New Bafang Crank-Drives

[Aushiker]

The only negative so far that I hadn't anticipated are the brake levers, which are wobbly and crap, and not really suited for use with mechanical disc brakes (too much travel makes them all spongy) has anyone tried it with a hidden wire brake sensor, or know of any other aftermarket brake levers with the switches?

I use the HWBS and it has been reasonably reliable ... had a couple of incidents where it killed the motor: disconnecting the cable to the sensor and reconnecting it sorted the problem.

Andrew

 

[astmacca]

[ has anyone tried it with a hidden wire brake sensor, ]

I have a HWBS on the front brake (since that handle had the derallier shifter integrated so i kept using it) and use the switched handle supplied with the kit for the rear brake.

I agree the kit supplied brake handles are a bit of a disappointment.

Yup, the HWBS works well on my bike. Well, it just works and cuts the motor off instantly i touch the handle.

 

[Gouty]

Thanks for the info. It looks like that will be my next purchase then so I can put my old brakes back (although I might have to wait until after Christmas when my wallet has recuperated)

I wonder why the brakes are so bad when the rest of the kit seems to be of pretty good, solid quality?

Also, does anyone have any suggestions on waterproofing the connections on this kit? I would just use a bit of electrical tape on each connection, but I know that has tendency to go from sticky to slimy over a longer period of time.

 

[Tom L]

The BBS0x connectors are water resistant enough to get you safely through the occasional rain shower but if you really want to seal them up use self amalgamating tape - not electrical tape.

 

[KINNINVIEKID]

The connections are waterproof as standard,
I regularly go through a ford where the water comes to the top of the motor and have never had a problem.
I have ridden through heavy rain as well and with a plastic bag over the throttle had no problems

 

[0utrider]

the brake levers, which are wobbly and crap, and not really suited for use with mechanical disc brakes

HA! I'm not the only one! Thank you for sharing your observations. I thought I got a reject pair. Now I know I'm not the only one. I'll be looking for a better way to do this like many have done.

 

[0utrider]

I think I found a tool that will work

These both worked perfectly:

The Bike Hand tool came with a kit and works for the retaining nut PERFECTLY.
The main nut is tightened with the adjustable bottom bracket spanner from XLC. It works pretty darn good. At least a HECK of a lot better than the hammer and screwdriver method I had used in the past. I easily tightened about a third of a turn tighter with this tool than before.

The adjustable spanner can be had for about 5 bucks.

 

[Tom L]

The connections are waterproof as standard,
I regularly go through a ford where the water comes to the top of the motor and have never had a problem.
I have ridden through heavy rain as well and with a plastic bag over the throttle had no problems

The 4pin battery connector that comes with the Lectric Cycles kit isn't water resistant. Neither are bullet or Anderson connectors.

 

[mfj197]

The connections are waterproof as standard,
I regularly go through a ford where the water comes to the top of the motor and have never had a problem.
I have ridden through heavy rain as well and with a plastic bag over the throttle had no problems

Water up to the top of the motor - that is impressive! I haven't mounted my BBS01 kit yet (still deciding on host bike) but I'll probably add additional waterproofing to the connectors by using heatshrink tubing over the joints. I commute in all weather so need it to be watertight.

Michael

 

[skyungjae]

I find that most standard connectors (bullets, andersons, etc) are fine in downpours. The ones on the BBS-0X are very tight and the male ends bell out for a decent seal. So long as you don't plan on swimming with your bike or riding through knee deep creeks, you should be fine.

 

[tomjasz]

The connections are waterproof as standard,
I regularly go through a ford where the water comes to the top of the motor and have never had a problem.
I have ridden through heavy rain as well and with a plastic bag over the throttle had no problems

The 4pin battery connector that comes with the Lectric Cycles kit isn't water resistant. Neither are bullet or Anderson connectors.

Dumb question, but why does LC use a 4 pin? I also don't understand why I can't source the latest Bafang connectors. It's a lot neater than andersons or other commonly use options. I was hoping to splice in a watt meter for occasional use using the Bafang parts. Are there any other neat clean nearly waterproof connectors? Oh, and I have found the amalgamating tape. A good tip!

 

[dbaker]

IIRC Ypedal had some kits with those new connectors...

 

[twain]

The connections are waterproof as standard,
I regularly go through a ford where the water comes to the top of the motor and have never had a problem.
I have ridden through heavy rain as well and with a plastic bag over the throttle had no problems

The 4pin battery connector that comes with the Lectric Cycles kit isn't water resistant. Neither are bullet or Anderson connectors.

Dumb question, but why does LC use a 4 pin? I also don't understand why I can't source the latest Bafang connectors. It's a lot neater than andersons or other commonly use options. I was hoping to splice in a watt meter for occasional use using the Bafang parts. Are there any other neat clean nearly waterproof connectors? Oh, and I have found the amalgamating tape. A good tip!

Hi tomjasz,

With the LC 4pin connector, are all four of the pins in use -ie making connections in parallel?

Having multiple connections in parallel is a common method for reducing the current on each individual connection point, thereby making the overall connection more reliable.

It also makes the overall connection more efficient since there will be less millivolts of voltage drop across it when there are multiple connection points in parallel.

Cheers

 

[Tom L]

Yes two pins are use in parallel for both (+)ve and (-)ve.

 

[scfoster]

Furthering the brake lever discussion.... I agree the levers that come with the BBS02 kit are crap. I intentionally got a donor bike with hydraulic brakes but now face trying to find a suitable cut-off switch. All of the ones I've seen, including the ones listed on em3ev.com, specifically state they are not compatible with hydraulic brakes.

Found 2 different sites that list hydraulic brake compatible sensors:

http://www.eclipsebikes.com/bafang-bbs01-bbs02-hydraulic-brake-sensors-p-1109.html. Unfortunately these are in the UK and I would prefer a USA based source.

The second are from GreenBikeKit (http://www.greenbikekit.com/bbs01-bbs02-brake-sensor.html), however they look suspiciously similar to the one listed as NOT compatible with hydraulic brakes.

Any thoughts/experience would be appreciated.

 

[tumich]

Looks the same as this for 17$ from China. From here: http://www.elifebike.com/peng/iview.asp?KeyID=dtpic-2014-C5-0JU4.7TTSP

 

[scfoster]

Thought I'd post another thought/question. The BBS02 is designed for a 68mm wide bottom bracket (where the crank spindle goes through the frame).

The BB width for the bike I purchased is 73mm. 5mm doesn't sound like much but while I could get the BBS02 installed (less one of the locking rings), the resulting chain line is horrible (approx 59mm). So, I've thought about grinding down the chain side by 5mm. Below is a picture of the current install, showing the weld and available area for grinding. Glad I took the photo, as I noticed a bolt was missing!! Yes everything is dirty. Been raining off and on for the past two weeks.

Thoughts on the grinding process?

 

[scfoster]

Looks the same as this for 17$ from China. From here: http://www.elifebike.com/peng/iview.asp?KeyID=dtpic-2014-C5-0JU4.7TTSP

Thanks!!!

 

[dbaker]

Remove only enough to clear chain ring to frame and gear case to frame.

 

[Aushiker]

The second are from GreenBikeKit (http://www.greenbikekit.com/bbs01-bbs02-brake-sensor.html), however they look suspiciously similar to the one listed as NOT compatible with hydraulic brakes.

This is a Hidden Brake Wire Sensor so is designed for mechanical brakes not hydraulic brakes. The brake cable is run through the sensor and I assume the sensor then detects movement in the wire. I have one of these with my mechanical disc brakes.

Andrew

 

[tomcortijo]

So, I am about to finish my world record ride and my second BBS02 is still running strong, details:

- Heavy rain is no problem. I rode my bike in really heavy rain, the only part i really protected was the battery/motor connection.
- After a day in heavy rain I make sure i lube the motor from the ring (if not, it starts to make grinding noise). I just pour a few drops of regular car oil in it.

- Reliability: My first motor only lasted about 2000 miles, the second has almost 3000 and it's still running strong. I believe i am not forcing it so much, (riding 8 out 9 max most of the time) and making sure my bike gears are right with the torque the motor is providing.

 

[tomjasz]

Furthering the brake lever discussion.... I agree the levers that come with the BBS02 kit are crap. I intentionally got a donor bike with hydraulic brakes but now face trying to find a suitable cut-off switch. All of the ones I've seen, including the ones listed on em3ev.com, specifically state they are not compatible with hydraulic
Any thoughts/experience would be appreciated.

I have two kits from two suppliers, both have different levers. Frankly I can't see them as any better or worse than the levers on any $500-$750 bike out there. This often made complaint confuses me. I bought some "improved" brand name levers and am even less impressed. I like nice stuff and good gear but am befuddled. Perhaps some suppliers use uber cheap gear? Or have a choice in what Bafang puts in their kits?

 

[tomjasz]

Yes two pins are use in parallel for both (+)ve and (-)ve.

Anyone have a USA source for that connector? I forgot I have ACF 50 from my Vespa days. That is also an excellent waterproofing solution. If reapplied on occasion.

 

[melodious]

Installed a BBS-2 500w @36v on a 20" folder w/7speed Nexus IGH. Still have to yet to mess with the settings (if there's anything to mess with). Throttle override WOT gets me 25mph on flats with a little assist from me. As far as start up torque, look elsewhere. My 250w geared q85 hubbie @36v had more starting torque, yet lacked any sense of speed (15mph) even with a high RPM motor choice. As others have mentioned, there is a slight delay in assist startup. There is a slight delay in assist switch off when you backpedal.

The speedo assist even at lvl 1 is a little tricky in dense pedestrian traffic 1-3mph stop & go. The motor (settings?) has an annoying "pulse assist" and I think it's because of the speedo.

For those looking at getting this system, if you can wait a while longer as they ramp up production of a torque sensing assist vs. the older traditional speedo sensor, this is the holy grail for this type of motor. Used with a sinewave controller, I can see interesting situations this motor could shine (long hills, smoother & more powerful startup acceleration). The future looks bright for Bafang if this happens.

Edit: set the speed limits to max (50kph). Added 5mph to my top speed (~30mph). Also, the intrinsic motor delay messes with my mind at times (not a deal breaker as you learn to adapt via backpedalling a 1/4 turn) for on the fly shifting. I believe it's Shimano's IGH way of protecting the gears during shifting under load (never noticed it until I put more power into the drivetrain).

 

[scfoster]

The BB width for the bike I purchased is 73mm. 5mm doesn't sound like much but while I could get the BBS02 installed (less one of the locking rings), the resulting chain line is horrible (approx 59mm). So, I've thought about grinding down the chain side by 5mm. Below is a picture of the current install, showing the weld and available area for grinding. Glad I took the photo, as I noticed a bolt was missing!!

So the missing bolt became a weekend project. Turned out the motor torqued itself out of alignment without the missing bolt, so the spindle was no longer parallel to the motor. Therefore no M6 bolt was going to fit through the fixing plate. What to do?

Removed the BBS02 from the bike and confirmed the spindle was no longer parallel to the rest of the motor. Having an Aeronautical Engineering degree, I knew I was up to the task of fixing this ..... scratch head for a while. Then, I remembered my Russian friends (they were the Soviet enemy once) and borrowed one of their time tested techniques, which they still use on the Soyuz spacecraft when parts need "adjusting".... I took a rubber mallet and bashed it in the "right" spot a few times. Perfect!!! Where did I put that bottle of vodka? (was supposed to drink some first)

Everything went back together perfectly. Used slightly longer M6 bolts (5mm gap due to the 73mm bottom bracket) and two 5mm thick plastic spacers. The spacers were actually 5mm thick nylon nuts which had the thread drilled out to become a thick washer).

I still don't like having only one M33 retaining nut but I can't decide whether I want to mess with grinding the bottom bracket (yes I'm lazy). Another option would be to just drill the M33 retaining nut with a small hole for a lock-wire. I'm actually surprised lock wiring isn't more common with ebikes, given the light weight nature of installs and the potential consequences of failures.