Everything came in and the work is done: new wheels, motor, and drivetrain.
First impressions are the amazing torque of this motor and the quality of the wheels. This is basically a clone of ElectricGod’s setup and I’m glad I followed his lead.
The LightningRods Big Block motor is high quality and high performance for the size and price. I can’t say enough about it because it exceeded my already high expectations. I had a 6:1 ratio and now I’m using a 3.3:1 with no problems at all. I’m still amazed I could take such a big leap in ratio but that motor pulls at any speed, up any hill, without any problem. It also sheds the heat pretty well and extended high speed runs are no problem either. I don’t have a temp probe on it yet, but I can hold my fingers on it for several seconds after a high power run.
The wheels were also pretty affordable IMO even if the shipping was a bit high. The wheels and hubs are beautifully machined and very nice to look at. They are true and there is no wobble all the way to 50 mph. I was able to go tubeless, which was impossible with the old wheels.
Regen is great. I’ve got it setup pretty well but there is more tweaking to do on this.
The drive train which was also furnished by LightningRods is first class. Everything fits beautifully and the quality is the best. The DID #219 chain (also from LightningRods) is a high quality part as well. This new setup is very quiet compared to the t8f. After some initial break-in, the chain doesn’t seem to stretch much at all, even though I’ve been heavily on the throttle and up some major hills for about 80+ miles over the weekend.
I’ve still got a few things to do:
1. Get all of the lights and horn working again, I’m also going to use turn signals as well. I have the DC-DC converter but I had the wheel and motor project ahead of it.
2. New wooden deck. I’ll make this myself and I’m looking forward to doing it in maple.
3. Hydraulic brakes. I like some that are for mountain bikes so I’m investigating those. I like the very small lines that can be easily concealed.
4. Front and rear fenders. I’m not sure how these will work out, but I have some I purchased on EBay and they look pretty cool.
5. Auxiliary battery. I have the cells and I’m putting it together now. When I’m done I will effectively have a 20S10P. I’ve been getting 30 – 35 miles, in my hilly area, on each full charge (the regen does help), but I can see myself wanting to go much further.