NightRider
1 mW
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2015
- Messages
- 18
Hopefully this post will help to shed some light on the new "3000w" mid-drive kit, from Cyclone.
Firstly, here is a visual side-by-side comparison of the Cyclone motors. The motor on the left is the new 1920-3000w Cyclone. The one in the middle is the 1800-3000w. And the one on the right is the old 650-3000w (aka 1650w) motor. The new motor comes in two basic sizes, both of which are physically much larger than the old Cyclone motor. In terms of weight, the old motor (on the right) feels about as heavy as the smaller of the two new motors (in the middle). The biggest of the new motors (1920-3000w) is definitely heavier. It is also much more powerful than the new 1800-3000w motor, when running at the same wattage.
I bought these new Cyclone motors as a replacement for my previous Cyclone motor setup. I was running two 930w Cyclones (sold / labeled as 650-3000w / 1650w) together on my KMX trike, as shown in the following photos:
And here is what the trike looks like now, with the new 1920-3000w motor installed (the camera flash makes my trike appear a lot dirtier than it really is):
(In the above photo, the cooling fins on the motor are bent because I hit a rock about the size of a softball, doing around 40 kph! The motor took it well.)
View attachment 7
The new 1920-3000w motor is notably more powerful than my old dual-motor setup. It is also a lot quieter. I estimate that the 1920-3000w motor is about 40% as loud as the old 650-3000w. It actually sounds kind of good too, almost like a tuned V8 engine, as opposed to two mutant ninja wasps battling it out (which is what my trike sounded like before). But the new 1800-3000w motor -- while not as powerful as the larger variant -- is nearly silent! It is quiet to the point where you can hear the ambient chain-noise distinctly. This is due to the fact that these motors use different planetary gears. Both motors use nylon gears (while the old 650-3000w uses metal gears). The gears in the 1920-3000w motor are shallower, and appear to be stronger, with a tighter mesh (which evidently makes them louder). The gears in the 1800-3000w motor have longer teeth, and appear to be generally weaker. The 1800-3000w motor feels about as powerful as my previous setup (with dual motors running at 1000w total). The 1920-3000w motor, however, is an order of magnitude more powerful. I suspect that this is due to its larger copper mass, rotating at a wider diameter.
These motors spin at a speed that I can actually pedal along with, which is nice. I am running a 60T chain-ring in the front, and a 48v battery, which equates to a 80-100 rpm pedaling cadence.
If I had enough space on the frame, I would opt install two quiet 1800-3000w motors. That would probably be the ideal Cyclone motor setup for a trike, as it would provide supreme power, while remaining stealthy (assuming one is able to conceal that much motor behind the seat).
For anyone who owns a KMX trike, I can recommend doing the following mods, shown in the photos below. I added two stabilizing arms, between the seat frame and the front axle truss. This has changed the handling of the trike dramatically. It now feels tight and controlled, whereas before I felt like I was floating around, as the frame flexed. The stock seat mount was actually cracking badly, which is what prompted me to weld it all up. The second mod that I made was to move the chain pulley up above the bottom of the frame. With the original factory design, it hung below the lowest point on the frame, which is just stupid. It got whacked pretty hard a few times, and it was only a matter of time until it was going to get knocked off entirely.
View attachment 4
Firstly, here is a visual side-by-side comparison of the Cyclone motors. The motor on the left is the new 1920-3000w Cyclone. The one in the middle is the 1800-3000w. And the one on the right is the old 650-3000w (aka 1650w) motor. The new motor comes in two basic sizes, both of which are physically much larger than the old Cyclone motor. In terms of weight, the old motor (on the right) feels about as heavy as the smaller of the two new motors (in the middle). The biggest of the new motors (1920-3000w) is definitely heavier. It is also much more powerful than the new 1800-3000w motor, when running at the same wattage.
I bought these new Cyclone motors as a replacement for my previous Cyclone motor setup. I was running two 930w Cyclones (sold / labeled as 650-3000w / 1650w) together on my KMX trike, as shown in the following photos:
And here is what the trike looks like now, with the new 1920-3000w motor installed (the camera flash makes my trike appear a lot dirtier than it really is):
(In the above photo, the cooling fins on the motor are bent because I hit a rock about the size of a softball, doing around 40 kph! The motor took it well.)
View attachment 7The new 1920-3000w motor is notably more powerful than my old dual-motor setup. It is also a lot quieter. I estimate that the 1920-3000w motor is about 40% as loud as the old 650-3000w. It actually sounds kind of good too, almost like a tuned V8 engine, as opposed to two mutant ninja wasps battling it out (which is what my trike sounded like before). But the new 1800-3000w motor -- while not as powerful as the larger variant -- is nearly silent! It is quiet to the point where you can hear the ambient chain-noise distinctly. This is due to the fact that these motors use different planetary gears. Both motors use nylon gears (while the old 650-3000w uses metal gears). The gears in the 1920-3000w motor are shallower, and appear to be stronger, with a tighter mesh (which evidently makes them louder). The gears in the 1800-3000w motor have longer teeth, and appear to be generally weaker. The 1800-3000w motor feels about as powerful as my previous setup (with dual motors running at 1000w total). The 1920-3000w motor, however, is an order of magnitude more powerful. I suspect that this is due to its larger copper mass, rotating at a wider diameter.
These motors spin at a speed that I can actually pedal along with, which is nice. I am running a 60T chain-ring in the front, and a 48v battery, which equates to a 80-100 rpm pedaling cadence.
If I had enough space on the frame, I would opt install two quiet 1800-3000w motors. That would probably be the ideal Cyclone motor setup for a trike, as it would provide supreme power, while remaining stealthy (assuming one is able to conceal that much motor behind the seat).
For anyone who owns a KMX trike, I can recommend doing the following mods, shown in the photos below. I added two stabilizing arms, between the seat frame and the front axle truss. This has changed the handling of the trike dramatically. It now feels tight and controlled, whereas before I felt like I was floating around, as the frame flexed. The stock seat mount was actually cracking badly, which is what prompted me to weld it all up. The second mod that I made was to move the chain pulley up above the bottom of the frame. With the original factory design, it hung below the lowest point on the frame, which is just stupid. It got whacked pretty hard a few times, and it was only a matter of time until it was going to get knocked off entirely.
View attachment 4
