Can 36v be better than 48?

[kevinmccune]

I know I can't I tried riding my Trek to get the same workout on my acoustic, and it is almost impossible even in the lowest assist level. I am not trying to work hard on the acoustic either.

been there done that,no reason for torture these days.

 

[fooferdoggie]

been there done that,no reason for torture these days.

well if you ride as much as I do, and batteries wear out as they do for me. I only get 3 years or so out of a 1400.00 battery.

 

[harryS]

They used to sell 24V ebikes too, but in those days, the motors were often mounted outrigger style and drove a second set of gears opposite the derailleur, Then came 24V hubmotors.

Ten years ago, I quickly eliminated direct drive hubmotors from DYI consideration when I learned they were heavier and hard to pedal w/o power. EBR's Court would make light of the DD motors cogging when coasting in his reviews, but commercial DD mtors were smaller than the big pizza sized 1000W motors sold for DIY customers. I would see those motors on the front forks of 1000 pound rickshaws in Chicago, so they must of pulled well at low speed.

Ravi did ride that DD Stromer ST1/2 from Wisconsin to the Stromer HQ in California,.(with a support van full of 36V batteries. Still an epic ride. Those were top of the line class 3 bikes easily capable of 28 mph. I would have taken one.

 

[spokewrench]

?? How does that work?

Maybe your definition of direct drive hub is different than what I'm used to seeing... The Radmission uses a geared hub, the current Abound uses a geared hub and I don't think a cargo eBike would make much sense with a direct drive hub.

Popular wisdom on direct-drive e-bike motors is based on motors made to go faster than 5:1 geared motors. Mine top out around 20 mph.

A 1 hp blower motor would need a gearbox to serve as a hoist motor. A 1 hp motor with more poles will do the same thing without a gearbox.

A direct drive e-bike motor that topped out at 20 would probably outweigh one that topped out at 30 because the slower motor would need 50% more poles. With far fewer poles, a geared 20-mph motor could be lighter than either direct-drive motor.

The weight of these motors immediately persuaded me that they were direct drive. If they weren't advertised as such, it could be because popular wisdom says direct drive motors lack torque.

 

[gromike]

I recently installed a Grin All-Axle direct drive rear hubmotor and Phasrrunner controller, and it rocks! So, in my opinion, one needs to experience a quality direct drive motor in order to judge the efficacy of that style of motor.

Yes, they are heavier, though Grin shaved some weight off the All-Axle. Their fat All-Axle motor has to be a brute.

 

[Dewey]

For several years I commuted on a 36v BBS01 diy ebike conversion. Two years ago I bought a 48v Bafang hub motor powered RadExpand, it was able to climb hills on throttle alone but the bike was too heavy for me. I traded it in for a 36v Class 1 Urtopia Fold weighing half as much, with a battery just over half the capacity, and the Aikema hub motor has enough power to climb the hills I need it to.

This year I noticed budget brands Nakto & Ancheer have gone from 36 250w to 48v 500w motors in some of their town bikes like the Camel 2 & Swan models.