Newbie Schwinn Meridian Trike Build

[k9kruiser]

For many years I thought I would end up on a trike for a variety of reasons. I have seen several people use the Schwinn has a cheaper alternative to a Workman and that fits my budget better for now.

I looked at a motorized hub and then a gear reduction motor to connect to the rear axle, and almost went that way, and now I am back to a hub motor in front like most others have done.

1. There are some cheap 1000W/48V kits that get good reviews. Considering I am a heavier guy and a load of batteries, etc. I thought I could use the HP.
2. the specs say they need at least a 17AH battery. Almost everyone in the reviews said they were using 10-12AH batteries? If you have 48V, doesn't the extra AH only affect distance or is there a draw rate or something the 1000W needs that it can't get with a 16AH battery?
3. I know the Meridian has bad rims, spokes, and tires out of the box so I expect to change those, and of course the front wheel will come with the hub motor.
4. the motor kit I think comes with a 3-speed throttle, i.e. 3 buttons...can a twist throttle be used instead to give you variable options for speed?

The bike is arriving Thursday and I will begin prepping it, i.e. battery box, etc.I would love to know if 20AH is necessary, and if not, probably suggested. I am not sure if I can afford LiPo at this point so might start out SLA but 48V/20A SLA is about 52# vs. 16#

Any other starting out hint, suggestions, etc.....the Meridian is the given, the rest is still up in the air..

 

[Chalo]

The Schwinn Meridian is a slow, weak, incompetent trike. Trying to make it a fast weak incompetent trike would surely end in tragedy. So get a slow kit. Ebikekit has a nice slow front motor kit especially for trikes. PM user "dogman dan" for the details.

 

[k9kruiser]

Thanks for your advice, but maybe I mislead regarding 1000W, it was for power, not speed, I want range and power for hills or load.

The price of a nicer trike would cost as much without being electrified as the Schwinn electrified. I realize it's shortcomings, but feel it is a way to start and anything invested in it could likely be transferred if needed.

Appreciate any and all feedback!

 

[Greg H]

Well, you've already bought the Meridian so it's likely a moot point, but I think you would be happier with a recumbent trike, such as an EZ3. It's built much stronger, more stable and lower to the ground. It's easier to get on and off of it, if that's an issue for you. It also has a solid axle so that the drivetrain turns both rear wheels. I'm not sure that's the case with the Schwinn. It seems you are already aware of the issues with Meridian rear wheels. Another way to go would be to install a bafang mid-drive on your trike. I bet a 3-speed IGH Meridian in combination with a BBS02 or BBSHD would do pretty good on the hills. It would cost you a few hundred dollars more though.

 

[Chalo]

I'm saying that, assuming the Meridian as a given, you'll do best with a nice slow kit that can grind up whatever hills you have but not outrun the trike's capabilities. Slow does not equal bad. But it's what your trike is good at.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

I'm saying that, assuming the Meridian as a given, you'll do best with a nice slow kit that can grind up whatever hills you have but not outrun the trike's capabilities. Slow does not equal bad. But it's what your trike is good at.

+1

Especially in the corners!

The Schwinn Meridian is very much a bike you have to ride slow in corners due to its rather high center of gravity, so turning slow is your best bet, and a mid-drive will give you the greatest flexibility.

I understand that the lower price of a hub motor is more your price range (I would recommend a DD for the most worry free as that heavy of a bike with the larger size tires would spell trouble for many if not most geared hub motors climbing hills at slow speeds) just make sure it's a motor that will be happier at the slower speeds, if your motor has too fast of a wind, it will burn it's self up on long or particularly steep hill climbs.

 

[dogman dan]

Just to clarify,, the trike kit my employer sells is designed to be slower, so it's safe on tippy trikes like the meridian, worksman, sun, etc. You have to corner slow of course, but even in a straight line, steering gets very iffy above 15 mph. a typical 1000w kit will have your trike going 30 mph. So to go slow,,, you will have to limit your power. So every start, you have to work that switch to have full power at the takeoff.

I suggest that 36v with the trike kit is plenty, which gives you 750w max power. This kit uses a large strong motor with low rpm, rather than a tiny underpowered motor. So you get the power, but speed is limited to 15 mph.

Re the battery,, you can start out with as small as 9 ah sla's, but if you need more than 5 miles riding distance both ways, get a 10 ah lithium. Sla works fine, but won't last. Lithium should last 2-4 years. Lithium can stand repeated 100% discharges, while lead will die quickly if you discharge it completely.

If you choose the 1000w kit, some of those have 30 amps controllers, and will need a larger battery. They are actually 1500w, if they use 30 amps controllers. The EBK trike kit has a 22 amps controller, but the low rpm wind of the motor means it will actually pull that full amps a shorter time. So a 10 ah lithium will work. Get 20 ah (lithium) though, if you want really big range, like 30-40 miles. 20 ah lead would be good for 15 miles. 20 ah lead could go farther of course, but if you want it to last, you don't go more than half what the same lithium would do.

 

[wesnewell]

1. Make sure the kit is rated under 500rpm at 48V. I used a 48V 500W kit rated at 360rpm iirc on the one I built.
2. You can use 5ah 12s rc lipo without a problem if you don't need more than a 10 mile range.
4. It may come with a 3 speed switch, but all will come with a variable speed throttle. Either twist or thumb.

Don't try to take corners over 10mph. It tips easily. It's also not very stable above 20mph. I think mine would do ~25mph tops. At that speed, don't try and turn much.

 

[docnjoj]

Someone here on this forum took that Schwinn and with an alloy block drilled with a center hole made the trike tilt. This makes it much more stable in turns. He also lowered the seatpost and put in a recumbent style seat. He said the cost was not very high to do these things, so it might be worth a bit of research.
otherDoc

 

[aroundqube]

https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=50230&hilit=leaning+trike+test

 

[dogman dan]

Leaning would also make it able to swerve around something unexpected when going 20+ mph. That's the real problem with the adult trikes, slowing to corner is no big deal. But if you are cruising along, and suddenly there is a person, pothole, or whatever in your path,, you simply cannot jink around the obstruction in time on those trikes. You can't flick it 2 feet to the side like you can a bike. All you can do is turn the bars, and watch in horror as nothing happens for awhile on an adult trike, unless you are going under 15 mph.

That's the reason the EBK trike kit uses the slow wind motor, so it can still run under 15 mph on 750w of 36v. Backing off the throttle will work with a fast wind, but that also backs off the power. A lower rpm setup, whether by motor wind, or by smaller wheel, will have full power even at the slower speeds. Rather than being slow by having less power.

Yes,, on a steep hill you can use the full power of a fast rpm motor, but the low rpm motor will climb that hill more efficiently, so it's still a win with the lower rpm motors on adult trikes.