Hi, and need to adjust BBSO1B

[JayDG]

Hi, I'm Jay, and I'm new to electric bikes.

I've got horribly unfit, and we've moved to a house on a hill, in the middle of lots of other hills! So I haven't been out on my bike, because it's just beyond me. So I thought maybe an electric bike conversion would at least get me out, and start getting fitter again.

I've just finished fitting a BBSO1B to my Gary Fisher Tassajara GS, and been out on it for the first time. It's the 250W version, with a 36V, 14.3ah SuperShark battery, and a 44T front cog. I'm still waiting for the brake sensors, but hey.

So, in general it's good

Some things I'd like to change, if possible.
1. I need either lower gears and/or more assistance from the motor, when going uphill.
2. The gear sensor cuts out for too long really, when I change gear.

Would be very glad of any help, thank you. I'm ok-ish with mechanical things, but computery/controlly things are a mystery.

 

[vfr400]

Hi, I'm Jay, and I'm new to electric bikes.

I've got horribly unfit, and we've moved to a house on a hill, in the middle of lots of other hills! So I haven't been out on my bike, because it's just beyond me. So I thought maybe an electric bike conversion would at least get me out, and start getting fitter again.

I've just finished fitting a BBSO1B to my Gary Fisher Tassajara GS, and been out on it for the first time. It's the 250W version, with a 36V, 14.3ah SuperShark battery, and a 44T front cog. I'm still waiting for the brake sensors, but hey.

So, in general it's good

Some things I'd like to change, if possible.
1. I need either lower gears and/or more assistance from the motor, when going uphill.
2. The gear sensor cuts out for too long really, when I change gear.

Would be very glad of any help, thank you. I'm ok-ish with mechanical things, but computery/controlly things are a mystery.

The gearing is easy. just get a cassette/freewheel with more teeth on the bottom gear. We can't help without knowing what you have.

 

[JayDG]

A Shimano 9 speed cassette. Which I'd really rather not replace.

Maybe I could just go for a smaller chainring, 44 is the size of the biggest cog on the front set I've taken off, the smallest was 22.

And can I increase the assist I get uphill?

ETA: Ok, have decided to try a 36T chainring.

 

[Fordulike]

One of the reasons why the motor could be struggling up hills, is that the controllers usually come from the vendors, programmed with one of the parameters set quite low. This parameter is called 'Keep Current'.

This can only be changed by using a programming cable, as found in the following thread:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/after-market-bbsxx-crank-drive-gear.32691/page-4

The 'Keep Current' setting lowers the available current to a preset level, once the bike is moving. Unfortunately, this hampers the hill climbing ability of the bike.

I've read that some controllers are coming from vendors set as low as 20% 'Keep Current', which is just not enough current for hill climbing.

 

[JayDG]

One of the reasons why the motor could be struggling up hills, is that the controllers usually come from the vendors, programmed with one of the parameters set quite low. This parameter is called 'Keep Current'.

This can only be changed by using a programming cable, as found in the following thread:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/after-market-bbsxx-crank-drive-gear.32691/page-4

The 'Keep Current' setting lowers the available current to a preset level, once the bike is moving. Unfortunately, this hampers the hill climbing ability of the bike.

I've read that some controllers are coming from vendors set as low as 20% 'Keep Current', which is just not enough current for hill climbing.

Ah - this is what I wanted to know, thank you!

ETA: have ordered my programming cable....

 

[cannon]

Living in hilly Wales I ended up reprogramming the software and fitting a wider ratio cassette to my BBS01 conversion. A bottom gear of around 1:1 works for me, achieved by an inexpensive ebay cassette.

 

[JayDG]

I've just fitted the 36T chain ring, so will see how I get on with that.

Now I'm trying to program the controller.....

(BUT: the USB programming lead has a female end, and the lead from the controller has a female end. It's the controller I'm supposed to be plugging to computer into, isn't it, that's where the 'instructions' are. So now what do I do? - decided to try it as it was obviously intended, and clearly the program is in the motor )

 

[Aerovision]

I've just fitted the 36T chain ring, so will see how I get on with that.

Now I'm trying to program the controller.

BUT: the USB programming lead has a female end, and the lead from the controller has a female end. It's the controller I'm supposed to be plugging to computer into, isn't it, that's where the 'instructions' are. So now what do I do?

The "controller" is within the BBS01B itself, not the display unit. You use the cable to connect to the BBS01 (motor) and the display is then disconnected.

I had a few issues similar to what you describe with the pre-set weak settings. Using the software and cable, I experimented for a few weeks and settled on 5 power settings giving 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% current, with all five giving 100% speed (which is limited to 16mph). Keep Current is set to 80%. Since September, I have done 1,700 miles on my e-bike and am very satisfied with these settings to suit my personal requirements (we also have lots of hills).

I also installed a Lekkie Blingring (46T) and Lekkie offset cranks. An extra investment, but very worthwhile. So far, not a single chain derailment.

Hope of help.

 

[JayDG]

One of the reasons why the motor could be struggling up hills, is that the controllers usually come from the vendors, programmed with one of the parameters set quite low. This parameter is called 'Keep Current'.

This can only be changed by using a programming cable, as found in the following thread:

https://www.pedelecs.co.uk/forum/threads/after-market-bbsxx-crank-drive-gear.32691/page-4

The 'Keep Current' setting lowers the available current to a preset level, once the bike is moving. Unfortunately, this hampers the hill climbing ability of the bike.

I've read that some controllers are coming from vendors set as low as 20% 'Keep Current', which is just not enough current for hill climbing.

It was indeed set at 20%. Have set it to 80%, just been out to try an awful hill a mile or so from home, which I normally have to walk up, and it was absolutely fine!

So - thank you very much - with that change, and the 36T chain ring, the bike is now just what I hoped it would be

 

[JayDG]

The "controller" is within the BBS01B itself, not the display unit. You use the cable to connect to the BBS01 (motor) and the display is then disconnected.

I had a few issues similar to what you describe with the pre-set weak settings. Using the software and cable, I experimented for a few weeks and settled on 5 power settings giving 20, 40, 60, 80 and 100% current, with all five giving 100% speed (which is limited to 16mph). Keep Current is set to 80%. Since September, I have done 1,700 miles on my e-bike and am very satisfied with these settings to suit my personal requirements (we also have lots of hills).

I also installed a Lekkie Blingring (46T) and Lekkie offset cranks. An extra investment, but very worthwhile. So far, not a single chain derailment.

Hope of help.

Yes, very helpful, thank you . Decided in the end, that the controller had to be in the motor itself, if that's how the cable was supplied, and so it turned out . Mine has got 9 settings, which I've done at 10% intervals, but I haven't changed the % speed yet, and I also put the keep current to 80%. It's really good now!

 

[cannon]

I also tried 10 percentage point jumps for each current level but found that the steps were not even, ie level 1 at 20% to level 2 at 30% is a 50% increase in power and obviously levels 8 to 9, 90 to 100%, is only a 10% increase. After some trial and error I went with a 16% step for each level.
My present % levels are 24, 29, 35, 42, 50, 60, 71, 84, 100 with 100% speed for all.

 

[JayDG]

Here it is

(Still waiting for the brake sensors, hence the tangle of wires at the handlebars)