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LightningRods mid drive kit

I am using 26" x 2.5" maxxis holy Roller tires that will not be good for goatheads, also using this size of tire be careful pedaling thru a u turn, don't ask me how I know, lol.


Also I have had and am having a great experience with Mike and his products and experience, It's too bad we all get a bad client once in a while, if people do there research before purchasing there is enough information to give all sides of this story and make a decision before purchase.

thanks to Mike, keep it up it's all good,
 
pkirkll said:
I'm using a 52v 20ah from Luna. It easily fits the battery box (but you have to trim off at least one of the middle tabs that is used to mount the cover). I also used pieces of an old 1/2" thick foam sleeping pad to cushion the battery and keep it from rattling around in the box.

I'm afraid you may have an issue with pedal strike if you go to motto wheels. Eric warned me about that when I inquired.

Jeremy
Click to expand...

pedal strike-----??? why would moto wheels and tires cause a pedal strike? ------Do you mean striking the ground?

obviously i havent ridden bikes in some time--

Last thing i rode was a trike, and pedal strike there was when i hit my shin with the bearclaw pedals! during a crosschain at a red light!!--- yeeeeouch[/quote]

I was referring to the pedals hitting the ground. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

Jeremy
 
Thanks to bowhunter, spinning magnets, and marin----

So i need to get a taller wheel and tire---i dont want to hit a rock in the desert and go overboard in a dry lake bed!!!

I'm 6' 2" so i can handle a little height--dont want to get to high tho and get off CG

OK, Spinning magnets, thanks for that reference point---A 29er sounds like the wheel i may start with or taller if i can find one--

Researching this hard---dont want to send Mike the wrong sized wheels----

I really appreciate the help from all of you ---i have worn mike out with questions and he needs to be in the shop not on the computer-- :lol:
 
pkirkll said:
Thanks Jeremy---
Mike is doing a great job!

Questions for you---- What wheels and tires are you using? --

Will they be ok from goatheads???

Do you have them where you are?

[strike]Did you have to build your rear wheel with a dish to make the chainline work?[/strike]

I will be prospecting with mine and need stealth sometimes.... definitely need to get up hills and i think the rohloff will help me there....

Your bike is crazy looking!!!
i borrowed some of your pics and put them on my FB page to show people what i was getting--they all loved it!

I hope you didnt mind...... You have a winner there....
paul
Click to expand...
 
I just spoke with Tyler at Cycle Monkey...

[strike]He is going to help me get a wheelset built...[/strike]

He has 2 questions i thought i would ask here ---- i had to let Mike go to the shop!!!--- lol

1. What is the rear offset?---____________ (the Rohloff is 54mm.)

2. What is the front fork spacing?_____


*Side note- He looked at the Luna frame on the website and thinks that a 26 x 4" Vittoria would work for my application---this would keep me very close to the stock setup and help me with the goathead situation (tubeless)

As i am trying to understand that a taller wheel means a smaller width tire which has less height or profile size-----so that means I dont really gain any ground clearance going with a wheel that has a larger diameter than the 26 x 4...

If this thinking doesnt jive, let me know----
 
Finally got a little video (im riding BB) of my buddy Sean on his SB. It's his second ride, so he's still getting used to the gearing. Not the best footage but I've owed MIke some video for what seems like 2 years.

https://vimeo.com/158660944

thanks for the good times and support Mike!
 
Great video Zack! Well worth the wait. It's always more fun when you have someone to ride with.

Thanks for all of the testing and development work you've done. I know that the gang will love the off road parts we've been talking about.
 
I fired up the Luna drive and spun the wheel for the first time tonight after mounting the controller, lots still to do but it's alive,

IMG_2975.jpg

real smooth right off the bat, this drive came fully assembled and adjusted, thanks Mike
 
The first version that I built of this drive had side plates that trapped the frame tubes. Once I started working with the drive on the bike (not a luxury that I usually have) I realized that customers would have to take the drive apart to install it on the bike. I've been trying to ship drives as assembled and ready to run as possible. So I scrapped the first run of main side plates and redesigned them so that the drive can slip in and out of the frame fully assembled. Much better.

I really like these mid bike drives. It feels good to get the last of the GNG dna out of my designs.
 
Mike have you ever considered something along these lines for the higher powered end?

simple-gearbox-anim.gif


Gearbox-1.jpg


complete DIY of how he made it http://www.thepixelpump.com/widdershins/how-to-2speed-transmission.php

Just thought of you because a lot of the bits and pieces look like your field.

Anyhow sorry if this is unrelated ranting....
 
Thanks for posting that John. These "Thud" 2 speed sprocket transmissions have interested me for some time.

I have thought A LOT about transmissions for these electric motorbikes we're building. Standard bicycle fare is clearly not up to the job. We've gone way beyond what bicycle components can handle and could have a lot more performance if the driveline could handle it. At first I was just focused on making the drives themselves hold together. Now the problem is getting the power to the rear wheel.

I have a couple of other solutions that I'm going to try first before going to a full on transmission like you might find in a moped or motorcycle. My first stop is a reliable single speed that is fairly easy to install on a standard bike. The big block clearly has the power to go single speed. The final driveline just has to be motorcycle strong to take the strain.
 
john,

the thud transmission looks like something out of the 1930's my dad and grandpa built for pulling the sand drag at our sand pit. Most modern transmissions avoid parallel shafts because of eccentric loading, high tooth pressures and size. Todays silent transmissions use planetary gears where you get concentric loading, lower tooth pressures and compactness. There are plenty of 2 speed planetary gear transmissions out there for purchase.

see: http://www.apexdynamicsusa.com/products/in-line-planetary-gearboxes.html

find the PL model at the bottom of the page.

http://www.apexdynamicsusa.com/products/pl-series-high-precision-planetary-gearboxes.html

The PL series can take 143 NM of torque.
 
Mike,

Do you have any standard 1500w motors in stock ready for sale and fedex pick up ?

Thanks,
Remus
 
Dingus, thanks for the links.

Actually, I got carried away recently looking at single speed reduction gear boxes as a way of escaping shafts and adapters and bearings and sprockets etc. Didn't see something that would actually work in the dimensions of a bicycle though. More specifically, at the power the big block is capable of, the bicycle / shifting drive train is both incapable or inconsequential of keeping up. Having said all this...

Maybe I missed it, but did your links refer to more than 1 speed?

After having ridden the big block for some time as a single speed the only way forward I can see is being able to transfer that enormous power into one more gear.

I also studied up on the pit bike 4 speed trannies and the weight and size and the ability to then cut out the carby/ piston / oil pumping around just turned me off.

bit off the LR topic now so lets pm if you like...

cheers
 
Remus said:
Do you have any standard 1500w motors in stock ready for sale and fedex pick up ?
Click to expand...

An order of small block motors just shipped by air freight. I should have them by the end of this week or beginning of next. I have big block motors in shop for all current orders and just paid for another shipment that will be here in 2-3 weeks.

I'm completely caught up on front mount mid drive orders. There is no backlog. Production of the kits still takes 30 days because I have to order the laser cut and machined components. I offer so many size variations (more than 16 for the lower bracket alone) that I can't afford to stock all of them. I will start stocking some of the most popular size kits for immediate delivery.
 
Foppel, that's the best video so far! I'm jealous because I have an LR small block, but Kansas is flat. I have visited Missouri, Washington, Colorado, and Oregon and I love the forest in the mountains. Having a good mid drive in the mountains would be like a roller coaster that just keeps running...
 
Thanks guys,

need some advise on my throttle-setting on the Smallblock-Kit. Throttle act like a on/off switch. you can see in the Video (first few seconds) how less i turn the throttle, and how much it reacts... how can i set this in the CAV3?
i only want a wider range on the throttle, so when i turn the trottle fast, the power should still come instant. I dont want a gain smoothing something out and limiting acceleration or power.

i only found about 10 different ramps (gain) in the menues...
 
Someone may be able to get you a perfect throttle to your liking but I would like to add:

If in this video you were running higher power than you usually would (you had some hills) this when the throttle becomes clearly a thing to tame.

I found that only soft core riding was nice to have more than the "on or off effect."

Going rough and / or steep for me requires a WOT grip and the computer irons out the rest.

I just grab WOT all the time, and it creeps it in smoothely and you get used to balancing your body to the settings.
 
Dt Swiss hub. Kmc 3/16. 18t or bigger. Zip tie your deraileur close to the cog. You won't skip a beat, but your frame may taco.

2am, just home from a night ride with the boys... So much fun.
 
Mike wrote:
So you have lots of "dead zone" where turning the throttle does nothing? Is the dead zone at the beginning of rotation, the end, or both?

i dont have a "dead zone" at the start. the first few milimeters of turning the throttle let the bike go from 0 to 100%. When i turn the throttle more its still 100%.
I would like to have 0 to 100% on the whole throttle-range.

last ride, i just had to re-grip the throttle while clumsy hitting a root --> throttle turned a bit --> bike flys away :roll:

John Bozi, i dont know any other then the on/off-switch behavier on that bike.
I really would like a better "throttlerange to power-Setting" for both, soft and hard riding.
 
So all of your dead zone is at the end of rotation. What this means is that your throttle puts out a 5v signal almost immediately. Do you have a multimeter that you can measure the output of the signal wire with? It has to read 0v with throttle closed or the motor would be running. If you are getting a full 5v signal almost right away you have a bad throttle. Ideally it should be 0v at start, begin ramping up right away, and progressively increase until you hit the stop at which point it should read 5v. Most cheap Chinese throttles have a section at the beginning where nothing happens and then they reach full 5v well before hitting the WFO stop.

A clever woman named Denisewa here on the Forum used resistors inline to tune her throttle. She rode trials and so wanted control more than anything else.
 
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