CYC PHOTON

[hindesite]

The CYC and Luna BT apps do beat fiddling with the old serial->USB cable, easily, as one can (and I have) tweaked motor settings while stopped.

Bafang took away the capability, at least easily, and TOSEVEN - who knows what, if anything, they'll offer.

Even the main manufacturers have had to add similar functionality to what we have here though I bet most riders never use the app or tweak their settings - a very different market to DIY. And of course these manufacturers have gone overboard with rider performance metrics and GPS functionality, which is all stuff I'd rather not have in my CYC app, I have other apps for that. I guess Trek for example is trying to capture the customer.

I think the CYC Ride Control app really is very good, and has a really good framework to improve the interface on. The BT connectivity is really excellent and surely should be shaking up the other DIY manufacturers.

I'd love for CYC to add datalogging to the app, at the moment I guess the only way to get that data is to screen record a ride then get an AI to analyse the video and extract the data from each field for each frame and output that to a csv or xls file

For example, the Trek Central app has a very basic UI for motor control, but in some ways is more clear to the user than the CYC one.

From TQ HPR50 Motor Review

 

[sysrq]

Not here, or at least for me. I ordered a Photon May 3 from a US vendor and still have not received it. I did get an update last week that it should be coming soon but it wasn't very specific so I am still skeptical. I suspect they are just trying to keep folks from canceling their orders and keep us on the hook for a little longer. But my patience is almost up.

Seems strange that they are so sure about advertising it. Hard to comprehend the real situation judging by the cyc ride control app download count. Someone said they can't remember but the waiting time was probably around 2 months to get the motor from Hong Kong to France. Still nobody mentions how many weeks it took to receive the first shipment confirmation email when buying directly from CYC Motors when researching every possible discussion on the internet.

 

[hindesite]

Seems strange that they are so sure about advertising it. Hard to comprehend the real situation judging by the cyc ride control app download count. Someone said they can't remember but the waiting time was probably around 2 months to get the motor from Hong Kong to France. Still nobody mentions how many weeks it took to receive the first shipment confirmation email when buying directly from CYC Motors when researching every possible discussion on the internet.

I thought I had mentioned the shipping time elsewhere in this thread.

I ordered Feb 23, shipment was packed Mar 10, shipped Mar 13, received Mar 23. Fitted on Mar 25 FedEx shipping to NZ. I would be surprised if shipping is as long to France as to NZ.

I would imagine most of the delay is due to production constraints and I would imagine that there is a lot more interest in the Photon now than back when I ordered mine. I would also think CYC are trying to get distributors set up and they'll need to prioritize and allocate stock to them. Don't forget CYC will be feeling the pain from the delays shipping, too.

I was pleased shipping was this fast, but I would have been happy to wait for 2 - 3 months, there were no other options that would fit my bike. Of course, it is easy for me to say that, currently thoroughly enjoying this conversion

 

[raylo32]

I ordered mine from a US vendor and the last e-mail I got said that Photons had been constrained by production and/or controller design issues and apparently requiring additional testing by CYC prior to shipment. They also said that they were shaking loose and the backlog should start coming down. But I am outside the original "4-to 6 weeks" estimate.

 

[raylo32]

One question for you guys that already have Photons... how responsive is the torque sensor on and off? I mean does it engage and disengage instantly from the pedals or is there a lag on and off? My X1 Pro Gen 2 has a significant lag as compared to my TSDZ2 OSF bike. On a trail that makes timing of efforts over obstacles tricky. On the road it manifests mostly by giving me very harsh shifts at high assist levels. On the TSDZ2 bike it is easy to feather the pedals and get smooth shifts. On the X1, not so much. My X1Pro gen 2 has the BAC 855 controller and a different app so maybe it just wasn't possible to get optimized in the translation? Maybe the new CYC X6 controller and app are better this way?

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

Show me your settings from app for BAC855.

 

[lnanek]

When ordering from a US vendor, always worth asking the vendor if they actually have US stock. I saw Wellbots selling a while back, asked them if they actually have it in the US, and the answer was no, it just ships from manufacturer. So useless middleman, basically.

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

When ordering from a US vendor, always worth asking the vendor if they actually have US stock. I saw Wellbots selling a while back, asked them if they actually have it in the US, and the answer was no, it just ships from manufacturer. So useless middleman, basically.

The same in EU. Those middlemen just put orders via CYC website on your behalf with extra margin.
Good example

250-750W E-Bike Motor CYC PHOTON

The brand new e-bike mid drive motor PHOTON E-Bike technology of the next generation: With this motor CYC has created a real competitor to the proven and robust Bafang…

fasterbikes.eu

999 euro for just a motor?!

This product includes only motor, controller, mounting parts, wiring and ISIS axle - but not the chainring, display, throttle, cranks, etc.

 

[hardpebbles]

The same in EU. Those middlemen just put orders via CYC website on your behalf with extra margin.
Good example

250-750W E-Bike Motor CYC PHOTON

The brand new e-bike mid drive motor PHOTON E-Bike technology of the next generation: With this motor CYC has created a real competitor to the proven and robust Bafang…

fasterbikes.eu

I don’t think that’s correct.

 

[hardpebbles]

One question for you guys that already have Photons... how responsive is the torque sensor on and off? I mean does it engage and disengage instantly from the pedals or is there a lag on and off? My X1 Pro Gen 2 has a significant lag as compared to my TSDZ2 OSF bike. On a trail that makes timing of efforts over obstacles tricky. On the road it manifests mostly by giving me very harsh shifts at high assist levels. On the TSDZ2 bike it is easy to feather the pedals and get smooth shifts. On the X1, not so much. My X1Pro gen 2 has the BAC 855 controller and a different app so maybe it just wasn't possible to get optimized in the translation? Maybe the new CYC X6 controller and app are better this way?

It engages instantly if you set that in the app. No perceptible delay, particularly if you also switch off ‘cadence start’.

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

I don’t think that’s correct.

"But Unfortunately They are all reserved"
So basically They order only specific number (for customers who placed an order on their website) of units and nothing more.

 

[seanchad]

Hi everyone, new member here
I see some of you waiting on kit so thought I'd post up to hopefully ease your worries a bit.

I ordered a X1 stealth around April with a quoted wait time of 6-8 weeks. As expected I was impatient and messaged them for an update after about 4 weeks. They advised me of a delay due to a controller supply issue but that should only push my wait time back by 2 weeks and said my kit would be shipped the first week of june. I wasn't feeling too confident however 3rd June I get an email with pictures of my assembled kit and double checking my details. A few days later I got a shipping email from FedEx and it was delivered to the UK about 4 days later. No import fees etc, well packaged and half assembled ready for me to slap on.

Also with regards to other companies offering kits. I contacted one UK company to see if they had a unit there ready to ship to me because I was being so impatient. I was going to cancel my order from cyc and pay extra for the one in the UK. Turns out as others have said they simply place an order with cyc on your behalf!!

 

[hindesite]

"But Unfortunately They are all reserved"
So basically They order only specific number (for customers who placed an order on their website) of units and nothing more.

You don't know that. Maybe they ordered extra but then received more orders from customers before delivery? That's just one aspect of long shipping times.

The other big issue for resellers/distributors is that these units are expensive and that ties up a considerable amount of cash between ordering and receiving and then getting them out the door. And the worse these delays are, the harder it gets for everybody (including CYC).

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

I asked them VIA emial and they confirmed that you have to "Reserve" your unit Because they have only units for customers WHO already paid and waiting for shipment.

 

[Mongo]

High Voltage has released a comprehensive, 1/2 hour long Photon review video:

Of particular interest to me was CYC's warranty and related repair policy, and the motor controller's behavior when driven into controlled over-temp, properly avoiding overheating but throttling back the current.

The impression I got was that CYC's intent was/is to establish warranty repair depots via their resellers, and for certain repairs the motor is to be returned to the depot for repair (owner paying shipping). An understandable policy, but one that may dissuade some sales where there's no in-country reseller. The dealers may also have a degree of case-by-case discretion, of what to do.

With use, slight loosening of the crank bolts was noted - a typical and easy-to-correct issue across most motor systems. I checked mine, and they needed about 1/8 turn to snug them up. Also of note is that the throttle electrical pining is NOT the same as the Bafang standard.

No mention was made of the known displayed data accuracy issues, nor of future firmware/software updates. The reviewer may not be using the "rider" data, and may not have noticed the value errors.

On the ~25km regreasing requirement, my guess is the DIY ability is up in the air - perhaps, if grease injection (via something like a needle tip) is doable/acceptable, that DIY would be possible. We'll see.

P.S. I agree with most all of the general "e-bike" commentary as well as his take on the Photons torque assist behavior, and am envious of the reviewer's riding environment. I too ride mostly on-road, but where I ride car drivers are openly hostile to bicycles/cyclists.

 

[afzal]

No import fees etc,

If I may ask, do you know the reason for no import fees ?

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

If I may ask, do you know the reason for no import fees ?

Probably pure luck. I also didn't pay no duty nor VAT when I received my X6 Controller for STEALTH GEN1. I was really surprised when fedex guy showed up and just handed my package like it was sent from just another EU country

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

High Voltage has released a comprehensive, 1/2 hour long Photon review video:

Of particular interest to me was CYC's warranty and related repair policy, and the motor controller's behavior when driven into controlled over-temp, properly avoiding overheating but throttling back the current.

The impression I got was that CYC's intent was/is to establish warranty repair depots via their resellers, and for certain repairs the motor is to be returned to the depot for repair (owner paying shipping). An understandable policy, but one that may dissuade some sales where there's no in-country reseller. The dealers may also have a degree of case-by-case discretion, of what to do.

With use, slight loosening of the crank bolts was noted - a typical and easy-to-correct issue across most motor systems. I checked mine, and they needed about 1/8 turn to snug them up. Also of note is that the throttle electrical pining is NOT the same as the Bafang standard.

No mention was made of the known displayed data accuracy issues, nor of future firmware/software updates. The reviewer may not be using the "rider" data, and may not have noticed the value errors.

On the ~25km regreasing requirement, my guess is the DIY ability is up in the air - perhaps, if grease injection (via something like a needle tip) is doable/acceptable, that DIY would be possible. We'll see.

P.S. I agree with most all of the general "e-bike" commentary as well as his take on the Photons torque assist behavior, and am envious of the reviewer's riding environment. I too ride mostly on-road, but where I ride car drivers are openly hostile to bicycles/cyclists.

The part related to repairability scares me. I hope Lierskogen Ebikes will show us how to service that motor because sending whole unit just for simple re-greasing is extremely stupid!

 

[raylo32]

Great review. But it's a real shame they didn't use the standard throttle pinouts. I suspect someone, somewhere, sometime will mess up and use the wrong part.

 

[raylo32]

Getting an X6 controller might be the answer to improve my X1 Pro Gen 2.

Probably pure luck. I also didn't pay no duty nor VAT when I received my X6 Controller for STEALTH GEN1. I was really surprised when fedex guy showed up and just handed my package like it was sent from just another EU country

 

[raylo32]

The one really bad thing from the review video is it seems CYC will not send warranty repair parts or maybe even sell repair parts and spares to end users. Damn. That is almost enough for me to cancel my order. Now, if they are bulletproof for 20,000 miles that wouldn't be a huge deal, but we don't know that yet.

 

[Mongo]

The part related to repairability scares me. I hope Lierskogen Ebikes will show us how to service that motor because sending whole unit just for simple re-greasing is extremely stupid!

I'd agree! After looking over the internal photos in the U.S. FCC-related BT certification documents, I continue to hope that either CYC or the DIY community will be able to document DIY regreasing instructions. IMO, it doesn't look impossible - maybe a little more involved than the typical Bafang secondary gear regrease job, and perhaps easier than the Bafang primary gear regreasing.

 

[Mongo]

Great review. But it's a real shame they didn't use the standard throttle pinouts. I suspect someone, somewhere, sometime will mess up and use the wrong part.

It surprised me, honestly. The main harness, motor to bar cable is also non-Bafang style, as the motor end is now physically keyed (an improvement, IMO).

P.S. The mechanical-type Bafang brake levers (with motor cutoffs) are compatible, in my experience.

 

[Atak_Snajpera]

I think it is all done on purpose. You want replacement for broken throttle? No problem! Here is our CYC shop! Enjoy!

 

[vspete]

Looks like a beautiful place to ride, and thanks for your review/writeup - my reply chops it up, touching on "likewise" or contrasts between my experiences and yours.

Have you seen the CYC version main harness anywhere yet? I've been hoping to find, at least, an extension, but nothing so far.

Agreed, although at least it has a clamshell mount so it can be installed/removed without much fuss - just in case. My guess would be any of the Bafang throttles would work - especially since the Photon can auto-calibrate to the throttle output voltage range. The throttles are reported NOT COMPATIBLE.

Yep - especially what I bolded - the SW102 display is too small to glance read the text size available. And maybe I've got it angled wrong, but mine washes out completely under direct sun.

I'd love to know what CYC defines as compatible when it comes to displays. I have used a horizontal 750C display with my Photon motor without noticeable issues. No, it doesn't currently display some of the data (like the motor temps), but I'd consider that lack of a feature and not a compatibility issue. And, as with the throttle, CYC can stop gouging us on the display pricing. Their display firmware ain't all that, after all.

I'd also like to see CYC update the 500C display, as a SW102 alternative. If CYC could provide a Bluetooth data integration/feed to a mapping GPS like the Garmin Edge Explore 2, it would be, for me, the perfect display.

There seems to be some confusion regarding CYC Photon / Bafang throttle compatibility. High voltage reports that they are NOT COMPATIBLE. Verbal discussion with Electrify bikes indicated that they were. Online vendor fasterbikes.eu markets both Bafang and CYC throttles and claims that they are interchangeable. Still looking for a definitive answer before trying.