Twist throttle + brake + shifter arrangement

[Punx0r]

I've got a half-twist throttle with 3spd switch, a hydraulic brake lever and thumb shifter that is too awkward to use with the throttle at the same time. I'd like to switch to a trigger shifter but everything seems to want to occupy the same physical space. Has anyone got any recommendations or photos of their own configuration that works?

I previously had a thumb throttle on the other (left) side of the handlebars so this wasn't an issue...

Thanks

 

[MrDude_1]

do you actually use multiple gears, or do you mostly stay in one gear and let the motor make up for it?


I only ask this as theres so many ways to setup an ebike, and often people go all out setting it up without regard for how they use it.
If you just leave it in only one gear most of the time, you might be better off removing all the shifters.
If you need to only change it occasionally, I have used grip shifters. they take up half the grip, but they let you have your brake lever and a thumb throttle.. but no twist throttle.
if you really want the twist throttle, shorty brakes, then some kind of trigger or center mount shifter is the way to go (depending on the bike style)

 

[Punx0r]

I do tend to use all 6 available rear gears and shift while accelerating & decelerating.

I'd discounted a grip shifter but thinking about it I might be able to flip it upside down and mount it on the left end of the bars...

I prefer the twist throttle to the thumb throttle as the latter gave me cramp on long rides. The unit I have also doesn't have integrated cruise button, so that'd be yet another doo-dad to put on the bars...

I do quite like the idea of trigger shift, it's just finding something or somehow to make it not clash with the casing of the twist throttle. I just can't picture it...

For reference it's the EM3EV throttle: http://em3ev.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=91

 

[999zip999]

I think a brake motor cutoff is a must. Plus a handle bar kill switch.

 

[teklektik]

So many ways to do this...

My bikes are set up as hybrids with a more upright posture so my hands don't carry as much weight, making a twist throttle more acceptable.

I don't have much stuff on the right grip - throttle/brake/shifter/kill switch -- everything else is on the left. I can't work the throttle and flip a 3-speed switch at the same time with one hand, but it's easy to do with two if it's on the other side.

Here's a snap of what's become my standard setup - Magura twist, inexpensive SRAMx3.0 shifter, old-school Tektro brake with 4-finger lever (like a motorcycle), and a simple kill switch bracket cut from a bit of aluminum angle. The inner edge of the top shift lever needs about 1/16" taken off for clearance on the throttle body. Shifter and kill switch are naturally in thumb's reach. I prefer the SRAM thumb shifter over Shimano and the long 4-finger brake lever extends past the throttle body to give easy access to several fingers. The x3 is not a very classy shifter, but the dimensions work with the throttle and it's pretty much indestructible.



I use BB7's so this setup may not work out as well with your hydros where you probably don't have the options for long brake levers - depends...

Re: throttle cramps:

• Some years back I added PAS on a lark via a CA V3 and it's in regular use now. This went a long way towards relieving throttle hand cramps on long rides since I like to pedal all the time anyway. I just dial up a power level and the throttle isn't needed. Since the throttle supersedes the PAS, there's not a lot of turning things on and off - if I engage the throttle the PAS just drops out (which with little throttle may actually slow the bike down) and comes back automagically when the throttle is closed, so peds, hills, turns, etc really don't interfere at all, the PAS just lets me take a break from twisting whenever the terrain allows. The only slight downside was that I finally had to add ebrakes for the PAS....

 

[motomech]

Delete left side (chain ring) shifter and replace with left-hand, half-twist throttle and H.bar switch from Ebike CA.
http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/ebike-parts/throttles/t-lhtwist.html
http://www.ebikes.ca/t-3switch.html

 

[craiggor]

 

[999zip999]

I found cruise control to be very dangerous. Hey I like those shifters down on the gooseneck or even on the frame. Thanks.

 

[motomech]

I agree, a throttle/PAS combo is better.

 

[Chalo]

On my last e-bike with both a twist throttle and a shifter (in that case, a twist shifter for a 7-speed gearhub), I got a mountain bike bar end extension and cut off the curved end. Then I slid the cut-down bar end over past the curve of the handlebar and mounted the shifter on it.

Like this, except slipped around the bend of a BMX bar instead of on the stem quill:

 

[dogman dan]

Interesting option.

One I've used is a simple old school friction shifter, but if you shift a lot don't do that.

Upside down twist shifter on the left actually works quite well. This is often done when there is just one chain ring up front, or you are running with no derailleur up front. When you stay on one gear up front all the time.

 

[Punx0r]

Thanks for the input guys, it seems there are a few novel solutions to this common problem

I didn't know you could get left-handed twist throttles, so there answer is probably going to be one of those or an upside twist-grip shifter. Moving a function to the left hand would help - save doing throttle, brake & gears all with the right hand.

 

[Alan B]

+1 for the X.3 Trigger Shifters and Magura throttle, shown above on my Bonanza (thread linked below). I did the twist grip shifters on bar ends before, but when you really need to pedal, throttle and shift it is a disaster, and it looks hokey. This looks better, works and wasn't expensive.

 

[LewTwo]

I always move the shifter to the left side and keep the throttle on the right.

 

[Paladin]

The ultra cheap Shimano ef51, 7 and 8 speed, style brake/shifter work with minor Dremel tool action. For clearance. Not hydro sorry.
I shift a lot less when the motor is running.

Seems like a major complaint about the Maguras is the HARD grips.
You guys that hate your hard Magura grips, why does no one swap them out for some nice cushy MX/dirtbike grips...MX ODI Cush on the bottom w/ Magura.
Something else put a bit of electrical tape on the seam for some added weather resistance.

 

[Alan B]

Gloves are mandatory on an ebike. Grip hardness is not much of an issue with gloves on (get grippier gloves).

The Domino grips are softer and grippier (more frictive).

 

[MrDude_1]

The ultra cheap Shimano ef51, 7 and 8 speed, style brake/shifter work with minor Dremel tool action. For clearance. Not hydro sorry.
I shift a lot less when the motor is running.

Seems like a major complaint about the Maguras is the HARD grips.
You guys that hate your hard Magura grips, why does no one swap them out for some nice cushy MX/dirtbike grips...MX ODI Cush on the bottom w/ Magura.
Something else put a bit of electrical tape on the seam for some added weather resistance.

these are my #1 favorite grips. Renthal G148...

The G149 are firmer and black.
the G148 are medium grips and I love them. They only come in gray.
the G147 are super soft and squishy, but you will wear the diamond surface off after a couple thousand miles. too soft for me, but some people love them.

heres a link, but you have to select the firmness.. default is hard G149s
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0031BOV6E/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I run these on all my sportbikes, my supermotos, my dirtbikes... and once my current grips wear, I'll probably put them on my ebike. :lol: