Throttle, brake sensor & gear sensor… Do I need all three?

[HillAversion]

I’m putting together a BBS02 project. the kit arrives tomorrow.

Im pretty sure the gear sensor is important to have, but I’m considering returning the throttle and brake sensor. Will they add any joy to my life?

 

[HumanPerson]

You will hear alot of differing thoughts on the ghear shift sensor....with the brake cut off sensor you can be the gear shift sensor...
pull the brake a little to stop the motor...shift...then pedal.

I wouldnt return things..just put them in a drawer in your shop or wherever...All the gear sensor does is shut the motor down when you shift gears..
exactly like the brake sensor in the brake levers do..make sense?

 

[HillAversion]

Makes sense. Thanks.

Sounds like I certainly need the gear sensor, but not necessarily the brake sensor. While the brake sensor can be used as you describe in place of a gear sensor, the gear sensor makes the motor pause automatically. I was thinking I’d just install the gear sensor initially and see how I like that setup, although I’m not sure which of the two would be more of a pain to install. As long as I stop pedaling when I brake, the brake sensor would be superfluous, no? I hate messing with cables, especially when the existing brakes and gears are working well. I’m kind of reluctant to start tearing things apart unnecessarily and then spend three hours making them work right again, although maybe I should just dive in and go for it.

And the throttle might be fun, but not really essential. Although at least I don’t need to undo a working system to install a throttle. Hmmmm….

 

[CloneWerks]

The brake sensor (motor cutoff) is an important safety feature. If you don't know/understand why then I strongly recommend you do a bit more research and educate yourself before you create a bike that winds up hurting you or others.

 

[HillAversion]

The brake sensor (motor cutoff) is an important safety feature. If you don't know/understand why then I strongly recommend you do a bit more research and educate yourself before you create a bike that winds up hurting you or others.

Thanks for chiming in. Help me understand. I don't want to do anything that's unsafe.
Doesn't the motor stop when you stop pedaling? I never pedal while braking, and I wouldn't use the throttle either. I don't have a brake sensor on my car.
What am I missing?

 

[CloneWerks]

Thanks for chiming in. Help me understand. I don't want to do anything that's unsafe.
Doesn't the motor stop when you stop pedaling? I never pedal while braking, and I wouldn't use the throttle either. I don't have a brake sensor on my car.
What am I missing?

So imagine for a moment what would happen if your cadence or torque sensor failed in the "active" mode (or the computer glitched, or any of a half dozen other scenarios) and your bike thinks it needs to "just keep going". The interlock (what you call a brake sensor) is then your only way to quickly cut-off the motor so that you can stop and don't go runaway. Personally I wish the bikes took it a step further and had a "deadman switch" that disconnected the battery similar to what any modern treadmill has.

 

[HillAversion]

Thanks. I see your point now. I'll have to let that thought marinate in my brain for a bit.
They sent me a brake sensor, so I'll probably just go ahead and install it.

 

[Hoggdoc]

I’m putting together a BBS02 project. the kit arrives tomorrow.

Im pretty sure the gear sensor is important to have, but I’m considering returning the throttle and brake sensor. Will they add any joy to my life?

Don't think I have heard of a throttle sensor. Yes the other two a needed.

 

[HillAversion]

Nope, I’ve never heard of a throttle sensor either. I was just putting out the question of whether I needed a throttle.

 

[HumanPerson]

Nah ya really do not need a throttle as long as you can still apply human power and help the motor that is helping you.

The BBSxx ramps down when you stop pedaling...i never really like that but it does it anyway.
The Gear sensor does what the brake cut off sensor does....shuts the motor down...I use my brake cut off sensors instead of the gear shift sensor.

I lightly apply my brake lever/levers..just enough to activate the motors shut down, then i switch my gears...I found that the gear shift sensor
sometimes fails but i Always have at least one brake cut off switch/sensor...make sense?

All in all, ya do not need a throttle (they are fun and come in handy from time to time though), those brake shut off sensors can save your life,
some people like a gear shift sensor...I just found them to be another failure point as have many others.

The choice is yours really, do you want to spend more money only to find out later that it was pointless..

Ride Safe!

HP

 

[HillAversion]

Nah ya really do not need a throttle as long as you can still apply human power and help the motor that is helping you.

The BBSxx ramps down when you stop pedaling...i never really like that but it does it anyway.
The Gear sensor does what the brake cut off sensor does....shuts the motor down...I use my brake cut off sensors instead of the gear shift sensor.

I lightly apply my brake lever/levers..just enough to activate the motors shut down, then i switch my gears...I found that the gear shift sensor
sometimes fails but i Always have at least one brake cut off switch/sensor...make sense?

All in all, ya do not need a throttle (they are fun and come in handy from time to time though), those brake shut off sensors can save your life,
some people like a gear shift sensor...I just found them to be another failure point as have many others.

The choice is yours really, do you want to spend more money only to find out later that it was pointless..

Ride Safe!

HP

Okay, the picture is becoming clearer now. I’ll probably end up installing all three, but we’ll see how it goes. Messing with cables always seems to turn into a big production for me. I bought some good cable cutters, so maybe that’ll help.

The people who sold me the Bafang kit neglected to include the crank puller I ordered, so I’ll have a day to contemplate these things and look at more videos.

 

[HumanPerson]

Seriously...ditch the gear shift sensor and get an eggrider display from lunacycle.

That way you'll have even more control over your ride. Brake shut off sensors (which usually come with the kit on the brake levers)
and throttle have come in way more useful ....(for me)

Good Luck and keep us posted as to the outcome of your build

 

[Jon E Be good.]

Thanks for chiming in. Help me understand. I don't want to do anything that's unsafe.
Doesn't the motor stop when you stop pedaling? I never pedal while braking, and I wouldn't use the throttle either. I don't have a brake sensor on my car.
What am I missing?

Im getting away with the brake sensors and not pedaling in between gear changes.

 

[procreator]

Depending on the computer, there may be a delay between when you stop pedaling and when power is cut off to the motor. The brake sensor cuts it off immediately.

Might be critical in an emergency stopping situation.

 

[HillAversion]

Just to tack a conclusion onto this thread, I ended up installing the brake sensors, the gear shift sensor and the throttle. Now that I've completed the conversion and had a chance to put a few miles on the bike, here are my thoughts:

• The brake sensors, which cut power to the motor when the brakes are applied, are good to have even though I rarely have any power going when I hit the brakes. It's probably the most essential of the three items. Cheap insurance. It also saves stress on the drivetrain.
• The gear shift sensor cuts power when it senses any movement in the shift cable. Since I pedal when changing gears and the motor engages when I pedal it's worth it to save wear on the drivetrain.
  • This was the trickiest of the three items to install. I ended up using five zip ties to bind it to the chain stay. Then I put some Gorilla Glue on for good measure. So far it's holding. Having a good cable cutter that cuts cleanly is essential for this operation.
• The throttle is fun to have for that occasional burst of speed and useful if an angry dog is after you. More commonly, it's useful when starting from a dead stop. Stop signs are no longer a source of aggravation. The throttle gets me back up to speed in a couple seconds with little effort.

The three items ended up costing me $85. Eighty-five bucks is eighty-five bucks, but it was a minor expense in the grand scheme of things. I spent about $1,250 on the whole conversion, not including the bike itself. No regrets. I'm glad I installed all three, and I'm loving the bike.