Comments on: Adding an electric motor to a bicycle http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/ My external memory Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:00:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jay http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8335 Jay Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:30:58 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8335 John, It sounds like you do not have the electrical system hooked up correctly. Typically throttles are low current devices, which connect to a motor controller and tell it how much power to give to the motor. So you shouldn't be attaching the motors to the throttles directly. See: http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/electric-bicycle-power-circuit/ for a description of my motor controller. It connects to the battery and motor, and I wired the throttle up to the motor controller. Jay John,
It sounds like you do not have the electrical system hooked up correctly. Typically throttles are low current devices, which connect to a motor controller and tell it how much power to give to the motor. So you shouldn’t be attaching the motors to the throttles directly.

See:
http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/electric-bicycle-power-circuit/

for a description of my motor controller. It connects to the battery and motor, and I wired the throttle up to the motor controller.
Jay

]]> By: John. http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8332 John. Sat, 21 Aug 2010 12:59:43 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8332 I really appreciate all this help!!!! I ordered china- made throttles and quickly blew them. Do I need to fuse these also ? I am running a 30 amp controller and I fused my batteries at 40 amp. Both times I hooked up a new throttle , it blew apart, I mean the whole twist grip came apart. Any ideas? John. I really appreciate all this help!!!!
I ordered china- made throttles and quickly blew them.
Do I need to fuse these also ?
I am running a 30 amp controller and I fused my batteries
at 40 amp.
Both times I hooked up a new throttle , it blew apart, I mean the whole twist grip came apart. Any ideas? John.

]]> By: Jay http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8330 Jay Sat, 21 Aug 2010 10:33:56 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8330 John, The wheel and motor should be relatively easy to spin by hand (without getting easier or harder at any part of the rotation, which indicates a sprocket out of alignment with center). If you hear lots of "clicking" as the chain comes off the sprockets it's probably too tight. If the chain gets wavy and has a standing wave when under full power/speed, it's too loose. If it falls off when you try to drive around it's also too loose ;> Jay John,

The wheel and motor should be relatively easy to spin by hand (without getting easier or harder at any part of the rotation, which indicates a sprocket out of alignment with center). If you hear lots of “clicking” as the chain comes off the sprockets it’s probably too tight. If the chain gets wavy and has a standing wave when under full power/speed, it’s too loose. If it falls off when you try to drive around it’s also too loose ;>

Jay

]]> By: John. http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8329 John. Sat, 21 Aug 2010 04:20:56 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8329 I'm having a hard time with the tension on the chain between the 350 motor and the sprocket. how do you tell if the tension is right ? mine seems to be binding. Thanks, John. I’m having a hard time with the tension on the chain
between the 350 motor and the sprocket.
how do you tell if the tension is right ?
mine seems to be binding.
Thanks, John.

]]> By: Jay http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8232 Jay Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:57:30 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8232 Teja, I purchased the sprocket, motor, chain and hub from All Electronics, a surplus store. They still have the motor in stock, but don't appear to have the larger sprocket and hub any more, although they do have a scooter wheel with sprocket. www.allelectronics.com Jay Teja,

I purchased the sprocket, motor, chain and hub from All Electronics, a surplus store. They still have the motor in stock, but don’t appear to have the larger sprocket and hub any more, although they do have a scooter wheel with sprocket.

http://www.allelectronics.com

Jay

]]> By: Teja http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8231 Teja Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:50:41 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8231 Hi, Where did you purchase the 90 teeth sprocket and the corresponding hub? Hi,

Where did you purchase the 90 teeth sprocket and the corresponding hub?

]]> By: Jay’s Technical Talk › New electric bicycle motor mount http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-8015 Jay’s Technical Talk › New electric bicycle motor mount Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:15:27 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-8015 [...] simplistic motor mount I made for my electric bicycle (which consisted mostly of me bolting a motor to my wire basket and holding the basket away from [...] [...] simplistic motor mount I made for my electric bicycle (which consisted mostly of me bolting a motor to my wire basket and holding the basket away from [...]

]]> By: Jay’s Technical Talk › The $175 Electric Bike http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-7948 Jay’s Technical Talk › The $175 Electric Bike Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:20:22 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-7948 [...] I bought a surplus motor controller, handlebar mounted throttle, and a 250 watt electric motor. I bolted the motor to the front of my used $20 bike, built a battery holder out of PVC pipes, and made a vacuum formed cover. Not [...] [...] I bought a surplus motor controller, handlebar mounted throttle, and a 250 watt electric motor. I bolted the motor to the front of my used $20 bike, built a battery holder out of PVC pipes, and made a vacuum formed cover. Not [...]

]]> By: Jay’s Technical Talk › Electric Bicycle power circuit http://www.summet.com/blog/2009/07/11/adding-an-electric-motor-to-a-bicycle/comment-page-1/#comment-6855 Jay’s Technical Talk › Electric Bicycle power circuit Sun, 12 Jul 2009 02:15:39 +0000 http://www.summet.com/blog/?p=604#comment-6855 [...] Bolting a DC motor to the front basket of a bike and running a chain to the front wheel takes care of the mechanical linkage needed to make an electric powered bicycle, but you also need to provide power to the motor, and control that power in some way. Luckily, the same place that sold me the 250 watt motor also sold a 40 amp speed controler. (It cost $33, or more than any single other part of my e-bike project.) The speed controler is controlled by most standard e-bike throttles, such as this one from Currie Technologies. I also attached two 12v 5AH batteries in series to provide 24 volts. Because I calculated that my 250 watt motor running at 24 volts would draw approximately 10 amps, (250/24 = 10.4), I added a 15 amp fuse to the circuit. (The first 15A fuse was replaced by a second 15 amp fuse after it saved my speed controler from damage when I accidentally reversed the polarity on the power…) [...] [...] Bolting a DC motor to the front basket of a bike and running a chain to the front wheel takes care of the mechanical linkage needed to make an electric powered bicycle, but you also need to provide power to the motor, and control that power in some way. Luckily, the same place that sold me the 250 watt motor also sold a 40 amp speed controler. (It cost $33, or more than any single other part of my e-bike project.) The speed controler is controlled by most standard e-bike throttles, such as this one from Currie Technologies. I also attached two 12v 5AH batteries in series to provide 24 volts. Because I calculated that my 250 watt motor running at 24 volts would draw approximately 10 amps, (250/24 = 10.4), I added a 15 amp fuse to the circuit. (The first 15A fuse was replaced by a second 15 amp fuse after it saved my speed controler from damage when I accidentally reversed the polarity on the power…) [...]

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