Is this e-bike worth getting for $80?

[NeilP]

Just been offered this for £50 ($80) and wondered if it was good for parts...fully working bike but unwanted.
What speed could I get out of the motor if i tinkered?

bigger controller? more voltage...put wheel in BMX frame? not going to use that frame!!


Thompson Euro Tourer Electric Bike


Specifications

Max speed - 20kmh
Battery capacity - 12Ah
Charge time - 2-8hours
Motor voltage - 36V
Motor power Now - 200w
Induction (brushless) motor
Electric horn
Kick stand
Panasonic batteries
With battery & charger
Wheel diameter - 560mm
Front headlights
Rear lights
Front turn indicators
Rear turn indicators
Front & Seat suspension


attachment=1]Tourer-2.jpg[/attachment]



View attachment 2[

 

[John in CR]

Sure, I'd buy that in a heart beat. It's so retro it's kinda cool, and that size brushless motor just needs a better controller for significantly more power.

 

[torker]

Oh yea ! I'd charge those Panasonics, pump up the tires and ride that badboy

Seriously though I think the hub motor would be worth that. Or fix it up for friends/girls to ride.

 

[Lock]

I wouldn't change a thing... It's already perfect:

The Euro Tourer Electric Bike is part of the exciting new range of Electric Bikes from Thompsons. It features state of the art technology which eats distances with ease, helps reduce transport costs, improve fitness, whilst also doing your bit for the environment.

Getting in the saddle has never been more exciting and cost efficient and the Euro Tourer gives people the boost to commute to work, school, shops or even explore the countryside.

We're convinced that once you try the bike, you'll become a real fan - it's a real alternative mode of transport - fun, cost effective, smart and available now.

Didn't you read the hype?
:wink:
locK

 

[Lessss]

Yes well worth it.
UPGRADE the brakes!!
Sand it down, rust protect it and paint it.

 

[NeilP]

I tried to avoid reading it ...It sounds so good now I really want it

What is the limiting factor with a small motor like that ...they say 200 Watt..but what imits that...what could it be pushed to? ...Just thin winding to burn out I imagine?

What could it be realistically be pushed to accepting...48v? 350-400 watt a bit more?

 

[neptronix]

I'd say it'd be worth it for the batteries and hub motor. The other parts are probably trash. Look at that rust.

That is a super cheap price.. what's wrong with it, is the question!

 

[John in CR]

Looks like a good wet road bike to me. Phase wires probably need beefing up, but at 72V or 84V and 30-40A, that's a couple thousand watts output easy. There's no such thing as a 200W ebike motor. Even the tiniest geared hubbies are capable of more. DD hubs can handle much more, and it's just tamed way down by the controller. When you get it, pop open the side cover so we can see. You need to change those bolts anyway.

Lots of battery space, so more batts, better controller and good front forks plus a stylish paint job would turn it into a nice little ebike capable of scooter performance.

 

[Lock]

...There's no such thing as a 200W ebike motor.

+1
Watt he said.
L0cK

 

[NeilP]

Rust is not an issue... here next to the sea air any bike that lives outside will have surface rust within months .

As for the cover bolts...just ordered some for my Xlyte motor anyway. The standard ones are so more then heads are rouneidn out already...well oversized to be more precise...they started slipping on day one

Are you serious abut the power John? I think may be having a wind-up...but am not sure?

 

[Jeremy Harris]

That geared hub motor is very similar to the one on my bike, which is a Bafang, even down to the same make of band brake. I ride mine most days at around 900 to 950 watts or so and it doesn't even get warm.

Jeremy

 

[Lessss]

By the sheer size of the hub easily a 500W motor.

 

[NeilP]

Oh well...ok then best i buy it...yet another way to spend the cash

 

[John in CR]

If that is a geared hub like Jeremy said, then no you won't be able to push it too hard, because they are more thermally limited by the entire motor enclosed in a smaller outer shell with 2 heat transfers thru air to get to the outside world, and they are rpm and torque limited by the plastic gears, but better than 200W. Call it 400-500W as is if it's geared, though I may soon have a geared hubbie solution.

If it's a direct drive hub, then yes, multiple KW peak power is easily possible.

It seems too big from the pic to be a geared hubbie though, and kinda small for a direct drive. If it is a direct drive, I'm extremely interested, because I've been looking for a smaller than normal direct drive hubmotor, for some serious plans, and the band brake makes what I want to do all the better. Any markings or info on the motor would be a big help. That name in on pic is just the maker of the band brake, not the motor.

John

 

[NeilP]

OK, John thanks
I did not see any marking on the hub at all I am afraid. Only marking is on the brake unit as you say.

have had a look on the Thompson site again, and it just says brushless motor...no indication if geared or not.

I am going to England today for a couple of days, but when back will go and pick it up. I was going to collect it Sunday when I took the pics....but the girlfriend was driving, so my the time we got there...we were late and the chap had gone out on the Sunday Afternoon Harley Owners ride out...My Harley in dry dock at the moment, so wont be doing that for a while myself...and all the money to fix it has gone on this e-bike project

When I get it I'll let you know

 

[Lessss]

Turn it on and listen. geared hubs um well make noise, direct drive not as much.

 

[John in CR]

Turn it on and listen. geared hubs um well make noise, direct drive not as much.

Add to that, most geared hubs freewheel forward. Lift the wheel off the ground and give it a spin by hand each direction. If it spins freely forward, but not backward, then it's definitely geared.

It sure looks big to me though, especially considering the current crop of tiny geared hubs for the 200W power regions.

 

[NeilP]

Well I have just had a reply on the Pedelec forum about it, and one of the chaps there seems to thing it is a straight DC motor. So I'll go and have a look in the next few days again and see if I can get the wires off

Thanks for the info about the geared motors

 

[Jeremy Harris]

Well I have just had a reply on the Pedelec forum about it, and one of the chaps there seems to thing it is a straight DC motor. So I'll go and have a look in the next few days again and see if I can get the wires off

Thanks for the info about the geared motors

Bear in mind there is an over-abundance of numpties on that forum (plus one or two that know what they're on about) so I'd be cautious about taking anything from there as gospel (with the exception of some of the knowledgeable folk there, like NRG, D8veh and a few others).

The spec says "brushless" which means it's not a brushed DC motor. If only the numpties could be taught to read..............

Jeremy

 

[NeilP]

Good point...forgotten about that...Standby tomorrow, so am going to try and go round and see if I can see the bloke. I popped into a farm yesterday...and the chap has 7 or 8 various e-bikes...probably wont part with any of them though...probably just as well

 

[NeilP]

Well I still have not got it...but I did get given a motor from the same bike type today. It gave me a chance to test for real, my hall motor and controller tester from Lyen...And it works...the tester and the motor winding and hall effects show good too.

Wires a little thin, so may see if I can up them a bit.

So what cheap controller fo rthis little motor...20 amp e-bay item enough or go for something a little bigger?

Sorry, John...no markings that I can see...a long serial number that I neglected to take a pic of though.

I have been given an el cheapo full bounce MTB. Could put this wheel in that, and re position and maybe weld up the rear bounce triangle to regain the ground clearance...and just leave it single speed. The rim is OK for rim brakes..but there is also a threaded boss, where the drub brake uint should be...could make a disk brake adapter even. But I have already got one un finished e-bike...I think I ought to finish that before starting the second

Here are some pics of the inside of it, taken with phone so quality is not brilliant



View attachment 4
View attachment 3

 

[NeilP]

Maybe I could do 36 volt with it? what do you all reckon....If i did that then that would be half my battery pack from the Xlyte 5304 bike...so i could use it in parallel...36 volt and 40 amp hour??
comments on that what sort of speed would it give at 36 do yo all reckon? enough to make it worth while...or just to hell with it and give it 72 as well??

 

[NeilP]

I never did anything with this motor, I won an ebikeKit.com kit and this got shoved under a bench.

I know wattage figures were mentioned earlier, and I know I am asking again..when I could just take the earlier advice...but almost hoping maybe someone else has maybe already used one of these motors..so if I bump the thread up, I may get the answer I want to hear..."Yes it is an amazing motor motpr that takes 10kW with no mods"

So to controller choice, I see three options
Choice 1
The controller I already have, a spare xlyte 18 FET 72 volt sensored controller I keep as backup for my 5304 Mongoose.
But that maybe too much for the puny phase wires though
So that thought got me thinking..scrap the hall wires, go sensor less and fit fatter phase wires

Choice 2
12 FET Lyen Sensorless

The recommended output for the 12 FET 4110 controller is around 3500 watts

so about 50 amp if I run a 20 series

Choice 3
6 FET Lyen Sensorless

The recommended output for the 6 FET 4110 controller is around 1750 watts,

So I am leaning towards the thicker phase wires and sensorless?

The choice is then a 6 or 12 FET lyen sensorless controller

What do you reckon?
12 fet at a lyen figure of 3500 watt max for that controller, or the 6 FET sensorless at half that sort of wattage?
Want to go big 12 Fet, but wondering about not cooking the windings, it is a chunky motor though

Thoughts??

 

[dogman dan]

Well, now that you have the same motor, no need to buy that china ugly one. Slap that on a bike you have, with a good torque arm, and zap it with at least 1500w. Or more.

 

[NeilP]

Well I can still get the other one of I fry that one..just for the motor... but what to go for what do you reckon? the 6 or the 12 Sensorless ?