waste of time. don't bother.

[Anonymous]

waste

 

[veloman]

Good luck dude, stay safe.

I myself would have to draw the line somewhere though. When you start getting above 2000watts, it's as if your goals are changing and you are seeking fast performance. If you want to go fast, get a motorcycle, do it legally and safely.

Ebikes are great commuters and low speed fun, but I think you got to draw the line somewhere. I know what 2000watts *to the back wheel* feels like on a 20lb bike..... and it's awesome. But I don't sustain that when I'm the motor. If I could, I'd probably find myself in a hairy situation.

I guess I'm just trying to say that you don't want to overextend the abilities of your machinery. A sportbike crotchrocket motorcycle is designed to go fast. A low end rigid mtn bike with 80lbs on it?

That Etek motor is a great choice for an e-motorcycle build though. Something I might do someday with a motorcycle chassis.

 

[amberwolf]

I've crossed SLA cables before on the controller by accident... this could happen again as things are quite cramped on there.

With bolt-on connections like the Curtis has, never connect the pack up and *then* the controller, always connect all the stuff that's close together first, and then connect up the last point at whichever terminal is farthest from any other terminal that is in the power path. That's usually on the end battery of a pack.

It ensures you won't ever duplicate Plasmaboy's feat, which is what earned him his nickname:
http://www.plasmaboyracing.com/blog/?page_id=10


But whatever fuse or circuit breaker you have on the pack should prevent such an incident, anyway, if it is only shorted at the controller.

 

[Anonymous]

waste

 

[amberwolf]

Bolt-on connections with the curtis are secure.
I keep the controller connected to the motor's + and - at all times, they're permanently sealed onto the controller.

The battery connections should be permanent, too, at the controller itself. And you should insulate them too, so that a piece of road debris (like a bolt fallen off of someone's car) can't be thrown up by the front tire and land on top of that controller, and toast your setup.

My whole point is that you should put the connection point for the precharge/etc someplace where it is IMPOSSIBLE to short accidentally to something else in the battery path, and that is typically going to be at one of the battery terminals that is at the "end" of the string of batteries, in a system like yours.

It's not as huge a danger on a lower power setup like yours, but it will still damage things if you short anything by accident. Preventing that by putting the connection points in a place that can't short is simple, and highly recommended.

plasmaboy's 'plasma' was terrifying...I could not believe what he had mentioned.... a 'ball of plasma' occurring, too bright to look into, hovering... jesus..... that's a lot of energy! 1000amps zilla controller right?

Makes no difference what the controller is, since the short is not thru the controller, it's directly across the batteries, which is exactly what is happening to your pack, too, when you have any accidental short across the controller input connections as you described.

You don't have enough WH available in your batteries to generate such a plasmaball, but you could still overheat and rupture a battery, or melt the insulation on the cables, by such a simple accident as being in the process of hooking up your power to the controller, then slipping and touching - to +, having it arc-weld itself so that you can't pull it off. Since you have no breaker and no fuse and no contactor and no emergency disconnect like a pull-apart Anderson multipole (like I use), it could cause severe damage to your setup before you could get something else disconnected.

The same is also true if your controller shorted out internally for any reason in such a way as to hook + to -. But a worse failure mode that's common in brushed motors is for the controller to fail shorted at WOT, so the motor gets full battery power across it with no control by you. Since you have no way to disconnect battery power from the controller while you ride, you're now stuck at full speed until the batteries die.

 

[Anonymous]

waste

 

[Anonymous]

waste

 

[Anonymous]

I'm thinking of this setup:

Siamese warp 8" motors

ALLTRAX 7245 600amp (at 72volts)

6 x 30ah SLA's at 72volts

pedal sensor

Lovejoy connectors

L shaped mount to screw motor in, and then place it inside motor compartment.

....

Do you guys think I need 144v instead of 72v?

I just want a preppy machine that will be upgradeable to a ZILLA controller for 'more preppiness'.

Just to give you some sort of idea of how tough these cars are, this is a video of a twin yamaha 1000cc (total 2000cc) setup in a lada niva that did 270km/h at 300hp.
The cars are good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYu_hOfRfII

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbIZarCRgtY&feature=PlayList&p=F4E860F3F6281A1A&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=46

 

[Anonymous]

Conclusion:

If you need a cheap ' 7 speed casette useable' alternative, go with the kmc hx 610 chain...cheap at 8 quid, reliable, solid, mushroomed pins. (I don't take any responsiblity for your usage of this info, you hereby understand that I do not condone attaching a large motor on a bike).

if you want to use the strongest chain for your casette use kmc hx610, this is the strongest..ignore shimano deore...and the fancy brands...kmc h = strength
---------------------------------------------------------------------

If you want strong mountain bike chain for a motor,*and not to use on the 7 speed casette*(it's too wide) use 1g8 wipperman.

If you want something that's cheaper and 2/3rd the strength. use Fat chain manufactured by KMC (kool chain k910)...again..this will not work with your multispeed casette.

or the cheapest, is 3/16" butcher's chain, or moped chain that is 3/16" that stuff works for the 500kg trike butchers use...it'll work beyond it's rated strength.


I'm looking to replace my currently weak chain with a stronger alternative to withstand 12HP peak from the ETEK. The only problem is it's got to be the same width and shape / size, but 'thicker' than standard bicycle chain. While 12hp will bend a frame out of shape with instant force...the curtis is programmed to issue no more than 'a certain ammount of torque'..it may wheel spin slightly but it does not deliver the full output.
pictured below is a 'no brand' chain i picked up off ebay that looked easy to take apart and throw on the motor quickly. (probably with a 700kgf..it's extremely easy to break and the rivets keep falling out needing weekly maintenance).



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


I just find it's so much easier to take a bicycle on a train...which is why I've stuck with the bicycle idea instead of gone up to motorcycle.

thanks

 

[Miles]

What width bike chain?

http://www.connexchain.com/Bicycle-chains/BMX/1_342.html

 

[Anonymous]

Hi
It's 3/32" ... The bicycle's a RALEIGH RAVE 1999, and I'm currently using standard chain that has gone 'wonky' from the Etek motor. I've attached an etek onto the chain so this is probably why I need something that definitely won't snap.

What width bike chain?

http://www.connexchain.com/Bicycle-chains/BMX/1_342.html

 

[liveforphysics]

Motocross chain is about 3x bigger than you need.

#219 is something light and compact that you will never break.

 

[vanilla ice]

If you've got it setup as a single speed, that wide bmx chain will work on your narrow sprockets. I run bmx chain on multispeed sprockets without problems. Not sure if it will stand the torque.. you're asking a lot of bicycle chain.

 

[Anonymous]

good. you answered. Now I will take what you said and keep it in my head. you say #219, will this size fit on the chainwheel I've got.

ps: saw that video with method's 100km/h bike in rica...those were sweet bikes..diy is super when it gets you more than Cgp's

Motocross chain is about 3x bigger than you need.

#219 is something light and compact that you will never break.

 

[Anonymous]

I have it setup as a 7-speed? that was part of the fun...once you reached the top rpm (the sweet spot), best efficiency, etc, and you need more speed, I always go to 1,2. I've gone 1,3 several times, but acceleration suffers and then cables start popping off battery terminals. In reference to 1,2 / 1,3, I mean the Largest gear is '1', then the second largest is 2, and so on....until you reach the smallest cog which is 7. It's a 21-speed..but I'm using two of the front chainwheel sprockets (one to drive the bike, one to get driven by etek).

It goes uphill (a 8% gradient?) faster than my vw passat...faster than a 125cc... that's a very steep impossible-to-pedal hill. The chain held despite me being in 1,3 and then one of the cables burnt off

so I'm currently 'upgrading' the cables 'bit by bit', each time one of them burns off I 'upgrade' it with a tougher triple core industrial worker's type of cable...probably capable of handling over 400 amps... it's worked a treat so far and nothing burns after I replace it. (I've also added the old cable to the triple core just to 'use it' up to ease the heat from the terminals). This has cooled the cables down to 10c+ normal room temperature.

If you've got it setup as a single speed, that wide bmx chain will work on your narrow sprockets. I run bmx chain on multispeed sprockets without problems. Not sure if it will stand the torque.. you're asking a lot of bicycle chain.

 

[vanilla ice]

No. 219 will not work on your chainwheels. Nothing else except narrow multi-speed bicycle chain will work for your setup unless you change it up.

 

[Anonymous]

it says 1.5T, that's quite a lot of tension.... I don't know what the ETEK pulls...I think that sounds just about 'possible'.
The freewheel on the motor's shaft connects directly to the chainwheel. That would be perfect. How much wider is it in mm? will it 'slip' sideways on the teeth

If you've got it setup as a single speed, that wide bmx chain will work on your narrow sprockets. I run bmx chain on multispeed sprockets without problems. Not sure if it will stand the torque.. you're asking a lot of bicycle chain.

 

[Anonymous]

narrow multispeed it is then.... I better invest in this as it's the crucial aspect of the entire setup. it's brought hours of fun

thank you.

No. 219 will not work on your chainwheels. Nothing else except narrow multi-speed bicycle chain will work for your setup unless you change it up.

 

[vanilla ice]

Got a link to pics? I'd like to see how you've got the bike setup.

 

[Anonymous]

the video of it going uphill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDH8AdOCYvI

the pic below demonstrates a curious incident ... I removed the insulation to find there was no copper there...it had been burnt up by the 200 odd amps

Got a link to pics? I'd like to see how you've got the bike setup.

 

[Anonymous]

which one do you think will be best?

campognolo?
SRAM?
KMC?


thanks

Got a link to pics? I'd like to see how you've got the bike setup.

 

[vanilla ice]

I don't know that bicycle chain necessarily gets stronger as it gets fancier.. it does get lighter.

You could run 1/8" bmx chain from the motor to the crank arms. I think it will work no prob there, but anyway may not be any stronger than a good multispeed chain.

 

[amberwolf]

the pic below demonstrates a curious incident ... I removed the insulation to find there was no copper there...it had been burnt up by the 200 odd amps

That kind of problem isn't from the amps (or else the insulation would have melted along the entire length of the wire) but rather from a high-resistance point.

Either a poor connection (if this was at the end of the wire), probably one that was arcing from the look of the burned copper on the exposed wire, or a broken conductor inside the insulation (if it was in the middle of the wire somewhere).

 

[Anonymous]

It was shocking to keep removing insulation to find there was nothing 'there'.
I need to buy some more lugs to mount on there, as it does seem like there was some arcing, i don't think there's anything else that will remove copper so quickly. very logical.

the pic below demonstrates a curious incident ... I removed the insulation to find there was no copper there...it had been burnt up by the 200 odd amps

That kind of problem isn't from the amps (or else the insulation would have melted along the entire length of the wire) but rather from a high-resistance point.

Either a poor connection (if this was at the end of the wire), probably one that was arcing from the look of the burned copper on the exposed wire, or a broken conductor inside the insulation (if it was in the middle of the wire somewhere).

 

[vanilla ice]

Nice motor. Thats pretty wild!

How are those rim brakes working out? Ride careful like..