Most reliable ebike parts that are affordable

[el_walto]

I'm getting really fed up of my ebikes not being reliable. What do you feel the most reliable parts are.

I currently have a 5km steep hill to climb as my commute. 5000KM or so most years.

So far I have had the following Fail on my ebikes, some of them i'm sure avoidable. The cost is not the biggest issue, it's the time it takes to diagnose swap 10 connectors because nothing is standardized.

Failures:
x5304 > All rusted out failed halls (learned to store ebike inside always)

9 Continent Rear (Rim failed and cracked)
9 Continent Rear with replacement ebikes.ca rim (had to keep adjusting spokes, spokes busting every week because motor spoke holes were worn and rounded)
9 Continent Rear Hall sensors failed because i decided to have it drilled and use boeshield as ebikes.ca suggested

V1 Ezee front 26" hub motor, Seems like hall sensor failure.

Mac rear 10T, Very twisted Axle because only had torque arm on one side. Side cover screws stripped because they are Not torx or hex.

Throttle that came with mac kit, just decided to quit one day

JST-SM Throttle connectors (many pulled out wires, also nice and green and corroded, especially dangerous with throttle cable, tried my best to waterproof but snow and slush manages to find its way in)

2x ping 2 amp chargers

2 ping batteries (premature death)

2 nicad batteries (premature death)

After spending many hours the past couple months adding dr bass torque arms etc. Now today my new MAC 10T hub motor started ticking(vibration) when throttle is on. Only put maybe 200km on this kit. Feels like hall sensor, maybe stripped gear or bad fet though? Bike still can take me up the hill.


Parts I've had really good success with:

Em3ev A123 Triangle Pack
Em3ev 5Amp Charger
Em3ev Alex DM24 26" Rim with black spokes

Anderson Power Poles
Hxt 4mm connectors

Are sensorless controllers where it is at? Can geared hubs work well with sensorless controllers?
I really wish hall sensor wires used bullet connectors or Anderson instead of JST-SM or that horrible square white connector.

 

[cal3thousand]

To me, it sounds like many of your issues are dealing with water and ice ingress.For that stuff, I'm starting to think Rustoleum NeverWet will help A LOT. But since you seem to have hall issues, maybe think about going sensorless for your DD motors. Having a sensorless as a backup is good idea at the very least. But back to the rustoleum, I think it will be better at shedding water than this Boeshield stuff. Boeshield may "waterproof" items, but NeverWet is SUPER Hydrophobic! It's ultra scared of water basically. I would recommend it for your throttles and other cables too.

As for rim issues, I feel that EVERY non-custom built wheel (ie machine laced) is a liability. They are all built using crap spokes that are often too thick, with (sometimes decent, but) mostly crap rims. The last 4 motors that I bought were either bare or I delaced and rebuilt with new spokes and rims. I KNOW how good these wheels/motors are because I made them and I took the time to do it right. Piece of mind right there! . (BTW, I like the Alex rims from cell_man too but I bought my own spokes and laced those myself. Solid wheels!)

The torque arm issue reminds me of the advice to overbuild everything. My wife's bike only runs 12S LiPo on a MAC 8T, but I have 2 torque plates (8mm hardened steel) that could handle a few kW. They were a biotch to make, but I have zero doubts about them.

As far as Ping batteries and chargers, I don't see why everyone is hyped on them. I hear about Pings going bad ALL the time. Plus they are heavy and ugly with bad C rates. Ping chargers are also absolute crap.

Geared hubbies generally don't like sensorless controllers unfortunately.

I would suggest (if you are up to it) converting that busted MAC 10T to a mid-drive using crossbreak's dual jackshaft method. That will eat up the hill you are dealing with and allow you to use NORMAL bike wheels (much stronger than hub wheels).

 

[dogman dan]

Sounds like you beat on stuff at least as good as I usually do.

Maybe you just need a 4 stroke Honda 125.

 

[23skidoo]

After about 2000 miles each on 2 Crystalyte 3525 motors, and a couple hundred on a bmc/Mac, it's clear that the 3525 is much better in reliability. I love the sensorless simplicity and dont mind the occasional asynchrony. The wheels I've received from ebikessf have never broken spokes.

 

[nechaus]

I always waterproof everything on my ebikes,
from stator to controller - to throttle

torque arms, always use both on each side, no reason not to.

you should not really get these type of failures if you spend much time on your build and build it to last and run in all conditions


maybe you need a stealth bike

 

[el_walto]

I always waterproof everything on my ebikes,
from stator to controller - to throttle

torque arms, always use both on each side, no reason not to.

you should not really get these type of failures if you spend much time on your build and build it to last and run in all conditions


maybe you need a stealth bike

The funny thing is, I barely ever ride in the rain. Just through the winter is when it gets covered in dirty slushy snow.

Everytime i try to waterproof connectors, somehow water seeps in, and they cant dry out. Maybe next time I'll try a giant blob of silicone.

 

[dogman dan]

Best sealant is not silicone, but a different type of caulk intended for rain gutters. In my previous comment, I was referring more to the wheel and spoke issues.

It can be a dilemma, similar to what I used to go through with ski's. Durable skis existed, but they weighed and felt like 2x6's on your feet. I preferred a beautifully light ski, but the price was breaking a pair a year. The light ski was worth it, even when it meant walking down the mountain once in a while.

We love the lightness of our ebikes compared to even small motorcycles, yet have to live with the result. You do tend to wear some stuff out.

As for the batteries, you just don't get a lot of people logging on to say " my ping is now 2 years old and doing fine". You just hear from the "my battery won't fully charge" folks with all brands and suppliers. Ping, as well as many other suppliers batteries have their limitations. Lots of us on ES run controllers and motors I'd never recommend a ping for. So far, my experience is that I get about 18 months more use from a ping than from HK lico. But of course, the ping is too weak for performance riding.

 

[Dauntless]

Best sealant is not silicone, but a different type of caulk intended for rain gutters.

Elastomeric.

 

[beast775]

What ive found over the years are dont trust connectors that arent tested exclusively on ES,water is like air it will get into everything unless its air proof and destroy components.im sure even a stealth bomber would give in to cold wet slush eventually.