Deecanios first build the "DC1"

[Ypedal]

Trying to catch up on the forums and email after being away for a few days...

Lookin good D !!! 8)

Word of caution on the TP ballancer.. get the Bank1 And Bank2 thing right.. or POOF... wanna guess how i know that ? The copper traces on the board will fry... smells grrrrreat !

Before you spend alot of time and effor in re-wiring.. i recommend a sanity run to make sure everything works as expected.. don't know how many times i've got everything just.. perfect....and realize " something " don't work... then have to tear it all down again lol..

Keep it up !!! and for god sakes.. get out there !!!!

 

[Jozzer]

Poor Richard Papa, if we all beat his optibike he will not be happy, it was hard enough for him to swallow when the Puma's all beat his Tidalforce at the new forest meet last year :lol:
Looking foreward to the Goodwood meet this spring, if we can get all the UK ebikers there and lots of camera's it'll be great (coming Fechter? THeres a free bed at my place...)

 

[Miles]

Looking foreward to the Goodwood meet this spring, if we can get all the UK ebikers there and lots of camera's it'll be great

Is there a date for this? All I need is a decent battery and I'm ready...

 

[Jozzer]

I'll ask Ian/chopperman next time we speak, i think there is a date, and I just cant remember it!

 

[knoxie]

Yo

Be close with the opti I reckon! arent they making a new opti quicker? more powerful! a bionic version? I love the opti bike I must say and everyone that rides one says they are the best thing, money no object I would have one, in fact I would sell all my rides to get one~

I knew Papa was getting one didnt know TH were getting any? erm weird I thought they were selling TF bikes?

I will deffo be at the meet this year, would have gone last year had it not rained so much, Steve Head even drove over, the problem was he came over a week too early! ha ha he phoned me to check whilst he was on his way and I turned him back, be good to hear from Steve and see his bikes again, he must be after some new cells soon, life batts would slip nicely in to his exhaust pipes.

I must put something special together for the meet though, thinking cap on!! ha ha, if not the BMX at 72V is a white knuckle ride, ill bring that!! ha ha.

DC Weather at the weekend is piss poor.

Knoxie

 

[deecanio]

Hi All,

good to hear from you paul, i have to agree i think the opti is a massive step in the right direction and i can see me being interested in one of the higher power ones..... frame only you understand although i would take the mags too 8) whooa they're niceee got any in 20's ???.
if i can get the kind of ride Jamie had on the trail i will be more than happy with my bike so if paul reckons its close that'll do nicely....for this version.
i think TH have 20 opti's and tf's? not sure mate - i think thats right though.
yes we will all have to make the effort and have a good day out me thinks - nice to meet the guys that help me build and some i dont know yet too
I hope you or Joz take a kmx - i've never had a go on one!
Hopefully Richard will come too - i'd love to see the opti in the flesh, and i think he's gone for black - a great choice, i bet with the black mags it looks the nads 8)
i'll be too embarrassed to wheel out the kona


Hey Y,

yes was very carefyl with the balancer - phoned Joz and he talked me through the connections - i've marked up bank A & B on the finished cells just to be safe
i have a long time to think about it so my cables are already planned - i did after a initial hitch get the wheel powered up tonight just to make sure everything is fine and she runs nice and smooth 8) that familiar noise as the motor powered round the nobbly was very very welcome.
i just need a day and i could get it all done - im gutted knoxie sais its going to be bad weather as im sure ill be ready to ride on sunday!!!
oh well, a first ride is imminent whatever!!!


cheers all,


D

 

[grwsaltspring]

Hi D;

So your 65lb weight is in line with the Optibike that Jaime is riding.

It seems that the 2005 was the last year that the Stinky had the rear shock as close to the down tube as yours. (I've been trying to figure out which has space for the battery pack) Newer models have the shock protruding much more into the frame triangle it seems.

As near as I can tell, the specs suggest 7" of rear travel for your bike, but I I have no idea how accurate my info is.

Additionally Kona seems to change the dimensions of their small, medium and large frames too.

So is your 19" frame measured from the top of the tube to the center of the crank? I'm about 5'9" and most med. bike frames fit, how tall are you? 19" would seem like a large frame on a DH bike to me.

I'll be very interested to see how the two bike stack up against one another if you get the chance, along with the price difference of course.

All kind of interesting if you ask me

Cheers Greg

 

[knoxie]

Hi Mate

Yes be good to actually meet after all this time, I suppose it shows how quite rare that most e-bikers are in these parts that I don't meet many more of them, there are a few that I have met within about a 30 mile radius but other than that most of my e-biking mates live well over 100 miles away here in the UK! so yes any rally when it isn't raining I will try to make a show and yes I can bring the KMX and the BMX, both are a total blast to ride.

Don't rush your bike to get it finished, make it all neat and tidy and waterproof!! with any e-bike the less in the form of connections you make the better, nearly all my e-biking problems and general electrical control problems in my day job arise from poor connections in some form or other.

The bike is sweet as hell there and if the electrical side holds up strong the only thing you may need to fix is the grin on your face when you step off the bike!!

Cheers

Knoxie

 

[deecanio]

Hi Mate,


Yes a meet is most definately top priority this season!!!
I'm hoping that goodwood will be our first but it will depend on dates - i think Joz mentioned April but i am away around the tenth onwards for a week so i'm hoping it's not then (off to Petra, Jordan for a weeks break).
Yes connections down to a minimum and cable length too - i did fire up last night just on one pack and everything seems fine, i will spend tomorrow finishing all the cables and ride sunday i think, forecast sais drying up sunday afternoon so i'll shoot for that - will be road only i guess tho.
I'll take a look at the waterproof aspect and do my best, i will use the self sealing rubber tape where i can - i think the most dificult area to do is where all the cables come out of the packs, i had an idea that i may buy some suction cups feed the wires through it then seal it to the top of the packs but we'll see
If Goodwood doesn't come off i'll be sure to go to any meet after that - same as you im not keen if it's raining but i think it would be a fantastic day to get all uk ebikers together, swap ideas and check out other builds - would love to meet steve too as his DM was an inspiration for my build too.
I still have in mind a third stage for the bike but that will have to wait until next season when i go life


Hi Greg,

mine is around 65lbs but the opti is only 45lbs - i have to say that my weight is a lot to do with the battery cages, they are 5mm angle and fairly heavy but i am happy to suffer the weight for piece of mind that my batts are secure in the event of a crash. ** edit** ( i read from Jamie that his opti is 65lbs - interesting).
Yes i think your right 2005 is the last of the upright fox shock - the newer models have reduced the space in the triangle greatly - still a cracking bike but not so good for conversion due to the lack of battery space.
I must say that im totally happy with my bike apart from my packs - they look ok ish but i will have a new custom pack made eventually that only sits in the triangle and incorporates the controller too, asthetically it will complete the bike.
I'm not sure on 7" travel on the fox either sounds a bit high - 4-5" is more realistic imo - to be honest there seems to me to be a move generally from dh bikes to trails, 4" front and rear seems to be the current trend and i think apart from the lunatics at the bike park 4" travel is way more than most of us would need.
Frame sizes do vary but yes mine is 19" measured from the top of the tube to the center of the crank.
i am 5"10 so we are not too far apart - i went for the 19" (biggest i could find) for three reasons - firstly i am running 20" wheels which drop the seat height by 3" automatically so it doesn't cause me a problem for height of bike (the kona with 26" wheels would be way too big for me), secondly although i have 20" wheels my bike frame is still "full size" and im very comfortable on it - if i'd gone with a bmx or something that naturally has 20's it would feel a little small as 20" wheels are normally on kids bikes. Thirdly the 19" frame gives me soooo much more room in the traingle for batts and controller - this means i can house all my kit in the saefty of the triangle and not affect the bikes looks too much, as in no need for basket/rear rack etc.
Price is always interesting - i am not sure how much opti is selling for in the uk but i would say that a bike like mine but a bit more refined would be easily achieved at the £2k marker

i must make a point of not comparing my bike with opti - they are hopefully similair in performance with opti winning hands down on looks and weight, however being as this is my first try and im learning all the time i would say that next year i will have something to match opti more closely and still keep it cheap and buildable to anyone who wants one.

Now the bike is built i am already thinking about the next version
i would not change my choice of base bike, however i would/will change my batts. Once we have a great lifepo4 electronics (looking at gary and bob here) i will ask them to make me a custom pack secifically built to fit my kona and give me a huge increase in power - not speed mind 30mph is ample for a bicycle imo. i am thinking that my packs deliver 35a peak but with lifepo4 that can be upped to 80a no problem at all. With all the new developements happening at the moment i'm really excited about the next version - i don't see that a full suspension mtb capable of silly acceleration and wheelie popping power cant be achieved now with the tech we already have not to mention whats coming!!!!
New version puma and life batts will be in the stinky next year then we will see something very special i think


cheers all,



D

 

[grwsaltspring]

Hi D;

I forgot about the smaller wheels so it makes sense that you would go with a 19" frame, thanks for pointing that out.

Your $ 2000 UK price (I don't have the "pound" sign on my keyboard) equates to a little over $4000 Cad. so in the scheme of things that really isn't too bad.

The Turner Spot (5.5" travel) came in at about $4500 Cad. with a lot of e-bay shopping over a 3-4 month period. The frame took the longest to get a deal on! That represented about a 25-30% savings over buying everything from the shop. My buddy dropped $5000 US on the Maverick before that, not to mention the Turner XCE.

So for what it is worth I think you are doing very well with a really nice looking E-bike to boot!

I also think that if businesses like TH can create a plug and play type of set up with something like a Cycle Analyst set by them at the "official" limits or a disclaimer that we shouldn't ride them on the road at higher speeds, a certain segment of the population will be very interested to buy them.

Not everyone wants to spend their time messing with gear. I recently built a couple of stitch and glue kayak kits and was telling my rock climbing partner that she could build one herself. She listened patiently then said "I don't want to BUILD a kayak" end of discussion.

Personally I like to design and build things, heck it is what I do for a living, so I find it inspiring to see what others are up to.

I think it was Picasso who when asked to identify his favourite painting replied "My next one"

Nuff said.

Greg

 

[deecanio]

Hi All,

sorry i didn't get to reply Greg i've been busy cutting and taping again ........and i'm pleased to say that im finished
i have had the bike spin up at 82v tonight all cables done and she runs like a demon 8) theres a LOT more power there now and im really looking forward to my first ride at 72v35a on a stinky
it was a long boring job to cable up to be honest, its the only part of the build where it never looks any better after you've finished lol
i tested all the way at 36v after extending the halls and phase and then with shortening/modding every lead!!
This is the cable setup im keeping, its tidy and it works for me but it's not going to be without faults, i already think that with that much power in close proximity i best insulate the bolts to prevent accidental shorts if you see more please shout out!! i dont know what im doing with them to be honest but sometimes that not a bad thing as it makes me EXTRA carefull when wiring.
i have basically swapped the two massive inline fuses i had on the batts and setup a small loop for series use using 2 x blade fuses but i have wired them so they make sense to me as i'll be plugging them in/out i'll try not to cloud the issue with too many pics but to clarify the setup verbally:

top battery red goes to inline blade fuse then into black lead from bottom battery.
bottom battery red goes to inline blade fuse then meets up with black from top battery and then into DB shunt.

i have some questions but i'll stick em on the pics so its clearer, hopefully, oo er.

hope that helps - the pics show all the connections so im hoping you can see !!

As ever gimme a heads up if i've done something stupid, im good at "pretty" but shit at wiring
oooh,usual porn snaps too im very pleased with it now and i cannot wait for a ride - weather forecast is very bad which is a real shame but we have 4 day bank holiday in the uk from friday so i'm sure i will squeeze a ride in somewhere!!!!
im trying to get my camera working and i'll take it if i do - if it's not soaking wet i WILL get that stinky in the forest this weekend.



Cheers All, Thanks to all who have helped too, you guys rock!!! 8)


D

 

[deecanio]

cont.

ooooooh i think i might be settled on a helmet too - current fave is specialised deviant 8)

 

[Jozzer]

"she does scream ride me everytime i pass the room - but then so does the mrs ;P " "i am very happy that she's not too fat." "i am least pleased with my side profile - next years model will fix this!!! "

Hard to know when your talking about the mrs and when your talking about the bike! :lol:

Looks great Andy, good work! Your welcome here to tidy up a bike or two anytime
Good luck with the weekend

 

[deecanio]

Hi mate,

cheers, you know im just waiting for you to get a few contracts then i'll come work for ya no sweat!!!!
maybe you can do the enegineering and i'll do the prettying for ya?


Cheers


D

 

[deecanio]

awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww FFS it's raining again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[deecanio]

Hi Bikeraider

thank you - i'm really looking forward to a ride but the weather is bad, i have the next 4 days off work so im hoping to get a ride in with some video over the next couple of days!!!
The tyres im using are called ONZA "sticky fingers" - i had a hard time finding off road 20" tyres and these were the best i could find although the compound is slightly soft.
They are mainly used on unicycles but i find that as most unicycles are 20" they seem to have a good selection of tyres, i would buy these again if i had no options but next time round i will look for a harder compound (rubber).
i think i remember someone saying that you could put motobike 16" tyres on a 20" rim but i cant remember which thread it was in - this would be great as you could get some really nice tyres???


Cheers BR - got any more pics of how your bike is at the mo????




D

 

[deecanio]

Hi All,

i have a question about my packs - now im running series (at last!) i wont get my LVC - i have to be honest i used to just ride until i hit lvc , now both my packs used to give 9.2ah ish and so when im running series should i be keeping an eye on the voltage or the ah used???
I had just guessed that i would ride until i had used 9ah and then stop but it seems a bit too simple - what should i monitor and when should i stop???
Also i hoped one of you guys would tell me the answer to whether or not i could run the bottom pack using the 2 blades - the question is under the picture of the fuses if you need clarification on what i want to know.
As ever thanks guys - it's been a long road


cheers


D

 

[deecanio]

Hi Bikeraider,

no no i dont need any parts ,but thank you, i think that because the controller has a LVC of 29v it wont ever trip as im running 72v, or something like that - anyway thats why i asked the guys to refresh me on the figures to stay within - i think i cant rely on reading the ah used alone so i thought i'd ask just to be on the safe side - obviously i could ride and just use 4ah or something but i need to know what the limit is so i can get the longest ride without risking my batts


cheers


D

 

[Jozzer]

Dont worry Deec, you can use it just as before. The BMS is monitoring the voltage of each cell, as soon as one cell in either pack goes down, then it will shut off.
It may be worth bearing in mind that most BMS failures at 72v have been when they needed to switch off at LVC, but thats what we upgraded it to fix (decent mosfets), so it should damn well be absolutly fine If you dont trust them, drain only to 9AH or so and back off the throttle towards the end..

 

[deecanio]

Hey Joz,

thats great mate thanks for the info - i will use 8 or so first couple of outings and then see what the packs gice me before they shut off - i thought i read somewhere here that its not good to get to lvc but i'll take your word mate
hopefully will get out soon and see what this bike can do!!!


cheers


D

 

[Jozzer]

Its sunny in Brighton Deec, load it in the car and drive down for a race against the KMX :wink:

 

[knoxie]

Well D?

Did you manage to get out for a run? I know the weather was a bit poor but did you get out? I want to get out the KMX at some point if I can, take it out on the road if you don't want to get it muddy, strap your camera to it and do some video if you can. Good luck with the shake down run and let us all know how you get on, keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Knoxie

 

[deecanio]

Hi Guys,

no run yet i should have gone yesterday but i had a whole load of house chores and when i was done it had started to rain.
Quick look out of the window today has seen heavy rain and some snow flurrys at the end of march? wtf?
Anyway yes i will do my best mate as im itchin to find out how she rides, probably will be road only as the forest is very boggy - looked yesterday.
I would like to throw caution to the wind and go for the forest run but im reluctant to risk a wet short now that all my cables are low down in the triangle.
On the camera front i dont seem to be able to view my films but i think that is down to using a beta graphics driver for some of my games.I do need to rebuild the pc at some point as ive had a motherboard and dual core sitting here for 3 months now waiting for a good oportunity to build - looks like it might be now as the weather is so poor - if im offline for a couple of days you'll know what im up to - leaving it for now incase the roads dry out, i can still film just wont be able to edit until the pc is done too, if i get a ride i get a driver that works and post up ooooh the pain of waiting!!!!

Hi Joz,

i'll come down for a race if you lend me one of those life packs???? ;P
ooooh sun is out now - come on you bastad dry up!!!!!!





Cheers,

D

 

[knoxie]

Hi DC

Crikey the weather is stupid, its sunny, raining, snowing, hailing all in the space of 15 mins! its mental, I have been out in the garage making adjustments to my motorbike and it was 2 deg!! my hands were freezing!! ha ha snow mobile time!

Yes be great to get some video of your bike mate, haven't you got a notebook? I use my notebook more than my main machine these days, you dont need to do anything too flash on the video mate just something for us all to see. My new girlfriend will come in very handy when the weather picks up as will have a willing camera lady to record other angles that I don't normally get the chance to take, she can ride as a chase camera on the BMX, it will really help.

Hope you can get out between the showers mate, I need to do some serious e-bike maintenance, my Trek motor needs some new gears I think, I may put steel ones in there though when I do it make it 100% bullet proof. The other just need the usual brake blocks and chain oiling and adjustments.

Have a good easter break though mate, not too much choccie else you will need more power from your bike :lol:

Knoxie

 

[deecanio]

hahaha hi mate,

i've given up for the day, your getting exactly the same weather i guess - its bright and sunny then its raining/snowing and black lol - i've had the coat on twice now but i cant be arsed to take the bike out in the wet for a road only ride, i'd rather wait a day or two and then take her to the forest :lol: - i think i need to look at full waterproofing next as i do want to go in the mud and wet but i dont think the bike is ready for it "as is".
sunny as can be now - but screw it,its fooled me enough today already!!
i do have a notebook but i have to connect via proxy and its slowwww, besides i have to do this upgrade at some point and as i cant ride today i may as well crack on - have a dual core 3ghz just sitting here which will come in handy for video editing .
Same as you mate i love watching vids of ebikers so i'll be getting em up thick and fast soon enough - my wife took the footage with the Arizona soundtrack which came out quite nice so definitely a plus if someone else films, chase cam would be great 8)
if your lady can ride the bmx you would get some awesome kmx footage
i will give my sd card cam another chance - i was really disapointed with the footage but to be fair i did just have it mounted on the bars, bad mistake, everytime you correct the bike it swings with the bars not to mention im riding off road lol - im planning to give it a shot zipped to my helmet :lol: should be much better and let you see from rider perspective.
Speaking of which mate i'm hovering over this lid.... it was a recommend from SF1901 and i quite dig it.
It looks like a regular xc lid but has a clip in chinguard for full face, the plan is to ride up to and into the forest with just the helmet assisting my bicycle claims, and then clip in the chinguard and let rip :wink:
what do you think? im after a black one. .. . . http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/LargeImage.aspx?ModelID=10718&FileName=10718-1.jpg

soon as i can i'll get something up mate get those bikes a running too - we will hook up when the weather is a bit better
have a good easter, i'll see you other side of rebuild with something to show hopefully

cheers knoxie,


D