Cyclone back wheel removal !

[funkymoped]

Hi,
I've just bought a Cyclone electric mountain bike from e bay. It's been neglected. Having now looked at it the back wheel has a large buckle which fouls the brake. So the wheel has to come out for the rim to be trued.
Does anybody know how to disconnect the power cable which is attached inside the hollow wheel spindle ?

 

[flecc]

I don't know the model, but those cables normally have connectors before they reach the controller box, or sometimes soldered joins. They need to be separated. If not, the controller box may have an unplug or other disconnection ability.

If you individually unplug any cables, make sure you carefully keep a
note of the colour codes on each side, noting which side is motor and which side is bike. The colours don't always match!

If not, you'll need to separate the cables and cut them, being prepared to solder them together again later.
.

 

[Ian]

If it's the model I think, then the cable has no break and to be disconnected inside the controller housing under the bottom bracket. The model I'm thinking of has a brushed motor so there will only be 2 wires.

An alternative method would be, as Flecc has suggested, to cut the wires and either solder them together or join them with connectors such as automotive "bullet" types, suitably protected against water ingress.

 

[rsscott]

If it is the model I used to own you also have the added problem of the cabling passing through the frame.

I would do as Ian has suggested, cutting the cables at a suitable point and fitting your own connectors. At least if you are out on the road and need to remove the wheel you then have a simple method of disconnection.

Finally,welcome to the forum!

cheers
Russ.

Russell Scott
Pedelecs UK
​

 

[funkymoped]

Cyclone back wheel removal and ramblings....

Thank you all for your responses ! What a great site. Last night, whilst working to remove the wheel, it struck me that putting in a quick release connector would make sense. Now I know that only 2 wires are involved then this looks a goer, which is more than can be said for the used Cyclone I have bought.
It seems that once you have done all the hard work to gain momentum the electric motor does not seem to mind giving a bit of a push, but not much. At first sight of a gradient it is game over for powered riding and you are on your own.
By contrast my other electric bike, the venerable hard tailed Viking with twin lead acid batteries and drive to the tyre surface like an old French moped, is a grunty beast that hauls me up and over almost anything.
I reckon that the battery on the Cyclone is knackered but cannot locate suppliers of replacements.
The appeal of the Cyclone was suspension and NiMH batteries. Does anybody know if the terminal connections from such batteries to the bicycle are standardised so that any battery would fit ? Also, and better still, does anybody know where you can get a Cyclone NiMH replacement ?

 

[rsscott]

Just to clarify 100% on the exact bike:

eBay.co.uk: Cyclone electric bike (item 180116869654 end time 20-May-07 18:00:00 BST)

I will PM you with the email address of the person who supplied my bike. I think he stopped selling the bike last year but you never know, he may still have a battery lying around.

You might also want to ask PowaCycle in their clinic as for a time they also branded the same bike although I can't recall the name of it )

My experience of the bike was the same in that it gave you a gentle push and was no use on the hills unlessed you pedalled. However, I did cover almost 6,000 miles trouble-free on one over the course of a year commuting to work in all weather conditions. The only incident being a puncture on the second day which was rapidly solved by fitting Schwalbe Marathon Plus tyres!

If you do manage to obtain another battery, check the polarity first as there was a batch with the polarities reversed as I found out when purchasing a spare!

cheers
Russ

Russell Scott
Pedelecs UK
​

 

[Ian]

Funkymoped, check out ebay item no. 120118059567 if you haven't already done so, it's a complete set of electrical parts for a cyclone. It's not the model I was thinking of, but it is the model in Russ's photo and does have a brushed motor so there should still only be 2 wires to deal with.

 

[flecc]

Hi funkymoped, yes the Viking does have more grunt, but with all that weight high up and that friction drive, now followed by the Cyclone, forgive me but I can't help thinking you have an aversion to good e-bikes! Honestly, you could be doing so much better.

Since you like the idea of adequate power, why not for example give 50cycles a ring or send a request from their site for a test ride somewhere around your area. Anything they supply would be a revelation after your two bikes, I promise you.
.

 

[funkymoped]

Cyclone back wheel removal and ramblings....contd

Thank you for your responses.
Yes, the picture is the very same bike I have - and in a rush of blood I have gone and made a bid for the box of Cyclone bits on e bay.
Now that I know the bike is useless on hills I'll surprise my son in law, who thought he had bought the Viking for delivery tonight, he can have the Cyclone instead, and I'll save up for the alloy beauty - albeit hardtail - from a shop in Nottingham whose name escapes me !
By the way, can anybody recommend a lightweight mountain bike with full suspension with pedal assist that can push uphill, within a £500 budget ?

 

[funkymoped]

Hi Russ,
Any joy on finding out the ex supplier of Cyclone details ? I've now got it working, having stopped the binding back brake, and am sitting here knackered after blasting along the tracks to work !
I am suspicious of the battery and would like to pick up a new one if I could.
Best regards,
Keith

 

[rsscott]

Hi Keith,

have just sent you details via PM.

cheers
Russ.

Russell Scott
Pedelecs UK
​

 

[funkymoped]

Sounds like a good idea to me, I've taken your advice and wait to hear back from them on a test ride !

 

[funkymoped]

Goodbye Cyclone ( and Viking )

A little while back I posted a question on how to remove the back wheel of a Cyclone. I received some answers which decided it - the Cyclone had to go.In fact it is on e bay right now. The Viking has gone already.
What did it was a comment that I could do so much better than the 2 cheapo bikes that got me started, so I had a good rummage about and realised that chain drive is the thing for me. Why ? Well, the beloved Viking has a roller driving on to the top of the wheel which gives great grunty pulling.However this skids when the tyre gets wet or muddy. And the Viking weighs a ton, 44 kilos actually.
The Cyclone has to turn the wheel from the centre and struggles to do a job of it. I reckon the battery may be shot but no longer care.
I drew up a mental wish list of things I needed, direct chain drive, grunty motor, monster torque, good fit for legs, alloy frame, 28 inch wheels, v brakes, mega sla battery, black and metal finish - and hit google.
Bingo ! Up came Pedal and Power of Chester on 01244 671999 Keith Lloyd on 07966 303139 Pedal and Power Electric Bikes and Scooters who had sitting there
a Currie chain drive conversion on a 28" black Champion Continental.
I bought it immediately.
I don't care how old you are, I am 58, but nothing is as good as a new bike ! And what a bike. This Currie Champion is an electric superbike - it annihilates hills, bombs along the flat and has put me back into the traffic mainstream instead of being a semi moving obstacle.
A recent P and O line cruise exceeded all expectations but now the Currie Champion has done it too !
Whatever you do before you buy something else get on one of these first
and your jaw will drop - absolutely brilliant.

 

[flecc]

Yes, you're right, there's nothing like a new bike to stir the enthusiasm!

The Currie isn't everyone's cup of tea though. It does all you say, and it's a long established design, but many prefer something a bit quieter and with a better battery setup and stowage.

Each to his own though, and it's good to hear that you're getting so much pleasure from your new bike. That's really all that matters.

P.S. After the Viking, even a lift on a milk float would be a thrill!
.

 

[funkymoped]

Currie ramblings

And today the Cyclone is gone too. Yeehar ! Funny you should mention the sound from the Currie but as a motorcyclist, from Rocket Gold Star, Velocette, to Kawasaki GPZ and still lusting after a Buell or BMW Rockster, I love the whazzzzz sound when you open the throttle.
Another thing, maybe more by luck than judgement, but I reckon that batteries mounted almost vertically behind the frame saddle tube must extend the wheelbase and make the steering slower.I have always liked quick steering bikes. I once refurbished a 1937 Holdsworthy hill climb bike with straight forks and fixed gearing - the toe clips fouled the front wheel on tight turns so oddly enough no one was keen to take it off for a spin. So the Currie Champion retains the standard whhelbase.
The Currie Champion has a hard tail which I found out is great when pedalling without power thus avoiding boinging up and down on the suspension.
I'd love to hear from other Currie fans but can't remember how to start a new topic...............

Keith

 

[flecc]

I reckon that batteries mounted almost vertically behind the frame saddle tube must extend the wheelbase and make the steering slower.I have always liked quick steering bikes.

Keith

Oddly enough, not by by very much. Most e-bike designers cheat by inclining the seatpost sharply forward with the battery leaning back quite a lot, and the centre frame shorter in consequence, and also design for the front wheel very close to the downtube, so they are often less than two inches longer than normal. Makes some of the frame angles weird though.

To start a new thread per your query, at the top of the Threads Page you'll see a rectangular blue button marked New Thread.
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