Thread: ebike dilemma
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Old 08-29-2017, 11:47 PM   #3 (permalink)
Ecky
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Join Date: Dec 2011
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ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
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I love my ebike so far. Top speed is ~20mph which "brisk" on a bicycle. 14 amps @ 36v (~500w) accelerates strongly - most people who sit on it for the first time gasp and laugh when they pull the throttle. I don't yet know the range, but earlier tonight I put about 10 miles on a 13.2ah pack going up and down steep hills, and the charge level only just started to drop below full toward the end. On level terrain, you could probably charge it once a week with a similar battery.

I think you might be better off going with a 36v battery and using a DC-DC converter to get 36v from your panels. Reason being, voltage is what determines top speed. With the same motor I have, running 24v would give you a top speed of about 13mph with a full charge, and less as the battery voltage drops. More amps adds acceleration, but not top speed.

I like the twist throttle a lot better than the thumb throttle, and find the "LED display" kit to have much more responsive throttle than the "LCD display" kit, which is $40 more. The only advantage the LCD kit has is that it's programmable - not only do you get a speedometer and odometer, but you can increase the amps or limit top speed. I've run 20 amps through my motor a few times without issue, giving about 850w with a full charge. Probably not a good idea to stall one out with that current, but it seems fine for climbing hills around here.
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