Dahon vitesse d8 has anybody converted one please

[Todd]

Hi all,

Can I ask has anybody converted a dahon vitesse D8, I want to put a 500w Mac motor and a
20ah battery. Has anybody got any tips please ?

Many thanks Todd

 

[Todd]

Would I get 20mph and a 30mile range with a camping trailer

 

[Deleted member 4366]

What's the point of the Dahon Vitesse? Do you already have one?

 

[Todd]

Don't have one yet, seen reviews and seems to come out well, or do you have another idea

 

[trex]

the Dahon is a good bike but not designed to take on a large motor wheel nor to pull a large load. Adding a 500W Mac motor and a 20AH battery won't turn it into an Ezee Quando.

 

[Todd]

Ok thanks, looks like I'll have to keep looking

 

[Deleted member 4366]

You can make a nice light fast bike out of a Dahon, but a MAC is heavy and so is a 20Ah battey. They seem a bit out of place on a Dahon. Wouldn't a strong MTB be better for them?

What is it exacly you're trying to achieve?

 

[Todd]

You can make a nice light fast bike out of a Dahon, but a MAC is heavy and so is a 20Ah battey. They seem a bit out of place on a Dahon. Wouldn't a strong MTB be better for them?

What is it exacly you're trying to achieve?

Thanks for the advice, I want to use a trailer for camping in the new forest then around London, the idea of a larger battery is so I get the range, hoping for 40ish miles with me effort also, do you think it would be possible ?

 

[Deleted member 4366]

Anything is possible. If you want to use a 20Ah battery, the first thing is to plan where you're going to mount it. For a large hub-motor, you'll need somewhere to mount the large controller too. There's no suitable place on a Dahon for a large battery. If you just want the extra capacity for towing, why not put a battery in the trailer, and use a smaller onefor your bike for when you're not towing. If you go for a rear motor, a battery on a rack will spoil the handling.

The Dahon might work with a BBS02 and the battery on a rack.

Another thing: A MAC is quite expensive. What made you choose that? A Bafang BPM or CST will be much cheaper and either can give the torque that you need.

 

[Todd]

Anything is possible. If you want to use a 20Ah battery, the first thing is to plan where you're going to mount it. For a large hub-motor, you'll need somewhere to mount the large controller too. There's no suitable place on a Dahon for a large battery. If you just want the extra capacity for towing, why not put a battery in the trailer, and use a smaller onefor your bike for when you're not towing. If you go for a rear motor, a battery on a rack will spoil the handling.

The Dahon might work with a BBS02 and the battery on a rack.

Another thing: A MAC is quite expensive. What made you choose that? A Bafang BPM or CST will be much cheaper and either can give the torque that you need.

Great idea about putting the larger battery in the trailer, the idea of the Mac cam from a bike engineer in my local bike store he says they are fantastic quality, he had one and it's been trouble free for a few years.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

All motors are good these days. It's very rare to get a problem. The Bafang crank-drives had some problems initially, but they've been sorted now. We hear of the odd hub-motor with water in it, but that's normally because of bad installation. MACs are nothing special. They're a bit larger than a BPM, so can handle a bit more power, but you don't need that much.

 

[Todd]

Thanks for your great advice, I will have a rethink

 

[trex]

Great idea about putting the larger battery in the trailer, the idea of the Mac cam from a bike engineer in my local bike store he says they are fantastic quality, he had one and it's been trouble free for a few years.

you still need the bike when not using the trailer.
If you have two batteries, then keeping one in the trailer makes sense. In general, any e-bike with a BPM sized motor (like the Ezee Quando) can pull a trailer.

 

[Todd]

you still need the bike when not using the trailer.
If you have two batteries, then keeping one in the trailer makes sense. In general, any e-bike with a BPM sized motor (like the Ezee Quando) can pull a trailer.

I think your right the only thing is I'm still restricted to 15mph a little more off road would be good, life cycle have a un-restrict button for there traveler folding bike.

 

[anotherkiwi]

You aren't restricted to 15 mph, the motor is. I pedal regularly up to 25 mph even though the motor has cut out at 18 mph. My current top speed is around 36 mph freewheeling down a very steep hill...

Because it is easier to get to 15 mph you have the extra energy to pedal over and beyond is the way I see things.

 

[cwah]

A mac is more expensive but also more solid than a BPM.

My mac holded about a year at 2700W before giving up. But my BPM broke after 3 months at 2700W. And I broke a second one after few month on 1700W only...

I have a BPM on 20" a 328 rpm for sale if you want:
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/rear-bpm2-for-sale-parts-repair.21152/

I would recommend not going over 1200W on a bpm. If you need more get a DD.

 

[selrahc1992]

A mac is more expensive but also more solid than a BPM.

My mac holded about a year at 2700W before giving up. But my BPM broke after 3 months at 2700W. And I broke a second one after few month on 1700W only...

I have a BPM on 20" a 328 rpm for sale if you want:
http://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/rear-bpm2-for-sale-parts-repair.21152/

I would recommend not going over 1200W on a bpm. If you need more get a DD.

I don't mean to doubt any of that,but I have a BPM 500w in a Raleigh 20 that regularly runs at 2500 to 3000w with no problems - I deliberately give it more power to stop it labouring/overheating. I don't give it that much power from standing starts against steep hills,its also the 328rpm model and does about 20 to 22 mph on 12s (44v) in a 406/20 wheel. For around £200 I got mine as a kit delivered from BMS battery. It has,IMHO,very serious torque,much more than any pedelec I've tried (tasman,oxygen etc,naturally given the power)and would tow a trailer easilly,I have a few hobbyking lipos in a saddlebag and don't find it such a big deal to carry it and the bike folded short distances

 

[cwah]

I use my bike daily and commute around 20 miles a day and go over 100 miles / week.

I must do maybe 450 miles / month maybe, which means the BPM reached failure by driving 1500 miles at 2700W.

My second BPM also reached failure at 1700W for about 1500 miles too.

It was progressive and starts with some noise on the gear, but once the noise started, there are no coming back and motor needs fixing.

Selrahc, how long and how often do you use your bike? And how many miles have you done so far?

 

[cwah]

And I'd like to stress that heat has never been a problem, it was the clutch who failed in both case. The gears were fine but clutch broke twice.

 

[selrahc1992]

I use my bike daily and commute around 20 miles a day and go over 100 miles / week.

I must do maybe 450 miles / month maybe, which means the BPM reached failure by driving 1500 miles at 2700W.

My second BPM also reached failure at 1700W for about 1500 miles too.

It was progressive and starts with some noise on the gear, but once the noise started, there are no coming back and motor needs fixing.

Selrahc, how long and how often do you use your bike? And how many miles have you done so far?

Fair enough,I've only done around 1000 miles,will listen for clutch,fingers crossed it won't happen