Building an Ebike but need help

[DerekG]

First off let me introduce myself...

I'm a university student going to a large university in the USA.

I'm in decent shape (6' 165lb) and love to ride without any assist, however, there have been a few times when I really needed that extra boost. I regularly have to climb a 10-15% incline for about .4 of a mile which I can do fine, however, going to class after it all sweaty is no fun (especially if I have to give a presentation)

I'm riding an old Huffy 26" frame from the 80's which shows little/no wear and is very stable (all steel... praise the old bikes). No suspension is a negative in terms of comfort but good for a front system, and I bought a new seat to compensate

Anyways, I need help selecting a motor/battery combination.

I talked to the local bike shop and they told me there are no regulations here regarding electric assist as long as it is battery powered and the bike is registered. (guess federal guidelines are what I will follow then)

Here is the bad... the bike needs to sit outside which means exposure to rain/cold weather/etc is unavoidable.

I want a system where I can carry the battery pack/controller to inside with me (in a bag) so it doesn't have to sit in bad weather/ charge it at room temperature

A top speed of 25mph is good b/c I wouldn't feel confident going faster than that on this frame anyways plus then I can keep up with traffic if I need to.

I never thought I would be able to afford this, however, a stretch of good luck brought with it an extra $900 or so I can spend on this...so that is the limit

I was looking at a 15aH 48volt pack by Juiced Riders although the longest I will ever need to go (with pedal assist the whole time) is maybe 20 miles or so... is this pack overkill?

As far as the hub motor/controller I was not really sure. I would like something powerful enough to take me up the hill/ help me out, but not so expensive, as it will need to sit out in bad weather :-(


I also saw this entire setup for around $750 which is great however, I don't know about the quality of everything:

http://www.batteryspace.com/e-bikec...ypackinbag3asmartcharger-longercyclelife.aspx

Please help me out, as this sound be a fun and exciting project which should get about 10 miles of everyday use or so (with and without assist)

 

[dnmun]

if it has to sit out in the weather, then you need to buy the 9 continents motor because it has the seals on the axles to keep the water from running down into the motor. you don't even know who made this motor, just blind faith.

the battery is made up of 12S4P so you now have to know who welded the 4P and how good a job they did welding it and we have seen so doozies like that, and who made the BMS and how well it was installed in the pack, or if the connections will fall apart like they do on so many.

you don't know if that is a sensored or sensorless controller, never ridden on a bike with that kit, seems like a pig in a poke, but i kinda think you might be better served by holding on to your capital and figure out how all that stuff works by test riding various rides and talking to experienced riders in person to get the real deal.

i would not recommend leaving it out in the weather, period. wait until you have a house or apartment where you can keep it inside. in the meanwhile plan, and watch for deals on bikes to convert and just to broaden your understanding of how everything works. maybe even get into electrical engineering so you have an excuse to learn it.

i think jason's kits are $850 or so, have not seen justin's prices recently, so slow down, look around and be perspecatious, is that a word?

 

[DerekG]

Thanks for the quick reply

I understand the concern with that kit and have crossed it off, as what you are saying about it makes a lot of sense. I don't want to end up re soldering tabs or ending up with a pack with half the rated capacity

I also know where you are coming from when you say leave it inside if at all possible, however, my dorm is to small and it doesn't even have an elevator... really quite sad for what I pay to be here

The dorms around me have designated bike rooms so perhaps next year I should move there or get an apartment.

Would a 9 continents motor be ok as long as the bike was upright and I left a drip loop when running the wire for the motor?

It's funny you mention E Engineering, as my grandfather is one along with a good deal of my friends. I'm Nuc E right now, although I might change to EE or Mech E, as those also interest me.


...and yea, you are right, I'm taking this to fast. I guess the opportunity to afford a kit plus the excitement over what the kit might be capable of = impulse I'm sure we are all guilty of impulse purchasing although I'm probably at fault more often than many :-(

 

[dnmun]

its not the drip loop where the water gets in. that is sealed with goop inside usually so water that goes into the hole in the axle can't get into the hub. but water runs down the forks and then onto the axle shaft then inside the hub through the bearings.

the 9 continents motor has seals, just like oil seals, on the axle itself so water cannot even get to the bearings, so it keeps it dry inside, and leaving it exposed for long periods in the rain just increases those risks. cyclone type chain drive is different obviously. that may interest you as well. sometimes they appear on ebay. i saw one last year sell for $160, complete 500W kit without batteries, from an ebike store outside seatlle.

i have been real lucky getting deals from people selling their old motors on the sphere but really lucked out on getting good deals on my 9 Continents motors from jason at e-bikekits.com when he had to dispose of excess inventory here, but for used, only the goldenmotors get sold, seems like nobody sells their used 9C. or the big C'lytes.

you gotta figure it will be stolen too. that is why colleges exist, to provide free bikes to those who prowl. but they do it everywhere. bikes are stolen off porches, outa trucks, or even from inside your room.

about engineering, i'm geezer grade now so this is all old school. i ended up with MS in nuclear and solid state/materials/device physics. i was able to take the junior and senior level courses in EE while working on my physics degree, but skipped circuits. so you could try it that way, get degree in physics and take the EE courses on the side but do learn circuits.

maybe there will be jobs in nuclear physics in the future, but i really enjoyed studying SS, materials and statistical mechanics, my MS physics dissertation title: '3rd order debye model of interatomic forces in rhodium and iridium using force constants derived from mossbauer gamma ray spectroscopy'. 30 years ago. i was old then already because a war had interfered with my life during that period. still feel fortunate to have studied physics. but could not do other in any case.

there has gotta be a way for you find people around there with ebikes for you to ride. try looking for local EV interest groups, ask around school and work up some contacts, you may wanna focus on elmoto conversion even, if you can build it at school, or other EVs. more money.

 

[hillbilly]

I live in a place where it rains more often than not. Rather than try to waterproof bike components, I prefer to waterproof the entire bike. You can do this by buying a plastic tablecloth at a thrift store, along with a few well-worn bungee cords. Drape the tablecloth over the bike, afix the bungees and don't worry about it. If the bike is old and the tablecloth is covered with bunnies and colored balloons, no thief with any self-respect at all is going to mess with it. I learned that the best way to carry a $3000 digital camera is in a Kmart diaper bag... same principle.

You know you are a hillbilly when half of your property is covered in tarps.

 

[DerekG]

Thanks for the responses, I'm glad I found so active a community which provides genuine insight

Next semester I might end up with a single so if that is the case then I can always store my bike in my room where the only person with the key is myself Then the project could really get under way becauase I wouldn't have to worry about theft, water, etc.

I'm not too worried about getting it stolen even outside b/c there are a lot of nice bikes that are stored around mine (Specialized, Giant, Trek just to name a few), that mine looks like an old POS. There are of course a bunch of X-mart bikes in the mix too but any determined thief would rather go for the 1k Specialized next to mine over a 1980's Huffy Another good part is that without the battery and controller, there really aren't that many noticeable electronic parts on the bike... throttle, motor, brake disconnects... did I miss any?

The real money would be in the battery setup which I would keep locked in a fireproof box in my room when not using it.

But still definitely something to consider as I have seen rims kicked in or seats stolen (usually this more than outright theft... only 3 out of about 2k bikes on campus were stolen last semester.

So far a 9 continents motor looks like a good fit. Now would I upgrade to their 35amp controller or would the 20 amp provide enough power (assuming I go with either a 10 aH or 15 aH setup at 48 volts)

 

[dogman dan]

The batteryspace setup has a Wilderness Energy kit for the motor controller. It's an aotema motor with no sensors, and of course a sensorless controller, usually about 22 amp no matter what they claim. The aotema motor would work fine, except the leaving it ou in the rain thing. And there's better places to get an aotema kit.

So the better deal would be the 9 cont motor with the seals on the axles. If you did choose another motor, a vent hole could be made, and opened up when the motor was hot, driving out the vapor. And yeah, you could put a tarp on it, or even a bike cover made to fit that wouldn't blow off.

Ebikes.ca has an Ezee kit that has a well waterproofed controller, but the kit is pricy for your budget. Don't know if the motor is equally waterproof. I doubt anybody wants your controller, but they are hard to build into the bike so they are theft resistant without going to custom boxes and stuff. With most kits, you may have to unplug a lot of connectors to remove the controller so that will be a hassle. Mounting it in a box can overheat it, so it's a dilemma, and bringing it in may be the best thing.

The battery you mention looks ok, but 15 ah size would be best if discharged at 2c, so 30 amp controller or less. But you will not pull 35 amps at all times, and unlikely as it is, you could ride at less than full throttle. A ten ah battery would be getting used hard on more than a 20 amp controller. 48v 15 ah is perfect for 20 miles at 25 mph. It can go further of course, but you will get the 20 miles out of it even into stiff winds.

The steep hill will be hard for a direct drive motor to get up, but downshifting, and taking it slow, you will get up it. Wierdly, you may have to back off the throttle. A quarter mile, you could charge it full throttle, but that steep and half a mile, you could stall the motor and get it too hot, or even blow a controller trying to blast up it. 10% is the comfortable limit of most direct drive motors.

 

[DerekG]

Once again thanks for your insight Between reading what you guys have to say about my dilemma, I'm taking the time to read a bunch of other threads on the site which have already taught me a lot about electric bikes.

Leaving the controller wired up would be nice because that would mean I would only have to plug the battery in and I would be ready to go.

The 9c kit looks good and is right now leading the pack for my sub 1k conversion.

The campus I'm on is a nice one, not exactly an inner-city school (I'm at University Park, PA) so the theft of something like a controller would probably not occur. The worst I could see happening is a drunk kicking the rear wheel... but that wouldn't even have the motor plus if you keep the bike in the middle of a rack you should be fine.

...good news on the hill... I did my trig wrong and ended up with an average slope of 14%... the average slope is really 7-8% So much for partial differentials... I just messed up basic trig I was right on the distance though... about .4 of a mile

So tackle the hill at 10% of full to avoid overheating? Although the 9c controller is only 36 volts, from what I've read it will handle 48 easy, right? Now its just a matter of what pack I go for. Like I said originally, I need no more than 10 miles of occasional hills...20 max flat terrain with me pedaling. Most of the time it would be closer to 5 miles between charges if that... which should lead to great cell life

Please keep the advise coming, it is really helping me decide

 

[Drunkskunk]

Welcome to the forum. I'll warn you, we don't sugar coat things here.

I used to ride huffys in the 80's. I managed to break the seat stays and dropouts on a couple by leg power alone when they were new. Thats about 250, maybe 300 watts of leg power. A 500 watt hub motor with a 22Amp, 36 volt controller will peak 800 watts, and a 35 amp controller will hit 1250 watts. Picture your bike as a pretzel.

Old bikes are great, but that era of huffy is trash. A $25 craig's list Schwinn of the same era or even a newer bike would be better to handle the overpower of the motor.

The 9c mentioned above would be the best bet for a weatherproof and cheap motor, with plenty of torque for a direct drive motor. I love mine. But to climb a 15% grade you're still going to struggle, since a direct drive behaves like a car with only 4th gear. It will do it, but you're on the edge of it's capabilities, and it will feel pretty gutless. A Geared motor like a Bafang, eZee, or a BMC will be better on that hill, but the price goes up quite a bit.

you will want to leave the controller on the bike, on that hill, its going to get hot. 150 degrees or more isn't unreasonable, and it will need the airflow to cool. the 9C controller is pretty water resistant, and not real expensive. Bolt it to the underside of a book rack and round off the nuts so its a pain in the ass to steal, and it should be as safe as anything else bolted to the bike.

As for the battery, throw it in your backpack, or anything else you can and strap it to a book rack on the back. Thats likely to be the single most expensive part anyway.


******EDIT******
Started typing before you're last post. yeah, a 9C will handle 7-8% grade. it will do it much better at 48 volts than 36, but either is fine.

 

[swbluto]

perspecatious, is that a word?

It is, but Webster spells it as perspicacious.

 

[DerekG]

Quick aside... it's pouring out right now so I don't want to check the date, however, I'm sure it is a Huffy and 26".

The model is Echo Ridge I think (or Echo Valley?). I bought it third hand (Bought if from a friend who bought it from a guy) so I have no clue how old it is. A little research on the google turned up 1980's however, you would probably have a better guess.

The magnet test confirms it is steel framed and I saw made in USA and Lifetime Warranty on it... that's all I remember :-(

Either way you are probably right... although I'm fairly light which should reduce stress at least a little, right?

 

[Russell]

Here's what I'd suggest;

Pick up a Aetoma/WE kit with their sensorless controller $329

http://www.hightekbikes.com/kits.html

Get a 36V/10Ah Ping $359

http://www.pingbattery.com/servlet/the-8/36V-10AH-V2.5-LiFePO4/Detail

(or 36V/8Ah NiCads from ebikes.ca)


Buy a Topeak MTX bag and rack $80


http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Trunk-...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1254025994&sr=8-1


Total: $768



Mount the battery and controller in the bag sort of like so;


View attachment 2



Unzip and lift the expandable section of the bag. You could put some holes in it for ventilation if need be.







If you don't use the ebrakes then you only have the throttle and 3-wire phase cable to run out of the bag like I've done with the power cable here or simply run it out of the zippered top. I would reterminate the phase wires with Anderson connectors and the throttle cable with something like a twist on/off microphone plug.






When you're at your destination just disconnect the two cables and slide the whole bag off the bike complete with battery and controller.

You could also mount the controller on top of the bag or use a Nine Continent motor. The sensorless controller allows for having just two cables and you don't have to worry about hall sensor failures.


-R

 

[DerekG]

hmm interesting lineup of parts you put together

I love the bag/rack... looks like a great system where I can just slide off and keep safe the most expensive part of the bike. Plus if I only need to go a mile or so I could always leave the pack back in my room

Sensorless sounds nice although I'm still torn between it and the 9c motor which I've read a lot of good things about. It looks like either one will fit the bill although the 9c mentioning additional waterproofing is a good thing.

Perhaps I would need a 15ah pack with either motor b/c I would worry about discharging the pack above 1C which will happen if I have it full throttle. I don't know much about Ping's packs but he states <1C nominal on his site (which is odd b/c I thought LiPO4 packs were meant for high discharge)

Still thinking... don't want to jump to any conclusions

Still pondering 36v48, 9c vs WE, will my frame be up for it? I don't want a fork to snap at 20-25 mi/hr downhill...

 

[Russell]

Sensorless sounds nice although I'm still torn between it and the 9c motor which I've read a lot of good things about. It looks like either one will fit the bill although the 9c mentioning additional waterproofing is a good thing.

A 9C will work sensorless, in fact until recently that's how ebikes.ca sold their kits. The WE sensorless controller is supposed to be pretty good but others are available. You can put together a kit a la carte, buy the controller from one place http://www.hightekbikes.com/controller.html and a 9C motor/wheel from E-BikeKit.com http://www.e-bikekit.com/shop/index.php?p=catalog&parent=8&pg=1 but you save some money if you buy a kit whole. The only reason I mention going with the Aetoma kit is that it's likely to be more robust without the hall sensors and it makes it easier to do a quick connect/disconnect and take it with you.

-R

 

[DerekG]

Do you think the Aetoma's hub is as waterproof as the 9c? The only reason I ask is because even if I can store the bike indoors, I will be riding in wet conditions at least a couple of times :-(

 

[Russell]

Perhaps I would need a 15ah pack with either motor b/c I would worry about discharging the pack above 1C which will happen if I have it full throttle. I don't know much about Ping's packs but he states <1C nominal on his site (which is odd b/c I thought LiPO4 packs were meant for high discharge)

This battery http://www.evcomponents.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=H3610R can handle a higher discharge rate plus it slides out of the included rack. Final price will be quite a bit higher however since the quoted $310 price does not include a 10% surcharge, shipping or a charger. The NiCads from ebikes.ca are fairly inexpensive and can handle a 5C (40A) discharge http://www.ebikes.ca/store/store_batteries.php. Figure $290 with a cheap charger + shipping + $25 for a triangular bag.

Still pondering 36v48, 9c vs WE, will my frame be up for it? I don't want a fork to snap at 20-25 mi/hr downhill...

Look at the thin forks I used with a 9C, even at 48V, however I only used the motor 786 miles on this bike before going back to a smaller motor.





Where you're most likely going to have a problem is using full throttle from a dead stop, so don't. Also use torque arms for insurance like these http://ampedbikes.com/torquearm1.jpg.



-R

 

[amberwolf]

As far as having to unplug a lot of connectors goes, you could always do this:

--Note where the controller connectors go, and their wire colors. Best to tag them all.
--Cut off the individual connectors on the controller so that you have at least a couple inches of wire to work with on the connector end and several inches on the controller end. If there isn't enough to do that, you'd want to unsolder the wires at the controller PCB.
--Install a single larger connector with multiple pins on the controller end. You'd need to choose one that can carry the currents for the phase power and battery wires, or that has enough pins you can use multiple pins for each battery wire and each phase power wire, if necessary.
--Install the mating connector onto the wires of the removed connectors.
--Plug those connectors into the stuff on the rest of the bike, and now you can just unplug the one large connector to take the controller off.

I did something like this for a very small scooter controller I'd modified to run my DayGlo Avenger bike, so I could easily take it off when doing certain tests, repairs, etc. On that one the motors were on the same mounting plate as the controller, alongside the seatpost/front edge of rear wheel, so I didn't have to have high-current motor power connections on that larger connector.

But for the rest of it I just used a 20-pin ATX connector from a fried cheapo PC power supply, and the matching connector desoldered (with a mini torch) from a dead cheapo ATX motherboard. The batteries hooked in using multiple pins for both + and - so they could provide enough current on those small cheap pins. There were enough I could have used them for the motor, too, if I needed to.

Never had any problems with it, even after quite a lot of disconnect/reconnect cycles. I also used it as my "anti stupidity" device, by unplugging that connector every time I left the bike where I couldn't see it. Since it was behind the mounting plate, and hard to notice (but easy to reach), no one ever tried hooking it up even when they did play around with the power switch and the throttles. Prevented a few disasters, I'm sure.

 

[Drunkskunk]

Still pondering 36v48, 9c vs WE, will my frame be up for it? I don't want a fork to snap at 20-25 mi/hr downhill...

Look at the thin forks I used with a 9C, even at 48V, however I only used the motor 786 miles on this bike before going back to a smaller motor.
-R

The diffrence being you have a Raleigh, made of Chromoly and high grade steel, were as a Huffy from the 80's is made of mild steel.

And off topic, but that is a realy good looking bike.

 

[DerekG]

wow... and I was worried about my forks Mine are huge in comparison (pic in a bit) which is probably a good thing b/c the quality of materials used is probably lower. I'm taking mountain bike forks on mine... very substantial. I can't bend them by hand if that's any indicator (with wheel off of course )

So it looks like a 9c motor is a good idea with the bag mentioned before.

I shouldn't have that many wires to connect/disconnect, especially if I don't use the electric cutoff brakes (I don't really think I need them b/c I need to let up on the throttle in order to grip the brakes in the first place, right? As mentioned before, going sensorless and leaving the controller in the bag (I could easily wire 2 old computer case fans to blow air across the controller if it comes to that) would mean I only need to connect throttle and motor power.

As far as controller size probably a 20 amp 36 volt would work fine although 48 volts and 35 amps is tempting (aka overkill). I like the better ability to hill climb, however, if I make it up the hill fine now I shouldn't need more than 700 watts of assist anyways Plus going 36 volts is cheaper and smaller which means carrying the battery pack/ controller to class wouldn't look as "odd"/ be as hard as carrying a 48volt setup.

I saw rather competitive prices on ebikes.ca, however, being located in the US, are there other stores I should also consider. I don't really want to order from overseas if I can help it because I don't want any damage to occur during flight/ on cargo ship. Not to mention then you have to worry about customs, etc.

So in summary...

*Get rear wheel trued better on current setup so I can guarantee maximum stopping power (right now I haven't trued them yet b/c I just got the bike a while ago and it's really not that bad... no broken or loose spokes)

*Figure out where to buy parts...
-26 inch front Nine Continent Kit (2807 hub, 20A Infineon Controller, right half-twist, Cycle Ana... from ebikes.c ca ?
- purchase 2 torque arms from same site?
-Battery is still up in the air... I have had bad experiences with NiCad in the past although here it is the cheapest option and the range is really all I need, especially if there are times where I just pedal with no assist. However, how is the "memory effect", etc with NiCads? I always remember them being able to up out 2 C easy which is good for my needs, however, I also remember the "drain and recharge" principle... does that still apply. Otherwise it would be better to wait and a week rom now see if I have any extra money to devote to the project... Like many of you said... I shouldn't rush into this

 

[dnmun]

jason at e-bikekit.com is right there in pennsylvania, on the east side i guess, but mike keefer is in phily too so he may be close enuff for you to test ride. maybe they know someone closer to you.

no need to worry about fans on the controller or special plugs since that is not relevant for you. in fact keep the phase wires away from the hall sensor wires as much as possible.

i still think you can find some ebikes to test ride before you commit. how stuff fits together and how you would do your own hack is more of a concrete idea then. plus it gives you a feel for 36V or 48V right away.

 

[dogman dan]

I love my aotema, but I don't ride it in the rain. They can be waterproofed, but don't have the axle seals the 9 c has. Normally I plug hightechbikes, but not if it's not what you need. I do like the controller though, and would recomend using it with any hubmotor compatible with 36v 20 amps, or 48v if using nicads or sla's.

The hills will be no problem for even 36v motors if only 7%, though you will have to pedal briskly. I barely notice a .5 mile 7% hill on my 36v aotema.

To clarify what I said about hills. You can charge short hills and get up them without motor heating being a problem. The long hills, over a mile, it's better to slow down and increase pedaling in a low gear. I did a lot of testing on hills and motor heat in the hightechbikes aotema review thread.

Carry the controller where it can get the breeze. My choice is the front of the battery box, just behind the seat. While riding, my ass is a bit of an umbrella for it, and it's above the rear fender, so the wheel doesn't wet it. If caught in the rain, I carry a bag to put over battery and controller till it stops. I don't get caught often, I live in the desert. It can still be removable, but I think you want it ventilated some how. Some build enclosures that scoop in air, yet shed rain.

 

[DerekG]

I don't want to spend a lot of DiY time on this as I really don't have the time to devote with a full course load so I think I'll stick with the 9c motor which appears will "just work"

I bought a length of very strong chain to replace my little cable lock so if a thief really wants the bike now he will need a Dremel or a set of hydralic cutters... not a simple wire cutter The only downside to using such a thick chain is the weight... 3ft of it weighs an extra 4 pounds or so...but so be the price of security I guess. The prospect of cutting chain vs cutting the cable locks next to mine should deter most if not all crooks

These are a few pics I grabbed of the bike (A Huffy Echo Valley which turns up hardly any matches in google... I wonder why... is it that old?). The front fork is steel and feels up to the challenge of an electric motor.

Entire bike shot (note the rain...)

Front Fork Shot...

So 9 C looks almost set in stone... direct drive is what I want. Either way the controller that comes with the motor (either 20 or 35 amp) will handle 36 and 48 so it's more of a matter of what I can afford. I'm guessing a 10aH 48 volt pack would only work with the 20 amp controller right? For the 35 amp one (which would be overkill), I would need the 15 or 20aH pack it looks like. That would probably be overbudget by a a good deal so I'll stick with 10aH as that compliments the range and weight I need also. I would like 48 volts for the extra torque the more I read about ebikes... I can go 25 right now on a flat surface however, once you factor in the wind it gets tough. That is the fastest I would need to go to blend with traffic, however, running the throttle at 75% with a 48 volt system would probably be better than flooring a 36 volt one.

So, in summary...

*9C motor
*tension brackets for fork
*Topeak Rack and bag to hold battery/controller
*48volt 10 aH LiPO4 battery (bought from unknown...)

Guess I'm mainly down to the battery now...

 

[DerekG]

Just an update/ I feel like an idiot :-(

Getting the rear wheel trued at a local bike shop and found out that I only have 90 mm clearance between the fork, not 100 as I originally.

So I guess that ends it ... that plus the fact that the bike shop doesn't seem very supportive towards the concept of an electric bike if I run into any trouble (I don't have a full set of tools in my 1 room dorm )The bike shop owner views it as "cheating" I guess...

Anyways, I'm not sure if I could bend a fork that much and I don't want to win a Darwin award for bending old/cheap steel so I guess that's it (1 cm sounds like a lot) :-(

You can see by the pics what I'm working with. I don't want to bring my Specialized which I know will work to school b/c it will probably get kicked in or stolen, especially with the pretty disk brakes and multiple wires running to the controller... way too attractive

Anyways, unless you think bending a fork 1 cm is ok, I just want to thank everyone for all the insight I learned throughout the past 3 days or so (wow I went through that process fast lol) ... now I know a lot more about e-bikes and I want to remain active here so once I have my own place to store and repair it, I can finally realize the dream to ride an ebike.

It's been suggested I buy a Walmart bike for $100 and use that, however, this bike is much lighter weight and works great otherwise... just the spacing is too tight for a motor... and unless I go after the 65mm new motors, I'm not sure what else I could try.

 

[Russell]

I would take the front wheel off, put a ruler between the front forks then try to spread them apart. If they spread easily to 100mm then there shouldn't be a big problem. BTW what is the rear spacing?

-R

 

[amberwolf]

FWIW, I used a 2-ton hydraulic floor jack for a car to cold-bend/spread my rear dropouts on a couple of frames so I could use a wider rear wheel/cassette. One of those frames was my CrazyBike2's rear frame, an old brazed-together cromoly steel 10-speed Schwinn from the (probably) late 70s/early 80s. Since the bike is 150 pounds, and has lasted 555 miles so far without breaking the triangle, it's probably a safe way to do this for strong frames. Dunno about the Huffy, though.

I've also done it on a Murray front fork that I use as part of the trailer hitch on my upright DayGlo Avenger bike, so it would fit on the rear dropouts as a swivel mount, but it only sees pulling tension, and not wheel forces in it, so I don't know how well it would work.