New Bafang Crank-Drives

[Chalz]

Billsy,
There was extra meat at the end of the BB threads that made the diameter too small to slide the new crank in. It's like they stopped the tap prematurely and left a small ring of thicker metal at the very end of the threads (on each side). I used a dremel with a sanding wheel that had about the same diameter as the BB threads (one inch) and did two light circular motions to shave down the ring of metal. I did not take pics of that. That was enough to gently slide it in with no wiggle.

I have built my own battery pack before. I used nine zippy's mounted in a custom frame job on a Giant DH comp. The dam thing caught on fire and nearly took my workshop down. I had over 1000 miles on that bike before it burnt up. I'm trying to take a safer path now. That is why I want to pull the battery out, and put in my outdoor grill to charge from now on.

I have a nine speed on my Bighit. The chain line is great, although it is slightly biased toward the smaller gears instead of perfectly centered. I can shift under power and have great low gear climbing ability with the Bafang. Like everyone else - I am very impressed with the motor.

Chalz

 

[flyingcubic]

did your battery burned during charging?

 

[billsy]

Billsy,
There was extra meat at the end of the BB threads that made the diameter too small to slide the new crank in. It's like they stopped the tap prematurely and left a small ring of thicker metal at the very end of the threads (on each side).
Chalz

Oh I see. The extra meat was at the centre of the frame inside the BB shell.

Billsy,
I have built my own battery pack before. I used nine zippy's mounted in a custom frame job on a Giant DH comp. The dam thing caught on fire and nearly took my workshop down. I had over 1000 miles on that bike before it burnt up. I'm trying to take a safer path now. That is why I want to pull the battery out, and put in my outdoor grill to charge from now on.
Chalz

I was coming round to the idea of using lipo. Now you just convinced me to stick with LiFe!! I just plug my commuter in every night and forget about it. 4500 miles so far.

Billsy,
I have a nine speed on my Bighit. The chain line is great, although it is slightly biased toward the smaller gears instead of perfectly centered. I can shift under power and have great low gear climbing ability with the Bafang. Like everyone else - I am very impressed with the motor.
Chalz

Good to know thanks. Hope mine arrives soon

 

[kampua]

Anyone has any news about the next generation of Bafang mid drive motor? Like when will it be released, and whether it will have torque sensor, allow for full throttle in all PAS modes etc etc?

 

[Chalz]

Flying Cubic,
Yes the bike caught on fire while charging. The charger was purchased through BMS battery. I was balancing them, then bulk charging. Here are some pics of what the bike looked like and damage. I'm happy to save someone else that hassle I went through.

View attachment 2
This bike did 50mph with a range of 30 miles. I really loved it, and plan to rebuild it someday soon.


I only charged the bike when I was home, so I caught the fire before it took the entire building down and put it out with a garden hose.


Here is my new build.

Chalz

 

[amigafan2003]

It's here!

BBS02 48v500w with C961 display. Actually came with a 46t chainwheel which I think I prefer over a 48t.

Going on this:-

Going to be running 15s lipo:-

 

[TroySmith80]

I too am curious about if/when the "next-gen" is coming. I love the idea of this product but i cannot tolerate poor PAS integration. I think if it has really well executed PAS it would be my perfect system, but if not i would probably prefer a hub motor.

Flying Cubic,
Yes the bike caught on fire while charging. The charger was purchased through BMS battery. I was balancing them, then bulk charging. Here are some pics of what the bike looked like and damage. I'm happy to save someone else that hassle I went through.

This bike did 50mph with a range of 30 miles. I really loved it, and plan to rebuild it someday soon.

View attachment 1
I only charged the bike when I was home, so I caught the fire before it took the entire building down and put it out with a garden hose.

Chalz

Whoa, that is terrifying! Glad things were no worse than they were!

 

[CdnE90]

It's here!

BBS02 48v500w with C961 display. Actually came with a 46t chainwheel which I think I prefer over a 48t.

Nice!! Where did you get it from? Did you get it programmed with or without the speed limiter? I'm waiting until cell_man gets his in stock before I order my kit.

Going to be running 15s lipo:-

No worries about using Lipos? Especially considering what happened to Chalz (and many others)?

 

[amigafan2003]

No worries about using Lipos? Especially considering what happened to Chalz (and many others)?

No, I charge and store my packs outside in a metal shed.

 

[amigafan2003]

Nice!! Where did you get it from? Did you get it programmed with or without the speed limiter? I'm waiting until cell_man gets his in stock before I order my kit.

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/48v-500w-8fun-bafang-bafun-motor-BBS-02-Center-mid-drive-Crank-Motor-eletric-bicycles-conversion/1259714010.html

Took a while - ordered 30th Dec. Paul looks like he's only doing the 36v350w and 48v750w kits - I specifically wanted the 48v500w kit.

Didn't get it reprogrammed - 40km/h is enough.

 

[greenspark]

Paul looks like he's only doing the 36v350w and 48v750w kits - I specifically wanted the 48v500w kit.

There is no difference between 750W and 500W, only controller settings. They make two models; the 250-350W and the 500-750W. Paul is working directly with the factory.

 

[amigafan2003]

Paul looks like he's only doing the 36v350w and 48v750w kits - I specifically wanted the 48v500w kit.

There is no difference between 750W and 500W, only controller settings. They make two models; the 250-350W and the 500-750W. Paul is working directly with the factory.

Yes, exactly - as I'm running 15s I'm happy to push the 500w up a bit as it's got the same motor/thermal mass as the 750w version. However I didn't want to push the 750w version the same amount as that would take it nearer to the edge.

Also, I'm happy that there will be less strain on the gears with the 500w version.

 

[joshseitz]

Would anyone would be willing to create a scale 2-dimensional drawing of this drive from above (or below)? It could be printed and cut from cardboard or masonite then used to determine any clearance issues prior to purchasing a bike (or the drive for that matter).

 

[billsy]

I only charged the bike when I was home, so I caught the fire before it took the entire building down and put it out with a garden hose.
Chalz

It's unbelievable how much damage them batteries can do. Although on the flip side, your workshop looks great now

 

[greenspark]

Would anyone would be willing to create a scale 2-dimensional drawing of this drive from above (or below)? It could be printed and cut from cardboard or masonite then used to determine any clearance issues prior to purchasing a bike (or the drive for that matter).

http://www.alcedoitalia.it/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/bafang-centrale-bbs01.png

 

[joshseitz]

great - thank you greenspark!

 

[lcrewse]

Anyone has any news about the next generation of Bafang mid drive motor? Like when will it be released, and whether it will have torque sensor, allow for full throttle in all PAS modes etc etc?

Our versions already have a throttle-only mode in PAS "0" with the throttle providing full power and overriding the current PAS setting. We have custom firmware and adjust the controller software settings as well. We've sold them this way for more than 8 months with 750w and 350w in stock in the USA.

 

[rodgah]

Anyone has any news about the next generation of Bafang mid drive motor? Like when will it be released, and whether it will have torque sensor, allow for full throttle in all PAS modes etc etc?

Our versions already have a throttle-only mode in PAS "0" with the throttle providing full power and overriding the current PAS setting. We have custom firmware and adjust the controller software settings as well. We've sold them this way for more than 8 months with 750w and 350w in stock in the USA.

which is great for the guys in the US, but postage cost and time to AU is ridiculous from the US compared to china. It makes less sense for items to circumnavigate the globe in the post, but if someone in australia was doing the same as you I wouldnt hesitate to buy from them instead of ali-express.

 

[greenspark]

which is great for the guys in the US, but postage cost and time to AU is ridiculous from the US compared to china. It makes less sense for items to circumnavigate the globe in the post, but if someone in australia was doing the same as you I wouldnt hesitate to buy from them instead of ali-express.

Contact Cell_Man http://em3ev.com/store/. He will sell you a kit for a good price, good shipping and give you good service. Note that a BBS01 is a lot smaller than a wheel-laced motor.

You may want to consider asking him when the price breaks hit on shipping. We ordered a lot of motors (that we bought direct from Bafang who delivered them to him) and a lot of batteries from him. This made the introduction between him and the factory, and it now looks like he will become a Chinese-based vendor of the BBS01/02 who answers emails in English and delivers what you need. The per motor/per battery shipping cost was very low. Cheapest is sea-freight for the motors. Batteries have to go hazmat air, but over a certain weight, it's not so bad.

To get higher numbers, we just put the word out and other folks joined in. Get your local paper to run a story about putting together a buying group. Set up a web page that explains the terms and conditions, collect full cash up front. Wire funds and wait for the boxes to start arriving. Then organise an installation party, invite the press, and for the next round, add $200 per kit for your trouble.

Or forget all of that and just order one for yourself.

 

[Geebee]

Any ideas on when Cell_man will have them in the store?

 

[greenspark]

Any ideas on when Cell_man will have them in the store?

His web site says mid Feb. Email him and tell him you want to buy.

BTW, we ordered batteries he made using the SDI INR18650-29E cell. At 10S/4P, 11.2 Ah, 403 W/hrs, half the size (203x75x83mm) and weight (2.12kg) of the 6.6 Ah A123 battery we bought in 2012 (on our island, we don't need big batteries), it costs less to buy and less to ship. They are small enough to zip-tie to the frame just above the motor. Some we popped into Military surplus canvas bags that fit perfectly ($12,50 each); others we left bare. Very stealth, great centre of gravity. Our user group is reporting going 40 km before noticing the display showing a drop. We'll need to do a test to see how far they will go before quitting.

 

[kampua]

Our user group is reporting going 40 km before noticing the display showing a drop

Is that flat or with hills?

Thanks for the advice I just emailed him.

 

[Warren]

greenspark,

"403 W/hrs....40 km before noticing the display showing a drop."

Do you mean a voltage drop, or capacity display?

"We'll need to do a test to see how far they will go before quitting."

Assuming you mean voltage drop, I am guessing you are near 80% DOD at 40 km. That is 8 Wh/km. Not bad for a group average, many of whom probably aren't pedaling much, and riding pretty inefficient cruisers/MTBs, etc.

 

[lazy_mosquito]

Anyone has any news about the next generation of Bafang mid drive motor? Like when will it be released, and whether it will have torque sensor, allow for full throttle in all PAS modes etc etc?

Our versions already have a throttle-only mode in PAS "0" with the throttle providing full power and overriding the current PAS setting. We have custom firmware and adjust the controller software settings as well. We've sold them this way for more than 8 months with 750w and 350w in stock in the USA.

which is great for the guys in the US, but postage cost and time to AU is ridiculous from the US compared to china. It makes less sense for items to circumnavigate the globe in the post, but if someone in australia was doing the same as you I wouldnt hesitate to buy from them instead of ali-express.

This is the same for Europe. The 750W Bafangs from lcrewse cost 750$ + shipping (edit:50$ -75$) and then another 21% import duty in Europe over the total price which makes roughly 1080$ for a Bafang. The whole idea of chinese import is that they are a littlebit of lesser quality but cheaper then European engines. 1080$ is not exactly cheaper then our engines.
So i am also thinking of bying a bafang from em3ev but as far as i know he is also not able to deliver bafangs with a modified software, hence thats why i am looking for a way to connect another controller to the bafang. But as far as i can see is this one of the most treasured secrets of this forum. :? i seems most people don't know how to do it, and the people who knows don't answer the question.

Is there somebody on endless-sphere who knows how to connect an external controller to the Bafang or know somebody else who knows how to do it?

 

[greenspark]

greenspark,

"403 W/hrs....40 km before noticing the display showing a drop."

Do you mean a voltage drop, or capacity display?

"We'll need to do a test to see how far they will go before quitting."

Assuming you mean voltage drop, I am guessing you are near 80% DOD at 40 km. That is 8 Wh/km. Not bad for a group average, many of whom probably aren't pedaling much, and riding pretty inefficient cruisers/MTBs, etc.

Unfortunately I cannot answer the question. We had two users who gave me anecdotal evidence.
One is an expert from Germany. Has ridden almost every ebike motor, and says this one is the best so far. He says that he got about 40 km out of it, pushing it harder than normal to see what it would do, and then the C961 display began to show less than full on the battery. He recharged it and has gotten "more K's".

The other person, an elder lady who rides less and slower wrote "I have been riding the newly electrified Nautilus daily for a week now and am still really pleased. It's a lighter bike than the Volto and the Bafang motor hums along almost inaudibly. I mostly use level 1. Note to Bafang- they could re-christen this level 'Fitness Level' rather than 'Economy' which puts a positive spin on the slight extra pedalling that goes with it. A bit of throttle gets me up the steep bit out of our drive. I pedal more than I did with the Volto which is ideal, but if I go to levels 2 or 3, I zoom along effortlessly. Not so good for the fitness. After week I noticed that the battery indicator showed a drop in level and found I had already done 34k. I promptly recharged it."

Our island has significant hills including a 15 degree one that is just outside our door. Buyers of ebikes here do so because the hills otherwise limit riding to the young, the fit and the insane.