My first ebike kit project is done and I am pleased. However it is a learning experience and in my very short experience with it I have learned a couple of things I wish I had known before.
To new kit builders... learn about C rate! My battery is 10A power output and realistically only 15A max (see below for reasons). It says max 20A but only for 30 seconds apparently so not useful at all. This is fine though as 15A takes me up the local hills just fine with some easy pedal assist. I am 17 stone and neither the battery nor the motor became hot to the touch. In fact the motor was just luke warm after 10 miles. I went with a bottle battery for stealth (quick glance with your eyes crossed it could be a water bottle) and lightness as I wouldn't be going more than 10 or 15 miles. The cradle is annoying, though, as it has no connector so the battery is wired directly to the controller. To charge the battery either do it in situ (safer) or disconnect two bullet connectors to take it into the house. It is just a bit irritating that if I wanted to take the battery into a shop with me I would have to do this too and have to be careful with the wires dangling from it. Very poor design.
My Yose Power kit came with a controller which says 9A / 18A max and is the C500 display option (according to the instructions) and has 'Yose Power' written on it. I have read this may be made by Lishui. It has several settings for throttle (default is full control up to the max speed set), max speed, PAS sensitivity and max amps. I have no idea what the PAS sensitivity does, but it can be set between 2-63. Anyone know what this is? Max amps is set to 13A by default and Yose power advised 15A is fine for minutes in one reply I received and 17A is just fine in another. I have settled on 15A as when I set it to 16A the speed display showed 0mph - 3mph no matter what speed I briefly did. Eeek.
The controller is a speed controller type which is a bit odd as it takes you to a set speed before 'backing off'. It worked just fine with just the throttle fitted (to test it). It was fun to ride at level 3 (5 levels) but once or twice there was a bizarre 'drag' when I stopped pedalling. I don't understand what was happening here.
My bike has hydraulic brakes so I have ordered separate plug in cut offs for only a tenner and discarded the cable brake levers that came with the kit.
Like car speedos the displayed speed is a little over 2mph out. Not a problem in a car but if attempting to partially abide by the law then I am really only doing 13mph assisted which is just silly. When I was a teenager I used to ride around at 30mph on the flat. I don't know how to tweak this as wheel size can only be adjusted to 26" 28" etc.
Speaking of legality, I would have chosen a 250w motor but living in a hilly area and being 6'6" 17 stone I felt the extra 100w was necessary. As it turns out battery and controller is more important but too late now. (Open to corrections.)
I had to cut the pas sensor hole a bit bigger to push fit on the pedal arm as there wasn't room between the pedal arm and frame.
Overall I am very happy and I like the fact that the kit came with all the tools needed as well as being very well packed and very fast delivery (sooner than predicted). If it lasts I have done well I think despite some small niggles.
I will change the black cable ties for clear ones.. and remove my old cycle computer sensor!
To new kit builders... learn about C rate! My battery is 10A power output and realistically only 15A max (see below for reasons). It says max 20A but only for 30 seconds apparently so not useful at all. This is fine though as 15A takes me up the local hills just fine with some easy pedal assist. I am 17 stone and neither the battery nor the motor became hot to the touch. In fact the motor was just luke warm after 10 miles. I went with a bottle battery for stealth (quick glance with your eyes crossed it could be a water bottle) and lightness as I wouldn't be going more than 10 or 15 miles. The cradle is annoying, though, as it has no connector so the battery is wired directly to the controller. To charge the battery either do it in situ (safer) or disconnect two bullet connectors to take it into the house. It is just a bit irritating that if I wanted to take the battery into a shop with me I would have to do this too and have to be careful with the wires dangling from it. Very poor design.
My Yose Power kit came with a controller which says 9A / 18A max and is the C500 display option (according to the instructions) and has 'Yose Power' written on it. I have read this may be made by Lishui. It has several settings for throttle (default is full control up to the max speed set), max speed, PAS sensitivity and max amps. I have no idea what the PAS sensitivity does, but it can be set between 2-63. Anyone know what this is? Max amps is set to 13A by default and Yose power advised 15A is fine for minutes in one reply I received and 17A is just fine in another. I have settled on 15A as when I set it to 16A the speed display showed 0mph - 3mph no matter what speed I briefly did. Eeek.
The controller is a speed controller type which is a bit odd as it takes you to a set speed before 'backing off'. It worked just fine with just the throttle fitted (to test it). It was fun to ride at level 3 (5 levels) but once or twice there was a bizarre 'drag' when I stopped pedalling. I don't understand what was happening here.
My bike has hydraulic brakes so I have ordered separate plug in cut offs for only a tenner and discarded the cable brake levers that came with the kit.
Like car speedos the displayed speed is a little over 2mph out. Not a problem in a car but if attempting to partially abide by the law then I am really only doing 13mph assisted which is just silly. When I was a teenager I used to ride around at 30mph on the flat. I don't know how to tweak this as wheel size can only be adjusted to 26" 28" etc.
Speaking of legality, I would have chosen a 250w motor but living in a hilly area and being 6'6" 17 stone I felt the extra 100w was necessary. As it turns out battery and controller is more important but too late now. (Open to corrections.)
I had to cut the pas sensor hole a bit bigger to push fit on the pedal arm as there wasn't room between the pedal arm and frame.
Overall I am very happy and I like the fact that the kit came with all the tools needed as well as being very well packed and very fast delivery (sooner than predicted). If it lasts I have done well I think despite some small niggles.
I will change the black cable ties for clear ones.. and remove my old cycle computer sensor!
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