Commuting Adventures!

Braved my longest commute yet on my electric bicycle last Friday!  It was an adventure for sure. I started with a flat tire that wouldn't seal, couldn't get a hold of my family for assistance, just made it to my destination with a few minutes to spare after Slime decided to seal, and the return trip had me battling inconsiderate cagers (no offense, I too drive a car often :)).  I documented my ride with my new Drift Ghost HD camera. I love this camera! The sensation of speed from the wide angle lens and image quality is excellent. Check out the four part series of my commute below.  After real world experience with my bike, the specs are:

Top Speed: 40 mph
Range:  Approximately 30 miles (will try to carry out more structured experiments)
Motor Manufacturer: Crystalyte
Motor Model: 4840 Cruiser
Motor Type: Brushless, DC, Sensorless, Hub
Controller Current: 40 A
System Power: 1920 Watts or 2.6 HP
Battery Type: 48 V, 20 Ah Lithium Manganese
Battery Weight: 12.8 lbs
Motor Weight: 16 lbs
Bike Total Weight:  60 lbs

Kit Installation

Installation of the kit was fairly straightforward.  The two snags I ran into were:

• I had to slightly Dremel one of the chainstay dropouts so the flat sides of the motor axle would sit correctly in the bike frame.
• My bike has combined shifter and brake levers so the included brake levers that serve as disconnects could not be used as intended.  I ended up adding the new brake levers above the existing ones to serve as separate disconnects instead of having the braking and disconnect function combined into one lever.  As such I don't really use the disconnects and they are there only in case of emergency.

The video below shows tips on installation of the various components of the kit:

These are closeups of the major kit parts:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=54BjRgsiOTk

My Crystalyte 48V Kit Arrives!

My Phoenix II kit from ElectricRider.com arrived today!  I ended up getting a free upgrade to Lithium Manganese battery chemistry due to a long lead time for Lithium Iron Phosphate batteries.  The Li-Mn batteries are lighter and more compact so I ended up with a slightly larger 20Ah pack that still fits in the frame.  The kit came with the following items:

• Crystalyte 5304 Cruiser motor premounted on 26in wheel with 8spd cassette and large gauge spokes
• 48V 20Ah LiMn custom triangular battery pack
• 40A Motor Controller
• APM computer
• Half Twist Throttle
• Safety Disconnects (Brake Inhibits)
• Spoke wrench
• All wires, connectors, and cable ties required
• Replacement handlebar grips
• Heavy duty kickstand
• Manuals and documentation

The video below shows the unboxing of the kit.  Everything was packaged very securely.

An updated model of the expected performance accounting for the larger battery Amp hour capacity is shown below: