My Bafang Ultra Mountain Bike! Frey AM1000
- Thread starter robocam
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agedashidofu
1 W
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2017
- Messages
- 50
Drop Dead Fred said:
Would it help to go easier on the power when changing gears? This motor has like 160nm torque - so with that kind of power, it would be really punishing on the cassettes i would imagine.
The problem is that the swingarm does not support the force of the motor and it flexes. This causes the cassette to receive a lateral force for which it is not prepared.
You can test it locking the front wheel, the rear with a lot of grip and use the throttle. You can see how the swingarm flexes.
You can test it locking the front wheel, the rear with a lot of grip and use the throttle. You can see how the swingarm flexes.
Jebu said:
You could get a lot of lateral force if the chain line was extreme. Probably a lot more than frame flex would cause.
agedashidofu said:
You’re probably right. Time to take it to a shop. I’ll let everyone know what I find out.
The issue is happening once I’m already in gear, pedaling with some resistance, the chain skips regularly. Especially bad on the highest gear but has started happening on the second highest as well.
Ambient2010
100 µW
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2018
- Messages
- 7
I had problems with the XT and the 11er cassette to adjust it clean. Meanwhile, I have found a good attitude. At first I also had 2 times that the chain jumped under a lot of load. Now that the show has been readjusted and better adjusted, I no longer have skipping.
Also very important after delivery of the bike is to check all screws also from the rear of the suspension that they are tightened with the right force. Because they are sometimes quite loose and the backbone strongly entwined. After properly tightening all screws, this is only minimal.
I drove a Haibike 7.0 in which the rear has also slightly warped when accelerating.
LG Daniel
Also very important after delivery of the bike is to check all screws also from the rear of the suspension that they are tightened with the right force. Because they are sometimes quite loose and the backbone strongly entwined. After properly tightening all screws, this is only minimal.
I drove a Haibike 7.0 in which the rear has also slightly warped when accelerating.
LG Daniel
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2013
- Messages
- 1,903
qqquent said:
sounds like your cassette small cogs are worn.. this can be checked by a competent bike shop.. 11 tooth rear cog is too small for a motorized bike, as small sprockets will wear quickly even under human power only.. except with a pedal only bike one probably wouldn't often be starting in the highest gears.. but with a motor one may be more tempted to start out and use the higher gears more for higher speeds and since the motor is doing most of the work.. switch to a cassette with 13 teeth smallest sprocket and the cassette and chain will last much longer.. also do not start out in high gear, start in the lower gears then shift to harder gears as needed once underway.. if you want the higher speeds then consider a larger front chain ring instead of a small rear cog..
DaninSpain said:
Edit: Edinburgh Bicycles found me a new bolt! All sorted. I leave this post as a reminder to check your cranks before they fall off...
Oh no, it happened to me too now. I managed to get 50km out of it though. Why did I not put some loctight on after reading this post? It would have been such an easy fix of a known issue and now I cannot use my bike.
Any ideas where I can get a spare bolt in the UK? And what type of washer do I need? I could kick myself.I got very addicted to this bike in the past weeks. I live next to a lovely trail in Leeds, UK and I have been out every day since the weather improved. The torque sensor settings need to be adjusted because the power kicks in too early and too hard for my taste and puts unnecessary strain on the chain but so far this is my only thing that needs improving. The bike handles great, is easy to ride and never lets you down. Because of the low center of gravity it is really nice to go downhill with it. The weight when moving the bike around is impressive. Once your on it it becomes weightless. I feel like I am flying trough the woods. Compared to my old bike, a hard tail, this thing just goes over anything. Because I am rather careful rider I have not pushed it too far yet. But everyday I discover how much more this bike is capable of. Its such a smooth ride. I ordered a little GoPro gimbal to go on my helmet and I will share a video as soon as it arrives.
Can any one point me into the right direction for the bolt? (Edit: Sorted!)
Cheers,
Kerim
DaninSpain
100 mW
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2018
- Messages
- 46
I have now completed 500 miles of a mixture of light trails and road use.
Overall, I really like this bike, I look forward to riding it and it makes me smile.
Here are a few pro's and con's (Ivy, feel free to chip in any time
Cons:
1. Crank nut lost on first ride. Solved by ordering this:
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B019J4R54G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These don't undo themselves and haven't had a problem since.
2. My display is not waterproof and let's in moisture. The first time I washed it (carefully) I didn't notice until the next time I rode in the sun and it fogged up to almost unreadable. I did report the damage to Frey, but they have done nothing to remedy the fault. It's possible they forgot about me, but the fault remains.
3. The decals started to peel off the first time I washed the bike.
4. This is probably my biggest gripe, but I think it could be addressed with some clever software adjustment. When I stop peddling, the power continues for around a second and a half, which when you need the assistance to stop, seems like a lifetime, and it has put me in real danger several times. Apart from the danger aspect, when you release power to change to a higher gear, that gear slams into place because the motor is still working. In higher power modes it's pretty obvious it's not doing the transmission any good at all.
As a temporary work around, I have got used to touching the brakes (which cuts the power immediately) just before I change gear.
If anyone has worked out how to make the motor cut out quicker, please do tell
5. Throttle Range of Movement: Nothing for the first half.
6. I wanted to change the seat post for a dropper, only to find the AM1000 has an unusual diameter. I think this may have been addressed on the newer bikes, but that doesn't help me
Pro's
Don't get me wrong, I Love this bike, and none of the above problems are unsurmountable by FREY.
1. The AM1000 gets A LOT of attention out and about. This is good, but bad as well because of the bike is illegal to use on public highways in Spain, so prefer to stay under the radar..... But it just looks so badass lol.
2. The power when climbing in a low gear just blows me away, every time. For me this is the biggest smile factor. I never get used to it
3. The Throttle is great for when I come across something a little too technical for me (doesn't take much), I know I don't have to worry about pedalling.
4. It's fast and practical: I can happily cruise along at 30mph on level 5 (sport mode), which means with the rack and panniers attached I go to our nearest shopping mall, 15 miles away pretty much as fast as I can in the car.
5. This one was unexpected, but I get more exercise on this than I do on my regular mountain bike. I think it has something to do with effort and reward. On this bike you put the effort in and you are rewarded by speed and a super powerful feeling...which makes you push even harder. Whereas, on my non assisted MTB, I would put in huge effort and not really reap the reward that I felt was justified by that amount of effort. Anyway, needless to say, my average heart rate on my rides is around 177bpm. Pretty high considering I'm 54yrs old and on a "cheating" bike.
Hope this has helped anyone thinking about buying a Frey AM1000.
Overall, I really like this bike, I look forward to riding it and it makes me smile.
Here are a few pro's and con's (Ivy, feel free to chip in any time
Cons:
1. Crank nut lost on first ride. Solved by ordering this:
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B019J4R54G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These don't undo themselves and haven't had a problem since.
2. My display is not waterproof and let's in moisture. The first time I washed it (carefully) I didn't notice until the next time I rode in the sun and it fogged up to almost unreadable. I did report the damage to Frey, but they have done nothing to remedy the fault. It's possible they forgot about me, but the fault remains.
3. The decals started to peel off the first time I washed the bike.
4. This is probably my biggest gripe, but I think it could be addressed with some clever software adjustment. When I stop peddling, the power continues for around a second and a half, which when you need the assistance to stop, seems like a lifetime, and it has put me in real danger several times. Apart from the danger aspect, when you release power to change to a higher gear, that gear slams into place because the motor is still working. In higher power modes it's pretty obvious it's not doing the transmission any good at all.
As a temporary work around, I have got used to touching the brakes (which cuts the power immediately) just before I change gear.
If anyone has worked out how to make the motor cut out quicker, please do tell
5. Throttle Range of Movement: Nothing for the first half.
6. I wanted to change the seat post for a dropper, only to find the AM1000 has an unusual diameter. I think this may have been addressed on the newer bikes, but that doesn't help me
Pro's
Don't get me wrong, I Love this bike, and none of the above problems are unsurmountable by FREY.
1. The AM1000 gets A LOT of attention out and about. This is good, but bad as well because of the bike is illegal to use on public highways in Spain, so prefer to stay under the radar..... But it just looks so badass lol.
2. The power when climbing in a low gear just blows me away, every time. For me this is the biggest smile factor. I never get used to it
3. The Throttle is great for when I come across something a little too technical for me (doesn't take much), I know I don't have to worry about pedalling.
4. It's fast and practical: I can happily cruise along at 30mph on level 5 (sport mode), which means with the rack and panniers attached I go to our nearest shopping mall, 15 miles away pretty much as fast as I can in the car.
5. This one was unexpected, but I get more exercise on this than I do on my regular mountain bike. I think it has something to do with effort and reward. On this bike you put the effort in and you are rewarded by speed and a super powerful feeling...which makes you push even harder. Whereas, on my non assisted MTB, I would put in huge effort and not really reap the reward that I felt was justified by that amount of effort. Anyway, needless to say, my average heart rate on my rides is around 177bpm. Pretty high considering I'm 54yrs old and on a "cheating" bike.
Hope this has helped anyone thinking about buying a Frey AM1000.
Ivanovitch_k
10 W
kerim said:
FYI they are standard-issue M14 x 10mm ISIS crank bolts.
speaking of bolts, I may be nit-picking, but I believe Frey could do a better machining job with some of their bearing covers & axle spacers...
I know the covers are a new addition to the am1000, before v2018 frames most bearing were uncovered, so even though this is a step in the right direction, it might be done better. Strangely, most of them are machined correctly but the ones for the lower rocker bearing totally look like they were a botched lathing job, proof of concept prototype kind...
It doesn't do justice to the rest of the build, to say the least !
DaninSpain said:I have now completed 500 miles of a mixture of light trails and road use.
Overall, I really like this bike, I look forward to riding it and it makes me smile.
Here are a few pro's and con's (Ivy, feel free to chip in any time
Cons:
1. Crank nut lost on first ride. Solved by ordering this:
https://www.amazon.es/gp/product/B019J4R54G/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
These don't undo themselves and haven't had a problem since.
2. My display is not waterproof and let's in moisture. The first time I washed it (carefully) I didn't notice until the next time I rode in the sun and it fogged up to almost unreadable. I did report the damage to Frey, but they have done nothing to remedy the fault. It's possible they forgot about me, but the fault remains.
2018-03-20 12.35.40.jpg
3. The decals started to peel off the first time I washed the bike.
4. This is probably my biggest gripe, but I think it could be addressed with some clever software adjustment. When I stop peddling, the power continues for around a second and a half, which when you need the assistance to stop, seems like a lifetime, and it has put me in real danger several times. Apart from the danger aspect, when you release power to change to a higher gear, that gear slams into place because the motor is still working. In higher power modes it's pretty obvious it's not doing the transmission any good at all.
As a temporary work around, I have got used to touching the brakes (which cuts the power immediately) just before I change gear.
If anyone has worked out how to make the motor cut out quicker, please do tell
5. Throttle Range of Movement: Nothing for the first half.
6. I wanted to change the seat post for a dropper, only to find the AM1000 has an unusual diameter. I think this may have been addressed on the newer bikes, but that doesn't help me
Pro's
Don't get me wrong, I Love this bike, and none of the above problems are unsurmountable by FREY.
1. The AM1000 gets A LOT of attention out and about. This is good, but bad as well because of the bike is illegal to use on public highways in Spain, so prefer to stay under the radar..... But it just looks so badass lol.
2. The power when climbing in a low gear just blows me away, every time. For me this is the biggest smile factor. I never get used to it
3. The Throttle is great for when I come across something a little too technical for me (doesn't take much), I know I don't have to worry about pedalling.
4. It's fast and practical: I can happily cruise along at 30mph on level 5 (sport mode), which means with the rack and panniers attached I go to our nearest shopping mall, 15 miles away pretty much as fast as I can in the car.
5. This one was unexpected, but I get more exercise on this than I do on my regular mountain bike. I think it has something to do with effort and reward. On this bike you put the effort in and you are rewarded by speed and a super powerful feeling...which makes you push even harder. Whereas, on my non assisted MTB, I would put in huge effort and not really reap the reward that I felt was justified by that amount of effort. Anyway, needless to say, my average heart rate on my rides is around 177bpm. Pretty high considering I'm 54yrs old and on a "cheating" bike.
Hope this has helped anyone thinking about buying a Frey AM1000.
Go and get a Derailleur Gear Sensor and install it on your bike http://gearsensor.com/
It will fix your issue during changing gears and prolong your Cog Chain etc.. I had discuss it before on this forum and surprise it was not being implemented by Frey.
I rode mine ebike with Ultra Max Hardtail for more than 1000 mile the Cassette, derailleur and chain still feel like new. The system I am using was SRAM EX1 system. Those looking for reliable bike chain should try Taya with DHT Technology. This chain was as good or better than the original EX1 chain.
Decal, Frey should not use sticker, as my bike manufacture use painting with UV protection and it still looks great.
Cheers
Haha, DaninSpain, I know what you mean with the attention. Everywhere you go people want to know what kind of bike that is. Especially here in the uk e-bikes are seen as cheating bikes so they are not very common. I normally let people have a go and they come back with big smiles. It’s definitely the wrong bike if you want to stay under the radar. I have never used mine on a road yet. Sounds like fun. Maybe i should have a go at it.
DaninSpain said:4. This is probably my biggest gripe, but I think it could be addressed with some clever software adjustment. When I stop peddling, the power continues for around a second and a half, which when you need the assistance to stop, seems like a lifetime, and it has put me in real danger several times. Apart from the danger aspect, when you release power to change to a higher gear, that gear slams into place because the motor is still working. In higher power modes it's pretty obvious it's not doing the transmission any good at all.
As a temporary work around, I have got used to touching the brakes (which cuts the power immediately) just before I change gear.
If anyone has worked out how to make the motor cut out quicker, please do tell
5. Throttle Range of Movement: Nothing for the first half.
Thanks for posting the review.
When you stop pedaling the power stays on for some time period. Try pedaling backwards slightly and see if it instantly stops.
For the throttle range, this is programmable in the software. If the software is not available, it generally works to add a resistor in series with the throttle ground to bring it up. An adjustable pot is best until you know the exact value. Usually around 100 ohms will shorten up the dead band and make the response much smoother at the low end.
DaninSpain
100 mW
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2018
- Messages
- 46
Hoojsn and Fechter: Thanks for the advice. I will add a gear sensor to my bike, but in the meantime pedalling back slightly has been a bit of a revelation as it's quite a natural movement and it works. God knows why haven't thought of that before. Sometimes the obvious needs to be pointed out 
This morning I sat at my local cafe, nervously drinking a coffee whilst a bunch of local police (who'd also been drinking coffee), stood around my bike...admiring it. I was half expecting them to ask me for a go, at which point the game would have truly been up. Fortunately they were happy to just stand there nodding their approval
Fechter, your last paragraph about the throttle; you lost me after the first line :lol: I need to borrow a Windows PC to adjust the settings as I'm a Mac only dude. When I get around to it I will get the software up and running to look at the throttle settings. Anyone done this yet to lessen the dead area?
Thanks again.
Dan
This morning I sat at my local cafe, nervously drinking a coffee whilst a bunch of local police (who'd also been drinking coffee), stood around my bike...admiring it. I was half expecting them to ask me for a go, at which point the game would have truly been up. Fortunately they were happy to just stand there nodding their approval
Fechter, your last paragraph about the throttle; you lost me after the first line :lol: I need to borrow a Windows PC to adjust the settings as I'm a Mac only dude. When I get around to it I will get the software up and running to look at the throttle settings. Anyone done this yet to lessen the dead area?
Thanks again.
Dan
DaninSpain said:
Yes, I think you need a Windows PC and the right programming cable. I haven't tried the Ultra programming software, but it looks very similar to the BBSHD which I use. Below is how it looks in the BBSHD/02 software. If the dead band at the low end of the throttle is too big, then lowering the Start Voltage should help. It may take some trial and error to get right. If you set it too low, it could be trying to run even at zero throttle and fault.
DaninSpain
100 mW
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2018
- Messages
- 46
Thanks a lot Fechter. It's very much appreciated that you took the time to illustrate that for me.
I'll blag a Win PC from someone and give it a go.
I'll blag a Win PC from someone and give it a go.
For anyone interested in the Torque settings...
Karl Gesslein made modifications, but only because he had a Ludicrous controller. This was specific to a Ludicrous controller to correct lurchy startup behavior.
The ONLY numbers Karl modified from factory settings were MinCur%, MaxCur% and KeepCur% in the Spd0% and Spd20% columns.
Karl changed factory MaxCur% set at 100 and 100 to 6 and 50 for Spd0 and Spd20
Karl changed factory MinCur% set at 10 and 10 to 2 and 5 for Spd0 and Spd20
Karl changed factory KeepCur% set at 4 and 4 to 2 and 2 for Spd0 and Spd20
MinCur(%) : must be less than MaxCur(%). percentage of the Limit Current% from page one based on the current power level setting on the PAS display that will be applied when the Start(Kg) pressure is applied to the bike based on the speed that the crank is currently turning (Spd0-100).
MaxCur(%) : percentage of Limit Current% from page one based on the current power level setting on the PAS display that will be applied when Full(Kg) pressure is applied to the bike based on the speed that the crank is currently turning (Spd0-100).
KeepCur(%) : must be equal or less than MinCur or the software throws an error. amount of power that the drive unit will put out if you turn the pedals without pushing at all on them. Karl lowered these in the Spd0 and Spd20 columns from the factory defaults only because it threw an error when he dropped the MinCur% below this variable.
I'll post an image of the settings from Frey if they're any different than factory settings.
Cheers,
Sean
Orinda, CA
Karl Gesslein made modifications, but only because he had a Ludicrous controller. This was specific to a Ludicrous controller to correct lurchy startup behavior.
The ONLY numbers Karl modified from factory settings were MinCur%, MaxCur% and KeepCur% in the Spd0% and Spd20% columns.
Karl changed factory MaxCur% set at 100 and 100 to 6 and 50 for Spd0 and Spd20
Karl changed factory MinCur% set at 10 and 10 to 2 and 5 for Spd0 and Spd20
Karl changed factory KeepCur% set at 4 and 4 to 2 and 2 for Spd0 and Spd20
MinCur(%) : must be less than MaxCur(%). percentage of the Limit Current% from page one based on the current power level setting on the PAS display that will be applied when the Start(Kg) pressure is applied to the bike based on the speed that the crank is currently turning (Spd0-100).
MaxCur(%) : percentage of Limit Current% from page one based on the current power level setting on the PAS display that will be applied when Full(Kg) pressure is applied to the bike based on the speed that the crank is currently turning (Spd0-100).
KeepCur(%) : must be equal or less than MinCur or the software throws an error. amount of power that the drive unit will put out if you turn the pedals without pushing at all on them. Karl lowered these in the Spd0 and Spd20 columns from the factory defaults only because it threw an error when he dropped the MinCur% below this variable.
I'll post an image of the settings from Frey if they're any different than factory settings.
Cheers,
Sean
Orinda, CA
Ivanovitch_k
10 W
DaninSpain said:
You could also use your Mac with bootcamp to run native windows or virtualize it straight under OS X with parallel desktop / vm ware / wine ...
Works perfectly for me.
For the programming cable it’s just a dumb USB to UART converter, FTDI FT232 or one of it’s clones. “Bafang” programming cables are just that but conveniently Higo-conn terminated at a huge markup.
Drop Dead Fred
100 W
- Joined
- Dec 16, 2017
- Messages
- 120
You should be able to just unplug it. I remove mine whenever I go ride class 1 trails.
18650 said:
Sorry for the long post, just thought I'd share some photos...
Not a great photo, but just for size comparison, the two Freys side by side:
The only "modification" I've made so far was to move the gel saddle from the fat tire Frey to the white Frey to be comfortable on a ride I did on Friday. As someone else pointed out earlier, the seat posts are different sizes, so I had to actually move the saddle by itself.
The white Frey is a 500 watt motor, so I'll call it a Frey AM500:
The fat tire Frey is 1000 watt, so I guess it's a Frey FAT1000
Minor chain clearance issue with the AM500 with the non-standard 27.5x3.0 tires:
Minor paint issue with the FAT1000:
Not sure if I measured correctly, but...
The back of the AM500:
The back of the FAT1000:
The front of the AM500:
Both the G510.500 and the G510.1000 controllers have a wire to run a light off the battery which turns on and off with the same button that controls the day and night setting of the DPC-18 display:
The front of the FAT1000:
And here are screen shots of the programming as it came from Frey (appears to be factory default for Torque):
(I know that you hold down the "+" button to switch between Eco mode and Sport mode, but does anyone know what the differences are between the two modes and is there any way to change them?
Here's a good video from someone who made some improvements to the Torque settings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWCR3iV3d9I
Cheers,
Sean
Orinda, CA
Not a great photo, but just for size comparison, the two Freys side by side:
The only "modification" I've made so far was to move the gel saddle from the fat tire Frey to the white Frey to be comfortable on a ride I did on Friday. As someone else pointed out earlier, the seat posts are different sizes, so I had to actually move the saddle by itself.
The white Frey is a 500 watt motor, so I'll call it a Frey AM500:
The fat tire Frey is 1000 watt, so I guess it's a Frey FAT1000
Minor chain clearance issue with the AM500 with the non-standard 27.5x3.0 tires:
Minor paint issue with the FAT1000:
Not sure if I measured correctly, but...
The back of the AM500:
The back of the FAT1000:
The front of the AM500:
Both the G510.500 and the G510.1000 controllers have a wire to run a light off the battery which turns on and off with the same button that controls the day and night setting of the DPC-18 display:
The front of the FAT1000:
And here are screen shots of the programming as it came from Frey (appears to be factory default for Torque):
(I know that you hold down the "+" button to switch between Eco mode and Sport mode, but does anyone know what the differences are between the two modes and is there any way to change them?
Here's a good video from someone who made some improvements to the Torque settings:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kWCR3iV3d9I
Cheers,
Sean
Orinda, CA
hoojsn said:
Yes, you and me both. The G521.500 says it uses a mounting plate like this:
The G510.500 is an older version, most likely replaced by the G521.500. It uses the same mounting as the 750 and 1000, so I don't think I can upgrade to the newer lighter 500 watt, but I could upgrade to the heavy 750 or 1000.
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