Intro guide to TSDZ2 & BBS02 (updated 2021)

[casainho]

So people should stop buying TSDZ2s AND PROBABLY THEN THEY MAKE A TSDZ2 -2 with cadence up to 120 RPM,stronger torque arm ,metal gear and better heat dissipation(some fins on the outer shell maybe!).
And then maybe we buy one!

Are you joking? TSDZ2 provides a great value for the money!! I have 4 ebikes with TSDZ2 on my family and we are very happy with them and doing trips and rides we could never imagined!!

And TSDZ2 already works with cadence up to 120 RPMs. I think TSDZ2 is good when running our developed OpenSource firmware, much more flexible than a commercial ebike motor and with similar performance.

 

[valsam]

So people should stop buying TSDZ2s AND PROBABLY THEN THEY MAKE A TSDZ2 -2 with cadence up to 120 RPM,stronger torque arm ,metal gear and better heat dissipation(some fins on the outer shell maybe!).
And then maybe we buy one!

Are you joking? TSDZ2 provides a great value for the money!! I have 4 ebikes with TSDZ2 on my family and we are very happy with them and doing trips and rides we could never imagined!!

And TSDZ2 already works with cadence up to 120 RPMs. I think TSDZ2 is good when running our developed OpenSource firmware, much more flexible than a commercial ebike motor and with similar performance.

Sorry my friend but the person that wrote this thread says :
Be aware that without thorough maintenance the motor has a limited lifespan due to some weak mechanical spots,
and :My unit's never lasted more than a year of almost daily but careful use!!!!

And when i also read about faling cranks , "swapping in new bearings and torque unit, say at least once a year, before anything breaks," changing blue gear with metal",and heat problems that lead to controller failure my conclusion was that it is not at all reliable!
So you are saying that the above are not true?
Yes i know that TSDZ2 already works with cadence up to 120 RPMs but that is only when running your developed OpenSource firmware that if i am not mistaken voids the warranty,so wouldn't it be better if it had simular with your firmware as stock for starts?
Are you saying that none of your 4 bikes have had any of the above problems and issues?
295 pages at its deticated thread here in this forum and i read about alot of problems whith this motor my friend,are they also not true?
A shop (THE BIGGEST here in my city here in Greece )that used to convert ebikes with TSDZ2's stopped using them because of the many and above mentioned problems and turned to hub motor conversions for more reliability!

 

[casainho]

And when i also read about faling cranks , "swapping in new bearings and torque unit, say at least once a year, before anything breaks," changing blue gear with metal",and heat problems that lead to controller failure my conclusion was that it is not at all reliable!
So you are saying that the above are not true?
Yes i know that TSDZ2 already works with cadence up to 120 RPMs but that is only when running your developed OpenSource firmware that if i am not mistaken voids the warranty,so wouldn't it be better if it had simular with your firmware as stock for starts?
Are you saying that none of your 4 bikes have had any of the above problems and issues?
295 pages at its deticated thread here in this forum and i read about alot of problems whith this motor my friend,are they also not true?

I can say that mid drive motors, when small and light can make a great MTB ebike, for the ones that like to do MTB.

TSDZ2 is both small, light and powerful - similar to some other commercial MTB ebike motors.

From my 4 ebikes, the city ebike is the one that had no issues at all - my wife uses it and rides at moderate power like 400W and 30km/h.

The ebike with were I had big issues is mine, like last thing was a broken torque sensor - but then I now think the max weight rider is around 110kgs and I had more than that on that moment!! Things like the blue gear problem, I also had but then I found the issue was because I did not install the recomended brake sensors and that is why I wrote the TSDZ2 FAQ to resume the common issues, reasons why they happen and repair solutions: https://github.com/OpenSource-EBike-firmware/TSDZ2_wiki/wiki/FAQ

I do MTB on some weekends with my ebike so I push it very hard to his limits. Daily on the city, I ride to peaks of 50 km/h and again I push to motor power peaks of 900 watts (over its limits!!) so, that is why I understand my motor needs more maintenance.

Recently I did a 5 days trip (I did others before), we were 4 and my 3 MTB ebikes and one ebike with Bosch motor - I trust on TSDZ2, we had no problems at all - only things like tire punctures and broken spokes:

I know that the outcome from an ebike is very good and TSDZ2 being cheap and having easy and cheap maintenance is a must for someone like me. I understand that is a DIY solution and needs someone that can get his hands dirty for doing the maintenance and that is probably not ok for most of people, which is not my case.

There is positive feedback on the forum but much more negative and issues because people mostly write when they have issues but they do not write when everything is ok. Happens that TSDZ2 is very popular and so there are a lot of people writing about it, here, on youtube, instagram, facebook, etc.

 

[LierskogenEbikes]

Hi. Since mid 2019 I have built more than 20 bikes with TSDZ2 motor and there were only 2 cases where something went wrong. One of guys broke the axle in his motor, but when I saw movies from his trail rides where he do jumps and so on, I'm not surprised that motor axle failed.
I have 4 bikes with TSDZ2: touring bike, hardtail, full suspension and fatbike, and only in 100mm motor for fatbike I had to replace the small reduction gear after around 100 km ride (the one between main gear and nylon gear). There was small wear on tooths and you could feel a lot of resistance when pedaling without support. After I bought and install new reduction gear, problem was gone. Bicycle has now more than 800 km and no problems. I presume it was just a faulty component.
So over a year of experiences, for me this motor has very good track record. The main thing is to secure the motor really well to the frame and use Loctite glue on all bolts and rings. They tend to loosen up over time without the glue.
Fatbike motor shall be mounted with custom made bracket. I tested set-up without the mounting bracket and over time cracking noises develop, because of loosening up the bottom bracket clamp. You will not have that problem, if you use the original clamp solution with custom made bracket. I use solid min. 5mm stainless steel plate, instead of original plate (see attached picture). Thick solid steel plate will do the job fine.

 

[bjorsa]

800 km is nothing to be worried about. In my experience the TSDZ2 brakes around the 5000 km mark; unless you stand up and push, in which case a strong cyclist brakes the torque sensor immediately.

 

[Alphonse]

With our developed OpenSource firmware for TSDZ2, you get motor full support to cadence up to 120 RPM!! (you need to use the most updated version!).

And I am now working to make TSDZ2 with our firmware, working as a standard fully wireless ebike, meaning many GPS cycling computers like Garmin Edge will control your TSDZ2 and get information about your pedal power and you will get the advanced fitness metrics from Garmin as also navigation, Climb Pro, etc:

Advantages of wireless Ebike ANT+ LEV

1. Cheap and less attractive to thieves: no display needed, or alternatively you can use your smart watch or easily removables GPS cycling computer and remote buttons.

2. More robust ebike, less risk to have a no working ebike after a fall: wireless means less risk to break the display cables (really important for when you are far from home).

3. Freedom to choose different displays and sensors: many available on the market, starting at 62€ and up to 600€. Also is easily to DIY with Arduino and a 3D printer.

4. Advanced features - map navigation, cycling power (and other advanced fitness metrics), heart rate, tire pressure sensors, etc: these advanced features are provided by the GPS cycling computer, like Garmin Edge models.

[youtube]F43oqj1Zlww[/youtube]

Here my Garmin Edge next to 860C display, showing next climb ahead (from a recent trip I did):

I just ordered my TSDZ2 OSF setup for my new ICE Adventure HD recumbent trike. I already have an Edge 830 on it, so this development is of great interest to me.

Thanks Casainho for all your effort and leadership on developing the OSF for the TSDZ2. I am looking forward to this latest development!

 

[bjorsa]

On a rucumbent, because one isn't standing on the pedals, the motor should last much longer. Good choice!

 

[Laissez]

Thanks for great post! Which one you would recommend quality wise for mtb which is mostly used for commuting? Seems like that tsdz2 has some quality problems? BBS is better built quality and last longer? I ride about 4000km(2500 miles) per year.

 

[bjorsa]

Sorry, haven't been here for a while. For MTB I'd stay away from the TZ because jumping with a weak central shaft is just too ballsy, if you know what I mean? Or get a step-through and a dropper, hehe

 

[feet]

Hi all, thanks to the OP for starting this thread and thanks to everyone's contributions, most useful.

I wonder if you can share any insights on my problem?

I tried to take delivery of my recumbent yesterday (Specbike Comfort Trike), converted to add the Tongsheng 750w motor.

I took it for a test ride up a pretty steep hill next to the bike shop. On eco the motor kicked in as soon as I put any pressure on the pedals, and basically dragged me up the hill, at speed, while just turning the pedals over, i.e. applying pretty much zero torque.

Coming back to the shop, it felt like the motor was engaging downhill as well (not even turning pedals) and I was on the brakes constantly to keep the speed down and make the motor disengage.

It was pretty scary really, as it felt as if I had to rely on the brake cut out to prevent the trike taking me off under a car, potentially.

The shop owner had previously warned me that he couldn't get the speed or battery level showing up on the display, so the speed cable was just disconnected and cable tied out of the way. I wasn't happy about this, but I don't need the speed displayed and I can press the button on the battery to see battery charge, though it's not ideal. I guess this could have something to do with the odd performance?

Is I am/was a keen cyclist, but now have an upper body disability, I was happily commuting on my recumbent, but it was a slow slog up hills and keeping speed up on long gentle hills, so I was planning to keep it on the lowest setting (or off) and was just looking for some assist to do a decent speed up steep hills and to keep up to speed on the flat / long gentle hills. Even 33% assist (the advertised lowest assist level for eco on this model) would potentially be too much on the gentler hills. I still want to be 'cycling' and I still need the exercise.

The bike shop owner seemed surprised that I wasn't happy with my 'motorbike' as I dubbed the conversion.

If it's not a simple "it's not been installed properly", I'm thinking maybe flashing to this firmware and adjusting the torque levels might do it? But I think there's something actually screwy, as its clearly more than 100% assist, all the time.

Thanks for any insights, sorry for the long post.

 

[docw009]

Until this summer, when I started riding my non-electric bike again, I had not stood up on the pedals in over 50 years. Now I do it to get up a few hills, and I started doing the same when I rode my TSDZ2 bike. Wow, I guess I will stop. I have almost 1000 km on one TSDZ2.