I have to admit that all the really nice bikes on here don't use hub motors. It seems that anyone with the skills to build a real bike aren't going to waste their time diddling with a single speed hub motor. They'll give you tons up reasons why a non-frock motor is superior, and of course they're right, but the come back from the hub motor crowd is always going to be, "Well I have a bike that is fun, inexpensive, easy to build, and is running."  So in that vein, I'd like to show off two bikes: One is crafted by someone with a real skill and passion for the art, while the other could of been put together in an afternoon by just about anyone. Sure the non-frock bike will blow the hub motor bike out of the water by just about every metric of performance, but the real beauty of ebikes is simply how accessible building them is. Both bikes would be a blast to ride; even if we are comparing apples to oranges. RWP's eCortina First off, I'd like to say congrats to RWP for not only building an awesome bike, but also getting some mainstream press. You can see the respect he's gotten on the ES forum in his eCortina thread.  I'll spare you the sexy details and keep it brief: Astroflight RC motor, HV160 controller, Matt's reduction drive, 12s Turnigy lipo 10ah.
The bike goes "like a bat out of hell." It could reach around 45mph, but so far he's only tested it up to 35mph.
The bike looks finished, but it's not quite done. He's having some issues with the drive train; problems with the torque limiter, a jerky throttle, and an overheating motor. For as nice as this bike is, to him it's just a prototype! Hey RWP, I'll take it! Lumumba's Black Lighting  Lumumba doesn't have 2000 posts on the ES. In fact, he had less than 10 when he started posting his new build. He got some help from San Diego Electric bikes, and exchanged a bunch of e-mails with Cell-man to get the ball rolling. He ended up getting all the parts direct from cell-man, and had Pat from SD ebikes help with assembly. The bike "lifts the front wheel off the ground" and hits 30-35 mph now!
 Inspired by the "You're sitting on your penis" thread, he got a ISM Adamo Typhon saddle. I need to get one of those for my ole' boy. This is a great looking bike, that's totally stock, and will give years of dutiful service. Here is the thread. |
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Bike of the week >
The ease of the ebike grinposted Aug 23, 2011, 12:49 PM by John Jenkins |
