Category: e-trike batteries

TRIKE GUIDE

I  came across this website called Trike Guide so I am sharing it here for those interested in what it offers. It covers Tadpole vs Delta, Wheels, Brakes, e-Motors, Trike Brands & Manufacturers, Gear, Tours, and lastly Trike Events & Conferences. It also covers basis repairs and maintenance. It is far from complete. In fact, I think you will find more comprehensive information right here on this website. Never the less I did enjoy looking thru it.

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TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

ICE ADVENTURE TRIKES WITH 1000 WATT HUB DRIVE OR BAFANG 1000 WATT CRANKDRIVE E-MOTORS

If you have the money Utah Trikes has some very nice offerings. Here is a video about such offerings.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

THE NEW UTCUSTOM E-CAT14 (HIGH TECH DUMONT BUILD)

Utah Trikes impresses me with all that they do and offer to their customers. They remind me of Israel … they take a product and make it better … especially fighter jets in the case of Israel. Here is a video they titled “The Best DUMONT Money Can Buy”. And at nearly $12,000 you will need a lot of money to buy one.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

WELL EQUIPPED VS GREAT PRISTINE LOOKING

What is more important to you … having your trike look great with nothing much added to it much like it came from the factory … or … adding a bunch of stuff to it which distracts from its appearance but is quite useful and practical to have available? Now I ask you? I see tadpole riders all the time riding trikes that appear to have nothing extra on them. They must be dependent on others if something goes wrong as they are not equipped to handle it themselves.

I must admit I have been asked if I have the kitchen sink somewhere on my trike. It is loaded down with all sorts of stuff. I am prepared for most anything. For example, I have  bungee cords with me and I have battery chargers along so I can recharge my batteries anywhere I can find electricity to plug them in. This picture below is not my current set up. Now I have most of it pretty well hidden out of sight as I was able to do so the last time I worked on it.

Now I have large panniers and rear trunk bag which both hide some things as well as provide a storage place for lots of stuff. I carry plastic shopping bags in one of the panniers as I frequently use them to haul stuff in on my trike such as shopping, picking tomatoes off of the vine to take home, etc. All the bungee cords are now out of sight and in a pannier. I have to admit that I don’t normally carry a spare tire with me. That is not something that I am likely to need.

Yes, my trike is usually pretty well loaded down with various stuff. I am down to just one battery now as I have one which lasts a long time providing power for long rides. I no longer need to carry 2 or even 3 batteries on my trike like I used to. Of course, that one battery is a heavy beast.

Am I jealous of those who have and keep their trikes nearly bare-bone? Sometimes I am, but for the most part I am glad I have all this stuff with me as I like being prepared. I don’t need to call somebody to come get me and my trike should something go wrong while I am out riding. I can take care of it myself and continue on my way.

Yes, it adds weight to my trike, but lifting my trike in and out of the bed of my pickup truck helps keep me strong in my old age. I admit though that it gets more challenging as I age. I will be 77 next month. The Greenspeed Magnum trike is even heavier to lift and presents even more of a challenge. I am glad I am not lifting it daily anymore as it nearly got the best of me. A few times my wife helped me and it made the task much easier.

Well, it is time to go lift my Catrike Trail out of my truck and go riding. And I will be going prepared so that I can …

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Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

BIONX HUB MOTOR HACKS

BionX may be out of business but there are still a lot of their systems around in use. And BionX had a good system. Replacement parts are getting scarce now so maybe it is time to do a hack on the BionX system to get around their proprietary  requirements. Using a third party controller and/or 3rd party battery is appealing. 

I forewarn you that this is not for everybody. I consider myself fairly mechanically inclined but I consider this beyond my capabilities, especially as I have aged. The mechanical part I could probably handle, but the electrical/electronic part is more than I would care to tackle as it t is quite involved. I could not even follow all of it in the video. It is obvious this young man knows what he is doing when it comes to e-motors. I know next to nothing about them.

HERE is a hack to get around needing to use a BionX battery with a BionX motor. Again I find itt is over my head. I have a friend who has offered to give me his old 350 watt BionX system he no longer uses. I would love to have it but I would need to get beyond this proprietary battery issue.

EVERYTHING YOU HAVE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT THE BIONX SYSTEM. Lots of information here! This document contains procedures and information that gives access to several (not all) configurable parameters and hidden options of the BionX system. It is intended to the bike shop and BionX installation technicians. This paper covers the console firmware revision #12 and higher. All the previous firmware revisions do not include all the functions mentioned in this document and/or the menu structure can be different.
If you own a system with older firmware, we recommend you to call EPS (Endless-Sphere.com) to get assistance as needed. However, it is also possible to upgrade the firmware on all BionX systems. (It is important to remember that the system performance is the same regardless of the firmware versions.) The title say “Everything” but as I read down thru the document I see that it does not cover everything.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

 

ALL E-MOTOR BATTERIES AREN’T CREATED EQUAL

I have indeed discovered that not all e-bike batteries are created equal. With the exception of my BionX  e-motor which only used its own batteries which cost a small fortune … like $1200 for a less than a $400 battery … all my batteries I have bought since are around $400 and are far more powerful (longer lasting on a full charge) than the BionX batteries were.

BionX offered two styles of batteries. The one pictured at the top had its own mount which attached down low onto the frame behind the seat. The one pictured on the bottom mounted in a rear rack above the rear wheel.

Other non BionX batteries are the same basic design and mount the same. The one in the top picture below are called shark type.

 

After I was done with BionX and bought other brands of hub motors over the passing years I bought about 5 of the batteries like the bottom one pictured above. They were all 48 volt 20 aH. I got them all thru Amazon & Ebay. I have had people warn me to stay away from these batteries sold thru these sources, but I am pleased to be able to say I did not listen to them and I have never been disappointed with any of them … at least not until now.

The trike I have now came with a Bafang crankdrive motor, but it did not come with a battery. I knew it had one like the third battery down pictured above so I decided to get one of those. I looked online at them and discovered that they were rated the same as the ones I have bought before … 48 volts 20 aH. And they are about the same price. I ordered one and installed it. I charged it up and went for a ride trying it out. It shut off after riding a whole 9 miles. Needless to say I was very disappointed and unimpressed. I recharged it again and gave it another try. This time I got just under 27 miles. My other batteries all of which have over 1500 charges on them still  perform better than this brand new battery. I recharged it again to see what a third try would do. This time it would not even fire up my system. I sent it back for a refund which I got.

I ordered another battery of this type. It too has been disappointing but it is doing much better than the one I returned. So far I got just under 27 mies the first time out, over 33 the second time out and I had to get home so I did not find out how far it would have taken me … probably about 40 miles. Based on the performance of all the other 20 aH batteries I have bought I was expecting at least 80 miles on a full charge. Anyway, these shark styles batteries which I bought are definitely not 20 aH as advertised. I would say they are more like 8 or 9 aH. I don’t know how they could be 20 aH as they are much smaller and weigh much less than my 20 aH batteries. I was hopeful that I could just have one battery on my trike which would last for all of my daily ride. But, alas, this battery is not going to do the job. I am considering sending it back for a refund and  and just ordering another battery like the 5 I have already bought. They provided about 75 to 80 miles out of a full charge when new. The brands X-Go, US and Joyisi, are the battery manufacturers I have had up until lately.  As I said, they have all been good batteries. I would not hesitate to buy any of them again. But these shark type batteries …  nope, I will never buy another one unless I know something about it. All batteries are not created  equal.

One last thing I want to give warning about.  The shark type battery comes with a mounting base …

It has a key lock which when turned all the way in one direction moves a locking pin down thru a hole in the base. It keeps the battery from moving forwards or backwards so that it is locked into the power pickup docking place which mate up when the battery is in the proper position. That is all fine and dandy, but I found out the hard way that it does not lock the battery down onto the base. It is free to come up off of the base if it was not properly placed onto the base plate. I was riding along down a road when all of a sudden I heard my battery hit the ground as I rode on ahead. I saw it in my mirror. I had to back up to get it. Before I went out riding the next day I used one of my wife’s old belts she gave me to use to  place around the battery and mounting plate to make sure it could not come off like that again.  It does go onto the base plate so it is locked on, but it is easy to get the electrical connection made without getting it locked onto the base plate. That is a really stupid design! I learned the hard way that one must be careful when placing the battery onto the base plate.

I made the decision to send this battery back for a refund also. As far as I am concerned both of these batteries are falsely advertised. I have a third battery on order which I am told is high quality and should do all that I am hoping for. It costs quite a bit more than these first two did. A friend told me that he has the identical battery (48 volt 24.5 aH) and has the same e-motor system. He said he currently has 80 miles of riding on the battery and it has only gone down one bar of the charge level indicator. The next day he informed me that he got 130 miles out of the battery. That would be great! I  am getting a 52 volt 25 aH battery as the 48 volt 24.5 aH were out of stock. I will do an update and let you know how the new battery works out.

KEEP ON TRIKIN’

A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

Why wish upon a star when you can talk to the  One (Jesus) Who created them?

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

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“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

 

 

 

HAILONG E-BIKE BATTERY FIRE HAZARD

I just returned one of these batteries for a refund yesterday as it was faulty and did not perform as it should have. Now I run across this video which makes me glad I did return it.

I defintely was not impressed with this battery and never would buy another one from them.

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

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“NORMAL” is not coming back … JESUS IS!

CHARGING YOUR CYCLE TOUR GEAR

I have never toured on my tadpole trike but I do have to charge batteries daily. Of course, the charging is almost always at home so I don’t have to concern myself with finding a place t charge them. Never the less, I do carry my charger right on my trike along with an extension cord in case I need to charge my batteries while I am out away from home. And I have done this many dozens of times. The problem is I can’t get much of a charge into a battery in the short time I have available while I am out away from home. Usually a maximum of an hour is all the time I have and truthfully it is almost a waste of time as very little charge goes into the battery in that amount of time. Anyway, here is another one of Matt Galat’s videos on charging cycle tour gear while travelling by tadpole trike.

Here is my setup on my CatrikeL

I only have one charger on the Greenspeed Magnum. I have it mounted down under the Bacchetta Big Bag so that it is protected from rain:

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A FREE GIFT AWAITS YOU!

TODAY IS THE OLDEST YOU’VE EVER BEEN, YET THE YOUNGEST YOU’LL EVER BE SO – ENJOY THIS DAY WHILE IT LASTS FOR THIS IS A DAY THE LORD HAS MADE! REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT!

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CYCMOTOR, AN UP & COMING

 

 

For those who want a crank drive e-motor there is a fairly new contender available. CYCMOTOR has a few models to choose from … from 750 watts to 5000 watts … plenty of power to destroy your trike. As for me, I will stick with hub motor drive and save the drive train from destruction. But if you really want a crank drive motor this company offers torque sensing and although it will only accommodate a single sprocket various size sprockets are available up to 50 teeth.

 

Their 750 watt motor is called the Photon and is probably the most practical and popular model to select. 750 watts is the legal limit and it can easily destroy the drive train. More wattage is not needed for that. The Photon kit is currently selling for $850 plus applicable tax. There are not very many crank drive motors that offer torque sensing so this is an attractive feature.

I would love to have 5000 watts in a hub motor but not in a crank drive. Like I said, 750 watts can easily destroy the drive train in short order. I speak from experience. It was an expensive repair.

The package includes everything you need to convert your bike except the battery:

Motor body with Gen 3 torque sensing freewheel module
Built-in CYC XP6 controller
Chainring with chainring cover
Bottom bracket assembly
Crank set
Peripherals including:
Display
Waterproof wiring
Thumb throttle
Speed sensor
Brake sensors (optional)
User manual (ecopy)
eBike Headlights (optional) available here> https://www.cycmotor.com/product-page/ebike-headlights

Their batteries are quite limited  … only three models .Their smallest battery (36 volts 10 aH) costs $383 and their largest battery (52 volts 15 aH) costs $707. One thing to remember about motor wattage … the bigger more powerful the motor is the more battery power it will consume. And the more power you require from the motor (the harder you run it) the more battery power you will consume. For me 15 aH would not last long.

I like the fact that it comes with a thumb throttle. They are extremely handy and very practical in my opinion and experience.

BTW, one thing you might want to consider is replacing your standard chain with an e-chain which is stronger and made for the additional power the chain has to handle.

So if you want to go the route of crank drive e-motor definitely CYCMOTOR is one to seriously consider.

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TEMPERATURE EFFECT ON E-BATTERIES

Just a few words about batteries and weather conditions. First let me state that my batteries are showing their age. Without looking up the exact information I am sure they are at least 4 years old. Batteries are only good for so many charging cycles before they start losing some of their power they produce. They continue to function but not like they did when they were new. Most lithium-ion e-batteries are good for 700 to 1000 charging cycles before they start losing power. I would guess I have over 1300 charges on my batteries by now. When brand new I got about 75 miles out of a full charge. I miss that as now I am down to about 20 to 30 miles out of a full charge.

 

20 miles vs. 75 is quite a difference, but it is what it is. But wait … 20 miles is what I get in the winter (with the temperature in the  40s or colder). When it warms up into the 50s the mieage increases to around 25 miles on a full charge. Lately we have been in the 70s and even low 80s and my batteries are providing about 30 miles on a full charge. Hey, maybe if I ride when it is 120 degrees I will be back up around 75 again. What do you think? Naw! It will never happen. Nope, you won’t ever catch me out riding in 120 degree heat … not even 100. I am not that desperate to get 75 miles out of my batteries.

Back when I had a BionX e-motor system I could not ride my normal ride without having to stop and charge my battery. The picture above shows my trike with the battery being charged. Of course, I didn’t get anywhere near a full charge in only an hour or so of charging, but it helped some. Now I have much larger capacity batteries so I don’t have to stop in the middle of my ride to charge my battery. I had the larsgest battery BionX had but it was still small compared to what I have now … 11aH compared to 20aH.

Anyway, the ambient temperature really does effect battery performance. I don’t have a clue how much longer my batteries will perform satisfactorily. I still have two spare batteries just sitting around so I assume they will outperform the two I am using now. They are all 48 volt 20 aH. I would like to get a 72 volt battery as that is what my motor is rated at. They are a lot more expensive than the 48 volt batteries. A 72 volt battery would increase my top speed considerably. That is a bit scary. I could end up wrapping myself around a tree. I probably should stick to the 48 volt or maybe go down to 24 volt. Naw! A guy only lives once. Hey yeah, I am getting a 426 HEMI engine for my trike. Phooey with these batteries. I am not a little old lady and I am not from Pasadena. I just wanna go man go. Hmmm, I wonder how I am going to mount that monster.

 

I will be the only tadpole trike around which shakes the ground and windows as I ride along.

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RIDICULOUSLY TOO BIG

I have been wanting to get a 72 volt battery for my current e-motor as that is what it is rated at. I only have 48 volt batteries. After quite a long period of time using the lower voltage I ordered a 72 volt 40 aH battery which they showed as being just slightly smaller that my 48 volt batteries. I questioned how this could be, but I took their word for it and ordered it. It only took 3 or 4 days to get it. When I saw the size of the box I got concerned. When I opened the box and saw the battery my thought was OH NO! This thing is NOT AS ADVERTISED. It is about 4 times as large as the dimensions they gave. None of their dimensions are right. I would have loved to be able to use it but there is just no way to mount it on my trike. It is just too big. It would probably be fine in a velocar or a custom made quad or something such built with using it in mind. Anyway, I am returning it for a refund and start over in my quest for a 72 volt battery. For sure I won’t be looking for a high aH rating … probably 20 aH at the most.

If I were a much younger man and still had my welding shop I would probably keep the monstrous battery and build a quad around it. I would use larger wheels and tires making it able to be used off road like an ATV. I am sure it would be a great battery to use if there were just a way to haul it. With the power of my motor the thing would probably be a blast to ride.

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E-MOTOR BATTERIES – HOW LONG WILL THEY LAST?

So far I have bought 5 lithium-ion batteries for my e-motor trike. They are all the same size (48 volt 20aH) but they are not all the same brand. I think the first one I bought has been the best. It has held up the longest. I have had various motors thru the years so I can’t really make accurate comparisons of the batteries. The motors have varied in wattage and thus use differing amounts of power from the batteries. All I know is when I first got my first battery I could get about 75 miles out of a full charge. Years later the milage is down to about 25 +/-. But it keeps going at that level of performance so I keep using it. As expensive as batteries are I won’t replace it as long as it is still serving me well and dependably. I usually have 2 batteries on my trike so I am good for about 50 miles of riding. I could always take along up to 2 more as that is all I have left out of the 5 I have purchased.

One of them I destroyed when it got wet riding thu some flood water.  I know … DUH !!!. I didn’t think the water was deep enough to get to the battery but it was and I paid a high price for my poor judgement and bad decision to ride thru it. Probably if I had not been using the battery at the time it would have survived ok by simply opening it up and drying it out. I think the BMS got destroyed. It could be repaired but it cost more to have it repaired than I can buy a new battery for.

Since I have never encountered failure of any of my batteries I don’t know how long they will last. According to what I have read about e-batteries I am well satisfied with the performance I am getting out of my batteries. I have had people tell me to stay away from buying lower cost batteries on Ebay, etc., but that is all I have ever bought. Like I said, I am well satisfied with my lower cost batteries I got on Ebay. I have been impressed with their quality.

I would not hesitate to purchase the same batteries again. They have all been great.

I probably should try using one of the spare batteries I have which have not been used much just to see how many miles I get out of a newer battery. With the motor I have now I would not expect to get 75 miles but hopefully I would get more than 25. But I have not tried it. I just keep using my two oldest batteries. It is my understanding that lithium-ion batteries are only good for so many charges. I am sure I have charged these two batteries well over what they say they are supposed to last. Like I said, I have been well pleased with these low cost batteries I got from Ebay. I will let you know if and when they “give up the ghost”. Meanwhile, my plan is to …

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ADDING LOW COST E-ASSIST TO YOUR TRIKE

Anybody who has followed me thru the years know that I have had several e-motors on my trike over the years. I started out with BionX and then gave GoldenMotors a try. Then I went to eZee which I really liked. Next I tried Tongsheng which I had heard (read) such good things about but I found very disappointing. And now I have NBPower which I like quite well. In fact, I have a second brand new NBPower hub motor sitting on the floor next to me. I bought it as a spare at a better price than I paid for the first one. I have purposely steered clear of recommending e-motor conversion kits to others but I have been so pleased with this one that I have decided to recommend it.

Most hub motor kits I have found to be 135 mm width which may be a problem on some trikes. I have a Catrike and I had to spread my rear dropout slightly to get the second hub motor (GoldenMotors) to fit. Since then the eZee and NBPower  hub motors slide right into the dropouts okay. I am not advising anyone to spread apart the rear dropouts, especially if you trike is still under  frame warranty as it is likely to void the warranty.

I do want to disclose one important thing. This hub motor wheel comes with a 7 speed freewheel sprocket which means you must give up whatever your trike presently has … 9, 10 or 11 speed. It is a bummer, but not the end of the world. I bought and changed my 7 speed freewheel for different sprockets as I did not like the gearing that came on the hub motor wheel. You can order the 11-34 freewheel HERE. And, some say that a 9 speed chain won’t work with a 7 speed sprocket, but so far it is working well for me. I can’t say if your current setup is 10 or even 11 speed. And for what it is worth, I am not a fan of freewheels vs the newer cassettes. I have found them to be cheaply made and not hold up as well as cassettes.

I purchased it on Amazon. HERE is a link to it. The 20 inch wheel currently sells for $439. It does not come with a battery so that has to be ordered separately. I recommend a 72 volt battery if you can afford it. I already have 48 volt batteries so I am using them thus far. I hope to get a 72 volt someday and take advantage of the power offered by this motor. With 72 volts it should reach about 44 mph. With 48 volts my top speed is only about 23 mph on a fully charged battery.

Even settling for a 48 volt battery the total cost is about $800 to $900. That is a lot better than $2500 or even more many people are paying for Bosch and similar high dollar systems. And this thing is a rocket compared to the underpowered Bosch system like Catrike uses. You can spend more than a thousand dollars on some 72 volt batteries, but that is still more than $1000 cheaper than a Bosch system which will wear out your drive train much sooner adding to your operational expense as sprockets are not cheap nor is the new chain. Crank drive systems are notorious for wearing out drive trains prematurely. When I had the Tonsheng crank drive system installed on my trike it wore out (completely destroyed) my expensive TerraCycle idler pulleys in only about a month.

Yes, I am well pleased with this setup and so I am recommending it. The only thing negative I can speak of is it lacks torque sensing. It does have PAS sensing. I have a fairly recent article about PAS vs Torque Sensing  for those who are not familiar with the subject.

I will say this … the assembly and setup instructions supplied with the hub motor wheel kit leave something to be desired. That being said help can be found online. And I am willing to help in anyway I can. I had to look it up online to find what I needed to get the job accomplished. BTW, the PAS parts won’t install on the crankset of a Catrike. One must use a workaround in order to have a functioning PAS. There are different ways to accomplish this.

The kit comes with a hand throttle however unless specifically requested a twist throttle is provided vs. a thumb throttle. I personally much prefer a thumb throttle as a twist throttle is very tiring on the hand and wrist to use. So if you want a thumb throttle it is necessary to request one when the order is placed. (The seller is very helpful and will work with you on any issues you may have.) If they can’t furnish you will the thumb throttle you may have to order it separately. Make sure you get the one with the longer wiring as it has to reach from your handlebar to the controller which I assume you would mount somewhere behind the seat. You can order the thumb throttle HERE.

HERE is the setup instructions for the display console. Dealing with e-motors thru the years has been and continues to be a learning experience. One thing I learned is that when my trike did not have any speed or power upon completion of the installation it was because I did not have the PAS number selection turned up. It was on only 1 of 5 … actually 1 of 6 as it starts at 0 if I remember correctly. 0 is power to motor is turned off. 1 is the lowest power setting and 5 is the highest. So if you install this motor kit and find it doesn’t seem to have any power or speed (maybe 2 or 3 mph) be sure to check the PAS setting. You can readily change it using the 3 button switch. The middle button turns the power on or off. The left button turns the power (PAS) down until it reaches the lowest setting 0 (zero. The right hand button turns the power (PAS) up until it reaches 5 … it’s highest setting. The PAS number is located on the bottom left of the display console.

I have found that as with all “graph” type battery power level indicators it is not very accurate. I can ride about 60 % of the miles I normally get out of a full battery charge before it drops off of the full charge display. It has 5 bars that make up the battery power display.

The picture above is from when I had the eZee hub motor and its display console. I am posting it here so you can see the way (place) where the display console mounts.

If your trike does not already have a mounting bar for the display console to mount on you may need to purchase and install one. TerraCycle sells them. Actually what I use is a combination of the top part from TerraCycle and the bottom part (called a mirror mount) from Catrike. This is what you see in the picture above. You can buy it for either the left side or the right side. If you would want to mount the display console sideways you would not need the T part on top from TerraCycle. Or you might save money by jerry rigging something out of PVC or whatever.

I wrote about a 20 inch rear wheel but this kit is also available in 26 and 700 sizes for slightly more money. The size can be selected on the same page the link to the 20 inch goes tol

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. I am always willing to help in any way that I can.

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RAIN PROTECTION

It feels like rain drops … so many rain drops … it feels like rain drops falling on my head. So go the words to a popular song from my teen years. Personally I try not to ride in the rain but I know some cyclists choose to go and ride boldly ride in inclement weather.

I used to carry rain gear with me on my trike but I have not now for several years. I don’t even know if I still have any. I never have had any “quality rain gear”. I know it is expensive. The one above is $450 and that is just for the jacket.  I think that is an outrageous price … about 4 1/2 times more than it should cost. I find that the rider’s seat position on a tadpole trike makes it difficult to get proper effective protection compared to what the rider of a bicycle has. This is mostly the lower part of the body I am talking about. If I were a rich man I would have quality rain gear and the means of carrying it along with me on my trike. Maybe someday, but I am not going to hold my breath waiting for it to happen.

Here is a pair of $190 rainproof pants …

Being a big person (I am talking about FAT) it is quite challenging and difficult to get in and out of rain gear, especially the pants. It is hard enough to put them on at home but when I am already out riding it is extremely difficult to do.

What about canopies, you ask? They are great for  providing shade but they don’t help much when it comes to rain, especially when the rain is coming down on an angle and wind is blowing it about. At best they might keep the face, head and neck dry. But if the wind is blowing the rain  much … huh uh! I speak from experience. And most canopies offer no protection for the feet and lower legs.

There are canopies which offer more protection … on the sides and the front. Of course, they cost more.

And then there are velomobiles which offer great protection. The one shown above even has a windshield wiper.

I know I don’t like riding in the rain. I have done so many times out of necessity … I got caught out in it … and I got quite soaked just like I had been in swimming with my clothes on.

Lastly, there is always the concern of getting electronics wet. Water and electricity still don’t mix. Cell phones, GPS devices, etc. must be protected. Many of us have electic motors on our trikes.  The motors themselves are water resistant but wiring, batteries, switches, connections, and display consoles can be a concern. I have had moisture get inside of my computer and my display console. Both took days to dry back out. I had a perfectly good battery get destroyed by getting wet inside. That was a costly mistake.

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BROKEN BATTERY MOUNT

My T-Cycle battery mount broke off yesterday spilling my battery onto the road. Fortunately the battery came to rest right on the painted line of the center turn lane and the traffic was stopped at a traffic light so I was able to retrieve the battery without it or myself getting ran over. It destroyed my plug that plugs into the battery. I tried for a long time to repair it but had no luck. That meant that I had a long ride home pedaling under my own power. And that means granny gear at 2 mph as that is all my body is capable of doing anymore as I have aged. I had to stop numerous times to rest. And the worst of it was I knew rain was coming and there was no way I was going to get home before that happened. So, by the time I did get home I was soaked to the bone as the light rain we had been having turned to a heavier rain. At least my phone stayed dry as I placed a plastic bag over it. This morning I went to work on my trike getting the electrical problems fixed so I can ride again using my motor. I just finished that. I am going to take a picture of the broken battery mount and send it to T-Cycle to see if they will cover it under warranty. If not I can weld it and continue to use it but I am leaning on making the pieces out of steel so it will be stronger. Since I installed the T-Cycle battery mount I have used rubber bungee cords on it to help take weight off of it and reduce metal fatigue hoping to prevent this. That is a lot of weight hanging out there to work at fatiguing that soft aluminum piece full of holes. Everything on the trike gets bounced around a lot and suffers serious jolts.
I am not an engineer, but I was a very experienced metal fabricator with over 60 years of experience. I have learned some things about metal and know about metal fatigue. Repair welding was my specialty. I have repaired tons of broken metal pieces … most of which failed due to being underbuilt. The T-Cycle battery mount is poorly engineered as it is weak where they have all the holes drilled and tapped. That is right where it broke, of course.  Most T-Cycle products are well made but I can’t say that about this one. If I remember correctly it is rated for 15 pounds. My battery weighs 14 pounds. I see on T-Cycle’s website that they have improved this battery mount for Catrike so maybe they have improved upon this weak point. I have written about T-Cycle’s battery mounts before. Click HERE to view it. And I have written an article on their other many fine products. Click HERE to view it. I have several of their products on my trike and with the exception of the battery mount I am well satisfied with their design and quality.
T-Cycle, if you are reading this my trike is a 2013 Catrike Trail.

 

 

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EFFECTS OF COLD WEATHER

Above is a picture showing my bell (yellow arrow pointing to it). BTW, did you notice the snow on my wheel?

One thing that I notice every year when the temperature plays games cooling down somedays and warming back up other days I am not the only one complaining. Both my bell and my squeeze bulb horn are greatly effected by it too. Below is a picture of my horn mounted  on my right side handlebar below the wrist rest. The red arrow is pointing at the wrist rest.

 

Yep, they don’t like the cold weather any more than I do. If fact, they refuse to work like they normally do in warmer weather. Neither are very loud. It is amazing how they change when cold weather comes along. I bet if I were in Florida I would not experience this. But I would probably find something else to complain about. Fortunately I don’t have that much use of my bell or horn in nice weather so cooler weather is not any big concern as there is even less need of either as there are fewer trail users out once the weather changes. In fact, many times when I go out I am the only person out there on the trails.

Hey, speaking of the effect of cold weather I haven’t mentioned e-batteries. They don’t like cold weather either and will let us know it. They do so by not performing the same as they do in warmer weather. The distance we can go on a full charge will be less than normal. And that’s normal! Fortunately it is not all that much of a concern as most of us don’t care to stay out there as long when the weather is cold. I am starting to shiver just sitting here thinking about it. Who likes bundling up in cold weather anyway. I know I don’t.

Well, it is time to put and end to this before my body temperature starts dropping. It is 35 degrees F. outdoors as I type this. It has not warmed up any at all in the 3.5 hours since I got up. That is discouraging. At this rate if I do go out riding I will need to bundle up like I was in the picture above. When you live in the north this is what we deal with if we want to …

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7th MOTOR IS A CHARM

I am on my 7th e-motor on my trike as my 6th one has the clutch going out in it. I had never heard of this company before. It is an NBPower and is rated at 2000 watts at 72 volts. I don’t have a 72 volt battery however. I am using what I already have which are 48 volt batteries. I hope someday to get at least one 72 volt battery to take advantage of the potential this motor offers. With 48 volts it is still the most powerful motor I have had yet. My 6th motor (an eZee) was faster at top speed by about 6 mph, but not nearly as powerful. Of course, with 72 volts this NBPower motor should be much faster … by at least 16 mph. I really like the price of this motor conversion kit … only $469 plus tax. That includes everything but the battery. Oh, and the wheel does not come with a tire or inner tube. (The eZee motor did.)

I don’t know how strong the rear wheel is. My eZee motor came laced in a wheel that did not hold up to the torture the streets, roads and trails of Fort Wayne, Indiana dish out. I replaced it with a heavy duty BMX rim which has held up great. Anyway, I would recommend this NBPower rear hub motor to anyone looking for a motor for their trike. Amazon charges my State’s Sales Tax.  BTW, this is for a 135 mm rear dropout. I had to spread my rear dropout further apart  to accept a 135 mm width. I did that several years ago for another motor so it was already to go when I installed this one. This does have a cadence sensor for e-motor pedal assist, but it is not torque sensing. It also comes with a manual throttle. It is available in many different wheel diameters.

For those interested here are the e-motors I have had installed on my trike thus far:

3 BionX  motors (had problems with all 3)(finally took  it back and got a full refund)

1 Golden Motor (faulty from factory)(sent it back for full refund)

1 eZee motor (ran it for about 4 years before clutch started going out)(the repair part is currently unavailable as is a new eZee motor)

1 Tongsheng crank drive motor (quit working in less than 2 months)(it destroyed my expensive idler pulleys)

1 NBPower motor (working great with lots of power)

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GOT QUESTIONS ABOUT E-ASSIST?

Are you more less uninformed about e-assist and wanting to learn about the subject? Glen Aldridge has compiled a webpage that has lots of information to help others learn. Glen is not only a fellow triker but he has his own business involving bikes and trikes. He rents out such cyclery as well as sells and services customers with e-motors, batteries, etc.

https://mid-islandadventures.weebly.com/electric-assist-kits.html

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BIONX … OUT OF BUSINESS BUT STILL AROUND … WELL, SORTA’

I was very surprised to discover that even though the well known and popular BionX e-motor company went out of business a few years ago one can still buy their products. And the good news is the cost is about half of what it was originally. Of course, there is no manufacturer warranty or service available . How long these sources will be available is anybody’s guess. The source I was looking at came with everything except the digital display. If the customer wanted it it would have to be ordered separately.

Some parts are still available so there is a glimmer of hope for those who have a BionX system. I searched for BionX and found several sources to buy their motor kits. Some sources are even selling unlocked motors which will allow the rider to go faster than the 20 mph speed limiter built into the system. I would like that.

HERE is one source of BionX parts.  And HERE is another source.

One can also buy just the hub motor and have it laced into their own rear wheel. Both the 350 watt and the 500 watt motors are available. BionX had a good product but they priced themselves too high which led to their demise. And the fact that they chose to sell a proprietary product certainly did not help them. There was a lot of competition coming on the scene for a lot less money. You can only get away with selling at much higher prices for so long before it catches up to you.

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SUNSEEKER ELECTRIC T3 CX TRIKE REVIEW

Sunseeker has been around for a number of years. Formerly known as Sun Bicycles several years ago they changed the name to Sunseeker for their recumbent line. They are considered startup quality and their lowest cost model is made of mild carbon steel. They also offer Chrome Moly steel and aluminum. Of course, the price goes up with these more expensive metals. Electric Bike Technologies offers Sunseeker’s chrome moly trike with their electric motor package installed on it for $3412. Sunseeker lists this trike (without electric motor) for $2300. Here is a video about this e-trike  …

more videos from Electric Bike Technologies

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