Author Topic: Cheap Electric fatbike  (Read 95723 times)

Beasho

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3224
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #255 on: June 04, 2019, 12:13:57 PM »
Is that a yellow sup on your rack, behind the foilboard??

Yes!  I had a friend in town aka we needed to get 3 boards to the beach but only 2 bike racks.  So I doubled up the rack with 50+ lbs of boards.

My rack has been stressed test.  The rack can hold people when you put line struts attached to the frame.

See this:


PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #256 on: June 04, 2019, 06:26:25 PM »
I bought a 2nd Battery for the bike on the LEFT after 4,000 miles and 5 years.  It started to 'sag' and would get me to and from the beach with the board as quickly as it did when new.  The bike on the right has 2,500 miles and is still on its first battery. 

If you took the pack apart and tested the individual cells you'r find a few that are "resistive" meaning they won't charge and slowly drain the pack, but most of the cells would still test at 90 to 95 percent capacity. Take out the bad ones and replace them with new one and your "recycled" pack will go another 4000 or so miles.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

paddlejones

  • Sunset Status
  • ****
  • Posts: 460
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #257 on: June 21, 2019, 08:46:11 AM »

Beasho

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3224
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #258 on: June 21, 2019, 12:09:13 PM »
This looks like a good option for a starter bike to add the elect motor
https://www.framedbikes.com/collections/mountain-bikes/products/bobtrax-alloy-sram-x5-27-5-bike?variant=17666970615859

This is a good bike.  The challenge is the cost of the add-on's.

I built my Fat-Tire bike with a $1,000 Motobecane from BikesDirect and then added $1,600 of electronics.  My bike is a beast.  But for the 'Value' you might just get one of these pre-built with free shipping and NO Tax:

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/e-bikes-electric-bicycles/ebikes-electric-bikes-elite-eadventure.htm

Or this one with rear Hub Drive I am a fan of the Bottom Bracket motor.  However this bike is bad-ass and >$1,000 less than mine was to build:

$1,500

http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/gravity/ebikes/electric-bikes-fat-bikes-bullseye-monster-xe-ebikes.htm

« Last Edit: June 21, 2019, 12:11:10 PM by Beasho »

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #259 on: June 25, 2019, 08:49:49 PM »
Hub motor. Uck.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

Weasels wake

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3013
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #260 on: June 29, 2019, 08:30:13 AM »
Hub motor. Uck.
I know you don't like them, but many do, it all depends on what you're after, and what you can afford.  I'm hub drive all the way, it checks all my boxes, and if it's good enough for Kelly, then...………
His is one year older than mine, but it's the same bike, 100% satisfied.
It takes a quiver to do that.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #261 on: June 29, 2019, 09:57:45 AM »
It's probably been a very long time since Kelly Slater bought anything in the category of equipment, and these days with the value of influencers in the market he's probably getting some serious bucks to be seen using anything with a commercial aspect. People with more than a few thousand followers no longer just accept product to shill, they send their rate sheet to anyone that wants to sell them stuff.

People used to jump through all kinds of hoops to fabricate mid drive bike motors. Mounting hub drives in the frame loop was fairly common. Mid drives are becoming far more popular and are starting to approach the price of hub motors, which actually have more parts, a lot of limitations, and are more difficult to repair or service. With the DIY aspect of eBikes in steep decline (or at least not growing as fast as ready made, and therefore de-emphasized by sellers) and the general popularity if eBikes ratcheting up rapidly the more sophisticated designs will get commoditization very quickly.

And of course "Hub drive, uck" doesn't represent a cogent argument or carry any engineering rationale. It's just an opinion. But yeah, I don't like them.
« Last Edit: June 29, 2019, 10:02:51 AM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

outcast

  • Peahi Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 771
  • Ambassador for Nihilistic Surf
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #262 on: June 29, 2019, 06:58:12 PM »
For $1600 The Rad Rover is worth an occasional uck

It does everything i need it to do.   It was just too easy to click send...

 
Too many for the rack
Some in the shack
Some under decks
Some have straps

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #263 on: June 30, 2019, 07:14:00 AM »
True that, the Rad power folks make a nice bike. I probably have 1200 into my el Cheapo fatbike. Maybe a little more. It's a much higher spec motor and battery than most people would need, but I like going briskly up the hills and I hate running out of battery. I've got 1200 watts if I want it, and I did a 48 mile ride a few days ago and didn't run out. It was close, and I was pedaling with minimal power most of the time, but I made it back to the shop with two bars left. Whatever that means. I left the wattmeter in the cruiser.

I need to build some basketry for elCheapo. I'd use it more if I could conveniently carry stuff.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

1tuberider

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1005
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #264 on: July 01, 2019, 06:29:15 AM »
1200 watts only twice the wattage of my v2 luna at a cost of around 700 delivered.
Must be nice to be able to understand and build.

I screwed up not diagnosing and bought a new battery because I thought my old one failed. The battery
housing was broken from hard rides on the beach. After new battery got plugged in and bike still did
not work, I did more thorough diagnosis only to find a plug in contact was not tight enough..

So now I have both mounted for those long beach rides. I have pushed the bike 6 miles in the past
on soft sand with 50 lbs of rocks on it. No fun   but not no more.

Because I am inadequate at electrical stuff, I only have around $1500 tied up in batteries.
The good part  I have doubled my range. I did up my soldering ability.  for cost  Lets see, $1200 bike,
$1500 in batteries and $600 for the motor kit. Yikes you might do better with a complete bike. 

I figure less than 20 lbs for the power. Totally worth having the extra range for my use.
Power more than makes up for weight.




Beasho

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 3224
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #265 on: July 01, 2019, 08:37:33 AM »
1200 watts only twice the wattage of my v2 luna at a cost of around 700 delivered.

There is definitely a cost/benefit here.

Please post your source for "v2 Luna at a cost of around 700 delivered."

I got my wife an electric bike for Christmas.  This model has hub motor and NO throttle but she loves it.

The price on this model drops to $699 at times:

https://lunacycle.com/luna-low-and-fatty-wolf/

1tuberider

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1005
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #266 on: July 01, 2019, 09:56:11 AM »
v 2 Battery from Luna & shipping & sales tax and premium clear case.
It was around $750 delivered. So now I have two 52 volt 13.5 ah batteries
on the bike. Not cheap. 1st battery case broke after a couple of uses.
NO support on warranty. After two years of use and a totally broken
housing I thought it was done. Nah just my bad diagnostics.

Its ok. I like having the extra mileage. I get so remote when I use the
bike, I like the one less worry. 

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #267 on: July 01, 2019, 01:11:49 PM »
Ah, you misundertood my sloppy writing 1Tube. My motor is 1200 watts. I can kick it up to 1600 but I toasted a controller doing that, so I decided 1200 watts is enough. It's just a programming hack.

My battery on El Cheapo is the 24ah 56V Luna. I built a 40ah 60V battery, but it was heavy, so I took it apart and just stole the battery from the Cruiser I built. That's 1344 watt/hours. That battery used to be about $550 but I think it's $700 now.

The big difference is that my donor bike was a $200 mongoose. It's been just fine, it could use more brakes than the dinky mechanical disks that came on it, but it's good. I imported a pallet of 12 BBSHD motors from China a few years ago, in that quantity they were about $480 with shipping.

So El Cheapo is $200+550+480 = $1230. At current proces from Luna it would cost about $1600. Most people don't need a 1344 watt/hours, but I like having a bigger tank of fuel.
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

1tuberider

  • Teahupoo Status
  • ******
  • Posts: 1005
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #268 on: July 01, 2019, 01:40:52 PM »
Easy to do. confuse me that is.
My costs are similar except for the bike that was 1500 as it came with nuvinci
hub that failed. So converted to cassette. Another sum. And then an extra
battery. My bike frame is aluminum.
You can do better with a complete bike than I did. I was some what early in,
and not a specialist or informed. I am happy with my wheels for off road
riding. Its primary use is beach, but I take it in the mountains for silent
hunting. Now with the extra range less concern about pushing.
I have a 3000 watt motor for you if you want it. I don't need it.
20 mph is plenty fast.

PonoBill

  • Cortez Bank Status
  • *****
  • Posts: 25864
    • View Profile
Re: Cheap Electric fatbike
« Reply #269 on: July 01, 2019, 02:38:24 PM »
Sure, I'll take it. Cyclone??

A little suggestion--set up your batteries so you only plug in one at a time--don't connect them in parallel. That's how I set up my trike. I could ride until one battery was exhausted and then switch to the other. Best way to make sure you don't have to push as long as you remember to charge both batteries.
« Last Edit: July 01, 2019, 02:44:28 PM by PonoBill »
Foote 10'4X34", SIC 17.5 V1 hollow and an EPS one in Hood River. Foote 9'0" x 31", L41 8'8", 18' Speedboard, etc. etc.

 


SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2024, SimplePortal