Apologies in advance for the lengthy question and details.
I have been commuting to work on a cheap Ancheer since mid-April and have had to overcome a lot of problems. This is the model I got, though it was through a different vendor:
https://www.amazon.com/ANCHEER-Electric-Mountain-Removable-Lithium-Ion/dp/B07HJXY45D
Apart from an assortment of mechanical problems, I had to replace the PAS sensor that hugs the BB spindle with something aftermarket. This involved pulling apart the connector and re-arranging the pins to get it to work with my controller. Also, I recently encountered some major voltage sag with that 36v 8ah battery and replaced with a 48v 10ah pack (the controller was labeled as 36v/48v). Beyond that, I don't have a lot of experience with e-bikes. I am an IT guy, but not well-versed in electronics. These first dives into the electrical side of the bike, along with other successes in learning general maintenance of the bike have me wondering if I could make a better commuter.
I am in the Roanoke Valley in VA, so there are small mountains nearby and lots of hills. I do not have an accurate read on the grades but would say my commute is a mix of 2% - 18+% along my 5.7 mile journey. My work situation has me bouncing between buildings .5 - 2 miles apart on occasion, so I cannot be constantly changing clothes during the hot summer. The bike I have is doing okay, but for part of my commute, the bike lane along a 35MPH (traffic moves at 40) roadway ends, and for about a quarter of a mile I have no shoulder and have to cross over into a left lane as the right-most lane becomes a right-turn-only lane. For that quarter of a mile, it is mostly flat, probably no more than about 5% grade, and I would like the option of cranking out 40 - 45 MPH if I were to need it to safely get over.
I think I would like to stay between 20 - 30 MPH for most of the trips, but might also take advantage of some torque overhead for some of these hills (18+MPH with pedaling). I also acknowledge that I might also enjoy a little burst of 40+ every now and then once I get a taste of it. I'm not looking to put plates on this build or register it as a moped, so I would prefer to not draw a lot of attention from the friendly, bored police officers around here.
This deal popped up on Facebook and I negotiated the price down a bit and pulled the trigger:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1935836666718725?surface=product_details
I do not know the year, but the bike feels pretty sturdy. It has a better drivetrain than my Ancheer - it's got a Shimano Alivio groupset and Shimano Disc Brakes on front and rear.
My thoughts were that I needed something in the 1500W to 3000W range in order to reach the aforementioned speed goals. Some discussion here around the LeafBike 1500w hub motor makes me think it would be the best motor for the job. I'm not sure their kit will cut it though.
http://www.leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/26-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/newest-26-inch-48v-1500w-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-987.html
I am eyeballing 2 batteries:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Battery-Bag-52V-30AH-E-Bike-Lithium-Battery-Pack-2000W-52V-Triangle-Battery-Use-Samsung/32848117615.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/72V-battery-72V-3000W-use-Panasonic-cell-electric-bike-Battery-72V-20AH-Triangle-lithium-battery-with/32835895306.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
I think the first one could be paired with the kit from LeafBike and it would give me a lot of range and some decent power, but I'm guessing it would top out at around 35 MPH. I asked the folks at LeafBike if the controller in that kit can accommodate 72v but they said it will not. They directed me to a 72v controller they offer, but I'm almost thinking a 72v sine wave controller would make better sense in that price range.
My concerns are that the frame is probably aluminum and not steel and might not be suited for 40 MPH. At the least, I'm sure torque arms are necessary. Should I avoid trying to go that powerful on this bike?
Is there a particular controller that would be better given the options I looked at? Do any of you have better recommendations? I have been looking at some options on EM3EV, and things like this on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kelly-Sinewave-E-bike-Controller-KLS7218S-24V-72V-200A-SINUSOIDAL-Controller-for-1000W-1500W-Brushless-Motor/32809128486.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
I have no experience with programmable controllers. I am aware that the battery BMS should be able to output more amps than the controller will try to draw. I'm a bit skittish of Lipo chemistry, so I don't really see how I could get a battery that could accommodate the amp output of some of those controllers. Can I just simply set a limit on the controller to not exceed 50a and go ahead an pair with one of those 18650 triangle packs?
I have been commuting to work on a cheap Ancheer since mid-April and have had to overcome a lot of problems. This is the model I got, though it was through a different vendor:
https://www.amazon.com/ANCHEER-Electric-Mountain-Removable-Lithium-Ion/dp/B07HJXY45D
Apart from an assortment of mechanical problems, I had to replace the PAS sensor that hugs the BB spindle with something aftermarket. This involved pulling apart the connector and re-arranging the pins to get it to work with my controller. Also, I recently encountered some major voltage sag with that 36v 8ah battery and replaced with a 48v 10ah pack (the controller was labeled as 36v/48v). Beyond that, I don't have a lot of experience with e-bikes. I am an IT guy, but not well-versed in electronics. These first dives into the electrical side of the bike, along with other successes in learning general maintenance of the bike have me wondering if I could make a better commuter.
I am in the Roanoke Valley in VA, so there are small mountains nearby and lots of hills. I do not have an accurate read on the grades but would say my commute is a mix of 2% - 18+% along my 5.7 mile journey. My work situation has me bouncing between buildings .5 - 2 miles apart on occasion, so I cannot be constantly changing clothes during the hot summer. The bike I have is doing okay, but for part of my commute, the bike lane along a 35MPH (traffic moves at 40) roadway ends, and for about a quarter of a mile I have no shoulder and have to cross over into a left lane as the right-most lane becomes a right-turn-only lane. For that quarter of a mile, it is mostly flat, probably no more than about 5% grade, and I would like the option of cranking out 40 - 45 MPH if I were to need it to safely get over.
I think I would like to stay between 20 - 30 MPH for most of the trips, but might also take advantage of some torque overhead for some of these hills (18+MPH with pedaling). I also acknowledge that I might also enjoy a little burst of 40+ every now and then once I get a taste of it. I'm not looking to put plates on this build or register it as a moped, so I would prefer to not draw a lot of attention from the friendly, bored police officers around here.
This deal popped up on Facebook and I negotiated the price down a bit and pulled the trigger:
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1935836666718725?surface=product_details
I do not know the year, but the bike feels pretty sturdy. It has a better drivetrain than my Ancheer - it's got a Shimano Alivio groupset and Shimano Disc Brakes on front and rear.
My thoughts were that I needed something in the 1500W to 3000W range in order to reach the aforementioned speed goals. Some discussion here around the LeafBike 1500w hub motor makes me think it would be the best motor for the job. I'm not sure their kit will cut it though.
http://www.leafbike.com/products/diy-bike-conversion-kit/26-inch-electric-hub-motor-kit/newest-26-inch-48v-1500w-rear-hub-motor-bike-conversion-kit-987.html
I am eyeballing 2 batteries:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Battery-Bag-52V-30AH-E-Bike-Lithium-Battery-Pack-2000W-52V-Triangle-Battery-Use-Samsung/32848117615.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/72V-battery-72V-3000W-use-Panasonic-cell-electric-bike-Battery-72V-20AH-Triangle-lithium-battery-with/32835895306.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
I think the first one could be paired with the kit from LeafBike and it would give me a lot of range and some decent power, but I'm guessing it would top out at around 35 MPH. I asked the folks at LeafBike if the controller in that kit can accommodate 72v but they said it will not. They directed me to a 72v controller they offer, but I'm almost thinking a 72v sine wave controller would make better sense in that price range.
My concerns are that the frame is probably aluminum and not steel and might not be suited for 40 MPH. At the least, I'm sure torque arms are necessary. Should I avoid trying to go that powerful on this bike?
Is there a particular controller that would be better given the options I looked at? Do any of you have better recommendations? I have been looking at some options on EM3EV, and things like this on AliExpress:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/Kelly-Sinewave-E-bike-Controller-KLS7218S-24V-72V-200A-SINUSOIDAL-Controller-for-1000W-1500W-Brushless-Motor/32809128486.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.2d0a2e0erM4sf4
I have no experience with programmable controllers. I am aware that the battery BMS should be able to output more amps than the controller will try to draw. I'm a bit skittish of Lipo chemistry, so I don't really see how I could get a battery that could accommodate the amp output of some of those controllers. Can I just simply set a limit on the controller to not exceed 50a and go ahead an pair with one of those 18650 triangle packs?