LightningRods mid drive kit

[LightningRods]

I have a INTENSE951 downhill bike as a recipient for a new drive.

1- Can a custom BigBlock be designed...so that the secondary shaft runs through the front triangle below the shock?

Yes it can be done fairly easily. I'll be glad to take this on once I have my other custom work caught up. It would be a real help to have the bike in the shop.

2-What is the upcharge for custom work of that^ nature?...if you offer custom at all.

The upcharge is negligible. I probably should charge more. My thought is that I'll just have another layout to offer in the future.

3- I'm in Oregon too...
Big power breaks parts eventually...what kind of repair service do you offer?

Send the drive back to me (or bring it by if you're local) and I'll fix it. It's more likely that your bike will break. It's the LBS for that work.

Would I be able to bring it to you for diagnosis, repair and tuning?

Yup.

What does a full rebuild cost, if I want it professionally serviced once a year? (new bearings/belts/freewheels/etc, full overhaul)

The cost of parts, which typically aren't very expensive. Belts, pulleys, sprockets and bearings are most likely to wear. If doing maintenance and repair starts to take too much of my time I'll probably start charging for labor. Right now I don't.

Strongly considering direct drive to left side, to keep my cranks and chain guide on the right.
Do you offer that? ...or are all of them through the crank?

I plan to offer direct drive on the left this year. We can work that into your build.

Can it all come painted white...to match and blend into the frame?

It doesn't matter to me what color I paint the drive as long as I can get it in a rattle can.

 

[Leebolectric]

Thank you, really appreciate all the answers.
I'll be watching for the left drive updates

 

[emaayan]

LR, As usual, stunning work. BTW I heard Elhanan just ordered a frame. :lol:

Thanks!

He-Whose-Name-Shall-Not-Be-Mentioned can buy as many frames as he wants. I hope he's happy running a Bafang.

i shall not be named , and yet i'm still named, after all this time.

to set the record straight, (even though L-R will never see this), i did NOT order any frame, i keep toying around with ideas, nor do i have a bafang, even though it went through my mind.

what i did do is order a gng 2015, and run it at 2000w, after destroying the freewheel,and driven sprocket, i had my machinist make a new shaft ,designed an adapter for a acs crossfire 14T freewheel , and after i destroyed the magnet (long story) jon sent a replacement motor which i took out it's magnet refashioned it's shaft for a dual-d.

after reading around about other kits top watts , as well, looking around for what is consider safe speed (due to the heat in my country about all that stuff) , i'm now using 1500w controller top speed is 45kph, and because gng's motor is narrower, i also get to use a 128 mm thun torque sensor (which is still in production), and all the consumable parts (driver sprocket, driven sprocket, freewheel, crankset ) are off the shelf components, oh the chain version doesn't slip.

 

[emaayan]

btw someone should tell l-r, as i posted in the root forum, gng started selling JUST their motors http://www.gngebike.com/belt-chain-motor for 128$ (excluding shipment) those motors already include a temp sensor and 12mm keyway shaft but are 10mm thinner then his.

still i think it gives l-r the possibility for one more cheaper kit option for him to make for after market.

(he might get it a lower price if he orders them in bulks?)

 

[LightningRods]

The first four production Luna mid drives are nearly completed. The basic drive goes together pretty quickly but then the detail work on the hubs, sprockets and pulleys begins and it's slow going.

I have the motors and all of the major components for another four drives ready to go.

 

[scorpionice]

NICE...can't wait 'til mine gets back to his master and regenerate...

 

[eMTBHunter]

Ordered some fiberglass mat and epoxy resin to make a waterproof enclosure for all the electronics and a front shield to keep mud from being slung onto the motor and drive assembly.

Still trying to keep the power under control. I've got the throttle ramp dialed in better but it'll still jump the sprockets when a flat section turns into a climb while I'm in a higher gear.

For hunting the lowest 3 gears will be about perfect and it looks like it'll have about a 20 mile range with the 52v 20ah pack. Tested it by pulling my trailer with about 75lbs in it. Might still add a 42T rear sprocket when I have timberline build a rear wheelset.

On pavement in the top gear it will hit 35 mph in its current configuration no problem, even when limited to 1500w.

Unbelievably fun. Mike will get some more customers when my hunting buddies see this build completed.

 

[LightningRods]

Getting all of this power reliably to the rear wheel is the next phase. When we have three or four gears with a nice ratio spread we'll have some next level stuff going on.

A high performance two wheeled off roader doesn't need to burn gas, it doesn't need to stink or make lots of noise, and it definitely doesn't need to weigh 300 lbs.

 

[dekes1]

Mike, do you sell controllers directly yourself or do you refer people to purchase from Lyen or elsewhere instead? I'm looking for an inexpensive 72v/45A controller. Thanks

 

[LightningRods]

I buy controllers from Edward Lyen and resell them without markup as a convenience to people buying my mid drives. This is more helpful to international customers since they get the controller shipped less expensively when it's bundled with their mid drive.

If you're in the US you may as well order direct from Edward: lyen@hotmail.com

 

[spinningmagnets]

it looks like it'll have about a 20 mile range with the 52v 20ah pack

20 miles from 20-Ah is a good and efficient range, especially when crawling up hills! (the absolute most brutal user profile for an ebike). This is the result of the high RPMs that Mikes jackshaft allows the motor to spin at. If you are drawing high watts from only 200-500 RPMs, it will take high amps from the battery (big and heavy hub motors), which translates into short range from the battery, and a short life-cycle from the battery pack.

I keep reading about the hubmotor guys needing to stop and rest so the motor and controller can cool down, and also the runs at high power resulting in a short ride from a 20-AH pack...

If there was a "Trans Am" race course for off road ebikes, mid drives would destroy the hubmotors...

 

[LightningRods]

I just want to point out that this is a mid drive: http://lightningmotorcycle.com/

Hub motors have their place for sure. When it comes to simple and cheap, they're hard to beat. But if they were the answer for efficiency and performance, Zero and Lightning would be making hub motor powered motorcycles. They aren't.

 

[LightningRods]

I just received the chrome moly track cogs that I'm using for the final drive output sprocket. Here is a photo of how it all goes together. Also visible in this shot is the new eccentric or "snail" adjuster that I designed for these drives. My standard adjuster was almost impossible to reach in this orientation. With a built-in adjustment lever these eccentric adjusters are super easy.

The way that this works is that the inboard track cog and outboard freewheel cog are threaded onto a common hub that is keyed to the jackshaft axle. When the rider pedals the freewheel pawls engage and the freewheel cog turns the hub which turns the output track cog. If the rider wants to use the motor with no pedaling the motor drives the jackshaft axle which turns the hub and output cog while the pedal freewheel spins free. There is a White Industries heavy duty freewheel at the other end of the jackshaft axle that engages with the motor and freewheels with pedaling only. An ACS chrome moly freewheel cog is more than strong enough for the pedal only power on this side.

The first four of the first eight of these drives are very nearly done. I spent all day creating the pattern object for the upper frame mount and then making a mold from it. Tomorrow I'll be casting flexible urethane mounts to secure the top of these drives.

 

[Marin]

that's the most exciting thing I've seen all day,

I know what it takes to jig up for small runs, you are an artist

 

[LightningRods]

Thanks Marin. Thankfully most of my customers seem to get how hard this has been. Making this new drive available has been kicking my @$$ for the last six months. Trying to do what an entire company does, as one guy with a helper, is tough. I'm ready to get these drives to their new owners!

 

[Mammalian04]

I spent all day creating the pattern object for the upper frame mount and then making a mold from it. Tomorrow I'll be casting flexible urethane mounts to secure the top of these drives.

Nice! I can't wait to see it!

 

[pkirkll]

What a great idea for the adjuster...and it looks great too!

 

[snellemin]

I just received the chrome moly track cogs that I'm using for the final drive output sprocket. Here is a photo of how it all goes together. Also visible in this shot is the new eccentric or "snail" adjuster that I designed for these drives. My standard adjuster was almost impossible to reach in this orientation. With a built-in adjustment lever these eccentric adjusters are super easy.

That adjuster is boss. Makes my first kit from you, look like a toy.

 

[LightningRods]

I always do the best that I can. I can't help it if I keep getting better.

It's good to hear from you!

 

[Texun]

Hey Mike,

I've got an Adapto. Is it compatible with the Big Block setup? If not, I would like to go with Justin's new FOC for its small black form factor.

 

[r3volved]

FYI, I was unable to get the Phaserunner working right with the small block...
I haven't tried with Justin's latest software yet though (Dec build)...I am also a dummy and its very possible I just don't know enough electrical details yet to set that controller up.

...if you try and succeed, post the XML!!

 

[LightningRods]

The couple of people who have tried the Adaptto didn't have any luck getting it to work with my motors. Despite being brushless sensored motors the factory says they're "not compatible". Adaptto seems to have a good product but they could hardly be any less helpful than they are.

I need to send one of my motors up to Justin at Grin Tech for them to play with.

 

[pkirkll]

I second that emotion..

 

[Marin]

It seems that there are more than a few of us that would like the phaserunner to work with mikes motors.
Also most would like to just upload a setting file to make it run. We need a genius to take hold of this and work with it. Maybe there is a way to entice the grin folks to pick this up. Or someone else?

 

[LightningRods]

I'd like to work with Grin because I already have a relationship with them and trust them. I'll see what Justin says. He's usually pretty gung-ho on this sort of thing.