Finally bought a smaller folder for conversion...

[103Alex1]

I've seen a few like this but none with a plastic mounting or just a straighforward round socket for PCB mounting rather than the chrome chassis type. Obviously DIN sockets are more aimed at audio/hi-fi users really eh. I think black plastic or just round PCB mounting type, would look a lot better on the plastic box I'm using (told you I'm a fussy sod!). I may have a look on RS and Farnell they may have more options, and I have accounts with both so free delivery no matter how small the order.

CHK - Electronic Components. Manufacturing jack plugs, sockets and optical components.

Now you just have to find a stockist lol !! Don't worry I'm a pretty fussy git when it comes to connections, grips, brake handles and the like - basically anything I have to handle on a regular basis. I'm even worse with panniers, rack bags / bungees etc. Something which doesn't work too well is fine for a couple of weeks - and then you get reminded of your short-cut or cost-cut every time you use it . Not so bothered about stuff hidden away as long as I know it was built well.

I have LOADS of video shot now of this build and some funny vid of my first road test with the wobbly wheel and blow out..

I'm sure you'll put a few smiles on a few faces posting some footage of that ... maybe a snigger or even a guffaw in some quarters

 

[morphix]

Hmmm I wonder if I can fit 16 x 1.75 inch tyres on the Mezzo? I've seen some of the proper Marathon Plus on offer at Evans for £20.. There's a seller on eBay who is offering them too and he has a selector thing for all the bike brands including Mezzo and Brompton and is showing 1.75 as an option, so I'm assuming they will fit.

The original tyres on the Mezzo are 16 x 1 3/8 inch and weigh 250g. Not sure who the manufacturer is (hard to read as tyre is so worn, looks like a Chinese firm) but they have Mezzo logo printed on em and Kevlar Guard belt inside, look almost identical to the new Schwalbe KevlarGuard I've fitted on back pretty much, only they weigh 360g! The Plus tyres weigh 470g

EDIT: Tyre maker for Mezzo is Chen Shing.

 

[Old_Dave]

I think Metric rim diameter sizes are different from fractional...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Old_Dave]

And here the link to where life the universe and everything is explained

Tire Sizing Systems

16 x 1 3/8, ISO 349 mm, Older Moulton; Brompton & other folders

16 x 1.75-16 x 2.125, ISO 305 mm

 

[morphix]

And here the link to where life the universe and everything is explained

Tire Sizing Systems

16 x 1 3/8, ISO 349 mm, Older Moulton; Brompton & other folders

16 x 1.75-16 x 2.125, ISO 305 mm

So it seems the 1.75 won't fit on the Mezzo then. That eBay seller better update his listing!

 

[Old_Dave]

So it seems the 1.75 won't fit on the Mezzo then

Its not as easy as that... lol

It seems to depend on what rim is fitted to your Mezzo, and the exact size of the tyre

=====================================

[h=3]Brown's Law Of Tire Sizing:[/h] If two tires are marked with sizes that are mathematically equal,
but one is expressed as a decimal and the other as a fraction,
these two tires will not be interchangeable.




========================================

But (I love that word )

If the 'ISO Bead Seat Diameter' is about the same 'ish and the width is also close, then it will fit

So the question to ask the seller is whats the 'Bead Seat Diameter', and then measure the 'BSD' of your rim..

 

[cpg]

So it seems the 1.75 won't fit on the Mezzo then. That eBay seller better update his listing!

This build has already caused you a few headaches, my advice is dont make life any harder for yourself, stick with what you know works, fit the tyres you have and enjoy the bike.

 

[103Alex1]

And the best of luck soldering to those mini-din sockets, if they are as fiddly as mini-xlr!

Indeed they are. I just tried to tin the contacts of a 6-pin mini-DIN cable connector from Maplins and managed to melt the plastic contact pin housing on only the second pin. That was using a fine soldering iron with the connector held by crocodile clips attached to PCB arms on the solder station. I honestly wouldn't recommend using them having tried myself unless you've got a very steady hand, a precision solder station and are really good soldering tiny contacts. The pins are unfeasibly close together.

 

[morphix]

Second test ride

Today I fitted a Matharon Plus tyre to the rear (1.35 inch) with SmartGuard, offering the highest level of puncture protection (6). I had no trouble at all this time getting the tyre on and the wheel on and off, but did have trouble checking the pressure with my new gadget so just guessed it. I didn't have time to change the front wheel. Although I had a go at fixing the gear and restoring the original 9-spd gear shift, this wasn't entirely successful. The gears are currently stuck on 7th/11T and not changeable for some reason..not sure if the original 9-spd is incompatible with the 7-spd freewheel or just a problem with the cable and tension...the shift actually broke (bracket snapped), super-glueing failed but the screw seems to be doing a good job of holding it together fairly stable on handlebar...had to move it over to the left side though due to lack of room with throttle on right. I also still have no pedal sensor, no brake cut-out and no Speedict fitted..so running on throttle only. I'd like to get it finished this weekend but I have an exam paper due by Monday and so just wanted to take the bike out for a quick spin and I'll come back to it next week once my exam is done.

Anyway, here's the second test ride results..

Initially the motor didn't want to start. It would judder briefly and sometimes turn, but stop... I put this down to the bike being stationary (I was testing it with back wheel lifted)..however the same thing occurred outside on the road..once I started pedalling the motor kicked in.. I'm wondering if this is a feature of the controller to only enable motor power from throttle when pedalling.. strangely I can stop pedalling though and then revert to throttle-only..and sometimes it will go from a standing start on throttle-only without pedalling, but other time not.. odd..

Anyway..the ride...wooow. mega fast!!. This eMezzo doesn't half move!! At full throttle it feels more like a moped than my old 26". It's hard to believe it's road legal, but Maverick on Android tells me it didn't exceed 25km/h on throttle-only..it definitely felt a lot faster. I called my mothers house during the road test about 1.5 miles way and went there arriving in 3 mins much to her astonishment!..but I was already half way there from testing the bike a bit down the lane. No back wheel wobble this time..very stable. Going at full throttle is about the limit I feel in terms of safety on this bike..handling is challenging..I couldn't even imagine using the full 350W capacity of the motor!! Would be dangerous for sure on small wheels I think without Speedict to restrict the maximum power on throttle. Hill climbing was excellent anyway..no trouble getting up a steep hill without pedalling.

One possible major problem though..I think the fold has been compromised by the 7-speed freewheel. The front wheel no longer locks into the catch. I haven't confirmed this yet, but it would be a major setback if it is and would probably force me to fit a smaller motor or 6-speed freewheel. Also the carry weight still feels 2kg too heavy to me. I haven't weighed it yet..it's not so bad folded though with the bag/electronics removed...but still nowhere near in Brompton territory and not something you would want to carry over your shoulder in a bag.

 

[Deleted member 4366]

I too have had some starting problems with the high speed versions of this motor. I tried different motors and controllers, and they all behaved the same; however, they worked perfectly with the KU93 controller, and after switching from KU93 to KU63, they always worked first time, but as soon as I let go the throttle, they were were back to bad starting again. I thought maybe I had got some bad ones. There's quite a few instances of this behaviour in ES, but they nearly always find a bad hall connection, so it might be worth double checking yours.

 

[RobF]

Morphix,

Small wheels accelerate much faster than big ones.

My Brompton feels quicker than a big-wheeled ebike, but it isn't really, just livelier.

This acceleration is one of the reasons unassisted Bromptons perform so well in stop/start traffic.

 

[morphix]

Morphix,

Small wheels accelerate much faster than big ones.

My Brompton feels quicker than a big-wheeled ebike, but it isn't really, just livelier.

This acceleration is one of the reasons unassisted Bromptons perform so well in stop/start traffic.

I guess you're right, it's mighty strange indeed. You feel like you're going 50% faster than you really are and the bike just rolls along better in any environment. It's a very different experience totally to riding large wheel bikes.

I forgot to mention, the Q100 is quite noisy at the 16" 328 RPM config. It's not an annoying whining noise though. I quite like it even strangely. My 26" has virtually no noise at high speed (but significant noise on starting or at low speed), but on the Q100 it seems the faster you go, the more noise you hear, and at low speed very little noise.

 

[morphix]

I too have had some starting problems with the high speed versions of this motor. I tried different motors and controllers, and they all behaved the same; however, they worked perfectly with the KU93 controller, and after switching from KU93 to KU63, they always worked first time, but as soon as I let go the throttle, they were were back to bad starting again. I thought maybe I had got some bad ones. There's quite a few instances of this behaviour in ES, but they nearly always find a bad hall connection, so it might be worth double checking yours.

Interesting, thanks d8veh. I'll check the hall connections carefully on the board. I've got to sort out the wiring next and plan to get rid of all those cable connectors so that might cure the problem if it's a wiring problem in controller..

It seems once the motor/controller has warmed up and been in use for a bit, it will do stop and starts fine. It doesn't like cold starts or stationary starts.. it's more inclined to work once you're pedaling.

Be interesting to see how my 10Ah battery performs with this faster 350W 328 RPM motor.. do you think it will drain faster and have a much shorter range than my 26" motor, even on the 250W controller?

 

[morphix]

I saw the police women earlier struggling on their big clumsy unpowered MTB's, you can see how tired they look after a patrol. It occurred to me my eMezzo would make an excellent choice for a police bike! It ticks all the right boxes.. it's very small and compact when folded so wouldn't take up much space in their offices.. it can be ridden on pavements easier and more safely.. the wider downtube would be better for customizing with some reflective police livery.. the rack and storage options would be ideal for the police equipment..and having electric at the speed this performs at would enable them to get all over the town very quickly indeed. Maybe I should make a prototype police eMezzo after mine is finished and secure an order from West Mercia Constabulary, or at least their mini office over the road which has no less than 4 or 5 cycle cops ;-)

 

[jackhandy]

. Maybe I should make a prototype police eMezzo after mine is finished and secure an order from West Mercia Constabulary, or at least their mini office over the road which has no less than 4 or 5 cycle cops ;-)

Might be as well to find an alternative to that 350w motor before getting them too interested

 

[Deleted member 4366]

The Q100s sometimes have a bit of mechanical noise - like resonance - when new, but it disappears after a bit of use. If it's generally noisy, that would add to the likelihood of a hall problem because the controller will switch to sensorless mode that also causes bad starting on a high-speed motor like the Q100.

 

[Old_Dave]

Might be as well to find an alternative to that 350w motor before getting them too interested

Or an alternative sticker..

I'm sorry to say that my Q100 runs as smooth as smooth stuff running done a very smooth place, so I'd also say check the hall / motor connections... both for colour and tightness.

If that doesn't help then check the motor halls are working, either with a multi meter or

Portable Scooter Bike 24V to 60V Brushless Motor Controller Tester | eBay

 

[morphix]

Might be as well to find an alternative to that 350w motor before getting them too interested

Jack do you mean faster? I thought the normal rules that apply to us don't apply to the plod ;-) I often see them doing about 50mph on the bus route lane with no lights or siren and wonder if they're just keen to get home!

Actually that would indeed be a funny sight seeing the local CSO's trying to control this little 16" wheeler at full 350W 100% throttle! It can be a handful even at 250W limit.. the sharp and responsive steering means I have to adjust how fast I'd normally go in built-up areas like closes or where cars or people can suddenly appear.. I shouldn't really be riding this without brake cut-outs in place! Well it's off the road after the second test ride until I can finish it off ;-)

 

[morphix]

Or an alternative sticker..

I'm sorry to say that my Q100 runs as smooth as smooth stuff running done a very smooth place, so I'd also say check the hall / motor connections... both for colour and tightness.

If that doesn't help then check the motor halls are working, either with a multi meter or

Portable Scooter Bike 24V to 60V Brushless Motor Controller Tester | eBay

Thanks Dave for the help on this one and the tester gadget link..looks like a handy thing to have.

I wish I had bought two controllers now, to have one as a backup. That's always the way when ordering stuff from China eh! Oh well, I have a multi-meter so I'll check the connections. This definitely isn't right or firing on all cyclinders! See what I did there ;-)

 

[jerrysimon]

I tend to always order two of from China given that postage is the same for one or two motors etc.

One of my Tongxins has become really noisy lately which has emphasised to me how quite they are. I hate riding next to or past other bikes with my motor rumbling away lol

I think I have done well with my Tongxins as one I have just repaired has 5000 miles/3 years on it though the other really noisy one only has about 1500 miles on it. At about £80-100 a pop I am still pleased overall with their performance on my commute.

The other good thing is it is making me ride and test the new smaller Tongxin Goldant motor. So far so good.

Its amazing how use and comfortable you come riding the same bike day in day out. Its been hard to force myself off my first DIY conversion black Brompton to use the Swift more even though the Swift is a much faster/more comfortable ride.

I have dismantled the EMoulton and will probably be selling that and once I sort out the Brompton Ti, I will probably let my black Brompton go to

Regards

Jerry