Quote:
Originally Posted by govman6159
Well, if we want to get technical, my system is 25.6V (25.6*30=768wh).
No gears = less efficiency or if you opt for a geared hub motor, break out the wallet and be ready to pay. Then you might get 3 or 4 gears. Use a mid mount motor as pictured above and all gears are available (21 on this bike but up to 30 on some). This allows you to take advantage of the bikes stock gearing. Some will say harder to set up but, to me, its about as complicated as adjusting spokes.
Regen braking on a bike/trike is not really practical. It produces drag that either limits coasting or top downhill speed. The net regen is almost useless and def not worth the cost or complexity it adds. I could maybe see it being practical in San Fran or Colorado but not in most of the US.
I hear your points and expected this response. I guess it just comes down to personal preference. Its funny that you see a hub motor as more asthetically pleasing. When I see one, I immediately think "that is so ugly".
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Technically every battery peaks at more voltage than it is "rated" for. A 48V LiFe pack is about 53V (so a 21ah battery would be 1113wh by your math). The 52V pack is likely more like 56V (so a 15ah battery would be 840wh by your math). Battery condition will vary the peak voltage of your packs so that is why it is better to go by the manufacturer rating.
Any time you introduce mechanical leverage i.e. gearing you will have parasitic losses. Many hub motors are brushless which means the only parasitic loss they have to overcome is the bearings of the wheel. Up a hill the motor that uses the gears will have an advantage but on a flat the mechanical linkages will steal some power due to friction.
mid motors also put wear on your drive line and stress on the freewheeling hub. A hub motor essentially is a totally separate source of power. It doesn't rely on the bike's drive to work. The mid motor relies on the drive system of the bike. If you have an issue with the driveline of your bike like the chain derailer gets messed up, chain fails, or the free wheeling hub fails pretty much anything you couldn't fix on the road you will be pushing the bike home.
You spoke of complication... a regen system on a hub motor is totally electronic build in the controller. A mid motor adds way more complication... you need a second chain and a second freewheeling hub.