Do Chrome or Silver mid-drive kits exist?

[TitanioFreiheit]

Hi all - I'm exploring hybridizing a Linus Roadster 7i but would like to maintain the aesthetic.


The Photon retrofit kit is high on my list but lacks a chrome option. What other mid-drive motor options should I explore? Any build threads that might be similar?

 

[amberwolf]

I'm not sure if any drives come that way, but you could have the housings and such chrome-plated once you receive them. Most likely you'd have to disassemble the system enough to get all the parts off that you want plated, then send them off to a place that does this (specifying that they need to *not* plate any of the mating surfaces, screw holes, or internal surfaces, etc, just the outside, or else you'll probably have to do some cleanup to make the system all fit back together as before).

You can do the same thing with the battery housing and frame mount. (unless it's tiny I don't recommend putting it on that rack. What I can see of it doesn't appear to be well-designed to carry much of anything without "wag" which can fatigue and break the rack at it's tube connections or frame mounts).


Guessing it uses an IGH in the rear wheel for gearshifting (they don't say in the image if it is a fixie or not, but there's a cable going to the hub area that could be a shifter cable). If so, I recommend setting up the middrive to roll-on power rather than being abrupt about it, or manually taking up the gear lash with your feet on the pedals, to minimize the damage that can happen to the gears inside the IGH from sudden torque application.


FWIW, I find it funny they have "vegan leather" on there...leather is made of skin so it is impossible to be "vegan". :lol: If it's just fake leather they should say that, because what they are calling it is either a lie or bad use of language that makes them seem like liars.

 

[TitanioFreiheit]

I'm not sure if any drives come that way, but you could have the housings and such chrome-plated once you receive them. Most likely you'd have to disassemble the system enough to get all the parts off that you want plated, then send them off to a place that does this (specifying that they need to *not* plate any of the mating surfaces, screw holes, or internal surfaces, etc, just the outside, or else you'll probably have to do some cleanup to make the system all fit back together as before).

You can do the same thing with the battery housing and frame mount. (unless it's tiny I don't recommend putting it on that rack. What I can see of it doesn't appear to be well-designed to carry much of anything without "wag" which can fatigue and break the rack at it's tube connections or frame mounts).


Guessing it uses an IGH in the rear wheel for gearshifting (they don't say in the image if it is a fixie or not, but there's a cable going to the hub area that could be a shifter cable). If so, I recommend setting up the middrive to roll-on power rather than being abrupt about it, or manually taking up the gear lash with your feet on the pedals, to minimize the damage that can happen to the gears inside the IGH from sudden torque application.


FWIW, I find it funny they have "vegan leather" on there...leather is made of skin so it is impossible to be "vegan". :lol: If it's just fake leather they should say that, because what they are calling it is either a lie or bad use of language that makes them seem like liars.

Whoa, thank you for such a detailed response. I plan on ditching the IGH for wheels that are easier to road service. I'm open to suggestions on all fronts! Are there any drives that are easy to disassemble?

Linus is an interesting brand - Highlighted on the Netflix show Flaked. They're all over West LA; Vegan leather marketing makes some sense. I bought this from a friend on his way out of town. It's a solid bike but a bit too heavy for our guests who aren't cyclers

 

[scianiac]

Since most if not all mid drive kits are aluminum you could just strip the anno and polish them, would be a bit of work to get every nook and cranny but if you masked it and just did the large surfaces and used the appropriate tools for polishing wouldn't take too long. The photon is obviously a terrible choice to do this but other mid-drives with more rounded bodies and no cooling fins would work.

 

[calab]

Chrome paint exists.
Maybe even a chrome wrap.

 

[amberwolf]

Whoa, thank you for such a detailed response. I plan on ditching the IGH for wheels that are easier to road service. I'm open to suggestions on all fronts!

If you ditch the IGH for a single-speed, you lose all shiftable gearing and are stuck with a single gear ratio--whatever sprocket size you pick in front and back. So you can no longer shift gears to help the motor (or you) do the job you need it to do, such as starting from a stop (which needs more torque than speed) or cruising around on flat ground (which doesn't need the torque but might need the speed). If you pick a single gear that gets you your top speed, it's going to be harder on you (and the motor) to start from a stop or climb any hills. If you pick a single gear that gets you good starting or hill torque, you might not be able to reach your top speed (whatever that is).

The frame may be only 100-110mm in back; not wide enough to use a gear cluster and derailer, so the IGH is probably the best option for being able to shift gears as needed.

If the frame is a normal 135mm width in the rear between the dropouts, you could use a gear cluster and derailer, but there's no derailer hanger, so you would need to use a derailer that is held on by the axle nut, or a hanger that is. (or weld or braze a hanger to the frame, etc).

EDIT: The specs page for the bike (quoted below) says it uses the Shimano Nexus, and that spec page (also quoted below) says it's 135mm. So if you can setup a hanger / derailer, then you could use a gear cluster and derailer instead of an IGH.

Roadster 7i

Now with polished alloy fenders, a threadless headset, wrapped grips, and a laboriously perfected metallic paint you just won’t get anywhere else. Key Bike Features: Custom-designed rear rack Vegan leather grips with polished alloy lock-on end caps Touring saddle Alloy kickstand

www.linusbike.com

SHIMANO NEXUS Internal Geared Hub Disc Brake 7-speed | SHIMANO BIKE-EU

With an improved internal gear mechanism that allows for a smoother ride, the SHIMANO NEXUS SG-C3001-7D hub offers a dependable 7-speed gear range.

bike.shimano.com

Personally I'd keep the IGH; it should be lower maintenance and no worries about chainlines in different gears, as long as you take up the gear lash before hitting it hard with motor (or pedal) torque; or simply set the motor system to take a teensy bit of time to ramp up output if it doesn't do this by default.

The only thing you may have to do is during middrive install make sure the drive's output / crank sprocket lines up with the IGH input sprocket correctly for a good straight chainline, and ensure it's tensioned correctly.

WEIGHT: 34 lbs
FRAME: Steel
FORK: Steel
HEADSET: 1.125" Threadless Alloy
BB SET: Sealed Cartridge
SHIFTER: Shimano Nexus Trigger Shifter
FRONT HUB: Sealed bearings, Aluminum, 36H
REAR HUB: Shimano Nexus internal 7-speed, freewheel hub
COG: Shimano 22T
CHAIN: KMC S1
SPOKES: 14 gauge stainless steel w/ brass / CP nipples front, 13 gauge stainless steel w/brass/CP nipples rear
RIM: Double-walled polished alloy
TIRES: Linus "Elysian" Black 700x32c with reflective stripe
BRAKE LEVERS: Tektro Alloy
FRONT BRAKES: Tektro R369 alloy dual pivot caliper brakes with quick release
REAR BRAKES: Tektro R369 alloy dual pivot caliper brakes with quick release
HANDLEBAR: Custom bend polished aluminum handlebar, 550mm x 165mm, 25.4mm center clamp
GRIPS: Brown Leatherette Lock On Grips with Polished Alloy End Caps
STEM: Polished Alloy 90mm +/-7 Degree Rise
SEAT POST AND SIZE: Alloy, adjustable, 25.4mm
SADDLE: Touring brown leatherette saddle
PEDALS: Alloy pedals
FENDERS: Polished Alloy Fenders
EXTRAS: Custom Designed rear rack, front and rear reflectors, alloy kickstand

SHIMANO NEXUS Internal Geared Hub Disc Brake 7-speed​

SG-C3001-7D​

SHIMANO NEXUS - Internal Geared Rear Hub - CENTER LOCK - Disc Brake - O.L.D 135 mm - 7-speed
With an improved internal gear mechanism that allows for a smoother ride, the SHIMANO NEXUS SG-C3001-7D hub offers a dependable 7-speed gear range.
View More

FEATURES​

• • Improved internal gear engagement that allows for a smoother ride
  • Smooth shifting performance
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  • 
    
  View More

FIND A DEALER

PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS​

MODEL NO	SG-C3001-7D
SERIES	NEXUS C3000 Series
Color	Silver | Black
Average weight	1470

Brake type|Mount type	CENTER LOCK disc brake
Rear speeds	7
Gear ratio|Total	244%
Gear ratio|1	0.632
Gear ratio|2	0.741
Gear ratio|3	0.843
Gear ratio|4	0.989
Gear ratio|5	1.145
Gear ratio|6	1.335
Gear ratio|7	1.545
Shifting structure	Low-normal
Driving efficiency	Standard
O.L.D. (mm)	135
Spoke size	#13/#14
Spoke hole|32H	✔
Spoke hole|36H	✔
Axle length (mm)|187	✔
Flange distance (mm)	54.6
Flange diameter (mm)	99.6
Flange width (mm)|Right	3.2
Flange width (mm)|Left	3.2
Offset (mm)	2.5
P.C.D. left / right (mm)	87

 

[TitanioFreiheit]

I need to start by saying thanks, @amberwolf . I've learned a lot from your replies.


My new plan:
Retain the wheels and IGH. I'll sort something else out for road-serviceable tire flats. I thought motors had their gearbox, and shifting gears in the IGH was frowned upon (I'm new to this)

My next steps:
1) Explore easily chrome-able motors
2) Explore battery mounting solutions
3) Learning about lining up the chain line


Open questions:
1) Do silver/chrome or minimal throttle, displays and other accessories exist?

 

[amberwolf]

I need to start by saying thanks, @amberwolf . I've learned a lot from your replies.

You're welcome; there is a lot to know, and I probably know a dimple on a thimble's worth of it.

My new plan:
Retain the wheels and IGH. I'll sort something else out for road-serviceable tire flats.

Depending on the version of shimano IGH it has, it shouldn't be too hard to get off and on for this. Here's one manual for them:
https://si.shimano.com/en/pdfs/dm/CASG001/DM-CASG001-06-ENG.pdf (also attached at end of post)
Not as easy as a QR wheel, but not as difficult as a typical hubmotor might be.

Depending on your road conditions and riding style, there's a number of potential flat-minimization schemes, too.

I thought motors had their gearbox, and shifting gears in the IGH was frowned upon (I'm new to this)

Many middrives have gearing from the tiny fast motor inside to slow them down to pedal speeds and increase their torque by the same factor, but it's not normally shiftable gearing (that's where the gearing at the rear wheel comes in).

There is one hubmotor by Xiongda that has a 2-speed transmission in it, but it's the only one I know of. Requires a special adapter to connect to the controller to engage that (I think it switches the motor direction to change gears, but the wheel direction stays the ssame, called Retro-Direct).

1) Do silver/chrome or minimal throttle, displays and other accessories exist?

I've seen pics of a couple of displays for certain systems that have some chrome parts, but you're tied to those specific systems to use these. Like the motor housings, you have the option of having a non-chrome display chromed, too (this can be done for a lot of types of items).

There are plenty of motorcycle accessories that come in chrome (or shiny machined aluminum), and some of them are adaptable to your purpose. For instance, you can get whatever styel of cable-operated throttle (COT) you like on the handlebar, and have it pull the cable to one of these that you wire up to the throttle connector of the controller.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832768594256.html

Random example of crhome motorcycle controls icnluding switches you can rewire to operate whatever you need them to

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256801314104036.html

 

[Mongo]

I too much prefer the vintage silver (or better, nickel) component look and aesthetics - but not broad expanses of chrome, personally.

There's an owner over on the Electrifybike forum who silver-painted his BBS02 motor to match his bike, but damned if I can find the post(s) right now.

Stripping black anodizing is pretty common, something I'd like to try sometime, and an easier way to revert to silver.

A relatively easy motor idea could be the Bafang BBS02 (left black) with a stripped Lekkie 40T chain ring and natural crank arms as the overriding silver visual. The chain line will be optimal too for the IGH (assuming a 68mm BB), based on personal experience - see my builds below. With most of the later Shimano Nexus/Alfine rotary-shift IGH hubs, you're looking to hit a mid-high forties chain line, and you can use a 3/32 rear sprocket and a derailleur chain to compensate as needed.

A better pedaling experience would be the new Photon, with a likewise stripped chainring. But, looking at the particular IGH used and the bike's brakes, perhaps the Tongsheng TSZD2 or the new ToSeven DM02 would be the best and most cost-effective drive.

 

[bikes4two]

That's a lovely looking retro bike for sure but the brakes ....... simple rim brakes of the sort that might have problems giving effective braking even under normal circumstances but with the added weight of a motor and battery ....... ?

 

[TitanioFreiheit]

That's a lovely looking retro bike for sure but the brakes ....... simple rim brakes of the sort that might have problems giving effective braking even under normal circumstances but with the added weight of a motor and battery ....... ?

Oh, this is an excellent point. I had not considered this!

I too much prefer the vintage silver (or better, nickel) component look and aesthetics - but not broad expanses of chrome, personally.

There's an owner over on the Electrifybike forum who silver-painted his BBS02 motor to match his bike, but damned if I can find the post(s) right now.

Stripping black anodizing is pretty common, something I'd like to try sometime, and an easier way to revert to silver.

A relatively easy motor idea could be the Bafang BBS02 (left black) with a stripped Lekkie 40T chain ring and natural crank arms as the overriding silver visual. The chain line will be optimal too for the IGH (assuming a 68mm BB), based on personal experience - see my builds below. With most of the later Shimano Nexus/Alfine rotary-shift IGH hubs, you're looking to hit a mid-high forties chain line, and you can use a 3/32 rear sprocket and a derailleur chain to compensate as needed.

A better pedaling experience would be the new Photon, with a likewise stripped chainring. But, looking at the particular IGH used and the bike's brakes, perhaps the Tongsheng TSZD2 or the new ToSeven DM02 would be the best and most cost-effective drive.

Fantastic. I'll look up some of those products and continue my research. Thanks for the leads!