Radrover Controller & Display Upgrade Kit

[spmckinnon]

OK so which one is better? This modded Rad Rover or Juiced HF1100?

The Radrover stock + all the upgrades is still cheaper but the juiced bike has a 1000w motor vs 750w.

 

[SpiderDice]

Yep, it the Juiced version. The horn is great, I haven't really needed the alarm part. If you do a search for "usb horn" on aliexpress, you can find it cheaper but in a different color both with or without the alarm function.

Awesome, thanks dude!

 

[Ben721]

Does the KT-LCD8H display work without the upgraded controller?

 

[thatdude902]

The last Black friday price ($2999, from the regular price of $3499 at the time) on the Hyperfat 1100 was really tempting. But saw some posts on reddit about it having issues where it would hesitate on certain speeds. Plus they were talking about how that same issue was never fixed from the Hyperfat 1000. So I put it off for the time, and Juicedbike then raised the price to the $3999 in January. Yeah, forget that.

 

[AHicks]

Does the KT-LCD8H display work without the upgraded controller?

Nope. Not to my understanding anyway. KT displays work only with KT based controllers, and then just those set up for them. That's what makes Bolton's kits such a good value. You could talk to him about selling a kit with the LCD8 display instead of the LCD3.

 

[AHicks]

For the price of a Rad, you can buy one of those and modify it to dragon slayer standards (motor of choice, 35-40a controller, 52v battery of your choice, etc.) and STILL have way less invested in it than some others.

 

[Feliz]

Nope. Not to my understanding anyway. KT displays work only with KT based controllers, and then just those set up for them. That's what makes Bolton's kits such a good value. You could talk to him about selling a kit with the LCD8 display instead of the LCD3.

The KT LCD3 and LCD8H are interchangeable at least they are on my Radrover but all LCD8H connectors are not the same. I've purchased two of the colour displays from China and they have five pin green connectors but not the same male/female connectors Bolton's supply, just the opposite. I like Bolton's connectors they come with screw on connectors.

 

[AHicks]

Felix, if I understand his question correctly, our friend Ben was wondering if he could use one of the KT type displays (take your pick), without Bolton's kit or using a KT based controller. Basically, if he could use one with the stock Rad controller. That would be a negative. -Al

 

[Feliz]

Felix, if I understand his question correctly, our friend Ben was wondering if he could use one of the KT type displays (take your pick), without Bolton's kit or using a KT based controller. Basically, if he could use one with the stock Rad controller. That would be a negative. -Al

Why would it be a negative, I think the LCD8H is the best display we can get? Perhaps I'm missing something.

 

[AHicks]

"That would be a negative" comment = no, it won't work.

 

[Ben721]

Felix, if I understand his question correctly, our friend Ben was wondering if he could use one of the KT type displays (take your pick), without Bolton's kit or using a KT based controller. Basically, if he could use one with the stock Rad controller. That would be a negative. -Al

Bummer, but good to know. I'll probably upgrade to the bolton kit once they come out with a 2019 version.

 

[Feliz]

Bummer, but good to know. I'll probably upgrade to the bolton kit once they come out with a 2019 version.

My Radrover is a 2019 and the upgrade kit works great. Others have used the kit on their 2019 bikes as well.

 

[Ben721]

My Radrover is a 2019 and the upgrade kit works great. Others have used the kit on their 2019 bikes as well.

Your brake light still works? Or did you just split the positive/ground wires and feed them into the light?

 

[Alex M]

Why would it be a negative, I think the LCD8H is the best display we can get? Perhaps I'm missing something.

You program a controller. Display merely reads input values that you enter.
RAD controllers can't be programmed (with KT3) beyond what RAD display allows them to be programmed to.

There are several KT3 on the market, and there are several matching controllers too. Places like Aliexpress sell it as a pair, though one could also buy KT3 alone if needed. I see those pairs for about half the price of the Bolton kit, but there might be a little work with connectors btw controller and battery.

 

[AHicks]

Alex,
First, You bring up an interesting point. When working with the KT based electronics, if you change the display, you'll need to reprogram. If you change the controller, you will not. This leads me to believe the settings are held in the display. Been there....

Second, a huge part of the value in the Bolton kits lies in the fact they are plug and play when it comes to everything - including the wiring connectors - though I believe there is room for improvement there for those that understand that kind of thing and are willing to mess with it. The battery to controller connections/wire guage would be what I'm thinking of here. Bolton's plug and play feature is going to allow a LOT more people access to the features found in the KT stuff..... Otherwise, you're 100% right. For those feeling more adventourus and willing to do the necessary homework, this stuff is available pretty reasonably. Just realize you are now the design engineer, head mechanic, staff electrician, and troubleshooting expert. Been here too.... -Al

 

[Alex M]

Yes. This has been causing me confusion at the beginning, and probably still is, to other people. KT3 looks more than just a screen with a button, but still requires a compatible controller.
I think KT3 is keeping settings in the memory, some file in the chip. Like a user data or "profile" in PC software, - you can keep it in any location. But it is the controller that you adjust to your liking, and it has to be compatible with KT3. I see some sellers warning that their XYZ KT3 display will work only with their XYZ controller, it has to be a matching pair.

Kits other than Bolton's (on RAD) require some soldering - and thinking. They mark what connector does what, but there is a matter of wires color-coding - and again, connector type needs to be matched.

 

[AHicks]

The typical "kit" comes complete with brake handles, PAS sensors, motor, display, and controller. Pretty much everything you need, and in my experience, those kits will have matching connectors. You can plug every one in with reasonable expectation all will work as advertised.

It's when you assemble your own kit comonents from various vendors, that you need to be more adventurous. There, you may have nothing to go on but what each wire is supposed to do. It's up to you to figure out if that function is necessary, and what wire corresponds with which. There will be no assurance of connector compatibility or even wire colors matching on both side of the controllers. The kits are by far the easier way to go, especially if you have never done anything like this! With a couple of those under your belt, things start making much more sense. -Al

 

[Alex M]

Ahicks - yes, entire ebike kit has everything matched.
I meant only KT "kit" - display and matching controller. Something like that: KT and controller.

 

[AHicks]

Yes, installing that kit (or similar) on a production e-bike would be a rather daunting task for many of us. With patience though, and a little (Lot?) of DIY adventuresome spirit, would make a worthwhile project for somebody looking for the KT system advantages. IMHO anyway. -Al

 

[spmckinnon]

Finally installed that 52V 17.5ah AliExpress battery onto the radrover. Holly hell does this thing fly now. The battery upgrade yielded a slight bump in torque and a faster top speed. It's easy to get up to 50 km an hour on flats cruising pedaling with PAS3/4.
@thatdude902 were you able to mount the battery using 3 mounting screws, I could only line it up and get the bottom two screws only. A little worried that this heavier battery is less secure on the frame, not sure what I can do to resolve this.