Bafang BBS01 - Bacchetta Giro 20 ATT

[Aushiker]

I initially posted about converting my Bacchetta Giro 20 ATT to e-assist in this thread. With the decision to order a Bafang BBS01 from Paul at EM3EV I thought I would start a thread on my experiences with the conversion, particularly from a newbie perspective to e-bikes.

So the first of the bits and pieces have arrived today. Really impressed with the service from JensonUSA with four days delivery from the good ol' USA to my door here in Western Australia.

The conversion is not just about adding e-assist to the bike but also about getting it back into "commute" mode (a lot of bits and pieces where taken off for my other recumbent).

In the box was ...

K-Edge Gopro Pro Handlebar Mount for mounting my GoPro up front. A requirement for riding around here. Also makes it easy for me to swap my camera between my two main bikes.

A pair of SKS Slidecage Bottle Cages. These allow for the side mounting of the cage which makes accessing the water bottle much easier on the recumbent.

Ergon GP1 Performance Comfort Grips. These are so comfortable, both my recumbents have got them now and I will add them to my mountain bike in the future. Cannot recommend them enough.

Regards
Andrew

 

[Aushiker]

A little more progress on this build, but still no sign of my Bafang BBS01 from EM3EV ... it was promised to be shipped before Easter but alas no update.

In the meantime I have received a Grin DC-DC Convert 6V 10w. Nice bit of kit and so it should be given the price ....

Also received a set of mudguards from Bacchetta. I went with the Bacchetta mudguards over the Planet Bike ones as they come in a 20/26 set for the Giro. Yet to finalise the fit but they look like they fit nicely.

@Geebee I think I have seen that image before or one similar. I do agree that is a nice mounting. I actually don't think I will have much choice anyway.

Andrew

 

[DAND214]

The last order from Paul showed up the day I got the tracking info. That was only a week or so.

Dan

 

[Aushiker]

The motor and chargers have arrived along with the parts I ordered from Germany. So all coming together.

The only thing I am awaiting for is the battery. Tracking shows it came into Perth (where I am) today and wait for it, it has then gone on to Alexandria in NSW (the other side of the country) for customs clearance and now delivery is expected on Monday! Thanks FedEx for that one ... another week before it will be all go now.

Andrew

 

[Aushiker]

Progress is slowly occurring. I now have the Bafang BBS01 36v 350W motor and all the other bits and pieces I wanted for the conversion (e.g., rack) bar the battery. The battery was coming via FedEx in a separate parcel and FedEx flew it into Perth where I am and then promptly sent it over to the other-side of the country. Hopefully it will turn up next week.

More photos at Google+ Photos if interested.


Regards
Andrew

 

[Samd]

I mounted a 350W and rack battery to a customer's bike recently, it was a light old school Malvern Star with 22" wheels and it went really well on the flat. Good luck with the project!

 

[Aushiker]

Thanks Samd.

For the Australian readers declaring the value of a battery at $41.00 US raises a red-flag at Australian Customs it seems. I just got a phone call from FedEx asking for clarification and a correct value. This may explain why the battery is over east instead of here in Perth.

Andrew

 

[Samd]

I think there's been a few battery scams going on. My last two from Hong Kong arrived showing 24V 2Ahrs. I think there is a restriction from China direct to Australia of a certain total of watt hours. So they have to fly them thru Hong Kong. So to get around it they've been declaring batteries as tiny.

Dodgy.

 

[Aushiker]

Its done, well my Bacchetta Giro 20 ATT with Bafang BBS01 e-Assist (pedelec) had its maiden ride today. Nothing to long, just 30 odd minutes as I am currently restricted to 30 minute rides plus there a still a few niggles to sort out in terms of fine tuning the rider setup and front brakes as well as a couple of bigger issues to resolve.

The main issue to resolve in terms of the conversion is the rear rack. The Topeak MTX Explorer Tubular Rack w/disc rack is simply to tall for this bike so will have to look at other options. Ideally whatever rack I use will take a European rear light but at least it must have a plate on the top to allow mounting of the battery. The search begins.

I am also not happy with the wiring so will look at getting some wire mesh guard to tidy up the wiring once I have the Busch & Muller e-bike light to go on the front in place of the dynamo powered light there now.

Regards
Andrew

 

[dnmun]

look into hanging the battery in panniers under the seat. you could even have a battery in two sections hanging on each side underneath.

 

[Aushiker]

look into hanging the battery in panniers under the seat. you could even have a battery in two sections hanging on each side underneath.

I am not really keen on going to panniers if I can avoid it other than for the days I need to take a week or two clothes into work. My commute particularly in summer is into serious headwinds (40 km/h+ with gusts easily up to 60 km/h, all coming directly off the ocean so fully exposed) so I would like to keep the bike reasonably aerodynamic. Going with panniers also means still needing to resolve the rack issue or fitting an under-seat rack.

One option that has been suggested is mounting the battery on the back of the seat, i.e., using one set of the bottle cage braze-ons which I will look into on the weekend. It does mean I reduce the water carrying capacity but I could use a bladder instead I guess for those days I need more than a bidon of water. I have also come across a rack which may do the job, a Axiom Journey Uni-Fit Mk3 Alu which is about 5 to 6 centimetres shorter.

Andrew

 

[Aushiker]

look into hanging the battery in panniers under the seat. you could even have a battery in two sections hanging on each side underneath.

I am not really keen on going to panniers if I can avoid it other than for the days I need to take a week or two clothes into work. My commute particularly in summer is into serious headwinds (40 km/h+ with gusts easily up to 60 km/h, all coming directly off the ocean so fully exposed) so I would like to keep the bike reasonably aerodynamic. Going with panniers also means still needing to resolve the rack issue or fitting an under-seat rack.

One option that has been suggested is mounting the battery on the back of the seat, i.e., using one set of the bottle cage braze-ons which I will look into on the weekend. It does mean I reduce the water carrying capacity but I could use a bladder instead I guess for those days I need more than a bidon of water. I have also come across a rack which may do the job, a Axiom Journey Uni-Fit Mk3 Alu which is about 5 to 6 centimetres shorter.

Andrew

 

[Holocene]

I have also come across a rack which may do the job, a Axiom Journey Uni-Fit Mk3 Alu which is about 5 to 6 centimetres shorter.

Hi Andrew,

There are a couple of options that should work for you. First, Bacchetta does sell a custom rear rack for it's bikes, I have one on my Cafe. Since all the Bacchetta rear triangles are the same it should fit no problem, and it has a 55 lb weight limit, which should be plenty for any battery you have in mine. The Universal Rear Rack is US $60, available through their webstore.

Of course, what you really NEED is a shorty rack with a 135 mm drop-out spacing, with a sturdy way of connecting to the Bacchetta seat stays (since there is no vertical seat post tube on your Giro). Surprise! A front rack for a fat bike should work for your needs, here's an example OMM Front pannier rack for fat bikes ($129 US from Arkel-od.com)

Good luck with your search Andrew, and enjoy that awesome fast & efficient recumbent commuter!

Cheers,
Holocene

 

[Aushiker]

Of course, what you really NEED is a shorty rack with a 135 mm drop-out spacing, with a sturdy way of connecting to the Bacchetta seat stays (since there is no vertical seat post tube on your Giro). Surprise! A front rack for a fat bike should work for your needs, here's an example OMM Front pannier rack for fat bikes ($129 US from Arkel-od.com)

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't considered a front rack as an option ... duh.

Andrew

 

[Holocene]

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't considered a front rack as an option ... duh.

No problem, mate. :lol: With those headwinds, have you considered a tailsok? It's a cheap, lightweight aero mod that lets you retain your existing trunk bag.

Cheers,
Holocene

 

[Aushiker]

Thanks for the suggestion. I hadn't considered a front rack as an option ... duh.

No problem, mate. :lol: With those headwinds, have you considered a tailsok? It's a cheap, lightweight aero mod that lets you retain your existing trunk bag.

No I hadn't but will now. That looks like it is being used with a Recurve seat which appeals.

Andrew

 

[Aushiker]

At long last the conversion is complete. I really have nothing more to do to the bike other than building a programming cable to allow me to program the Bafang BBS01 and to maybe add a watt meter. I haven't been able to ride it much due to injuries, holidays and now illness but what riding I have done does suggest some tweaking of the motor would be worth if. Overall I am happy with the conversion and the ride experience. I have fully documented the build on my blog here for those interested.

Andrew

 

[Alan B]

Nice Bacchetta!

How is it working out?

 

[Aushiker]

Nice Bacchetta!

How is it working out?

Sold. The motor is now on a Giant Defy 1.


Giant Defy 1 by Andrew, on Flickr

Andrew