicate and expensive.

 

[phobos]

Did somebody say DIY?? I’ve done a couple. This is a Banshee Legend, CYC Gen 4, EXT Ferro, 150mm cranks, 15Ah 72V battery,…. I still need to perfect a chain tensioner. Using an old derailleur for now. I also did a Santa Cruz V10. Nice but delicate and expensive.

what's the hub? Is it available to buy off the shelf?

 

[yasjas]

Did somebody say DIY?? I’ve done a couple. This is a Banshee Legend, CYC Gen 4, EXT Ferro, 150mm cranks, 15Ah 72V battery,…. I still need to perfect a chain tensioner. Using an old derailleur for now. I also did a Santa Cruz V10. Nice but delicate and expensive.

Cool builds! What hubs are used and can you get the forks to bottom out without scraping that battery?

 

[yasjas]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and recently picked up a 775MX. I could not really find any helpful information on this platform and not really interested in a post that is negative so I wanted to open a discussion for people who are interested in this platform and ways to improve it. If this platform is not for you, no problem - I can respect that but please post in a topic that shares your views. I want to keep this thread positive and focused on people who are generally interested in this platform and ways to make it better. With that...

I am hoping to get some feedback on the bike.

I have had mine for a couple of weeks and have had a chance to get some seat time so I feel like I am ready to start modifiying to bike for my needs. I know everyone will have their own "goal posts" for the modification journey but would really like to hear the "what and why?" comments. Hopefully, we can keep this constructive so it helps the people who really like it and can benefit from the information.

I guess I will start...

I am a 30yr. motorcycle racer with experience in Desert, Motocross, GP's, Scrambles, Enduro's, etc... and live in a location where it is challenging to get my dirtbikes to a location where I can ride but I do have many mountain bike trails so so added MTB riding to my arsenal of recreation. I would like to avoid the whole argument about high powered MTB's on trails so let's try to get over that and just focus on ways to make the 775MX better. Now that you know a little about my background, maybe my comments/observations will make a little more sense.

The fist thing I noticed about the bike was the weight. Although, it is light from a eMoto perspective, it does have some considerable weight - even in the eBike realm. I dont believe this is necessarily a bad thing, the weight can help stabilize the bike and has a place with the right riding style but back on point, the extra weight has led me to wanting to upgrade the brakes. The MT5's are surprisingly confidence inspiring. I think they felt great out of the box but I am an aggressive rider and can see the need for more based on my style so I am looking to upgrade the MT5's. I would love to get some opinions. I have some Hope Tech4 V4's on my analog MTB so I am planning to move them over but that this would be my 2nd priority for the new 775MX after a Tubless conversion with some Andreani inserts. This will add more "plushness" to the ride and that also leads me into some Fasst Flexx bars to help isolate vibration/fatigue. I have run them on all my motorcycles for years and have a lot of rock gardens in my area so it seems like a nice complement to the bike. Thoughts?

The second observation is the gearing. Most of the feedback I have seen comes from people searching for more top end speed. This is not the case for me. Actually, I have little interst in opening the top end range as most of my desired riding will be backwoods single track but I have found that even on tight singletrack trails, I wish I could pedal more (I am usually going too fast to pedal with the OEM 38T/24T gear ratio (1.58:1). I am looking at the CYC Heavy-Duty Drivetrain, but not for the reason most people are - I am not interested in opening the top end but I would like to add some ranges that will allow me to pedal more on the trails. If you simply install the CYC HD DT to the OEM configuration you will find that there is only 2T larger and all the rest of the range is up (too low (high speed-less torque) so I am considering the CYC modification with additional changes to the front ring. Based on my calculations, if I drop the front ring down from a 38T to a 32T sprocket, it should land me somewhere in the middle range; giving me 2 levels up and 2 levels down which in theory sounds perfect. Thoughts?

I am still getting used to the bike so this is just a starting point for me and hopefully there are some members here that are familair with the bike and can make some positive contributions to this thread for like-minded people. I dont mean to sound cautious but we know forums can get ugly and since I am new to this site I am not familar with the crown but my initial searches seemed to be filled with positions that are not really helpful for someone who likes the bike and really wants to improve it. Surprise me and let's chat about real modifications that will help the bike reach it's optimal potential.

Thanks

What features do like about the 775 frame? I was considering a diy with dh bike or a custom frame. 775 has better motor clearance with the hardtail like downtube angle. I also wish they speced the 775 with a 72v battery not a 65v