merganser
10 mW
I've just finished building my first ebike, and have now done a few miles on it. I'm a bit disappointed with the performance, so would like to canvass opinion on whether this level of performance is normal, or whether their may be something wrong with the setup.
The specs are: Bafang CST 500W 36V motor, KU123 controller and a 36V 15Ah battery (12S Headway 40152 LifePO4 cells plus 30A continuous BMS). I'd estimate the combined bike & rider weight as being approx 310 lbs.
I am only getting 15-16 mph without pedalling on the flat (measured using GPS) using 700C - 40mm tyres. I was expecting a bit better, maybe 20 ish mph. Certainly the assistance is noticeable (I was able to climb a pretty steep hill in a much higher gear than I would have otherwise) but I can't help feeling that the level of assistance doesn't justify the weight and increased pedalling effort when unassisted. It just feels a bit limp - if this is normal for 500W, I'd hate to try a 250W euro setup!
I don't have a cycle analyst or any other way of monitoring the current, but after climbing a couple of miles of steep hill (I was also pedalling), the motor was only luke warm and the controller was not noticeably warm at all. Is this normal?
The specs are: Bafang CST 500W 36V motor, KU123 controller and a 36V 15Ah battery (12S Headway 40152 LifePO4 cells plus 30A continuous BMS). I'd estimate the combined bike & rider weight as being approx 310 lbs.
I am only getting 15-16 mph without pedalling on the flat (measured using GPS) using 700C - 40mm tyres. I was expecting a bit better, maybe 20 ish mph. Certainly the assistance is noticeable (I was able to climb a pretty steep hill in a much higher gear than I would have otherwise) but I can't help feeling that the level of assistance doesn't justify the weight and increased pedalling effort when unassisted. It just feels a bit limp - if this is normal for 500W, I'd hate to try a 250W euro setup!
I don't have a cycle analyst or any other way of monitoring the current, but after climbing a couple of miles of steep hill (I was also pedalling), the motor was only luke warm and the controller was not noticeably warm at all. Is this normal?