Thread: ebike dilemma
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Old 11-24-2017, 10:01 PM   #37 (permalink)
Ecky
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AviationMetalSmith View Post
I wish I had known this before wasting $1,087.50

I need a motor that lets me coast and allows me to pedal without turning the armature . Otherwise , it's useless, a trade-off that actually reduces my range , instead of increasing it (which was the idea).
eBay and Amazon have plenty of cheap ebike kits. A direct drive motor capable of 2-3000w can be purchased already laced to a rim for ~$120-150. Geared hub motors (which can freewheel) are harder to find for cheap. Every now and then I can snag one capable of 500-1000w for $120-150, but a geared motor appropriate for 2-3000w will be more like $3-450.

This $140 kit contains a everything you need short of a battery, and freewheels as well as a bike without a motor:

https://www.ebikeling.com/shop/elect...6-kit-option-1

I emailed them and they're expecting them back in stock by late January.

For batteries, I generally use 36v 4.4Ah eBay packs made from used Samsung cells. They're about $25-30 each depending on the bulk you buy them in, and worth 8-10 miles of range each on flat ground (much less on hills). I'd say 2 of them are adequate for a 350w or under ebike, but you'd want 3 for a 500-750w kit, to prevent drawing too much current for the cells.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-SAMSUNG...8AAOSwSypY9Y7d

EDIT: I recently built a velomobile with a 3000w geared hub motor, and it tops out around 45mph. You could very easily do something similar with a 2-wheeled vehicle.
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