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Old 07-17-2017, 12:31 PM   #40 (permalink)
Ecky
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Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: New Zealand
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ND Miata - '15 Mazda MX-5 Special Package
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MetroMPG View Post
Ecky: why does the geared motor coast better? Does it actually have freewheel components?

PS: I was in your neck of the woods a couple of years ago for a regatta on Lake Champlain. Very pretty part of the world.
I'm fairly certain all of the geared motors coming out of China can freewheel, but I'll update once it arrives.

Based on my reading, one downside is that there's no chance of regenerative braking, but given that I already have more battery than I need, I consider it to be the lesser trade-off. The gears are also made of plastic and may need to be replaced eventually, whereas direct drive motors are more robust.

A benefit of the geared hub motor is that it's significantly smaller than a direct drive motor of the same size, so my ebike may actually pass as a normal bicycle at a glance. They're also a bit more efficient, and have more torque at low RPM.

And yeah, really beautiful here. Some other places I wouldn't mind living are Lake Tahoe CA and Lake Placid NY - I think these areas are even nicer, but there's less work and in some aspects, higher costs of living.
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