johnrobholmes
10 MW
I have been riding my hub from hitek bikes for a few hundred miles now, and figured it was time to share my findings! I have been running 66v (18s lipo) and 35a for a peppy ride that isn't too crazy for riding around pedestrians.
1st up, quality of hub. Seemed to be up to snuff with 9c and xlyte motors. Bearings roll smooth enough, finish is good enough, etc.. As shown in some other photos there may be an excessive amount of end turns in the wiring, but I didn't feel like cracking my motor open.
2nd, ease of lacing. This motor is not meant for small spokes. 12ga spokes just worked, the holes are big enough for 11ga spokes. I would not really want to lace this into a mountain bike rim. Just like the Xlyte hubs, the diameter is so large that it creates an issue on the spoke angles with standard rims.
3rd, installation. Since the motor is kind of a prototype, I didn't expect this to be straight forward. It was not, the OLD was like 157mm. I used an angle grinder on the axle to reduce the width on the chain side and put a single speed freewheel on it. Perfect for a single speed bike, but there is NO WAY this hub will fit in any other bike without axle modifications.
4th, ride quality. It is a pretty smooth motor overall. It has some normal grumbles on acceleration, but is not as noisy as the 9c at mid throttle. At max throttle it is silent as far as I can tell, tire noise certainly drowned out motor noise.
5th, speed and power. This motor seemed a bit slower than my 9c, even though the 9c is in a smaller rim and tire combo. I would rather have this hub running on higher voltage because of this. The 9c also accelerated faster being in a small wheel. So the 9c seemed to kick it on both acceleration and top speed. Kinda strange, maybe it is just a misinterpretation since I didn't find the exact speed or measure acceleration directly. Just an off the cuff comparison to other bikes.
Overall. I like the hub overall. It is lighter than an x5 by far, but has a bit more mass than the 9c. For a heavier or faster ride this motor keeps a touch cooler than the 9c. For somebody looking for a drop in motor, this is not your choice. I still have not tried to install a disc brake, as I use a 203mm rotor and the caliper will hit the motor case screws. I would like to see the axle size increased before the threading to allow for better contact with the dropouts. I would also like to see the axle slotting done on the same plane as the flats for better strength.
Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars because of the fit and small details that were not considered (spoke holes too big, OLD too large, small axle behind the dropouts). In comparison, I give x5's the same rating because of the inability to safely and reliably lace into MTB rims. 9c hubs would get 7 out of 10 for the new side cover design, and could also use a larger axle behind the dropouts.
Any specific questions, just ask. And don't use my photos without my permission (you know who you are)!
1st up, quality of hub. Seemed to be up to snuff with 9c and xlyte motors. Bearings roll smooth enough, finish is good enough, etc.. As shown in some other photos there may be an excessive amount of end turns in the wiring, but I didn't feel like cracking my motor open.
2nd, ease of lacing. This motor is not meant for small spokes. 12ga spokes just worked, the holes are big enough for 11ga spokes. I would not really want to lace this into a mountain bike rim. Just like the Xlyte hubs, the diameter is so large that it creates an issue on the spoke angles with standard rims.
3rd, installation. Since the motor is kind of a prototype, I didn't expect this to be straight forward. It was not, the OLD was like 157mm. I used an angle grinder on the axle to reduce the width on the chain side and put a single speed freewheel on it. Perfect for a single speed bike, but there is NO WAY this hub will fit in any other bike without axle modifications.
4th, ride quality. It is a pretty smooth motor overall. It has some normal grumbles on acceleration, but is not as noisy as the 9c at mid throttle. At max throttle it is silent as far as I can tell, tire noise certainly drowned out motor noise.
5th, speed and power. This motor seemed a bit slower than my 9c, even though the 9c is in a smaller rim and tire combo. I would rather have this hub running on higher voltage because of this. The 9c also accelerated faster being in a small wheel. So the 9c seemed to kick it on both acceleration and top speed. Kinda strange, maybe it is just a misinterpretation since I didn't find the exact speed or measure acceleration directly. Just an off the cuff comparison to other bikes.
Overall. I like the hub overall. It is lighter than an x5 by far, but has a bit more mass than the 9c. For a heavier or faster ride this motor keeps a touch cooler than the 9c. For somebody looking for a drop in motor, this is not your choice. I still have not tried to install a disc brake, as I use a 203mm rotor and the caliper will hit the motor case screws. I would like to see the axle size increased before the threading to allow for better contact with the dropouts. I would also like to see the axle slotting done on the same plane as the flats for better strength.
Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars because of the fit and small details that were not considered (spoke holes too big, OLD too large, small axle behind the dropouts). In comparison, I give x5's the same rating because of the inability to safely and reliably lace into MTB rims. 9c hubs would get 7 out of 10 for the new side cover design, and could also use a larger axle behind the dropouts.
Any specific questions, just ask. And don't use my photos without my permission (you know who you are)!
