• Hello ES! We could use some help to get us past the finish line on building the new knowledgebase for the forum.
    Can you donate? Please see our fundraising page. Thank you!

Leaf / leafmotor / leafbike high efficiency 1500w motor

Low turn count can be very efficient if done right, but it is harder to do right.
Much much easier with high voltage and high turn count. In the end it's just better to go for higher voltage. Take a look at the trends in Electric Unicycles, Dirt Bikes and EVs.
For example:
235V system, DD hub, 20kW, performance comparable with combustion engine motorcycles.
 
Ah.. easier for the supplier of a prebuilt vehicle, but not us hobbyists!

Try to find a BMS, charger, precharge mechanism, battery, and controller for an ebike that's over 72v. You will have a hell of a time, the higher the voltage above 72v, the more likely you are looking at a bulky controller because it's designed with a motorcycle in mind.

..that's not to mention how hard it would be to find an appropriately wound motor.

If you can even find these parts, the advantage would be slightly lower weight since we don't need as much copper/lead/silver in the power bus, the disadvantage will be an extreme difficulty ( maybe impossible ) in sourcing parts.

There's much easier ways to increase total system efficiency that don't require exotic parts, if that's what you're interested in :)
 
This is what is great about DIY. You can build anyway you want. I like 72V only for the moving more watts thru factory wires. I'm not into speed. Need to keep an eye on copper fill. Slower winding's lose some copper as well as the faster versions.

Note: 72V and up cost more money.
The 3T, 6T, and 11T windings have the most copper fill for the Leafbike. There is space for 66 windings.

A limit to keep in mind is that the Cycle Analyst has a max input voltage of 150V. For the CA3, I wouldn't go above a 36S pack for LiIon. Then you have to consider the controller input voltage range.
 
The 3T, 6T, and 11T windings have the most copper fill for the Leafbike. There is space for 66 windings.

A limit to keep in mind is that the Cycle Analyst has a max input voltage of 150V. For the CA3, I wouldn't go above a 36S pack for LiIon. Then you have to consider the controller input voltage range.
Don't look at me, thinking of going to 52V. Don't have a race cart like some Toecutter's I know.
 
Don't look at me, thinking of going to 52V. Don't have a race cart like some Toecutter's I know.
If you could find an appropriate controller, a 36S pack with an 11T Leafbike motor would have stock motor wiring sufficiently robust that you'd never exceed the wiring's continuous current rating for the amount of power you're demanding. It would be interesting to see if this setup could handle a higher continuous power output without overheating the motor itself than is typical for a Leafbike.
 
Don't think it would help with stator heat, it would pump in the watts and save the wires thru axel. Sounds like fun would need a front track wider than I have now. Enjoy your builds have not gotten to my second trike yet.
 
I think added ferrofluid, PC fans, and hubsink combined could raise the continuous output upwards of 3.5-4kW. IIRC, cowardlyduck here tried the PC fans.
 
you need a QS 273 with a body shell.
No room for a 7-speed sprocket on those, plus the cogging losses are too much. Mine is still perfectly pedalable as a "bicycle" with the electric drive system disabled, and that's how I like it.

So far, the Leafbike 1500W is the most powerful choice available that fits my needs. But it is being replaced by twin Grin All-Axles up front and a middrive in the rear. I'm probably going to build another trike to use the Leabike motor.
 
Last edited:
Personally i'm waiting for this ~135mm grin all axle 45mm.

It has the 1 speed problem but..
Hey you could theoretically use a front 3 speed shifter and a derailleur and have 3 gears, which isn't too bad on a super powerful hub.

I'd pay that price for higher efficiency, 3lbs lighter, and ~500w more continuous power.
 
Personally i'm waiting for this ~135mm grin all axle 45mm.

It has the 1 speed problem but..
Hey you could theoretically use a front 3 speed shifter and a derailleur and have 3 gears, which isn't too bad on a super powerful hub.

I'd pay that price for higher efficiency, 3lbs lighter, and ~500w more continuous power.
That could work for me because it also has built-in torque sensing, allowing me to put a Pinion gearbox up front.
 
Personally i'm waiting for this ~135mm grin all axle 45mm.

It has the 1 speed problem but..
Hey you could theoretically use a front 3 speed shifter and a derailleur and have 3 gears, which isn't too bad on a super powerful hub.

I'd pay that price for higher efficiency, 3lbs lighter, and ~500w more continuous power.
They were going to fix the axle, at least, if I recall.
 
I always use some kind of rim tape, if you're running a tube electrical tape should be enough.You should consider running tubeless, it's easier to repair in the field without removing the wheel compared to replacing a tube.
I use electrical tape too. Knowing it gets a sticky mess as it ages, I did 2 wraps. First wrap was with the sticky side up, then reverse it and run another wrap sticky side down. This will keep the adhesive off the rim and should be neater when removing.
 
I will be getting a GoPro at some point. Definitely some time after my next vehicle is ridable.

Hell yeah!
if you want to save a couple bucks, Sony still makes action cams. A used one from the 2010's is still good ( anti shake, 1080p, 60fps ) and be had for $50-$100 on ebay.
 
These leafmotors are hard to beat. What we need is like what Bill Von did on his long bikes. Had a cassette to change gears before the rear wheel. I need to search for a pic.
 
These leafmotors are hard to beat. What we need is like what Bill Von did on his long bikes. Had a cassette to change gears before the rear wheel. I need to search for a pic.
Just add a mid -drive you will never overheat a hub motor that's being pulled by a mid -drive.
 
Did I cook my motor? Had the wheel off after the last ride, put it back on and it made this sound. Took it off again and tried spinning the wheel with nuts and torque arms off, made the same sound.


Changing tubes is a pain with torque arms etc, hopefully don’t need to do it too often
 
Did I cook my motor? Had the wheel off after the last ride, put it back on and it made this sound. Took it off again and tried spinning the wheel with nuts and torque arms off, made the same sound.


Changing tubes is a pain with torque arms etc, hopefully don’t need to do it too often
I had one that warped inside due to excessive heat and the magnets were rubbing against the stator. The sound was slightly different and with lower frequency 😅
It sounds more like a shot bearing.
 
Unfortunate. You’ll need to open the motor to diagnose it, but sounds like you should be looking for a bigger motor anyway.
 
Did I cook my motor? Had the wheel off after the last ride, put it back on and it made this sound. Took it off again and tried spinning the wheel with nuts and torque arms off, made the same sound.


Changing tubes is a pain with torque arms etc, hopefully don’t need to do it too often
Check for loose debris inside the motor. That can make a similar noise when there is debris getting caught between magnet pairs as you try to spin the motor. Could be a bad bearing though.
 
Back
Top