Thanks, Reid, slbaker and others who gave me inspiration to push on with the electric revolution. Hasta la Victoria Seimpre! :wink:
The summer is here, so I finally got around to "pimping up" the bike a little with the FAT rim I got from dirtdad. The second time you make a wheel is MUCH easier. The one I made a year ago took me about a day to assemble and true. This fatboy wheel only took an hour and a half after I got the spokes. The result is veehry naiiiis :lol: The ride is now much more comfortable with the fatter tire. I didn't really expect the fat tire to fit the factory built fender of the Stiletto, but to my amazement it DID! With about 2mm clearance (after I lifted the fender just a little by expanding stock mounting holes)!!! It's like Stiletto was DESIGNED for all those customizations. Also finally hid the battery cable, which stuck out like a sore thumb before.
After a year of riding the electric Stiletto I can conclude the following about the frame:
1. Stiletto frame is IDEAL for electric conversion. The steel dropouts in the back are wide enough, don't require torque arms (at least for GoldenMotor)
2. Strangely, the bicycle handles GREAT at speeds of 40kmph and above. Didn't really expect that from a show-off bicycle designed to be pedaled around the block at a warp-speed of around 10kmph.
3. LOTS of storage space for batteries
4. Tires are high quality and handle extra weight of motor and battery very well- didn't have a single blow-out (knock on wood).
5. The seat is a little firm at first, but gets softer after a while and you also get used to it.
6. Turn radius is fairly large (probably 2x that of Mountain Bike), but the bike is very agile, has a very low center of gravity, leans well into turns and is very stable. I think it is much safer to ride than a mountain bike with an electric motor.
Too bad Giant doesn't seem to sell those anymore. Might be hard to get parts... If you get a chance to get your hands on Giant Stiletto for conversion- don't hesitate!
Cheers,
Mike