AnsweredHot!E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C

Page: < 123 Showing page 3 of 3
Author
Post
Essentials Only Full Version
giaruso
Junior Member
  • Total Posts : 45
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2007/10/05 18:37:46
  • Location: Carlsbad, CA
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/18 11:39:03 (permalink)
Dr. Love
Do you have a template for the battery support bracket and/or do you produce/sell the brackets?


No template, and the one I have is all that exists.  I have heard that some bike dealer, such as TerraCycle (https://t-cycle.com/collections/all-battery-mount-parts) might have something you can use.
 
Be sure to read the post below about using a rear wheel hub.  Sounds interesting from a guy who knows.

Denny G.
 
Bacchetta CA 2.0 700c wheels
Bacchetta Corsa, 650c wheels
#41
giaruso
Junior Member
  • Total Posts : 45
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2007/10/05 18:37:46
  • Location: Carlsbad, CA
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/18 11:49:49 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Dr. Love 2020/09/19 22:36:10
Excellent review.  Have you alone had to remove the rear wheel and fix a flat on it yet?  How did that go?  Also, can you give us some information of the source for your hub motor (website, etc.)?  What size battery.  It must be a big one to get 50 miles at 25 mph.
 
I don't understand you comment about "twisting torque" on the mid drive.  The only twisting motion I can think of with my motor is 90 degrees to the axis of the bike, so there is no axial twisting torque to the boom.  No problem what so ever.

Denny G.
 
Bacchetta CA 2.0 700c wheels
Bacchetta Corsa, 650c wheels
#42
bentcyclist
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 472
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2008/12/10 14:14:38
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/18 13:36:33 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Dr. Love 2020/09/19 22:36:16
With regard to twisting torque, probably a better term, I’ve read several accounts of mid drive Bafang motors want to rotate if not mounted upside down on a Bacchetta and mated with a robust torque arm attached to the boom. I guess if the motor doesn’t want to rotate, why do you have a torque arm the size of a Texas mounted to the frame?

With regard to taking off the rear wheel, I’ve had the rear wheel off multiple times this summer for various reasons. I built the bike up from a frame, so I certainly Know how to disassemble it. There is no magic to removing a rear ebike wheel. You disconnect the motor cable. Release the torque arm from the chain stay. Use a box wrench to loosen the axle bolts and pull out the wheel. There are a couple spacers that you have to put in the right place and line up, but the nice thing about a Bacchetta is you just invert the bike on the grass and it stands up on the top of the seat back and handlebars so it is easy to remove the rear wheel. I guess I don’t understand why removing the rear hub motor wheel to change a flat would be any more difficult or time consuming than changing a regular bicycle wheel by myself.

I purchased my hub kit from ebikeling online because they are based in a Chicago and it is easy to reach the owner for answering questions. But again, I’m not going to suggest what motor you go with. I just wanted to refute the statement that a rear hub motor can have a bad effect on bike handling. My system below. Note that my bike has no chain or gears, but the kit comes with the typical cassette, etc like most ebike kits do. With regard to range, I said 20 to 25 mph range, but that’s probably more like 15 to 25 range across the use of a full discharge period. But I also don’t have to climb major hills. But that range is with throttle only.

post edited by bentcyclist - 2020/09/18 14:07:26
#43
giaruso
Junior Member
  • Total Posts : 45
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2007/10/05 18:37:46
  • Location: Carlsbad, CA
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/18 14:51:27 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Dr. Love 2020/09/19 22:36:19
  • OK, firstly, I like where your battery is mounted.  This moves the battery forward for better weight distribution.
  • Obviously, your system is not e-assist.  You would be on the throttle all the time unless going down hill.  I don't know about that; I like getting involved in the work to get a little exercise.   I gather you can set these to be either 100% throttle or pedal assist.
  • I can see that without the chain and derailleur, the issue of removing and replacing the back wheel is a comparative non-issue.  Big weight reduction too.  As far as turning the bike upside down, I cannot do that; I have too much stuff clamped onto the handle bar.
  • I see what you are getting at about the "twisting torque."  Yes, that torque is there only at right angle to the frame axis.  That is what the anti-rotation arm I designed is for.  As long as the motor is secured in place, non issue.  However, your system wouldn't require such a thing making the installation a piece of cake.
  • I did go to the Ebikeling website there in Chicago.  Those units are really inexpensive.  I'll have to keep an eye on that system for another bike I have.  

Denny G.
 
Bacchetta CA 2.0 700c wheels
Bacchetta Corsa, 650c wheels
#44
bentcyclist
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 472
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2008/12/10 14:14:38
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/18 15:03:32 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Dr. Love 2020/09/19 22:36:27
Note that the purpose of this build is for getting around a winter retirement resort replacing the need for a golf cart that most seniors use or a second car. I don’t need to mix regular road cycling with riding this ebike for exercise. I have a very fast Carbon Aero that I ride a 100 plus miles a week with cycling groups. I have a regular e assist bike, but I found I was primarily using the throttle and didn’t like the seat comfort, so I built the electric bent in the photo. I have pedal power to the front wheel but it is single speed, so I can only pedal to 7 mph. The rear wheel would be no more difficult to remove with a chain and cassette. If you have your handlebars filled with gadgets that don’t allow you to flip over your bike, that is unfortunate. Flipping the bike has nothing to do with a rear hub motor wheel. You still have to change a regular rear wheel flat and being able to flip the bike makes changing a flat a whole lot easier.
post edited by bentcyclist - 2020/09/18 15:17:19
#45
Dr. Love
New Member
  • Total Posts : 8
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2020/09/13 17:04:45
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/19 22:38:07 (permalink)
Lots to think about. I also like the battery mounting. Right now Bacchetta and Terra Cycle are out of the mounts for a Giro.

(Spent a couple of hours on a flat empty parking lot today practicing starts and stops. Time well spent.)
 
post edited by Dr. Love - 2020/09/19 22:42:40
#46
bentcyclist
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 472
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2008/12/10 14:14:38
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/21 06:06:41 (permalink)
Any reason the Bafang stabilizer bar from Luna wouldn’t work on the Bacchetta Giro or Corsa?

https://lunacycle.com/bsb...r-for-bbs02-and-bbshd/
#47
bentcyclist
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 472
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2008/12/10 14:14:38
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/09/21 06:06:43 (permalink) ☄ Helpfulby Dr. Love 2020/09/21 18:53:08
Any reason the Bafang stabilizer bar from Luna wouldn’t work on the Bacchetta Giro or Corsa?

https://lunacycle.com/bsb...r-for-bbs02-and-bbshd/
#48
jeffssmith1
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 899
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2006/08/28 14:49:08
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/11/19 07:15:27 (permalink)
Has anyone tried the Tongsheng TSDZ2 mid-drive electric assist? I like the idea that it is torque based (the harder you pedal, the more amplified the output) so it would still be a good workout and feel more like riding a normal bike. This review caught my eye:
https://ebikechoices.com/...uy-the-tongsheng-tsdz2
 

Jeff Smith
2006 Corsa - Colorado
#49
jeffssmith1
Super Member
  • Total Posts : 899
  • Reward points: 0
  • Joined: 2006/08/28 14:49:08
  • Status: offline
Re: E-Conversion of my Bacchetta Corsa, Aluminum 650C 2020/12/12 13:51:42 (permalink)
I decided to do the Tongsheng TSDZ2 mid-drive assist on my 2006 Corsa. I ordered the kit from eco bike with the extension cable to the battery:
https://www.eco-ebike.com/collections/tongsheng-tsdz2/products/tsdz2-w-xh-18-torque-sensing-pedal-assist?variant=12702254170194
 
I ordered a 52V 13Ah battery from Amazon. I ordered two things from Bacchetta: X-Eyed front brake and the E-bike battery mount by Terracycle. Thank you Mike Wilkerson for the help and prompt shipment! I also put on some tougher tires for the multi-use paths I sometimes ride.
 
On my first test ride, I set the Tongsheng on its lowest setting (eco) and took it on a 12 mile good ride. I want to get a work out on rides, and I had a good sweat going by the time I got back. I'm recovering from a knee injury, so I like having the extra power if I need it on hills, but I want to work too. The harder I pedal, the more extra power the Tongsheng provides. It is like having extra strong legs. It is fairly quiet but not completely silent like some e-bikes with Bosch or Shimano motors. From what I've read, the Bafang motor is a little quieter too.

Anyway, it is reasonably quiet and made for an enjoyable ride. Given the geometry of the Bacchetta handlebars, the shifter grip (which replaces your front derailleur) fits perfectly but it is at an awkward angle for reading the screen. I didn't bother to hook up the speed sensor since I will continue to use my Garmin GPS. I will only use it to shift up or down (there are 4 levels of assist).

Note that after this conversion, the Corsa has become a 9 speed bike, so I put in a 11-36 cassette on the back to have easier gears for climbing (I already had a long cage derailleur to support a bigger cassette). The range is variable and I don't know how far I'll be able to go. Some of the numbers with a 52W 13Ah battery range from like 30 miles (if you ride it like an electric moped) to 100 miles (if you ride it in eco mode and perhaps even turn it off once in a while on flats or slight downhills). I'll update this thread when the snow melts and I get a chance to go on a long ride.
 

Note: if any of you are having trouble logging into the bacchetta forum, use FireFox. I've found that Chrome fails whenever I try to log in.
 
Update on 12/21/2020:
I've done a couple decent rides of about 20 miles with 1300 feet of climbing and 21.5 miles with 1200 feet of climbing, and I am still very happy with the Tongsheng and other modifications. The barely audible motor sound disappears if there is any wind or traffic noise. At the end of the rides, the battery indicated about 75% left (although I'm not sure how accurate it is). On flats, I generally switch it to assist 0 (none) and then my Corsa feels like it always has, which is to say that it is great. When I have a climb, I usually put it in "1" (eco mode). Once when I had a long climb into a big headwind, I put it in "2" (tour mode) and it was a big help. So far I have been riding just as hard (I was sweaty after today's ride) but I just go faster up the hills. Instead of working hard and going 6 mph up a hill, I now work hard but go 9 mph.
Today I rode up to Tucker Lake.

Direct links to a larger version of the images:
http://softtechdesign.com/images/corsa-side-view-small.jpg
http://softtechdesign.com/images/corsa-top-view-small.jpg
http://softtechdesign.com.../corsa-motor-small.jpg
http://softtechdesign.com...tucker-lake1-small.jpg
post edited by jeffssmith1 - 2020/12/21 16:38:16

Jeff Smith
2006 Corsa - Colorado
#50
Page: < 123 Showing page 3 of 3
Jump to:
© 2021 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1