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~~New BUILD: Specialized "WattHopper" ~6KW

sllikskills

sllikskills

1 W
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
56
Location
NY State | NJ
ENDLESS SPHERE!!!!!

Greetings and welcome to my new build! I welcome ALLL the feedback/constructive criticism/opinions from you guys, and look forward to putting it together alongside such a great community of people! :D

For this project, I will be using the following ingredients~~
Motor: Crystalyte 5403 .... the T-Rex...
Tire/Rim: 17x2.25 Hutchinson GP1 (Front); 17x2.50 Hutchinson GP1 (Rear); Rim: 17x1.40 Bridgestone Moped Rims (ebay)
Spokes: JRH 11-12ga
Frame: 2005 Specialized Epic, custom paint (Black/Gold)
Brakes: Avid BB7 MTN 180mm Shimano Disc Brakes

Wishful grocery list:
Controller: ADAPTTO Mini-E (I'm waiting for the new release including PAS)
Swingarm: CUSTOM swingarm dropout fitted to 165mm. This is gonna get serious 8)
Suspension: Rear: Fox RP23 | Front: Fox TALAS 100-120mm Adjustable CTD
Battery: Planning to run 60V and 100A via 17s7p batteries

This will be my second e-bike project, my first being a quick China DIY put-together kit. I'm a very meticulous craftsman, so for those who are into aesthetics, this bike will be a site to see - HOWEVER, I will need the community's help on the more "heavy-lifting" aspects of this build, as most of these skillsets (such as rim lacing) will be new to me. But I'm STOKED to learn!

Stay updated on this thread and you will not be disappointed!

I will keep this short. MUCH TO DO! Pics are coming ASAP.
 
One more thing!

I must give a special thanks to Rix - You've really helped me out a ton with this whole thing, and I will not let you down with this build!!!

Also, thanks to Teslanv - I was very inspired by your Genesis project, and it gave me the inspiration to get my butt off the couch. :mrgreen:

Now that my end of year bonus has come in, it's time to get CRACKIN
 

Hutchinson GP1 Tires came in - they're so sexy... Here's another picture of the tires next to my Stromer so I can start fantasizing about how this build will look. BEEEAAUUUUTTIIFFULLLL!!!!!! Time to play some Frank Sinatra and get to work
 
20150228_sssss140924.jpg

Spoke length is between 102mm and 103mm, trying to get exact measurement....

Guys, I have a question, comparing the 17" tires to my Stromer, I noticed something... Do you think there will be any problems with crank/pedal clearance with the lower frame?
Look at this photo

Your clearance will be a problem.

The 'sinz' brand cranks go all the way down to a hilariously short 135mm. You might be okay with 145mm.
 
Bad for cornering,but there are a pile of different length pedal arms.i went from 165 to 155mm pedal arms on my chopper and got used to it in about a week.
 
The Stromer actually is only a 20" Medium/Large bike! Just looks like a giant next to the 17" tires. Will be interesting to see the same exact size frame on these tires.

Rick - I know you mentioned you had 102mm spokes with 18mm nipples? Did you get the nipples from somewhere else besides JRH? They mention that they have 16mm nipples - I'm wondering if that affects the measurement.

I was trying to work out the spoke calculator, and I'm not sure if I'm 100% correct - but here is what it is outputting:

spoke.jpg

I'm thinking maybe I'll play it safe and stick to the middle at 103mm?? :mrgreen:

Also, I have this hub coming in for my front wheel: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006EPQ7F2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm wondering what spoke length I will need for the front wheel, as I'm trying to order both right now - do all bike hubs have the same flange diameter? Or should i just play it safe and wait for it to arrive before ordering the spokes?

Thanks
 
sllikskills said:
The Stromer actually is only a 20" Medium/Large bike! Just looks like a giant next to the 17" tires. Will be interesting to see the same exact size frame on these tires.

Rick - I know you mentioned you had 102mm spokes with 18mm nipples? Did you get the nipples from somewhere else besides JRH? They mention that they have 16mm nipples - I'm wondering if that affects the measurement.

I was trying to work out the spoke calculator, and I'm not sure if I'm 100% correct - but here is what it is outputting:



I'm thinking maybe I'll play it safe and stick to the middle at 103mm?? :mrgreen:

Also, I have this hub coming in for my front wheel: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006EPQ7F2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm wondering what spoke length I will need for the front wheel, as I'm trying to order both right now - do all bike hubs have the same flange diameter? Or should i just play it safe and wait for it to arrive before ordering the spokes?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yah, I think your spoke length is good. The rim you have in the pic with the 5403 has a shallower well than my Prowheel racing rims. So the extra MM will be fine.
 
Thanks for the tip Rix :)

Great news - I just found/ purchased my Specialized Epic frame! We will be using a 2005 Specialized Epic Marathon Disc frame, which is my favorite MTB frame to-date.

MillerNov06.jpg


The Brain technology rear suspension is one-of-a-kind and unfortunately a design that Specialized discontinued. It keeps all the suspension in the swingarm area so I have the COMPLETE triangle for massive batteries/controllers. One thing for sure is that this will be a clean build!

The only challenge is that with suspension positioned that way, we will have to consider this with my steel fabricator when recreating a wider dropout swingarm. the angle of the suspension must stay the same, which will lead to widening the rear pivot piece that the suspension connects to. If it works out however, this bike will be extremely well-fit for a beastly x5403.

Also taking to House of Kolor for some badass metallic pearls to mix in with a black base finish - this frame is going to look beautiful after paint job is complete. "Specialized" will be written in metallic gold along with "WattHopper" (a play on their "RockHopper" model) - SO excited.

$_86.JPG


Spokes have been ordered.
 
Yah, I will bet 103mm spokes will be ideal length, and wont require grinding. Just remember to lace 1X outside inside outside inside and have it staggered on each side of the flange to maximize triangle affect, and will be a tough wheel.
 
Snow Storm is really delaying all the shipments to my house :( I've got like 15 packages with my address written on them currently somewhere out there in the world - I've got the USPS jitters!!!!!

In the meantime, I've purchased a new airbrush for my frame finish - I've come across a really interesting idea that may be quite useful:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Thermochromatic-Pigment-Black-20g-/321492664889?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4ada74c239

I was thinking about coating the motor in a Thermochromatic black pigment, so it will be black when at regular temperatures, however if the motor was to exceed 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33C), then the black actually turns into white (or what ever color I'd like it to turn into). I think this may be a great way to quickly guage the temperatures of your motor, and SPECIFICALLY what parts of the motor start to heat up first (it would be good for noticing just one spot of the motor that gets hot all the time for some reason, or similar problems). What do you guys think?
 
Rix said:
Sweet, are you going to airbrush your frame with the venom theme?
Click to expand...

Rix, the Venom theme will be going onto my E-Kross Frame Build - I can't wait for that.

This frame will take on a black gloss House of Kolor finish with this Kameleon iridescent paint + shimmer going on the "Specialized" lettering on the body of the frame, as well as matching rims/spokes/rotors/brake levers - She will be shifting from gold to red to purple to orange - it will be a true beauty

Check this link for the Kameleon pigment - can't wait for them to arrive.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301265925703
 
Very nice amigo. Like I told you on the phone, this year I will be starting my next build. I like that chameleon house of color, quite a while back, I priced out a gallon of that at 300 bucks, its costly, but can't be beat. Hell, it may be more now, but worth it IMO.
 
Here is my latest vid, the first for 2015. It was a nice day here. 49F, no snow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbG4ZILyR_I
 
Rix said:
Here is my latest vid, the first for 2015. It was a nice day here. 49F, no snow. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbG4ZILyR_I
Click to expand...

Rix - that is absolutely amazing. No matter how good my build ends up coming out, it won't improve the area I ride it around :lol:

I didn't even know trails could be as awesome as the ones in your video - it really does make me want to rent a uHaul and take my ride cross country when it's finished!

UPDATE: so snow storm has cleared, and I came back home today to more packages than I could count - but I was so excited that I opened them all in under 5 minutes and managed to acquire about 3 deep cardboard cuts in the process haha

Parts are slowly arriving in, go-time is right around the corner ... CANT WAIT
20150310_154j138.jpg
 
Depending on your point of view, Christmas either arrived, late, or really really early. Very nice.
 
Yeah haha - anticipation building. Spokes have still not arrived yet, and custom swingarm is still in the process of being made - so I cannot start painting yet.

My fork arrived today - I got a Kashima coated Fox TALAS 120mm-150mm adjustable. I think this is going to be really useful for adjusting my ride position (some days I just feel lazy and would prefer sitting upright more than sport style). I'll be removing the decals and adding the custom black and iridescent gold treatment to the fork as well. The Kashima gold coat is going to complement it so well.
ins2.jpg

Also for a spoiler image - here is another beautiful frame that just arrived today from Germany (thanks to Artur). This particular frame will be getting the "Venom" treatment from Marvel, as well as a much-suitable CroMotor. Will start this build thread soon (when more cash rolls in :mrgreen: )
ins1.jpg

On and on we go!!!!
 
Sorry E-S, had a slow week. Spokes are still on the way, it says three more days...we'll see.

On the upper side, I received my stem and handlebar today with my Cane Creek headset bearings. I snatched the stem for $17 and the handlebar for $18, and they were EXACTLY what I was looking for - what a steal! I found the old school Specialized hexagon stem which will make the ride look mean as hell :twisted:
as for the handlebar, I got a FLAT 10 degree specialized S-works handlebar to make her feel sporty to the max and more importantly - keep more weight on the front/center. I've also equipped her with a Montague Octagon steerer extender, which will allow me to fully customize my ride style mid-riding!


Hope to speed up soon - BUT when it all gets started, updates will be flying in so stay updated E-S!
Thanks again
 
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