Kent trike conversion

[markman]

Hello everyone, Hope in posting in the right place. I’m new and I’m in need of some help.

My wife has a Kent tricycle (pic) and uses it for exercising. She has major knee issues and going up inclines causes her a great deal of pain and other issues, and we have a number of small hills in our neighborhood. So what I’d like to do is replace the front wheel with one that has an electric motor so she could pedal then use the throttle to get up hills.

I’ve been looking into it and at first, we thought we’d go the Swytch Bike route. The wheel/motor would fit the forks etc. She doesn't go far or fast, just sticks to the streets so something small like that rig might work well. But with Swytch Bike being in the UK we wondered if the service might be an issue plus you have to wait until they get a shipment in until they start your build.

I started looking around for other front wheel’s and I’m not finding anything that has an electric hub as narrow as the Swytch Bike so it looks like to go this route I’d have to replace the forks as well due to them being too narrow above the drop out. I’ll post some pictures but I’m wondering if I'm on the right path here? Just wanted to ask before I continue on posting links, pictures and asking questions as this is my first time doing this. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

 

[ElHegpah]

Be aware that these trikes are extremely unstable when cornering at any speed, like 8-10 mph. SLOW DOWN before taking ANY corner, or ANY turn.

Should not be any problem fitting a small front motor to the fork. They are standard bicycle dimensions, almost any front hub will work.

What you want is a low speed wind or turn count, geared hub in the 350 to 500 watt range, 36 to 48 Volt, 15mph or so in a 26" wheel. Easy install, less than an hour or two, tops. If the hills are major or she is heavy, may need a higher wattage. Bafang or MXUS. Get a spare controller and display.

Bafang is the GM of ebike motors. MXUS is the one I chose, mainly because I looked HARD for a year or so and could not find a breakage report for their small geared units, while looking mainly on a board full of hot-rodders. Mine has lasted 10 years, well over 20,000 miles. No parts failures. Battery replaced, that's it.

Kent makes a LOT of bikes, it is rare to find one with their own name on it. Go to walmart or target, almost every bike you see there is a Kent.

 

["A"]

Depending on the weight of rider & trike, the steertube of your Kent trike might not be able to support much weight, may buckle under heavy braking or minor impact. If you're considering upgrading your fork at the same time, that's one frame consideration to keep in mind: make sure the steertube of the frame is up to snuff.

One simple (less expensive) conversion is the iMotor3 kit: Battery & motor in one place, less wiring to try & attach onto your trike.

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256803593470935.html

 

[ElHegpah]

Putting the battery inside the motor is just plain stupid on so many levels.

If cheap, simple, and disposable is a goal, might work for you.

Check your fork with a magnet. Steel is good, and Kent bikes are steel.

 

[markman]

Thanks everyone for commenting. Considering your comments and the fact that the bike is a folding tricycle, safety is my first concern. So rethinking this we decided to go with inexpensive new one, a Viribus Electric Trike, 350W Electric Tricycle. It had all that she needed. So the only thing I'll have to do is put it together and put her ape hangers on and extend the brake and throttle cables. Hopefully those cables will be standard.

 

["A"]

Putting the battery inside the motor is just plain stupid on so many levels.

If cheap, simple, and disposable is a goal, might work for you.

Check your fork with a magnet. Steel is good, and Kent bikes are steel.

How many times have you tried it yourself to determine it to be stupid?

Do you even know how big of a battery it is?

 

[ElHegpah]

Adds weight to an already heavy wheel.

Makes the battery totally non-replaceable.

Subjects the battery to more vibration.

Limited space makes for a very small battery.

Multiple companies with this strategy have gone belly-up.

Stupid is as stupid does.

 

["A"]

Adds weight to an already heavy wheel.

Makes the battery totally non-replaceable.

Subjects the battery to more vibration.

Limited space makes for a very small battery.

Multiple companies with this strategy have gone belly-up.

Stupid is as stupid does.

Clearly avoiding to answer my questions.
Did you even read about OP's needs?
Can you name the companies that made similar product and "gone belly-up"?
How many is "multiple" that can you name?
Can you provide any evidence to support your claim?
Seems to me just BS.
Stupid is making claims without evidence.

 

[ElHegpah]

Could quote his needs from memory.

Thanks for mentioning the battery size, they are extremely limited.

Copenhagen, Flykly, Tidal force all went bust.

Go pimp your cheap crap somewhere else.

You recently posted an ad, one of many from you, but this one referenced a similar trike, calling it "ultra stable". Do YOU examine the cheap crap you frequently pimp whatsoever, or just take the money?

You are a menace to society.

 

["A"]

Could quote his needs from memory.

No where in his post asked for a trike that's meant for high speed nor long range cycling.

Thanks for mentioning the battery size, they are extremely limited.

Which is just fine for OP's wife's needs.

Copenhagen, Flykly, Tidal force all went bust.

That's three companies, that's all you got?

Go pimp your cheap crap somewhere else.

You recently posted an ad, one of many from you, but this one referenced a similar trike, calling it "ultra stable". Do YOU examine the cheap crap you frequently pimp whatsoever, or just take the money?

You are a menace to society.

Which ad do you refer?
can you be more specific?
What exactly were my words about that particular trike?
Did I ever say that it is "ultra stable"?
Without evidence, you're just full of BS.

Menace to society is the person spreading fake news without evidence.
Personal insult is uncalled for in public forum.

 

[Hoggdoc]

How many times have you tried it yourself to determine it to be stupid?

Do you even know how big of a battery it is?

It's not aa good idea because of the serviceability of that design.

 

[ElHegpah]

Why are you talking about hi-speed and long range when I NEVER mentioned anything remotely related?

As to which ad, One of a half dozen or more of your posts where you posted nothing whatsoever except a link to a product for sale. One of those, a nearly-identical trike.

So the answer to MY question would be NO, you do not examine the advertisements you post, you do not care about the dangerous claims they make, you just pimp products for money.

If I need anymore crap from you, I will unscrew your head and dip it out.

Now Ignoring your useless ass.

 

[m@Robertson]

To add to the list of reasons its a bad idea: It moves the weight of the battery to the wheel (already noted) but also that weight is now shifted to unsprung weight since its not on the bike frame.

Also, that kit is for a front motor. Anyone who has made the stupid mistake of putting the battery's weight on the front wheel (that would be me) knows it sucks for steering response. Not a mistake I will make twice, but thankfully one I made many years ago so I know never to go there again.

 

["A"]

Why are you talking about hi-speed and long range when I NEVER mentioned anything remotely related?

As to which ad, One of a half dozen or more of your posts where you posted nothing whatsoever except a link to a product for sale. One of those, a nearly-identical trike.

So the answer to MY question would be NO, you do not examine the advertisements you post, you do not care about the dangerous claims they make, you just pimp products for money.

If I need anymore crap from you, I will unscrew your head and dip it out.

Now Ignoring your useless ass.

Ignoring me doesn't change the fact that you're avoiding my question and your claims about me are just total BS.

To add to the list of reasons its a bad idea: It moves the weight of the battery to the wheel (already noted) but also that weight is now shifted to unsprung weight since its not on the bike frame.

Also, that kit is for a front motor. Anyone who has made the stupid mistake of putting the battery's weight on the front wheel (that would be me) knows it sucks for steering response. Not a mistake I will make twice, but thankfully one I made many years ago so I know never to go there again.

Understand that OP's wife has major knee issues.
I'd imagine there is no need for trike to go over 10-15 mph with throttle.
KENT isn't exactly bike shop quality trikes, likely the trike itself cost less than a electric motor, let alone complete conversion kits plus battery.
Do you honestly want spend $500 electrical motor on a $400 trike?

Front motor kit for trike is likely the least expensive and easiest to convert.
You want to put a rear wheel drive motor kits on a $400 trike, go right ahead.

 

[m@Robertson]

You want to put a rear wheel drive motor kits on a $400 trike, go right ahead.

Everything you said was irrelevant to my actual post. Read more carefully and you will see I was reinforcing how bad of an idea it is to put a battery inside the wheel. Front motors make sense for a lot of projects.

 

["A"]

Everything you said was irrelevant to my actual post. Read more carefully and you will see I was reinforcing how bad of an idea it is to put a battery inside the wheel. Front motors make sense for a lot of projects.

You're still avoiding to answer my question.
Irrelevant to you since you're wealthy enough to afford multiple ebikes that cost thousands each.
Irrelevant to you since your needs for ebikes are different than someone with major knee issues.
Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it's not a problem to you personally.
When in actuality, it may be a big problem for others.
Maybe someday you can be considerate enough for those not so wealthy and not so physically fortunate as you.

 

[ElHegpah]

HOLY CRAPIOLI! That thing has the battery in an external, half circle on the hub.

So, either it is mounted on a free-wheeling side cover to stay level, or that wheel is Terrifically unbalanced and ungodly wide.

24mph is WAY too fast on a trike.

36v 7.4 ah is pretty damn minimal to climb any hills, especially with someone who cannot pedal much.

This goes way beyond schlockenheimer. That's german or yiddish for "crap salesman". Approximate translation.

My kit and replacement battery did not cost that much. Many decent kits available for less than that trash.

Methinks that wheel is not the only thing here that is truely "unbalanced".

 

["A"]

HOLY CRAPIOLI! That thing has the battery in an external, half circle on the hub.

So, either it is mounted on a free-wheeling side cover to stay level, or that wheel is Terrifically unbalanced and ungodly wide.

24mph is WAY too fast on a trike.

36v 7.4 ah is pretty damn minimal to climb any hills, especially with someone who cannot pedal much.

This goes way beyond schlockenheimer. That's german or yiddish for "crap salesman". Approximate translation.

It's a front wheel kit.
Where did you get the info that it would go 24mph?
Name-calling is unnecessary.

My kit and replacement battery did not cost that much. Many decent kits available for less than that trash.

Why don't you post some links to the specific "kits" that you refer?

Methinks that wheel is not the only thing here that is truely "unbalanced".

You are still avoiding to answer my question.

How many times have you tried it yourself to determine it to be stupid? or "unbalanced"?

Do you even know how big of a battery it is?

So much for ignoring my posts, just couldn't stay away, could ya?
Is there anything you could contribute to this thread instead of BS and name-calling?

 

[m@Robertson]

You're still avoiding to answer my question.
Irrelevant to you since you're wealthy enough to afford multiple ebikes that cost thousands each.
Irrelevant to you since your needs for ebikes are different than someone with major knee issues.
Privilege is when you think something is not a problem because it's not a problem to you personally.
When in actuality, it may be a big problem for others.
Maybe someday you can be considerate enough for those not so wealthy and not so physically fortunate as you.

You always do this. You create some tangent that has nothing to do with what the other person said, or blows some some minor element they did say out of proportion. Then you invent an inane argument rebutting something that was never said in the first place.

You made all this up. You are dishonest. Your words are frankly worthless and contribute nothing but needless conflict in the community.

 

["A"]

You always do this. You create some tangent that has nothing to do with what the other person said, or blows some some minor element they did say out of proportion. Then you invent an inane argument rebutting something that was never said in the first place.

You made all this up. You are dishonest. Your words are frankly worthless and contribute nothing but needless conflict in the community.

As if you don't own multiple ebikes that are worth (well over 4) thousands each?
As if you know what it's like to convert a $400 trike for someone with major mobility issues into an etrike?
Did I make them up?

What did I make up? can you specify?

What am I being dishonest about? can you specify?

You call me dishonest, but can't specify what I've been dishonest about.

Needless conflict is when you think my posts are irrelevant when you can't seem to relate to the need of OP for a $400 trike to be converted for a person with mobility issues.

You seem to have a lot more to say about me in your posts than the thread topic, what exactly have you contributed to help converting a $400 trike into an e-trike?