E-Bike System
 

I've been looking around at e-bike kits for a little while now toying with the idea, but I really just want something ready-made. I came across this and thought it looked pretty nice. I want something that's going to be reliable and have the power and range to get to work and back (~20 miles round trip) if I want. I want the 2500w model because I'm heavy and will want the extra torque needed for hills and such. Anyone deal with/heard of these guys and/or this model?

The way I configured it (51v 20Ah LiFe pack, Theunderbolt system, etc), the price is steep at $3800...

Why not just look into some electric scooters, may be more comfortable as a commuter.

http://www.scooterlectric.com/X-Trem...ke-XB700Li.htm

http://kidsonroll.com/Mopeds/XM-4000...ctricMoped.php



These look like fun but a little more money:

http://www.zeromotorcycles.com/zero-s/specs.php

I have been looking at this one, mainly because there's a Motorino dealer 10 minutes from my house.

http://www.motorino.ca/motorinoltg.php

And if you like the retro look

http://www.motorino.ca/motorinoctg.php

Or the fold able compact model

http://www.motorino.ca/motorinoltf.php

The first one is the one I'm really interested in. They also have the same with carbon fiber chassis.

Anything you buy professionally made will cost a ton. Look at stealth electric bikes if you want something really cool, but they are $6000+. Building yourself you can get it done for $1000-1500 depending on the frame. Turnigy lipos are something like $42 for a 5ah 6s pack in the US warehouse with $.01 shipping during a swarm sale, and 12 fet "lyen" programmable controllers are under $150.

If you want to toy around with setups, there is some GREAT prediction softwre - http://endless-sphere.com/forums/vie...php?f=2&t=6892

The bike you linked to looks pretty good. I actual bike probably costs $1000+ and after the components and labor the price is actually pretty good. If you have the money and you don't have time, I would probably go for it unless you want full suspension.

Have you ever the bikes made by GiO?.. I can get you great prices on them, I'm have a whole sale account there..

Thanks for the input guys! I'm not really interested in scooters because I really want something I can pedal on the trail if I decide to. The purpose of the bike for me is trail riding, jaunts to the store, and commuting (depending on weather). All the other ebikes I've seen are in the sub-1000w range. Like I said, I'm on the heavy side so I want more power and range, hence the 2500w model I originally linked to.

I know something pre-built is going to cost more, but then I get something that doesn't look cobbled together and the whole thing is warrantied.

Judging by some of the e-bike only links above, the one I linked to is pretty much on par cost-wise given the power and range. The published specs of ~90ft-lb of torque, 33mph, and 52 mile range with 20Ah battery sounds good to me. Of course, the range figure has a lot of variables, but worst-case I cut the range in half, it's still good. And for some reason I run out of juice, I can pedal the rest of the way.

aqwut: The only electric Gios I saw were scooters. Do they have ebikes similar to what I'm looking for? I'm not dead-set against an electric scooter, but it's gotta be a really good price for me to go to that via an ebike.

Will you use one of the chargers they have available or work out something else?

I'll probably get their standard 2A charger and see if I can either boost the current a little, or see how they're doing it and make my own. But really, 2A charge on a 20Ah pack is 10 hours, which is fine for overnight. But I doubt I'll need anything close to that since I'll probably charge at work too. I don't see myself doing any long "road trips" where a 1 hour charge would be needed.

I configured a bike I would like on the link you provided Brian, it comes to $6429.00 lol

Wow, what the heck did you pick for options?? I thought the way mine was configured (thunderbolt 2500w system, 20Ah pack, 10GA wiring, hi-strength rack/bag) was pretty decent and the price is $3809.00

Although, that analyst computer option looks nice too. But I suppose I could just plug in my watt's up meter instead and save $150.

I know you said you didn't want to piece one together, but these guys have some pretty powerful motors up to about 20kw.

It was in this thread:

http://www.rc-monster.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29512

http://www.goldenmotor.com/

Jeff

I started with the model with two motors (one in the rear and one in front) and added all the options :mdr:

I bookmarked ''stealth bikes'' a few months ago. I'm thinking of selling the wife's Rav4 and get that Bomber bike. I might have enough left to get a RC helicopter as a bonus.

Yeah, I saw those stealthbikes too, but over $7k for the "lesser" model kinda turned me off. :smile: They do look mean though...

I got an email from them today saying that the Bomber is $9900 plus $150 freight. Yikes.

Yeah, yikes is right. It's nice, but not that nice. I think even $3800 is reaching TBH.

I know I"m a bit off topic here since you want to buy prebuilt and pedal, but here is a new scooter coming out I saw. From what I have read they are the best.
http://www.superscootersales.com/?pa...&product_id=60

I'm with Metallover, get one of these motors
http://www.thesuperkids.com/hi2hicumo.html
slap it on your bike with a 5k thumb throttle for 50 bucks (no sep controllers needed)
and 7S of the 5k 20C turnigys (dont do 8s it frys the motor, I know this)
as many as you need to get the distance.

I bought an old currie phat flyer scooter for 50 bucks that I upgraded with the turnigys, kept the stock 300w motor on 8S and it just flys. 22mph and I weight 160 pounds. Since the lipos are so small compared to the standard lead acid batteries you can fit just about as many as you want.

I think the wattages are deceiving for those motors as they are big as rocks, but only rated at 300 or 400watts.

I just got a phone call and got confirmation of the price on this Motorino mountain bike I linked. It's $1900 CDN.

http://www.motorino.ca/motorinoltg.php

Those are some nice bikes you guys have linked to. The only thing I dont understand are the prices. It think they are all trying to make a nice little profit. You could build a nice bike with plenty of motor and capacity for under 1k. I do understand the want to get one pre-built though as you really dont want to get stuck on your trip.

If these guys can really get 10k for an electric bike I am in the wrong business.

They are cool, but no where near 10k cool.

I agree, I was hoping for 4 to 5k. I responded to them in a nice way and let them know that I was going to look at other options because there are a lot of them out there.

I'm communicating with a woman called Julia from ebike-bmsbattery.com.cn. I told her I am a big guy at 6 feet and 225 pounds. I need something to commute to work (10 km) and to run errands and for fun on the weekends. I plan to purchase a sturdy and good quality full suspension mountain bike with disk brakes and 26’’ rims much like this one.

http://speedriverbicycle.com/product...-5-73320-1.htm

I would like a system that would bolt on a bike like the one I linked and give me good acceleration and a top speed of 40 km/h or more. The city where I live has a lot of hills and slopes, it is not flat ground so I need something with good torque to climb those hills.


So she replied by suggesting this kit.

http://www.ebike-bmsbattery.com/dispro.php?id=144

I am now waiting on the pricing of this kit.

500W is plenty to get over 50KM/h. I sell e-scooters on the side, on 48 volts the 500 watt motor will be good. I weigh 230Lbs and my GF weighs 105Lbs. And it gets us to 45Km/h 300Lbs +. On an e-bike with pedal asist, you'll be fine.

I just got the price of the BMS Battery 1000W system.
Not to bad at all, except for the shipping cost. But I guess that's to be expected with the size and weight of the package.


Price(USD)
1 - 48V 10AH LiFePO4 Alloy Shell Battery Pack----------------$286.5
2 - Back Rack for Battery Pack(Black)-------------------------$20.0
3 - 2Amps Aluminum Shell Charger for 48V Battery-------------$24.9
4 - 48V 1000W Brushless Hub Motor(rear driving)------$-------169.0
5 - Micro 15 Mosfets 1000W Hub Motor Controller--------------$35.0
6 - Double Wall Aluminum Alloy Rim(26" inch)--------------------$9.8
7 - 13G Stainless Steel Spokes with Copper Nipple(36pcs)-------$7.2
8 - 48V Thumb Twist Grip Throttle(Battery Meter and Switch)---$5.0
9 - Brake Grip(All Aluminum Alloy)-------------------------------$4.0
10 - 7 Speed Shimano Speed Gears----------------------------$11.0
11 - Disk Brake(Front and Rear)-------------------------------$16.0
12 - PAS--Pulse Padel Assistant Sensor-------------------------$1.0
13 - Assemble cost--------------------------------------------$6.8
Total------------------------------------------------------$596.2
if some of the items is not needed, please let me know.
the shipping cost is US$257 by EMS to Canada.(shipping data is about 7~10days).

I went to SpeedRiver Bicycles here in my town and they sell the BionX systems that they can install on your choice of bicycle. The BionX system has a lot of features that make it very desirable over other systems I've seen searching on the web. The system is stronger than I expected according to what the guy I talked too said. He was very knowledgeable about the product and the company itself. He actually had a guided tour of their facilities. The system wouldn't have any problems hauling a big 225 pound guy like me around tackling steep hills. I like the regenerative feature of the system.

http://www.bionx.ca/en/products/technology/

Found this one!
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...iley-brink.jpg
http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/i...3_3studio1.jpg


Color: Matte Black
Gearing: 7 speed integrated (14 speed optional)
Weight: 38 kg - 85lbs
Wheelbase: 129 cm - 51 inches
Tire Diameter: 50 cm - 20 inches
Range with 1 Battery: 32 km - 20 miles
Run Time on Street: 1 hour
Run Time Off Road: 1.5 hours
Wheels: Monocoque, Aluminum Axles, Sealed Bearings
Tires: Tubeless 50cm x 20cm - 20" x 8"
Frame: Aluminum Seamless Aircraft Tubing
Suspension Fork: Triple Clamp 8” Adjustable
Motor: 600 Watt Sealed Brushless
Battery Pack: 36 Volt LiPo4, 10 Amp Hour
Frame: 6061- T6 Aircraft Seamless Aluminum Tubing
Fork: Dual Crown Triple Clamp 8" Adjustable Travel
Rear Rack: 8" x 21" Aluminum
Brakes: Hydraulic Disc Brakes
Deraileur: Shimano
Seat: Comfortable Sprung Saddle

That thing looks cool. But it starts at $5500. A little too much for me. I'm moving forward with my plan to go ''gasless'' in the near future. We have two cars, a 2007 Toyota Rav4 and a 2004 Toyota Sienna. My work is 2 minutes away from home so we really don't need two cars. So the plan is to get rid of the wife's Rav4 first, it's not that bad on gas but it's suspension is hard and the seats are not comfortable. We traded it in for a fully loaded 2007 Mazda6 GT wagon. About the same gas mileage as the Rav4, maybe a tad more but the ride is much more enjoyable. This car is temporary anyway, we don't plan to keep it more than three years. Hopefully just two. Then we want to sell my Sienna and replace with an electric bike. We are interested in electric cars that are hitting the market and the Chevy Volt looks cool. But it's a brand new model so we thought, let's drive the new Mazda a couple years and let GM fix the bugs out of the Volt and in two years, start shopping for one to replace the Mazda.
So now I need to sell the minivan to get the E-Bike. I am still debating if I go with something that is ready to go like this or a system I can incorporate to a bike of my choice like this.

The minivan is sold. I spent all weekend cleaning it up and making it look as new as possible. So I'll soon be riding around on an E-Bike to go to work, laughing at all those people driving those SUVs paying $1.38 per liter. :yipi:

Nice man. Ebiking is fun on my daily commute to work. I say that you would need a min of 500W of motor for your weight. HV is the way to go, so 48V and up.

My big SUV is purely a family vehicle now and the Camry for long distance commutes/errands.

There is always that cheap Ebay kit to start you off with your Ebike build. 14S lipo and you are good to go.

http://images5.cpcache.com/product/5...olor-Black.jpg

Great info
 

All of this is truly great info. The one thing I really like is having the informative dashboard. Having all of your technical info displayed in real time is some thing that we are all used to driving our cars and motorcycles, so having the same headsup info on an E-bike is a must. Most of these kits seem fairly simple to install and setup as long as you have a clue for what you are doing and what you are hoping to achieve. Purchasing an E-bike RTR really keeps things simple, but considering the price and how simple these systems are I would rather build my own. You can save money, you get to set it up the way you want, and you become intimately familiar with how it works and what it might take to keep it running well.

The biggest problem I see so far is finding a worthy battery setup that has enough power for speeds in the 30mph-40mph range, and run times that will reach 30-40 miles under full power, and still keep the cost reasonable.

Pricing a setup for one of the kits sold on ebay is tempting at less than $300, but when you add up what a good battery setup will cost you it can get quite pricey. The A123 3.3v prismatic cells run about $50 each. To build a 48v, 20amh battery pack your looking at about $1000 just for the battery. Of course this is the newest technology and keeps the size of the battery small. I am still thinking about it though.

By the way Snell I love the "T" shirt.

I gotta get some of those T-Shirts :rofl: I went to the E-Ride dealer in my town and tried a couple different models of electric scooters. I was curious to find out how they perform. I was set on an E-Bike but now I'm seriously considering a scooter instead. They have a max speed of 45 kph which is more than the RTR E-Bikes that cost almost the same. These scooters are just under $2200. They even have a cup holder :mdr:
Even if you got a cheap Chinese kit off ebay to build your own E-Bike, it would end up coming close to the price of that scooter if you factor in the battery you have to build, all the supplies needed and a good bike with disk brakes and full suspension. Plus the time you spend tinkering on the thing is valuable too. And you're on your own when it comes to do the maintenance and repairs and you don't get a warranty. To me this is also valuable.
This E-Ride dealer also sells electric motorcycles that have the equivalent power of a 100cc gas motorcycle and have a max speed of 70 kph. But you need a motorcycle license and insurance to ride them. Now if there was a way in the future to get my hands on the power system of an electric motorcycle and secretly put it in the scooter :yes: :mdr:

Makes you wonder why Ebikes cost so much compared to a E-scooter heh?

Ebike can run on the bike lanes. Not so with a scooter.
Ebike is more nimble.
Ebike can go places scooters can't.
Scooters are harder to steal.
Scooters are more comfortable.
Scooters has lights, horn, fancy stuff.

I went Ebike, because it is cheaper and can take it inside my work building and charge the sucker up. I also don't have to worry about finding a parking spot in between all the motor cycles. I don't have to stay behind cars. I can pass them on the side and scoot to the front. Now if I lived somewhere else and work was a bit further, than a E-Scooter would've fit the bill.

Time for Monster Mike to make a Monster Ebike conversion for outrunner motors.

Brammo apparently now has a 6-speed e-motorcycle: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/s...div=-994078122

Not sure if 6 speeds are necessary really - I would think 2 or 3 speeds would be sufficient to get good low end and good top speed without overworking the motor. After all, legal top speed of ~70mph on most roads.

Pros & cons
 

Yep there are pros & cons for each of them. I personally want an E-bike just because it is much easier to deal with in regards to transporting it if there is a problem, and also when you are moving from one place to another. I can throw an E-bike into the back of my van or load it up on a bike rack on the tow hitch if I need to. Plus as we move from one country to another we can just put it into our household goods shipment. And yes it can get into places that a scooter can not. I have a motorcycle license but riding an E-bike does not require one. Just less hassle all around riding the E-bike. Most places the Cops will not bother or go after a bicycle, but a scooter is held much more accountable to the local laws in most places.

For most who may have a mountain bike sitting around they can easily be converted. With the cost of the chinese kit and a good battery pack you can still do an E-bike conversion for about $1000.

Brian, I think the 6 speed is meant more for the offroad division.

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2011/05...on/#more-34722

For only 44000, you can get this nice Ebike.

http://uncrate.com/stuff/lito-sora-electric-motorcycle/

http://uncrate.com/p/2011/05/lito-sora.jpg

Technology
 

Keep in mind that new technology always starts out with a price tag that is outrageous. I will never forget when I saw the very first 42" plazma flat panel TV. It was in the Payboy magazine 1978 Christmas list for buying toys for the man that has everything. It was listed for $22k, and now you can get a 42" LCD for under $500. Just think about what $22K meant back then. Everyone was saying back then that these TV's would only ever be for the very rich. Everything technology wise comes down eventually as everything evolves. That bike for $44K now will end up selling for $5K in the next ten to twenty years. But by then there will be even better stuff that will make that bike look like a cheap toy.

Right now though that is one nice bike.

Well, I "liked" Brammo on FB and they posted a short video of the 6 speed bike and it was only being run on-road.

But really, I would think on-road is where you'd see the biggest benefits of multi-speed. First gear for the low end, and then one or two more speeds to get the higher end without having the motor maintain high rpms - especially good on "long" highway runs.

Jerry: I agree; prices for new tech is always higher when it first comes out. But I don't see battery prices dropping too much in the near future unless they can come up with cheaper materials/assembly methods. Even then, demand for batteries is just going to go up and up as more and more things become electrified.

The scooter that I am thinking about is considered a bicycle by the ministry of transport simply because it has bike pedals on it. The pedals are useless, they are just there so that it is considered a bicycle so there's no need for a motorcycle license or insurance and yes you can ride in the bike lanes. For me and what I plan to do with it, I think it will fit the bill better than an E-Bike.

aah. Sounds like the scooter is a winner for you then. You too can pass gas now. lol

Peddles
 

If it has peddles installed it would be considered a MOPED not a scooter. Scooters do not have peddles. Still we purchase whatever works for us. So how about a link to this vehicle? This way we can see what direction your going with this choice.