CYC PHOTON

One more note to those looking at maybe getting a Photon and maybe coming from TSDZ2. Photon needs to be rotated into the downtube since it doesn't have mounting hardware to hold it in place otherwise. This can be an issue for many bikes that have shift cables running down the downtube or brake and shift housings exiting internal routing ports right where the motor needs to go. In these cases you will need to create some sort of standoffs to ensure the motor does not crush down on these things. I am a little surprised that the installation instructions don't address this or that there is not some verbiage somewhere in the product information about this issue. I know I was surprised coming from a TSDZ2 that had no interference issues with my shifter cable. I have never had a BBS motor but I believe those also have hardware the fixes the motor. So, buyers beware... or should I say, buyers be prepared... to figure out a workaround on your own if you have a bike with anything other than a bare downtube where Photon will touch.
 
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I think that Photon ground clearance is even better than in CYC STEALTH
cyc.jpg
 
IMG_1059.png
This is how proton photon would look on my bike. I have a santa cruz but pretty much the same bend

The ground clearance is actually pretty good! Better then my tsdz2. But I dont like that the motor is the lowest point, need to be very careful over rocks and logs and stuff

With the stealth it seems the controller is indeed very low. Would maybe have to move that to stay above the chain ring. And yeah that kind of sucks, too many things
 
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All of my current framesets have a water bottle boss set on the bottom of the downtube down near the BB, and that's what I use to both anchor the cables from getting pinched and act as a rotational stop for the motors.

If you have the water bottle boss, you could also add a shallow rubber foot:

71OBXHQSHFL._AC_SL1500_.jpg
 
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Joakim said:
View attachment 335949
This is how proton would look on my bike. I have a santa cruz but pretty much the same bend

The ground clearance is actually pretty good! Better then my tsdz2. But I dont like that the motor is the lowest point, need to be very careful over rocks and logs and stuff

With the stealth it seems the controller is indeed very low. Would maybe have to move that to stay above the chain ring. And yeah that kind of sucks, too many things
Click to expand...
1688226088785.jpeg
This stealth from the awesome build thread seems to barely make it above the chain ring with controller still attached. I think this is how it would look on my bike, maybe even slightly better

But the noise of the stealth puts me off a bit, I dont want to sound like a swarm of bees, I ride quite a bit in traffic with lots of other bikes and commuters. Tsdz2 sound level is perfect
 
But the noise of the stealth puts me off a bit, I dont want to sound like a swarm of bees, I ride quite a bit in traffic with lots of other bikes and commuters. Tsdz2 sound level is perfect
Click to expand...

At least I do not need a bicycle bell... Pedestrians run away immediately when they hear my angry swarm of bees ;)
 
I am about 125 miles in and I am more and more impressed with this motor. With my creaking fixed it is super quiet and smooth again. I hit 38 MPH pedaling like a madman in one spot today and it would still have given more if I could pedal any faster. I am just going to have to try that 50t chainring, but I need to measure my bike for fit first. And it seems more efficient that my TSDZ2. This is subjective since I don't keep logs of this data, but I am doing similar rides and I seem to coming back with 1.5-2 V more left. For instance, I did 31 miles today, 1650 feet climbing, 19MPH avg speed, with my EM3EV 595 watt hour Super Shark... started with 58.8V, finished with 52.0V. Used mostly assist levels 2 and 3 with a few sections of 5. So, I probably could have ridden another 10 miles or so. The only issue is that my display is unable to set a wheel size, it is locked onto 29. But CYC are on it and I hope to have that resolved soon.
 
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Mine is stable but I do not do crazy stuff with my bike. Mostly commuting to work and back...
Just make sure you use proper screws with big washers
sruby-imbusowe-m8x20mm.jpg
 
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Has anyone here tried or seen a report of a Photon on a Tandem? Friends want to get an X1 Pro Gen 3, but the noise. But I am not sure a Photon would be powerful enough.
 
raylo32 said:
Has anyone here tried or seen a report of a Photon on a Tandem? Friends want to get an X1 Pro Gen 3, but the noise. But I am not sure a Photon would be powerful enough.
Click to expand...
I use it on a cargo bike with 50kg of kids on, so suspect it would be fine, particularly as with a tandem they’d both be pedalling too.
 
I guess I should have rephrased the question a bit. 1500W is certainly enough power to give them what they need... but what about heat whilst climbing? I have determined that overheating is not a factor for me on my single bike running anything less than max assist... and even then, I am not sure it would be a problem. But tandems are a load for climbing and will pull more watts for a given climb. Do you climb any hills with your cargo bike whilst loaded down? What does motor temp look like in that case?

hardpebbles said:
I use it on a cargo bike with 50kg of kids on, so suspect it would be fine, particularly as with a tandem they’d both be pedalling too.
Click to expand...
 
I have an em3ev 52-volt 17AH 18650 battery - the case is 106mm tall, like the DP-5 in the table.
 
raylo32 said:
Has anyone here tried or seen a report of a Photon on a Tandem? Friends want to get an X1 Pro Gen 3, but the noise. But I am not sure a Photon would be powerful enough.
Click to expand...
After looking at the dimension drawing and related table, my guess would be it could be made to work, mounted in the stoker position with the usual left-side timing chain or "double-sided" drivetrain IF there's a replacement captain's BB spindle available that's long enough on the left side to compensate for the wide Photon "Q" - especially on a 68mm BB frame. Pictures I have seen of tandems with the BBS02 or the Tongsheng on the rear BB seem to work out easier and with less fuss.

Fitting the Photon motor may also depend on how/where the timing chain is tensioned.

If a motor is mounted in the captain's BB and the stoker crank arms can't freewheel, I hope for safety's sake there's really good communication between the captain and the stoker. This tandem has a front motor, but both the captain or the stoker can independently freewheel:


On this tandem, I wonder if the assist kicks in if either rider pedals.
 
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raylo32 said:
I believe it is correct. If you look at their 14S4P Super Shark... like the ones I have... they are noticeably smaller. They make their own custom cases.
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They use much smaller 18650 cells instead of 21700.
www.ecolithiumbattery.com

21700 vs 18650 Battery, Comprehensive Comparison | ELB Energy Group

This article will have a Comprehensive comparison about 21700 vs 18650 battery, then you can know which is most suitable for your application.
www.ecolithiumbattery.com

My DP-9 case use 65x21700 samsung 50E. BTW. My battery has 1200 Wh (nominal)/ 1150 Wh(measured).
 
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Friend says he believes both bottom brackets are 100mm. I told him to watch some youtubes and learn all he can before ordering anything.

Mongo said:
After looking at the dimension drawing and related table, my guess would be it could be made to work, mounted in the stoker position with the usual left-side timing chain or "double-sided" drivetrain IF there's a replacement captain's BB spindle available that's long enough on the left side to compensate for the wide Photon "Q" - especially on a 68mm BB frame. Pictures I have seen of tandems with the BBS02 or the Tonsheng on the rear BB seem to work out easier and with less fuss.

Fitting the Photon motor may also depend on how/where the timing chain is tensioned.

If a motor is mounted in the captain's BB and the stoker crank arms can't freewheel, I hope for safety's sake there's really good communication between the captain and the stoker. This tandem has a front motor, but both the captain or the stoker can independently freewheel:


On this tandem, I wonder if the assist kicks in if either rider pedals.
Click to expand...
 
raylo32 said:
Has anyone here tried or seen a report of a Photon on a Tandem? Friends want to get an X1 Pro Gen 3, but the noise. But I am not sure a Photon would be powerful enough.
Click to expand...
endless-sphere.com

Tandem Conversion with CYC Photon Mid-Drive

CYC Photon Mid-Drive Conversion of 1999 Santana Sovereign Tandem I previously tried a Falco direct drive rear hub motor on this bike and found it completely inadequate for Vermont terrain. It just didn’t have the low end torque needed for the long, steep hills that are everywhere in Vermont. I...
endless-sphere.com endless-sphere.com
 
raylo32 said:
There's the difference. I got mine from US vendor. You will have a good wait, it seems. I ordered my X1 directly from CYC a couple years ago and some parts along the way and note that they are good at telling you when the order is "prepared" and when it ships. But then you have to wait for the slow boat from China.

Edit: I just saw your post that they are waiting for more motors. Damn, they are selling a lot of these things.
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I am curious... I ordered my Photon motor from Golden Motor on April 12 th ...I am still waiting for them to ship my motor..Has anyone else ordered their Photon from this company? If so?..How long was your wait time from ordering to actual delivery?...
 
Joakim said:
View attachment 335950
This stealth from the awesome build thread seems to barely make it above the chain ring with controller still attached. I think this is how it would look on my bike, maybe even slightly better

But the noise of the stealth puts me off a bit, I dont want to sound like a swarm of bees, I ride quite a bit in traffic with lots of other bikes and commuters. Tsdz2 sound level is perfect
Click to expand...
Wow, what a mess! CYC really cleaned things up with the Photon.
 
Joakim said:
Thats excellent ground clearance indeed. My frame downtube doesnt go as ”straight up” as yours, I cant rotate my tsdz2 very high at all. But maybe the layout of the photon would make it so I can rotate it higher then the chain ring still. I doubt it though. I really dont want the motor to be the lowest point. Would be really nice to have it like your bike. Maybe I can experiment with the printouts for the photon and get an approximation
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One of my other bikes is a Giant Trance, which has a 'S' shaped downtube which seems to be a trend, and the Photon would look terrible on that, it would not have good clearance at all; however it would still be better than the alternatives I think. That frame also has ISCG tabs which would need to be cut off.

It is certainly a factor to consider when considering a frame for this motor - a downtube like mine, straight and steep at the BB and curving forward at the top to meet the head tube (which increases the steepness) is ideal. The tradeoff is less room for the battery, as on my bike.
 
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