New guy here,... and I LUV my 1500w Leaf!
But what would I know,.... I've never had anything else like it!!!
My desire began with an old man wanting "one last motorbike". Jus never thought it'd be a battery powered bicycle!!! And that was only lightly considered AFTER I had carefully weighed the pros and cons of a gas powered bicycle. Heck, I was a week away from a motorcycle purchase jus 20months ago!!!
Since then, and after several HUNDREDS of pages on this site and many others, I decided I jus GOTTA go electric!!! And the 40+ pages in this topic alone tipped the favor of my choice, jus a short 6wks ago, to the Leaf 1500W (updated with heavy wires and temp sensor) and a LunaCycle 52V 11.5ah Panasonic PF pack (both have been my best made choices) and a cheap aluminum framed 29er beach cruiser (my biggest mistake and worst ever choice!). The Leaf arrived quickly and was soon fitted with a Big Apple after scrapping the OE junk tire. New front wheel/tire assembly quickly followed as did 160mm BB7's (another good choice) AND new front triple-tree forks to hold it all (good choice,.. jus NOT for this bike)!!! UGH!!! Did I mention I spent HOURS on the simulator with various motors, controllers, and battery setups in numerous situations??? Other sims too. And PAGES of charts, specs and stats!!!
AND,... it's all I expected, PLUS!!! I gotta admit though, I NEVER really expected the front wheel to leave the pavement and "fly" so easily! Current setup is a bit "spirited" and leaves the front end a little light, even with battery on the bottle bracket... "slightly" extended fork tubes and laid-back seat are the biggest contributors. Hey, it's a Cruiser!!! And when a Harley pulls along side and yells, "DANG man!! Your doin' about 40 on that thing!!!"
Yup! GRINS!!!
Never underestimate an old man on a bicycle!!!
Actually, my best top speed is about 38.7mph, I think. Much as expected with the sims. Leaf's 40A controller and KT-LCD3 will peak sometimes at over 2200W and give me 12miles so of wild, wheel-flyin', fast ridin' on a fresh full charged 52V LunaCycle pack, and never gets anything warm. We're suppose to keep it under 20 here in Florida, and I'm supposed to be jus an old man on a bicycle. Thanks to the folks of the forum here, I've managed the LCD3 a bit, and keep the controller to 20A and speeds under 30 for about 20+ mi per charge,... much, much more if I keep it under 20mph like I'm supposed too. LunaCycle's variable charger let's me cut the charge rate back and regulate my pack charge to 90%,... I like that. The Leaf setup also lets me adjust a higher min cutoff thru the controller instead of relying on bms. I also use regen to full advantage in braking,... I like that too. I try to watch my consumption, and not draw too heavily to extend mileage a bit. And for the most part after only 250km, I'm VERY satisfied! No more wind problems, no more hill problems, and no more loose sand problems!!! And no more walkin' a bike,... well, except for a flat OEM tire once.
YES,........... the bike base in general SUCKS!!! I'll restore the 29er and "dispose" of it,... heck, all the parts are still new and good (except the tires)!!!This summer will see a full custom radical build low-rider from scratch,... sorta. Yup,... got "the bug"! While a mid-drive might suit my design better, I'll instead retain the lovable 1500w Leaf setup (I really like the simplicity and dependability, not to mention the power and punch with room for more), maybe upgrade to a CA3, possibly a controller, and certainly lace it into a new 26" "fat" rear rim with a single-speed cog (never really use anything but the top of the 7-speed anyway), oh, and put the Schwabb on the front in those triple-tree forks, adjusted for a bit better balance of course. I like the small light-weight battery and jus might get another to use together, or separate, as needs require. I found disk brakes to be a MUST with the 1500w Leaf, and will probably upgrade to 180's,.... ya gotta stop! And while Leaf's regen braking is wonderful, it's nearly non-existent under 12mph in busy city traffic!!!
Yup! Thanks guys!! I luv this 1500w Leaf!!!
But what would I know,.... I've never had anything else like it!!!
:lol: 
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