Friction drive questions and concerns

[Evan177]

Hi all!!
I've been working on this for a little while and everything seems to be in place and on par yet I still have a few issues.

•Controller disconnects as soon as I get about half throttle.
•No torque at all, how hard do you guys press your motor against the wheel?

Motor : turnigy aerodrive sk3 - 5065 I believe
ESC : 120 FVT
Battery : 6S 500Mah Lipo

 

[flat tire]

Friction drives are only good for low power builds. You can increase clamping pressure up to the point where it breaks something, but your efficiency will decrease. Overall I wouldn't mess with a friction drive in a world of dirt cheap 1kw hub motors, controllers, and badass batteries to power them.

 

[Evan177]

Don't know how to post pics in here so heres the links

https://ibb.co/cMgtTG

https://ibb.co/nmVyvw

https://ibb.co/bBA3TG

 

[markz]

burn through tires like mad, and the rain

 

[spinningmagnets]

Some devices have a narrow application, but...that doesn't mean they are useless. Friction drives using RC components are extremely compact and light-weight. I live near a university where students often feel the need to park their bikes indoors to prevent theft. If they live on a second story apartment, or in an upstairs dormitory room, a heavy ebike is very awkward.

I have seen several powered skateboards being used, in spite of the limitations. The original drive I built was attached to the seat-post so that the seat and the drive could be easily removed and carried inside, rather than the entire bicycle. Of course, this is not for everyone. It was not a powerhouse, but I experienced peaks of 1000W at 20-MPH using only 36V, and it climbed hills very well (using a wide and flat-tread beach cruiser tire to enhance traction on the roller). It was also very efficient, so the watts per mile meant I could use a small and light battery (which was also less expensive than the size of battery I would need for a hubmotor that provided the same performance)...

I still have that friction drive, but I find I ride my BBSHD cruiser the most, and I also rarely ride my hot rod hubmotor ebike...