First post! My little monster E-Bike (work in progress)

Hellscreeper · Nov 28, 2013

Hello! to all the endless sphere forums user! From montreal, canada.
This is my first post.Im a 46 years old bike tech from montreal. and riding my bicycle take a big part of my life. i never drive a car. i go to work on my bike everyday. (but not winter days)
After reading a lot of post in your forums i started to build my own E-bike.
i started to built my bike with a good local handmade freeride bicycle called: 'Balfa 2step DH' my choice goes for this bike cause the rear triangle is in steel.
built detail:
crystalite 3540 HS rear motor (from ebike.ca) mounted on 24in alex dx32 rims. with a single speed freeweel . but in the future i want to put a cromotor or crytalite the crown on it.
infineon controler 40 amp 36-72 volt (from ebike.ca)
cycle analist v3.
48 volt 10ah lifepo4 battery pack (from A123RC) im gonna change that for lipo in the future.
and for my battery case im gonna use the 'Oatnet' way with a pelican 1300 case in the front of my fork.
Here some pics of my work in progress little monster E-bike. (i called it little cause of the motor do not have enough power at my taste for this kind of monsta bike)

View attachment 5 View attachment 4

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NeilP · Nov 28, 2013

Welcome to the forum

and nice frame!...Shame about the lack of frame triangle for battery pack. So mount the batteries around the lower frame tube if you can to keep the weight down low. You could get 6 packs of 10series long config Lipo to make a 20s3p pack
these would be good

even four of them if you do not need the extra capacity of 3parallel

but you will need to speak to ebikes.ca or open your contoller up and check that it does have 4110 fets and 100volt caps...I suspect it does since it it 72volt rated..but best to check

You may well find that 48 volt is why you have not enough power..try 60 or 72 volt...24series LiPo will give you 100volt...good if you have a 4110 controller..but 100volt is running a little too close to the 4110 FET voltage limits.

Even with a steel frame you will need to add some torque clamps or torque plates of some sort

Hellscreeper · Nov 30, 2013

Thank for the welcome!
Im not ready to buy the lipo right now. but when im gonna be ready. im gonna go for 18s3p 66volt so i dont have to modify my controler. i think that will be enough for me.

i love the 'oatnet' way to mount the battery in a pelican case. i know is not the best cause of the weight is not centered and low on the bike. but for now i think its an inexpensive and clean way to mount my battery pack on my bike.i got an idea for my battery case is to cut off the down tube of the frame and soldering an aluminum box in place to put my battery inside. low and nice. but i think thats gonna be expensive.
And for the torque arm i got one from ebike.ca (not shown on the pics) but i want to modify the rear triangle of my frame for better tires clearance. and to put some very thick droppout and or some 'doctorbass' ultimate torque arm.

NeilP · Nov 30, 2013

I am guessing that if you have an ebike.ca 72 volt controller you can happily run 20s..84 volt (hot of charge) ..it is sure to have 4110 fets and 100volt caps..you could just fire an e-mail off to them to double check,,or open it up and check yourself..but no mods would be needed.

6 of these fitted around the lower tube as mentioned before

you might even get them around the top tube or seat post

jansevr · Nov 30, 2013

nice bike! the build is coming along nicely

a cheaper alternative for the lipos would be to get the 4s hardcase turnigy.

http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=18631

they are the lowest price for the capacity. i also have had bad luck with the zippy brand...they seem to have a lower rating and life with swelling (or high internal resistance) occurring after a few 100 charges.

Hellscreeper · Nov 30, 2013

Thanks guys!

Here some more pics of my bike!

View attachment 5

NeilP · Nov 30, 2013

jansevr said:
. i also have had bad luck with the zippy brand...they seem to have a lower rating and life with swelling (or high internal resistance) occurring after a few 100 charges.

not tried them myself, generally use the nano tech 10s sticks..but they are a jump in magnitude in price

MadRhino · Dec 13, 2013

Welcome to the Sphere
Hope to see you riding the streets and the mountain soon

Hellscreeper · Dec 13, 2013

Hey MadRhino!
Thanks for the welcome!
Im happy to see im not alone in montreal with the E-bike power sickness!

Im not sure if it was you? but last summer in front of the bike shop where i work on marie-anne street, I saw a guy on his red santacruz E-bike like yours, he past on the street at like 60 or 70kmh almost every morning. And from there the E-bike power sickness got me! lol
And yes you gonna see me with my e-bike on the mt-royal or on the street of montreal next summer. but i need to upgrade to lipo with higher Amp hours before to go this far from home, cause i live at
something like 15km from the mountain.

(Sorry for my english)
Luc

torker · Dec 13, 2013

Welcome to ES Nice bike. Do not trust that torque arm the way it is. Try to drill through so you can bolt it on. No hoseclamp. Check out the torque arm thread. Sounds like you have done a lot of homework already though.

I also like Oatnet Pellican box setup also. I need to use something similar on my FSR

aroundqube · Dec 17, 2013

Hello back! The torque arm photo leaped out at me also . Have a look at the bolt on torque arm by member migueralliart on the second page of For Sale New.

NeilP · Dec 18, 2013

I'd only say no hose clamps for asthetic reasons. Good ones are more than strong enough.. I'd prefer them to drilling and bolting to the frame tubes.

Mine held perfectly...even to the point of holding them while the axle snapped after 5000 miles with 14kW peaks.

there were 4 x Stainless steel hose clamps, two on each torque arm...one arm each side

The bolts and strap was a bracket to hold the rear rack, it did nto perform much function to stop the torque plate turning

Hellscreeper · Dec 19, 2013

Thanks for the reply and the welcome!
Like i said earlier in my post this torque arm is only temporary.
I dont want to fix it with a bolt cause one week ago i receive in the mail my doctor bass ultimate torque arm.
And i need to make some modification to my rear triangle before to put this monstruous torque arm on my bike.
I said no to hose clamps! YESSS! to Doctor Bass ULTIMATE TORQUE ARM! Thanks to Endless sphere forums!

Luc

MadRhino · Dec 19, 2013

Hellscreeper said:
Im not sure if it was you? but last summer in front of the bike shop where i work on marie-anne street, I saw a guy on his red santacruz E-bike like yours, he past on the street at like 60 or 70kmh almost every morning. And from there the E-bike power sickness got me! lol

It was me, I live on Marie-Anne.
We have a place for fast bulk charging at the bottom of the mountain, for when we ride the trails many times a day in the summer.

Your 2 Step will require a custom swing arm sooner or later, so you can make it with through axle bolted on drop out plates then. In the meantime, don't spend too much time on this one. Looks like you will be the 2nd motorized Balfa in Montreal, the other one is a X-large BB7 customized to 12" suspension travel front and rear. :wink:

beast775 · Dec 20, 2013

Welcome hellscreeper,nice 2 step! but really that swingarm isnt for alot of power,good luck.

Hellscreeper · Jul 5, 2014

I make a lot of modification to my E-bike project with the help of some endless sphere members from montreal.
Here some pics with description of the mods we make to transform my little monster into a big monster.