Will this combination work?

[d8veh]

I thank you all for your help. If you see any Q100 at all in a 26" wheel I'm still looking. I have not found one yet, and it would be a great benchmark.
The simulator gives readings nothing like the rpm data above. Non of them. It is free wheeling at 29mph. I wish I could see some actual results, as I just have motomech's in a 24 with no comparisons.

Thanks again
Richard

Im not sure what you're saying there. You can buy every version of Q100 in a 26" wheel from BMSBattery, Greenbike kit or Elifebike. The motors are so cheap that you can buy one of each and swap the cores if you don't like the speed, which is what I did with my 24v one because the 24v one didn't have disc brake fixing holes, so I used 36v hub and wheel, took out the core and swapped with a 24v one.

If you're asking about personal experience, I've used both the 36v 201 rpm and 328rpm ones in 26" wheel - both as 2WD.
High-speed:

Low speed:

 

[friendly1uk]

It's examples I was looking for yes. To get a benchmark. I'm having trouble finding one. I will take your two examples to explain why I'm struggling, then perhaps you can put me right.
The write up I found on the RM was duel motor, with no figures for single motor use. The Giant is also a two motor design, not reviewed as single motor. I don't know the wheel size used (looks 26") or the motors voltage, but it spins faster than any of the 4 I know of. That's if my math is right on the last page.

I would really like to see a bike with 26" wheels and a q100 motor of any sort where it's named and so is the battery voltage and controller type/spec. Some meaningful data like speeds on gradients would be bang on, but a top speed would be something I could take onboard. Just the kind of review you would expect. I need a proper motor ID/voltage used/controller/wheel size/ results. If any one detail is missing, I can't use any of the data.

I have been looking at

the 201 rpm 36v 500w Bafang BPM motor and 48v 15aH battery or 500w Bafang CST motors with 36v 20aH

you spoke of. I read over and over that there the same motor. Even from yourself a few months ago. Why the different battery recommendations? I did hear they are different motors somewhere, as the cst got further development. I can't see it now though, and it makes no sense to mod one, but not the other. I'm left a little mystified.

I can't seem to find the mac/bmc motor's for sale. I like the look of the bmc v2 spd and 20amps. The one on the ebikes sim. I can't get on there site though, every link is there policy's page, and there search a javascript error. The cheaper mac now has the better gears, but I can't find either anywhere. If I could get a mac to offer me a spd version that might be tempting. I'm just tiring now though. About to order the hobby king cells and a 3v-4.2v bms, with a q100 kit from bms battery. The bms is only £20, but I'm unsure about specifying 3v lvc as It will be under some load when I hit the lvc, I don't want to be switching off sagging batteries that still have some left to go. I have read some long threads that tell me nothing. Maybe 2.7v lvc is better as off load they would come back up. To something. But I'm not seeing it discussed. The hvc is also up in the air. I see 4.2 is reasonable, but 4.1 and they last longer. Less capacity, but just what is stated between 10% and 30%. I can live with 10% but 30% is not acceptable. So 4.2v is it.
I don't know If the bms is the regulation for charging in the normal sense. Say I have my 12c set for 4.2 per cell, 50.4v pack. Do I use a psu of say 60v and the bms sorts it out, or do I actually need a psu that gives out a fraction under 50.4v. This is my next avenue of investigation.

Thank you again for your time.
p.s I can't join pedelecs. Banned!? very odd..

I noticed your modding throttles to run two controllers. Adding both beads to one unit. Can't you share the throttles 0-5v control wire between a few controllers? If the 5v means nothing to the second controller(that didn't power the throttle) then you may need to tie the grounds of each controllers throttle power source. Just a little food for thought. If it did work, you could add a duel track trimmer, using a track at each controller input to balance the front/back power ratio on the fly. It could be worth a good look, if you have not done so already.
Edit: They might not balance well, as if they can't supply the full 5v, they are never going to stop

 

[friendly1uk]

New shopping list for bmsbattery.

24v 201 kit, 26" wheel, half throttle. Q: Will the 6fet controller be the same as in the 36v kit? It needs to deal with 12c.
Smart BMS for 20-30 amps. Specified 3v lvc and 4.2v hvc. Q: is that lvc to high because of sag?
240w charger. 60v 3amps. 200-263vac. Q: is the bms going to regulate this.

Few bits and bobs on my list, but nothing that needs looking at. Just cable ties and the like.



Edit: Tried to go through checkout for P&P costs " invalid security certificate "

 

[dnmun]

why did you specify such a high LVC? your lifepo4 will not work with that.

you should get away from 24V right away and go to 36V at the very least. 48V is better yet.

 

[friendly1uk]

I'm not using life, I'm wanting to use lipo packs from Hobby King. 12 cells in series.

Hobby King is both cheap and local, for returns. bmsbattery have an attractive pack, but if it comes bust having posted it's 2kg so far, I wouldn't be happy. It's many small cells, so my chances of a failure are a little too high. Not there fault. It's just I would rather buy such temperamental things locally in smaller packs I can swap easily.

 

[friendly1uk]

230rpm from the 36v 201 = 17.85mph
273rpm from the 36v 328 = 21.2mph
290rpm from the 24v 201 = 22.5mph
340rpm from the 24v 238 = 26.4mph

Taking at the rpm these are achieving at 36v, We can work out the rpm per volt, and see what my 44v lipo pack might achieve

230rpm from the 36v 201 = 21.8mph
273rpm from the 36v 328 = 26mph
290rpm from the 24v 201 = 27.5mph
340rpm from the 24v 238 = 32.25mph

It's all about middle two I think. Not a lot separates them in flat out terms at this voltage. How they got here could be revealing though. On there native voltages, when the 36v 328 tried to spin 20% faster than the 24v 201, it did so using 50% more voltage. Somehow it had to loose some speed. I see two options, to either gear it down which gives some mechanical advantage, Or, to add motor windings to choke things up, which adds torque. If one of these case's it so, then the small loss in freewheel speed is more than amply rewarded with extra torque. Although even in a a 24" wheel motomech found the 36v 328 failed his 1 in 10 test.

This 273rpm from 36v is 7.58 revs per volt. This next chap has his making 9.12rpv

on October 2012:
I bought the motor Q100 350W 36V 328 RPM. With my 48V battery full charged (at 54.6V), in freewheel the motor gives 62Km/h!

I am using this motor (running with the 48V battery and controller KU123) since some months and all is working great!! -- please see here a blog message with pictures and details: http://www.massacriticapt.net/?q=node/1647

He has took a shunt out his controller, as he says it half's the currant. It's a 30 amp I think.

 

[d8veh]

Lots of questions. I'll try and answer the main points.

The Bafang CST motor is nothing like the BPM. It's much more highly developed and better quality. The reason for the different battery voltages is that BMSBattery sell the BPM in low speed and high speed versions with nothing in between. The 201 rpm only does about 18mph, so you need 48v to get it up to 24mph. The CST does about 22mph at 36v. The high-speed BPM is meant for small wheels, not for going faster. The same for the Q100. If you get a motor that tries to spin at a higher speed than the power it has to reach that speed, you end up with an inefficient system that gets hot and wastes loads of battery.

The Q100 does about 18mph at 36v (real on-the-road speeds like those above) in a 26" wheel, but will soon slow down on any sort of incline when using the standard controller at 15 amps. Increasing the current to 18 amps lets it hold onto its speed better. With 12S, the speed goes up to about 22mph, and if you give it 17 or 18 amps at that voltage, it's quite powerful and can sustain it's speed very well and climb much better.

The 36v controller from BMSBattery can work with 12S , but not the 24v one.
The 22amp controller KU93 is too high for the Q100

People tried sending the signal wire from one throttle to two controllers, but found that there were intermittent glitches.

Personally I wouldn't trust a BMS to manage lipos. If anything is wrong with it, you'll have a fire or explosion. I''ve seen small 2S lipos explode, so I wouldn't want to be near large 12S ones when they let go. Instead, the lipo chargers manage charging and you can use a couple of lipo alarms and/or a voltmeter to manage discharge. Some people bulk-charge their lipos. The chargers that BMSBattery sell can be set to any voltage. They'll do it for you when you order. Again, I personally don't like the idea of bulk-charging.

When lipos get down to 3.6v per cell, there isn't a lot left. The voltage goes down increasingly more rapidly after that. I use a cheap watt-meter to manage mine, so I know how many aH I've used. It also shows the the voltage, so when it shows 44v, I better be close to home.

MAC and BMC motors are relatively expensive for us in the UK. Their main advantages is that you can choose from a range of speeds. The CST IMHO is much better quality and has the cassette spline.

The Simulator gives a good indication of motor speeds, powers, etc, but doesn't give you a feel for how they perform. I like my bikes to do about 22mph while I'm pedalling without much effort. If you're a light rider or you don't have significant hills, a 250w motor can do it with 12S and about 18 amps. If you're heavy (90kg+) or have significant hills, you need a 500w motor (at least)

 

[friendly1uk]

Thank you d8veh. That was a lot of input

I think I will give up on the mac and bmc units.

Having tried to place a bmsbattery order that wouldn't go through (on there site with no security certificate) I have seen the $200 postage costs a Q100 kit demands. I will look again at the CST. I had decided it costs too much, but as postage is so high, the increase is becoming a drop in the ocean. Greenbikekit don't sell the 500w CST, but I will look for other sources.

I have to use a bms, as I won't be the only one charging it. I can still stick a meter on the cells to check it works, and I will certainly have a voltmeter onboard. I tried to order two bms units, to be sure I had the parts to make at least one work. I have seen the terrible failure rate, that seems to come from cracked fets during assembly, and connecting them up out of sequence. I may have to stiffen the board up protect the fets further, as they won't like it flexing. I think I can make it work. I imagine every commercial bike battery has one, and they won't give it the rigorous testing I will need to, having heard a few story's.

When you talk of the Q100, is that the 24v 201? I think I understand what your saying about efficiency. The longer it's legs, the faster it goes, but the less climbing power. I think the best way to measure it's legs might be rpm per volt. This is drawing me to the 36v 238 because it has shorter legs than the 24v 201. The 36v 328 is slower than the 24v 201 at any given voltage. Only marginally, but it also has the different gearbox design, which I feel is stronger. I realise you probably mean the 24v 201 but would you call the 36v 328 extremely similar? Perhaps agreeing that it has shorter legs.

I am basing all this on the rather close figures provided by uses on this forum. I have no idea how most of these figures were measured. I shouldn't be trying to make a science from it. I understand I could have my side of the calculations perfect, but still be wrong as my data is from unknown sources. Your experience is probably the best gauge I'm happy to have access to. Cheers

 

[d8veh]

I'd use the 201rpm Q100 36v with 12S (48v). The 328rpm one is too fast for a 26" wheel. It would only suit light people who don't have hills. Also, both the controller and motor will get very hot in a head-wind. The motors are so cheap that you can get both versions - one in a wheel, and the other as a bare motor. Then you can swap cores to try the difference.

 

[chas58]

I’m reading this with interest, trying to figure out which Q100 would be best for me. For the cost of the wheel, I’ll probably buy one wheel/motor for a mountain bike and one for a road bike (and share the battery). The road bike is a light weight (19lb) commuter and weekend play thing. A Q100 with a light battery (2kg, 36V 8AH LITHIUM ION) might be just the thing for the commute (first ebike, no lipo please). Commute is 10 miles, nice and flat.

One concern is having my legs overpower the motor. I commute at about 21mph, and can ride 25 miles in an hour if I am in a rush. (I’m not going 25mph with panniers on the way to work though, 20-21 is typical for me). According to the ebike simulator, that estimates at 300-400watt through my legs. Hmm.

If a Q100 36v 201 does 17.85 at 230 rpm and no load, and I ride at 20-21 with no motor, is the motor going to do me any good? Would I be better off running 48volts though it (or running 36 volts through a Q100 24v 201, or something else)?

(Yeah, I got that BMS certificate error the other day too.)

 

[chas58]

OK, with shipping (greenbikekit) that $115 wheel/motor suddenly becomes $300. That kind of blows my expectation to get a 26" wheel and a 700c wheel for $250 - now it is more like $600 for a pair. And bumping up to a CST might not be a bad idea, but I love the tiny stealth aspect of the Q100.

 

[chas58]

Which Cute Q100 is right for me?
Goal - the light weight and stealth look.
Bike will be used for commuting, 10 miles one way, flat and fast.
Me: Non electric I ride 20mph, can hold 25mph for an hour, and sprint around 30mph (on a race track, I am holding 30mph, and sprinting at 35-40mph, but that with some drafting).

I want some pedal assist when commuting (sometimes). Target speed 20-25mph with pedaling.
Potentially purchasing two motors and one battery for a mountain bike and a road bike. Both bikes are about 19lbs single speed (although I carry 15-20lbs commuting, either on messenger bag, or on panniers). I would like to keep things light, and supplement my legs (pedal assist). I don’t need a hill climber.
Goal: build a bike something like the 250watt Specialized Turbo bike (without spending the $$).
Something that will pedal assist cruse at 20-25 (moderate pedaling), max out at 30mph (maybe do 18-20 by itself)
Something like what Grindz145 built.
http://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=32364&hilit=zukster

What I don’t want: a fast electric moped, or a motor that I can overpower.

Weight: 165
Terrain: Flat
Distance: 10-20mi
Want to pedal with assist.

What fits the Bill? The basic Q100 kit from BMS?
I like it because it is light and stealth and hope it can complement my leg power.

 

[friendly1uk]

I'd use the 201rpm Q100 36v with 12S (48v). The 328rpm one is too fast for a 26" wheel. It would only suit light people who don't have hills. Also, both the controller and motor will get very hot in a head-wind. The motors are so cheap that you can get both versions - one in a wheel, and the other as a bare motor. Then you can swap cores to try the difference.

A light person with no hills, might just sum me up. That's why I'm borderline dithering. I'm trying to order stuff though, it will be over soon I just found a MAC on em3ev, but it was less impressive at checkout. The cst is a strong contender. The Q100 is looking just a few mph too slow to really replace the car on enough routes to make it worthwhile. This because the longer geared one's get too hot if I do find a hill.

Have you ever counted the teeth on one you opened up? I have seen some very clear pictures on another site, but they never said what they were looking at. It's looking less like I'm getting one, but it's still a contender, and whats pushing me to learn.

I think the 36v 328 probably has more torque than the 201 24v ran on the same batteries. I'm basing this on the rpm per volt, which makes the 24v 201 faster. The 36v 328 has in some way traded speed for power. Or if I add the special 'fudge' factor, you could say there the same. However, the 328 gets the stronger gearing design common to both 36v units. I'm thinking of the 36v 201 though. With 18A it might actually do a 1 in 10 hill, which is really quite a gradient. I still might see 20mph with 44v but the power really will drop off like a stone after that speed. Not like the longer geared motors that can stretch there legs out towards 30mph if you help them (on 44v) but they won't look at a hill without braking a sweat. Kept above 15mph most are in the zone though. I think that might actually suit chas.

I'm still thinking of the 24v 201 aswell. At 24v it must be ok. Perhaps the weakest 250w motor available, but it's not out of it's depth. That is it's spec. If I were to leave the currant alone, and just boost voltage for higher rpm (higher voltage to charge up the coils quicker, before the motor has moved on) Then that would offer assistance to the highest speed. 32mph I calculated on a 26" wheel. But it would be very thinly spread. Without assistance it would be totally out it's depth above the 20ish mph a Q100 motor is really capable of. It's 250w. Gearing can't change that.

Well... I think it sounds good. I'm like a couple of weeks old though.

Chas, have a look at motomech's threads in his signature. One is a 24" wheeled 36v twin 328 Q100. He runs it as a single. iirc about 22mph but no good on his steep test hill. Then he adds a second, which shows it offers assistance towards the top end of the 20s as two together go quite fast. More so than you might expect. By helping it it's efficiency curve changes. You should really have a read and note his battery voltage too. Speed and voltage are very much related, but speed figures are nothing without power (amps in this case) to attain them.

Amateur cyclists can manage 210w average over an hour. It would be like having a tandem with me on the back. I could certainly help out, but if you think I'm getting us up a hill on my own, I'm getting off and collapsing lol

 

[friendly1uk]

The 500w CST on the right seems to have a gear hub I have never seen before. No drive splines like the one on the left.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
That would be no use to me. I can't even find anything that is meant to fit it.

Mine is hyperglide according to this next image (with the nonsense text)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Why is it never easy lol

 

[chas58]

Yeah, I saw that picture too. That motor looks to be packaged for shipping from the plant – it has plastic caps on the bolts, and on the spline. Pull that funny looking plastic tube off of the spline, and you are going to see the spline like on the photo to the left (without the shipping protection on it).
I’ve never seen a uniglide spline, all the shimano stuff is hyperglide.

Yeah, I have a tandem with a 200watt motor on the back (my wife). Nice top speed, but doesn’t climb too well. Getting a guy back there who can do 400 watts is definitely more powerful! 

 

[friendly1uk]

Oh dear. Bit of a Homer Simpson moment for me there. lol

I don't think I want 250w if the order is £300. I would rather be looking at 500w for £100 more. This does mean a couple more kilo's on the motor, but at least it won't overheat so quickly when you try to get some work out of it. The 8ah battery pack is 15A continuous, So your looking at the ku65. No large power increase, but you can use a faster unit that can help at your top speeds, and not cook it so quickly at low speeds. That ku65 has a nice little frame bag too for £3, Which I'm hopeful holds the plugs also.

I'm thinking about such a setup, but with higher voltage batteries. There is no fast or slow CST, The 500w is just 270rpm (I hear 250rpm also, perhaps from other models, I don't know) Which is in the middle. To get assistance in to the mid 20mph region, It will want more voltage. Or you could look at the bpm if a cassette is not a must. 328rpm.

 

[friendly1uk]

I have snipped this from the above post, as it needed correcting (It was dollars not pounds)

4 lipo cells of 5ah capacity from hobbie king are £14.50 so a rack of 12 at £43.50, plus a bms at £16, and a £20 charger, then you have a smaller 5ah battery set for about £10 less than the 8Ah offering. Once you have the bms and charger, You can keep buying sets of 5ah cells at £43.50. Its 44v and 20amp, to better satisfy your speed needs. The postage from your local hobbie king might be a small fraction of shipping from china, as it's heavy and some carriers won't touch them.
You might be better with 13 cells. Same bms and charger, Just One more cell.
I want to check that battery price, but it's here http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__15521__Turnigy_5000mAh_4S1P_14_8v_20C_hardcase_pack.html

If you got 15ah of this better performing lipo kit, It would cost £166. Two 8ah packs would cost £180. From then on, Lipo costs £8.70 per Ah, and the 8ah pack is £11.50 per Ah.

I'm looking at two packs, and two bms. Just so I always have a working pack. One for the outward leg, and one for getting back. Really it is all about the voltage though

 

[d8veh]

Just to remind you what I said before. The real-world speed of the 500w 270rpm CST at 36v is about 22mph in a 26" wheel. The no-load speed is 24mph. Everything is nicely balanced with this set-up between speed and power. The code 11 BPM has exactly the same characteristics. You wouldn't be able to tell the difference when riding. BMSBattery sell the 328rpm BPM, which should be a Code 8, although someone recently said that theirs was a code 10. The code 8 would be a bit too fast for 30 amps (KU123) at 36v, so won't be as pleasant to ride and would be less efficient because it doesn't have the power to match its speed unless you want to go up to 40 amps, which means a more expensive controller and battery. The code 10 BPM is just about OK, so you can check with BMSBattery if that's the one you'll get, but you'll be lucky to get a sensible answer, and even if they say it is a code 10, they might still send you a code 8 and you'll be stuck with it. You'll get much more sense out og Greenbikekit.com in this respect, and you can trust their answers. They do exactly the same kits as BMSBattery.
http://www.greenbikekit.com/index.php/electric-bike-kit-1/rear/36v-500w-8fun-bpm-e-bike-kit.html

The Bafang CST motor with the 20aH 36v shrink-sleeve battery makes an excellent combination. The battery's plug and play and very light for its size. You have to build your own wheel with the CST. So you might want to get a code 10 BPM kit from GBK (if that's the one they do) and the battery from BMSB, or maybe GBK can build the CST into a wheel for you if you ask them nicely. They're much more accommodating than BMSB.

 

[chas58]

Interesting.

The only CST I see on greenbikekit is:
8FUN CST 36V250W/350W, Bafang Cassette Freewheel Motor-CST for electric mountain bikes
1. Voltage: 36V
2. Power: 250W/350W
3. Max Speed: 283~300RPM

Is there a reason you refer to a 500W 36v CST? Is this different from the 36V250W/350W CST version?

I see you pointed to the BMP version which is 500W 36V. For the BPM kit, there is a 350W36V 500W46V 350W48V 500W48V. What is the difference from these motors (given the power comes from the battery and controller)? Are they the same motor with a different controller?

For CST, there is the one motor above.

I take it that the Bafang BPM and CST has more speed potential than the Q100 at a cost of about twice the weight (5lbs vs 10lbs).
At the price of the CST, wouldn't the MAC motor offer more flexibility (in choosing power range and winding options)?
Mac has options like: 8 turn standard motor - 320rpm loaded at 36V, 8T – 39kph (24mph).

 

[chas58]

Battery question:
In the interest of light weight, I would like a 36v8Ah battery for short trips (wt: 2kg), and to use a second 36v8Ah for longer trips (i.e. use the second battery for the second half of the trip).
http://www.bmsbattery.com/36v/514-36v-10ah-lithium-ion-electric-bicycle-battery-pack.html

That would allow me to be light and quick for shorter trips (80% of the time), and have the option of going longer on those days when I needed that.

Or is there a power disadvantage with using a 36V 8Ah 15amp battery vis a 36v 12Ah 15amp battery?
(I am avoiding the bottle batteries there, as they look to be only 10amp sustained).

 

[friendly1uk]

I have successfully ordered a 500w CST from bmsb (gbk don't use the 500w cst, I mailed them to ask. Nor do they program the bms to your needs)
Thank you for your help d8veh. Just the batteries now...

Chas, that 15 Amp limit won't let you stretch a 500w motors legs. It won't cook like a longer geared 250w motor would, as it dissipates heat better. Without some more amps it won't be assisting a great deal more though. It would be nice if you could use the little ku65 and mod it for a few more amps, without nailing the battery. I notice the 8ah uses many small cells, like the smaller bottles. The 15 amp rating might already be stretching the truth a little. You could certainly look into that. At a glance, it didn't look right to me.
Reading dave's work elsewhere, it appears you can fit 12 8ah cells in a frog-box. I'm not sure if that interests you. I was going to hang the pack your looking at from the top tube under a race number.

I'm quite happy about building a couple of 5ah pack rated 20 amps. Two in parallel and I have 40 amp capacity. It's a little more future proof. It's a shame to carry the extra motor weight with no provision to actually use its extra ability.

I have no idea what plug the bms has to connect the batteries. BMSB don't seem to sell one. I have to delay my battery cell order now if nobody knows. The cell people do have leads, but many types. I'm stuck in the mud again. lol



Edit: The order was £400 delivered to the east midlands (if they got it right) And it includes a spare rim, frog box, two bms units. torque arms and pedal sensor. FYI 186mm spokes X 36 for the 26" wheel.

 

[chas58]

What BMS did you get? The 93?
I guess you got the bare motor and will build the rim yourself.
I’m really wondering what the difference in the motor is between the 350w and 500watt Bafang CST.
Yeah, the KU63/65 can be easily modified for 17-18 amps, so I’m told .
That frog box isn’t a bad option for batteries (if you build something that fits – I’m not sure how to build a battery pack though

 

[chas58]

Now I am interested in the motor code you will receive. After doing lots of research here, I found the following information on speeds of the BPM/CST motors:

Bafang BPM & CST code for 36v
Code 08 is 378 rpm frt. and rear 48V slow-winds motors are Code 8
Code 09 is 335 rpm (motor code 16(9))
Code 10 is 300 rpm BMS: 48V 500w rpm393, rear, code 10 .
Code 11 is 280 rpm BMS: 48V 500w rpm393, Front. code 11.
Code 12 is 250 rpm
Code 13 is 230 rpm BPM 36V 350W front 201 rpm 26 (13) motor
Code 14 is 215
Code 15 is 205 rpm
Code 15 is 192 (BPM 36V500W 201rpm (code 15) )
For speed at 48V, use factor of 1.33 increase in motor speed.

I am thinking I probably want a code 11 280rpm. BMS states the CTS is 270 RPM in the 350 and 500 watt version. Makes me wonder what the motor codes are for them. Maybe at 26(13) or a 26(11), as the photo shows motor code of 26(....

 

[friendly1uk]

I wrote this hours ago, and forgot to post it

The bms is the board that looks after the batteries. There is one within the 8Ah pack. A circuit board that balances the charge across all the cells equally. The two I ordered are £16 and programmable in terms of maximum charge voltages and minimum battery voltage before it switch's off to save the cells going irrecoverably flat. I think it's listed as £14 but goes up a few quid when you specify 20Amp, not the base model.

The motor controller is just the ku65 that is on offer at about £15 including an led display that is also a functional 3 level power switch. The 65 allows that 3 power level switch, which is handy if the only motor trigger is pedal motion. I decided on it when I wanted the 328 Q100. Turning it down on hills that stopped the Q100 attaining 15mph would stop it burning out so quick. Less assist yes, but that was the compromise a fast Q100 needed if it was used on an incline where the 201 should of been specified.

I might never know for sure, but I think the Q100 would of done me. The 328 for flat ground, not the 201 more suited to slopes. The odd slope that did pose a heating threat could be climbed without the motor, or with it turned down via the ku65's 3 power levels. I have about gone and made the same anyway, using a motor less likely to overheat. Perhaps not worth carrying an extra 2kg about for. I know this is going to be addictive though. I'm already buying parts for a second battery.

Now back to today

All this 'what motor' talk is very worrying. I did hear a man tell how his 500w motor managed 18mph. He also had no way of specifying a choice, where ever it was he ordered from. The fact they say 270 and it's missing from your list is obvious cause for concern. As is the tax man. I had forgot about him.

 

[d8veh]

We all want code 11 BPMs, but they're not easy to find. Luckily, I got one when BMSBattery used to list them.

Friendly1uk, did you order a set of 210mm spokes. If not, see if you can add them to your order without extra postage. Send them an e-mail rather than use the ordering system.

Here's a battery I made with a Frog Case. two Zippy 8000maH 6S, for 12S 8aH, just fit if you remove the internal webs and seperators. In the last photo. you can see the charhe connectors and balance connectors hanging out. If you get the BC168 charger, you can charge directly through the balance leads that saves a bit of wiring
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BC168-RC-Model-Super-Speed-Li-ion-Li-Polymer-Li-Fe-Hobby-Balance-Charger-BC016-/370768669536?pt=AU_Toys_Hobbies_Radio_Controlled_Vehicles&hash=item565388eb60