Tricycle E-Conversion Kit

[Fusilier Barney]

I have a Scout Tricycle, it wasn’t expensive however I did not realise how slow it is, I have been riding bikes most of my life but due to balance problems I now have a trike.
can I convert the Scout to electric or would it be better to sell it and buy an electric bike. If I can convert it what kit would you recommend please.

 

[vfr400]

It should be fairly easy to convert with a front wheel motor. You shouldn't want it to go too fast because, as you probably already know, toppling is a real danger. The extra mass in the front wheel won't help that either. I would aim for 12 mph max, which is slower than most off-the-shelf kits, and it probably means that you have to buy direct from China.

What's the width between your forks at the bottom?

 

[Kwozzymodo]

I have just stripped a three-wheeler down to rebuild and refurbish. A front-wheel motor (I am using a Q100) with 36v battery. You will have various options, depending on the width of the front forks - 100mm is the ‘standard’ width, but if the width is narrower, there are motors with smaller OLD that could be used.

 

[Fusilier Barney]

I have a Scout Tricycle, it wasn’t expensive however I did not realise how slow it is, I have been riding bikes most of my life but due to balance problems I now have a trike.
can I convert the Scout to electric or would it be better to sell it and buy an electric bike. If I can convert it what kit would you recommend please.

Hi,

It should be fairly easy to convert with a front wheel motor. You shouldn't want it to go too fast because, as you probably already know, toppling is a real danger. The extra mass in the front wheel won't help that either. I would aim for 12 mph max, which is slower than most off-the-shelf kits, and it probably means that you have to buy direct from China.

What's the width between your forks at the bottom?

Hi, about 110mm

 

[vfr400]

Hi,

Hi, about 110mm

That'll be the standard 100mm, so any normal front motor will fit. It's very important that you get a motor with the right winding speed. Most motors are around 250 rpm, which i think would be too dangerous for your trike and when you ride at your normal safe speed, it'll be too inefficient. You should get a 201 rpm motor. I recommend the Q100 from BMSBattery. You can get the rest of the kit from them or anywhere you want. The battery indicated below is all plug and play with the motor, though the controller is specific to that battery case, so it limits your replacement options in the future. I prefer a separate controller.

I fitted one of those kits to a bike 5 years ago. Last week, out of the blue, the owner called me because it wasn't working. It was only a blown fuse, which took about a minute to replace.

You'll probably have to pay about £40 duty for the whole kit when you buy from BMSBattery.

Q100 36V350W Front E-Bike Motor Wheel RPM 201

Q100 36V250W-350W Front Driving Disc Brake, V-brake and rim brake compatile E-Bike Motor Wheel. You can select S06P, S06S or LSW-675 controller for this motor.

bmsbattery.com

36V12.5Ah/14.5Ah/17.5Ah Case-02 Battery Pack Cells / Capacity 2.5AH High C-Rate / 12.5AH Inner Controller With Rack Without

Case-02 ebike Panasonic battery pack 36V14.5Ah included a charger. there is an output for ipad and cellphone charging. A 18A sine wave controller inside.

bmsbattery.com

 

[vfr400]

One further point. Have a look on your tyre to see what size is written on it. You need the metric number, which should look something like 47-507 or 37-540, not the imperial 24" x 1 7/8".

This is important because there are several different sizes for 24" and you need your new wheel to be close to the same size.

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi welcome

 

[Fusilier Barney]

One further point. Have a look on your tyre to see what size is written on it. You need the metric number, which should look something like 47-507 or 37-540, not the imperial 24" x 1 7/8".

This is important because there are several different sizes for 24" and you need your new wheel to be close to the same size.

I have investigated the various kits for sale, the only option I seem to have is 24” they don’t ask for the tyre size, at least not on the sites I have looked at.

 

[vfr400]

I have investigated the various kits for sale, the only option I seem to have is 24” they don’t ask for the tyre size, at least not on the sites I have looked at.

Look at your own bike. Read the size written on the tyre. It's very important if you want to convert.