Commuter UK styleeee...yes its a cyclone

[Dingo2024]

well I have run with the hose clip on the rear wheel nut for around a week now and I have had to retension the chain once

I knew that this was a short term fix so yesterday a little more permanent solution was devised and fitted....a 4mm thick piece of stainless steel plate was cut and drilled to secure the rear wheel (hopefully for good)

here is how it came out.............sorry for the quality of the pic......its early in the morning and I have just got out of bed :wink: but it should at least give an idea of what was done

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

UPDATE

I have just hit the 500mile point on this build and it has been sooooo much fun (ebike grin for sure)

not really much in the way of problems / failures to report; thanks must go to ES for being such a great resource for info etc. in that respect.........helping with the choice of components etc. in this build

1 x blown controller......replaced foc under warranty (here in the UK)

headset bearings collapsed....replaced with a much better more durable item

chain tension issues.......sorted once the chainwheels were aligned and spaced correctly and the stainless steel plate retainer in the above pic was installed.

battery box is now secure... no more rattles or bangs whilst riding

as this is an ongoing refinement, there are a few things to address next;

waterproofing of wiring motor and controller for winter..yes its on its way here for sure
mudguards
a cover for the battery enclosure to tidy it up
maybe I will try a windscreen?
fit a pot to smooth out throttle response..a little too viscous atm
maybe upgrade the controller?

thats it for now.........its raining here and looks like it will be for the whole week..so not sure when I will be out riding next

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

well weather has been really changeable here this week...today is raining, yesterday was ok, tomorrow hopefully dry(ish) but at least I have used the bike twice this week for work

yesterdays ride to work was used to see what this build is capable of...now that the chain tension issues appear to be sorted (crosses fingers) I have a little more faith in it.

It was the first sub 20min ride to work on this bike (19m31s to be exact) here are the CA display pics after the return trip

notice top speed...close to the 40 club but no cigar guess there is always next time :wink:

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

I have had a couple of weeks off the bike due to the weather but mainly a flu virus that has hit pretty much hit everyone I know Anyway I am feeling much better now :wink: and the weather was pretty good today (although around 6deg C) for a ride to work. So I have hit 2 milestones today.......the 600 mile mark and also the 40mph club ..........this bike is just SOOO much fun...here are the CA display pics

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

well not too much to report but its time to get the bike sorted for winter......already had a couple of days of near zero temperatures recently.......so got a pair of this rubber to aid grip in the upcomming months will also mount the mudguards this week

Duro beach bums 2.125 x 26..they also do a 3 inch but just too big to fit my bike

http://www.durobike.com/products/bicycle/citre/beachbum.php

here are pics

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

update. I got the new tyres mounted ...a lot bigger than I thought and way tougher to mount than the Kojaks. took it for a short ride yesterday (after reprogramming the wheel size into the CA).........more side wall=more comfort so really happy and should be a little 'quicker' then before

whilst I was on I changed out the 13t freewheel on the motor....the odessy I had on always seemed to have drag (even after lubing with atf) ,causing a restriction whilst freewheeling and pedal only applications

so I got an ACS fat freewheel from Chainreaction (just come in stock, and not easy to find in the UK)

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=51718

this even straight from the box spins better and seems to pick up quicker.....maybe better ratchet mechanism? (also it came in bling chrome instead of sh*tty brown) and I had a loyalty coupon to use so cost even less

as for the mudguards..I took a look yesterday but will have to spend time sorting brackets and fixings...for a quick fix I have just mounted a peice of thin plastic (on the 5mm mounts under the frame) to hang down between the front wheel and motor to stop water ingress...not tested it yet though..if it works I will post a pic.....if not

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

well its been a while........too long really but I have started to use the bike again. The bigger tyres and mudguards fitted for the winter maybe have contributed to the recent increase in battery consumption-or thats what I had thought.
Yesterday I took the bike to work and low and behold a new speed record
ok not by much but it all counts :wink:

this thing just keeps on getting better and better

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

I have had a change of heart ...........I am happy with the max speed (for now) so have started to concenterate on efficiency and range. Dropping the top speed and also pedalling more / accelerating smoother has netted me these results on the last commute to work- and only added about 2 minutes to the journey. A BIG improvement over the last numbers. The bike is still on big tyres and mudguards etc. so I am sure there is much more to come (especially after the tweaks I have planned) :wink:

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

keeping with the efficiency focus.....I decided to try a slower more controlled ride to work today.....and boy did it make a difference; this is by far the lowest wh/mile reading I have ever achieved :lol:

here are the CA pics

Ian

 

[dingoEsride]

Hey Dingo! its Dingo here, nah mark actually, I like your efficiency drive thing and that meter, gotta get one, also that rear carrier, I have a similar set up difference being a hub drive and although liking the look without a carrier that one on your bike is the type I'm after, able to handle saddle bags, where do you get it or should I try Ebay?

 

[Dingo2024]

Hey Dingo! its Dingo here, nah mark actually, I like your efficiency drive thing and that meter, gotta get one, also that rear carrier, I have a similar set up difference being a hub drive and although liking the look without a carrier that one on your bike is the type I'm after, able to handle saddle bags, where do you get it or should I try Ebay?

Hi Mark, the meter is the Cycle Analyst that many here on ES use...not cheap but I could not ride an ebike without one. Keeps an eye on the numbers as you ride and easy to use. Makes life sooooo much easier :wink:

The rear carrier is from Axiom....again mentioned on ES and supposed to hold up to 70kgs (although I have not tried it)

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=14335

http://www.jensonusa.com/store/product/RA308A07-Axiom+Journey+Rear+Mount+Rack.aspx?sc=FRGLUK&cc=GBP

the panniers I ended up with are awsome...check link below about 3/4 down the page

FastRider LED Canvas Pannier with FLQC system


http://www.practicalcycles.com/userimages/procart24.htm .......I can post pics of them if your interested

this shop is also excellent......not sure what is available in OZ though?

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

I have been able to get out on the bike most days this past week (sunny but a little windy!) and have improved on the 'to work efficiency figures' :wink: I will accept that this is about as good as it gets with my current setup (fat tyres / mudguards / rack / lights etc.) so I am now playing around with the riding position.........more to report on that later....but for now here are the CA pics from my 'best ride to date'..............this puts the bike in both the 40 mph and over 25 mile range club (but not at the same time)

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

well chaps.......hit another milestone today ..........1000 miles

also been playing around with riding position for the last 2 weeks and it has certainly made a difference.
Here is what I did;

start out with the saddle the height you usually ride and mark the seat post with a pencil......every couple of rides raise the seat / post 1mm and remark with pencil....keep doing this until it starts to feel uncomfortable then go back down to the last pencil mark. I have 7mm more seat height now and it is much easier to ride......give it a try you never know..you might actually like it :wink:

anyway here are a couple of shots from today..........its now time to strip and check gearbox etc.

heres to the next 1000

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

always looking for something to do........I changed the tyres on hte bike back to the Kojak slicks (26" X 2") that I started the build with to see if / how much difference rubber makes. Well all can say is QUITE A BIT. Been using the bike all week and it most definatey performs better (quicker with less rolling restistance) than the previous setup. Had some fun riding to work yesterday and this is what happend......a new speed record :wink:

here is the read out...the bar has now gone up a notch or two

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

so I hit the 1000 mile point a month ago and checked the planetary gearbox for wear.............all good

whilst doing this I noticed the bearings in all 3 planet gears were quite loose and had been spinning ...good ol Locktite bearing hold to the rescue :wink:

once the bearings were secure I then decided to clean out all of the grease in the box and run it 'oil bath' (or at least try!)

after 3 weeks of use and 2 strip downs (to eliminate leaks) I can now say SUCCESS.......way hay

the noise from the drive train is now totally different (much quieter) and this combined with a new front chainring has resulted in around an 8% reduction in off load draw in gear at WOT

this may be the cure to the planetary gearbox problems with cyclones..........time will tell...I'll keep you posted :wink:

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

to give figures / data to those interested..........

taken from CA with fully charged pack, no load, WOT (held for 60 seconds);

motor only (gearbox fitted) 196-208w with oil....sorry no figures with grease forgot

old chainring / grease in gearbox, all chains connected (wheel off ground);

1st gear 238-255w

8th gear 315-338w

new chainring / oil in gearbox (as above)

1st gear 219-227w

8th gear 292-306w

quite a difference!

Ian

 

[E-bike4life]

Hey thanks for posting. I have a lil 24v cyclone rig that I just finished. I like the swap for oil instead of grease in the gearbox. Did u use a seal on the main output shaft of the motor or does it not leak into the motor from that point?

The noise is pretty much the only thing that bothers me with this setup now.

I really like this mod beacause it increases performance and reduces gearbox noise

 

[M1k3]

Hi Dingo I dont suppose youve come across any exploded views of 1200w cyclone,or is it a pretty self explanetry strip down ?just got first ride on mine yesterday,

 

[Dingo2024]

Hey thanks for posting. I have a lil 24v cyclone rig that I just finished. I like the swap for oil instead of grease in the gearbox. Did u use a seal on the main output shaft of the motor or does it not leak into the motor from that point?

The noise is pretty much the only thing that bothers me with this setup now.

I really like this mod beacause it increases performance and reduces gearbox noise

the main output shaft has a wiper seal (from what I remember) so not had a problem - although it was a concern to begin with. Also it is 'oil bath' (i.e. only a small amount of oil in the base of the gearbox) so below shaft height. There are 2 threaded holes which need to be blanked off (you can see the steel ring ger through them)- I used an allen bolt and sealed it in, also make sure the bearings are tight in the gears..........mine fell out (typical chineses tolerances lol) so had to be glued in

the other thing is be careful sealing the box.........use only a small amount of sealer around the out edge of the lip

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

Hi Dingo I dont suppose youve come across any exploded views of 1200w cyclone,or is it a pretty self explanetry strip down ?just got first ride on mine yesterday,

Hi M1k3 and welcome to ES;

I dont have exploded veiws of the motor but it was pretty easy to take apart;

the gearbox is 4 bolts and the motor splits by removing the 4 screws under the box

hope you enjoyed the first outing, I love mine :wink:

any probs / q's get in touch

Ian

 

[M1k3]

Thanks Dingo , The cyclone never seems to get anyone excited on es so I wasnt sure what to expect,But I really am very pleased this was an offroad project really and it did not disapoint,On road with my 24" back wheel I can pedal in top (9 speed cassette) and seemed to keep with cars easily in a 30mph limit.only problem has been chain suck but will sort that ok.

 

[Dingo2024]

I thought 3 weeks and around 300 miles would be enough to 'shake this gearbox down' so went ahead and posted..............but guess what it wasn't

went to work today on the bike and dropped the chain whilst climbing a hill. replaced it, got to work and noticed a mass of oil around the gearbox.......cleaned it off and then rode home slowly. oil still comming out.....not sure what it is yet, but will strip it out tommorow and post pics

so..........please be careful if you are going to try this 'oil bath' mod........it's not 100% yet

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

I spent yesterday afternoon sorting the box out...........or so I thought ! it turned out to be the gearbox casing which was cracked a while ago whilst trying to get the shaft and bearing out. sealed it up with jb weld type stuff and it worked ok; the problem was that the motor mount was catching the jb weld and cracked it. So...........cleaned everything up, put more jb on and then ground away the motor mount to clear......finished it off this morning to use for work (rushed out of the house)...got back to find a slight leak still from the casing....will try again tommorow with more grinder and dremmel action.....if that fails its a new box or at least casing

pictures will follow once sorted

btw........the ride this morning was the quietest yet also got the thermal cutout to kick in..........time for more thermal management me thinks :wink:

back soon,

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

well the bike lives

got it done yesterday and used it for work today.........so far so good :wink:

here are a few pics

Ian

 

[Dingo2024]

more pics..............

once proven reliable it will be time for thermal grease on the motor mount and cosmetics stuff

then on to the real mods.........

Ian