Upgrade advice

[Mappier]

In 2020 I bought and fitted a modestly priced conversion kit (front hub 48v 250w 48v battery) and it has performed ok but I feel it would benefit from a bit more power. The display is a very simple 900S and the controller is rated at 7A - 15A max. It's fairly hilly where I live so I would be aiming for more hill climbing ability than speed. What are my options?

 

[StuartsProjects]

front hub 48v 250w 48v battery) and it has performed ok but I feel it would benefit from a bit more power.

If your in the UK, I dont think there is much you can do.

Unless your using the bike on private land with the permission of the owner.

250W is the limit in the UK for an bike using the roads.

 

[Mappier]

I was hoping for advice on upgrading the display and controller.

 

[jimriley]

Sell the wheel and gubbins, replace front wheel, fit a bafang bbs01b mid drive. I fitted a 42t chainring cos it's hilly round me. You benefit from better traction too, driving the rear wheel.

 

[cyclebuddy]

It's fairly hilly where I live so I would be aiming for more hill climbing ability than speed.

You might be able to solder the shunt in the controller (if it isn't potted). That increases current (torque/grunt, not speed) which might be useful for hill climbing?

 

[AGS]

Putting legalities to one side. You can fit a bigger controller with a matched display. But it depends if the motor can take the extra power without overheating. A KT48 controller will give you 1000 to 1500 watts with a considerable reduction in range.

If the motor temperature gets too high then you risk burning the coils, overheating the magnets and melting the gears.

I can’t tell from the photographs what motor is fitted. It looks like an bafang geared motor, but could be a clone and it may be able to take much more power than the sticker ratings.

Also if you increase the power you will also increase the torque which will mean you will need to fit torque arms to prevent the motor from spinning in the drop out.

I’m not a fan of high power front hub motors because you end up fighting the motor for steering control and risk breaking the forks, especially with no torque arms.

A mid drive motor will definitely work better for hills, but they are more difficult to use because you have to use the gears. If you don’t change gear properly they will also burn out.

That’s the cleanest bike I have ever seen.

This is what happens if you try to put too much torque on a front hub motor without torque arms.

https://endless-sphere.com/sphere/attachments/ebike-broken-front-fork-jpg.314489/