Intro - New User, old mechanical Hack..

[HackD]

Hi all: Migrating over from the motoredbikes.com forum, as my own build choices have similarly migrated over to ebikes.

I started off with 2 wheeled polluting things back in late '80s with salvage french moped motors stuck on bicycles.. built a few more over the years. I've been a motorcyclist since the mid '80s, until sidelined by bad hips a number of years ago.

Last year, i got the bug to dip my toe into the ebike world, with a 26" build - i made all the usual errors, too small frame, etc.. This is a BBSHD 48v build. By the time i was done from start to finish, i replaced all but frame and rear shock. Ended up with excellent results for a bike intended primarily for single/double track and downhill use in a Ravine/Escarpment environment.

I had a long running, on again, off again project that i'd been working on for some time - this was a gas-based build. This was NOT intended to be a general use powered bicycle setup... more of a creative project. It had been sitting in the back of the garage for far too long, and inspired by my first ebike build, i put it on the bench and decided to get even more creative with it, in order to add a Tongsheng TSDZ2 750w mid-drive Mod to it. Electric start, if you will. I am doing the final completion stages of this build, literally on my Coffee Table over the winter...

I already have my next ebike project lined up - a recently acquired Terra Trike Tour 2 Tadpole Trike, that will be getting the Full Treatment. This one will definitely be interesting.

 

[Anton]

Hi there HackD, welcome to ebikes forum! Nice mountain ebike you've built there. How do you find mounting the battery to the top tube? It's not too top heavy is it? I guess there wasn't enough space on the down tube for you to fit it in...

I had to look a few times at the Tongsheng build before I realized you're turning it into a hybrid! Nice work so far

 

[HackD]

Hi there HackD, welcome to ebikes forum! Nice mountain ebike you've built there. How do you find mounting the battery to the top tube? It's not too top heavy is it? I guess there wasn't enough space on the down tube for you to fit it in...

I had to look a few times at the Tongsheng build before I realized you're turning it into a hybrid! Nice work so far

Hi back..

The Battery location was of secondary choice - I wasn't about to reverse course and find another bicycle or frame - so had originally put the Thule rack on it to take the Battery - bad choice for weight distribution marginally over the axle - it produced weight-shift handling issues in abundance. I am a Motorcyclist by experience - the 'tank' weight location may be noticeable while stationary (and it's really marginal) but once you are rolling - it isn't noticed at all. I'm not riding like a Trials Rider, so low CofG ain't all that necessary in that location. It's been rigid mounted to a secondary bracket, rivet-nutted to the cross tube. The front downtube simply wasn't a space option on the exterior - old suspension or new, there was a potential hard contact issue with the front end involved. Inside of frame - literally a 1/2" too small dimensionally, to fit the Shark pack in the frame rails.

The Tongsheng build is Subtle .. the Battery is in the Tool Bag. 48v6ah. A lot of this build, is hand-fabbed custom work... including that whole reinforced battery tray/side cover arrangement that is 4-point secured to the bicycle frame. To get the Tongsheng to work, required hand machining a 3 piece offset Crank insert.. fiddly stuff, but i was determined to make it work.

 

[Anton]

The Tongsheng build is Subtle .. the Battery is in the Tool Bag. 48v6ah. A lot of this build, is hand-fabbed custom work... including that whole reinforced battery tray/side cover arrangement that is 4-point secured to the bicycle frame. To get the Tongsheng to work, required hand machining a 3 piece offset Crank insert.. fiddly stuff, but i was determined to make it work.

Ah yes I get it now, you can power off the start using electric and then fire up the gas engine. Basically an electric roll starter, very clever! Are you going to use both the throttle and PAS on the Tongsheng?

 

[HackD]

Ah yes I get it now, you can power off the start using electric and then fire up the gas engine. Basically an electric roll starter, very clever! Are you going to use both the throttle and PAS on the Tongsheng?

Yes, pretty much. It's a bit of an over complication of a 'starter motor' (there is a version of this engine with both an e-Start option, and a mechanical cordless drill start option) as it is, but that's the general principle, with my issue with bad hips.

Get it up to speed, feed in the clutch to get the engine going. This isn't really achievable with bad hips alone. This is less stress on my driveline setup (purely experimental belt drive setup on engine side). When you got things 'on the gas', shut down the ebike side of things when you want to make noise, and vice versa when 'stealth' is the better, legally prudent option.

I believe i have option for both PAS/Throttle, so theoretically could be running in conjunction with engine - it depends on whether i got handlebar space for throttle, at this point.

It's primarily intended as a local neighborhood 'Hooligan' bike and creative design exercise. Not intended for extensive use. As can be seen, i've got more practical things, for that