New Poster - question about motor upgrade

[EndGame00]

Hello. I have a Stigo B1 with a 48v 350 watt hub motor. I am considering upgrading the motor to 500 watts since I need an extra torque for slightly steeper streets. Can I just swap the motor or replace the controller. The controller is "generic" as it doesn't provide much info. But here are the photos of the controller, battery and motor. Any help and suggestions are welcome. Thank you

 

[tomjasz]

Upgrading can be easy or confusing, looking for alternatives means looking at the connectors for compatible parts. The motor may well be capable of 500W. That said 350W to 500W isn't a big power improvement.

 

[EndGame00]

Thanks for responding.It says "JYLT 48v 350 Watt"... The bike slows down to 11mph when climbing an approximately 10-11% grade.. the 350watt is pretty zippy on flat level street, around 20mph (I'm only 130lbs)... I was initially looking for a 750 watt hub motor, but I couldnt find anything that would fit a 14-inch wheel... I am opting for 500-watt since that is the next available on AliExpress...

 

[rich c]

Your controller is maxed out at 16a. Get a 20a before spending the money on a motor. Besides your 350w nominal motor may put out closer to 550w with more current from the controller. One issue with swapping the controller is it may not communicate with the display if there is a proprietary protocol language. The easy solution is to buy a controller and display at the same time from the same place.

 

[EndGame00]

Thank you for the feedback. Will look into that before getting a motor.

 

[EndGame00]

The display is “EN06”.. I found something similar at aliexpress which includes a controller… the max output on the controller is 19a..

 

[harryS]

Looking at your scooter and considering that it's already at 16A and 48V, you may not get much more with a 20A controller. You can buy a 25A KT sinewave controller with an LCD3 display (also made by KT) for $100USD, and you will have to figure out all the connections. However, your battery may be limited to 20A, so none of this helps.

 

[tomjasz]

You can buy a 25A KT sinewave controller with an LCD3 display (also made by KT) for $100USD,

Thanks Harry!
Where would you suggest buying them from? Have an older 750W DD that needs a new controller and display. I don’t want to change out connectors on my Grin controllers. Actually mine are all GD controllers. Thanks!

 

[harryS]

Electric Brushless Controller For Ebike KT 9 Mosfet Sine Wave 36V 48V 25A 500W | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Electric Brushless Controller For Ebike KT 9 Mosfet Sine Wave 36V 48V 25A 500W at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

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CSC ebikes has been around for a long time. I bought a smaller 9FET model from them that's 25A, but I don't see it around these days,

And you can buy LCD3's from everywhere.

 

[alphacarina]

Your controller is maxed out at 16a. Get a 20a before spending the money on a motor. Besides your 350w nominal motor may put out closer to 550w with more current from the controller.

16 amps @ 48 volts is already 750 watts - I would think you'd see a bigger improvement by changing the hub motor from 350 watts to 500 than by changing the controller from 16 amps to 20. In this case, the motor seems to be the weak link in the chain . . . . and then the battery

Don

 

[EndGame00]

Replacing the motor would be the better option? I just need something for power for steep uphill. 350 is adequate but it loses power and torque when the street is at 12% grade.. it drops to 11mph. I am looking for something that can maintain at least 14mph on a climb....

 

[AHicks]

I always answer the motor or controller first question with controller first, and agree with Harry on the bigger size. Beyond that though, and the fact I would undoubtedly go with a KT controller, it would be about the connectors used on the scooter. Are they waterproof, or no? KT offers them either way. Going the wrong way with the new controller is going to waste a lot of time and create a lot of extra work for the conversion.

Anyway, new controller in place, if that mod alone doesn't give you the increase you're after, THEN go with the motor, knowing the controller should have the capacity to handle anything you go with there.

 

[RunForTheHills]

If your controller and battery can't put out sufficient power to the motor, a bigger motor won't improve performance. Many motors are capable of much higher power than they are nominally rated at before overheating. The published ratings are manipulated by the manufacturers to comply with local regulations and aren't very accurate. The Grin Motor Simulator is fun to play with and will give you a better idea of what happens when you change the controller, battery, or motor. You can set the weight of the rider and bike, rider position, and the grade of the hill.

https://ebikes.ca/tools/simulator.html

 

[alphacarina]

Replacing the motor would be the better option? I just need something for power for steep uphill. 350 is adequate but it loses power and torque when the street is at 12% grade.. it drops to 11mph. I am looking for something that can maintain at least 14mph on a climb....

Honestly, I don't know - The consensus here appears to be that your 350 watt motor can make use of more than the 750 watts of power your controller can provide and that's where your controller maxxes out. It will be interesting to see which improves your power most - A more powerful controller or a more powerful motor. If the first thing you try doesn't make much difference, changing out the second thing probably will. One thing for sure is when you get more power for the hills, your 10AH battery is going to give you less range, but that's an easier swap than either the motor or controller

Don

 

[tomjasz]

All for an additional 3 mph uphill? From 11mph to 14mph?

 

[alphacarina]

You would think a 350 watt hub motor turning such a small wheel would have plenty of power, so maybe it is the controller???

Don

 

[tomjasz]

I’m seeing all sorts of good advice here. You’re in good hands with Harry. He’s one of the sharpest DIY guys here.

 

[AHicks]

Honestly, I don't know - The consensus here appears to be that your 350 watt motor can make use of more than the 750 watts of power your controller can provide and that's where your controller maxxes out. It will be interesting to see which improves your power most - A more powerful controller or a more powerful motor. If the first thing you try doesn't make much difference, changing out the second thing probably will. One thing for sure is when you get more power for the hills, your 10AH battery is going to give you less range, but that's an easier swap than either the motor or controller

Don

They'll take quite a blast of power. The key is remembering you are feeding that motor WAY more power than it's designed to handle. It's not going to handle that too long. For a few seconds though, like long enough to climb a short hill or cross a busy road for instance, it'll really scoot!

My newest project bike has a 500w motor. I Installed a waterproof KT 22a controller w/LCD-3 on that bike. At full power the 500w motor is getting 980 watts. I'll just leave it at it's cool to see just what a 500 is capable of..... for a few seconds. I don't see a 350w motor as any less capable - but with all that power on tap, it will be very easy to abuse/overheat the 350. Of course, if you do manage to smoke the motor, that'll give you the excuse to swap it for a bigger one....

 

[EndGame00]

All for an additional 3 mph uphill? From 11mph to 14mph?

An addition 3 mph would be more sufficient for my need… Hearing and feeling the 350 watt motor somewhat struggling to maintain an 11mph climb and I don’t want the motor to fail halfway.

 

[AHicks]

An addition 3 mph would be more sufficient for my need… Hearing and feeling the 350 watt motor somewhat struggling to maintain an 11mph climb and I don’t want the motor to fail halfway.

So let me ask you this. At 11mph, how long is it taking you to climb this hill?