Radrover Controller & Display Upgrade Kit

[bongolati]

Heb een radrhino 750W uit 2018 en heb bijna 5000km op de teller en staat ingesteld op 40km max, kan het zo veranderen naar 25km het mag dan wel niet maar mag zoveel niet ...

Heb nu ook een nieuwe upgrade kit van Bolton maar daar is een probleem mee, het scherm KT-LCD 8H gaat aan maar zodra ik de powerbutton los laat weer uit, sluit ik het scherm aan die bij de e-bike zit werkt die wel en blijft aan, maar die geeft een errocode 30 door de 35amp controller ....
Dus ik denk dat het kt scherm niet helemaal goed is heb bolton al gemailt maar wacht op antwoord, en de 35amp controller is plug and play alles verleden, stekker van de kt lcd 8h past maar is zonder draaisluiting.
Dus af geknipt en de originele sluiting er op gezet om uit te proberen maar resultaat blijft het zelfde scherm gaat nog steeds uit ....

 

[bongolati]

Have a radrhino 750W from 2018 and have almost 5000km on the counter and is set to 40km max, it can change to 25km so it may or may not but that much may not ... Now also have a new upgrade kit from Bolton, but there is a problem with this, the screen KT-LCD 8H comes on, but as soon as I release the power button, I connect the screen that comes with the e-bike that works and stays on, but it gives an erode code 30 by the 35amp controller .... So I think the kt screen is not quite right have already e-mailed bolton but wait for answer, and the 35amp controller is plug and play everything past, plug of the kt lcd 8h fits but is without twist lock. So cut off and put the original closure on it to try but the result remains the same screen still goes out ....

 

[AHicks]

What you are running into is the fact that the original LCD screen and the KT based LCD screens talk different languages. They are NOT interchangeable, even though the original will turn on. A KT based LCD MUST be used with a KT based controller. No exceptions that I'm aware of.

 

[bongolati]

Oke bedankt, ik heb een kt-lcd 8h-scherm met de 35amp kt-controller, maar als ik op de powerbutton druk gaat het scherm aan maar zodra ik die los laat gelijk weer uit..terwijl die met het originele scherm geen KT scherm wel aan gaat en de motor het achterwiel aandrijft als ik gas geef.... dus waar kan dat nu aan liggen met kt-controller en kt scherm dat het niet doet...

 

[johnz]

Hi everyone. First post, though I’ve read this whole thread.

I’m wondering if someone can boil it all down for me. I’ve just bought the Radrover5 and love the bike. It’s purely recreational, I already have a commuter.

I’m a tinkerer but not looking to send my bike to Mars. I also don’t want to melt nylon gears or burn out my motor. Oh, and I’m a Canuck.

I’m thinking of the Bolton controller to access more torque off the mark and perhaps slightly higher top speed, I’ve got it at 40km/h now but she lags up the hills and I resent the governor kicking in when I’m going downhill.

I’m not afraid of the work to replace the motor too but I’m not keen on cutting wires or messing with the electrical on the bike. Do I just invest in a second Rad battery for longer distance rides? It seems the only value in replacing the motor is if I intend to ride for extended periods at +40km/h speeds? Is the larger battery more efficient at lower speeds? I’m sorry, electricity has always baffled me.

ultimate goal is for my wife to use rad wagon for our 2 kids and me use radrover to haul all the gear for extended day trips and perhaps even an over night trail ride with some camping gear in a trailer pull behind.

Thanks!

 

[AHicks]

OK, tinkerer to tinkerer. The Bolton kit's virtues are pretty well documented here previously for sure. No point expanding on that. What may not be mentioned as much, is that if there is a potential motor upgrade in your future, that Bolton kit can set you up for a move like that in advance.

In other words, if you aren't happy with the power after the Bolton kit install, money spent for it will not have gone to waste. My very similar KT based controller and display are not having a bit of trouble in use with my MAC 12t geared hub. These are pretty well known as one of the more powerful available, CONSERVATIVELY rated at 1000w. constant. With the KT setup adjusted properly, it's as docile as a Lab pup - until you tell it that it's a 140lb Rottweiler.

The only thing I would warn you in advance of, would be the need to match the controller motor wiring to the new motor (like a MAC). It will NOT be plug and play. You would have the option of installing the bigger 750w armature and maintain plug and play, and maybe even some of the other larger Bafang options. Not sure. That would take some homework. -Al

 

[AHicks]

Timpo, what if he goes with a different brand hub, like a MAC for instance? He'll be cutting the wires for sure....

What I don't know is that if there are more powerful Bafang hubs, bigger than the 750 Bolton and other discuss. If there are, would they plug into Bolton's controller?

 

[johnz]

Wow. Thank you both. This is exactly the info I need.

I think I’ll upgrade the Rover now and based on that experience, decide what to do with the Wagon.

Both your posts were helpful. For the newbs like me I will paraphrase for prosperity as:

- buy Bolton controller as it’s not money wasted.
- I can use this to juice the existing battery and motor to deliver more torque and top speed as long as I’m averaging less than 750w per trip to keep the motor temps down
- to avoid cutting wires, etc I can also purchase a “true” 750w Bafang hub from Bolton and they also sell 52v / 20ah batteries that are designed for Rad bikes
- going even further back in the thread an earlier post was also mentioning the though of updating the rear gear wheel at the same time as the motor to help avoid hamsterwheeling with the more powerful motor.

I’ll be sure to post as I go! Thanks. So far this is a very helpful community.

 

[AHicks]

Timpo,
I understood he was talking changing motors. In my mind, those options go WAY beyond what Bolton has to offer.....and I did mention the Bolton motor upgrade would still allow plug and play.

Too, regarding talk about 1680-1820 watts. Before extolling on the virtues of that kind of power, look into how much power 14 ga wire will handle. ALL of the wire inside the battery case is 14 ga. Safe for maybe 1500w tops. Anything more had better be pretty quick in duration. Hopefully, fuses will let go first!

 

[AHicks]

FYI, pretty sure the armature and stator are the same MAC vs. GMAC (same power). Beyond that, especially when it comes to the electronics, they're night and day. Noteworthy though, with the GMAC your Bolton controller would be worth zip. You need to use their controller for some very special functions.

The GMAC is all about regenerative braking. Cutting edge regeneration that's at a level where some no longer use a rear brake. Way beyond this conversation, but maybe something to file for use later on. -Al

 

[AHicks]

Bolton kit first is the easy plan. That'll let you go in several directions should you have a few extra bucks and decide you "need" more power later on....

There's a LOT to the Phaserunner, starting with the fact there is no plug and play "kit" available.

 

[Kyogiro]

I agree. Bolton kit is a cheaper, quicker and easier upgrade.

Going the full customized way is possible, it's just gonna be much more money and work involved.​

 

[ExPatBrit]

I have the Bolton Mod on my 2019 Rover. I think you will be happy with it. The improvement in performance is significant. It's pretty easy to do on the Rover took about 90 minutes. You do need to be careful with power usage as it's a bit addictive. I wish there was an one touch eco / get me home mode.

On the more recent shipments with the rear light option, Bolton includes some longer screws and nylock nuts in the kit. You can re-use the old clamps on the Rover. I made a couple of small metal backing plates and double sided taped a strip of rubber between frame and controller. On the stock controller the rear light wiring exits at the top, on the new 35 Amp controller it exits with all the other cables at the bottom. Bolton also includes a short cable extension to accommodate that. My bike has the fenders which are now stock, I did not want the controller to touch the fender so I added a couple of washer between lower fender mount and frame. There is about 1/3 inch clearance now.

1. I adjusted settings to run PAS 5/ throttle at about 1250 watts.
2. Downhill top speed is unlimited, 40mph is easy but the brakes will fade very quickly.
3. Set the minimum voltage cut-off to 38 volts. I did this because if your battery is at 44-45 volts (about 50-60%) charge, the surge of current can trip the recommended 40 volt cutout at full throttle/ PAS 5. If you are going up a steep hill at the time in other than low gear not good. As an aside to that, you probably shouldn't ride with voltage less than 40 volts so watch the display.
4. USB ext power is present on the display even with the bike off, you need to use the battery key to actually turn it off. Not a big deal unless you have power drawing accessories.
5. No throttle at PAS 0, I actually prefer this.
6. No slow start, this is fun but it can catch you out if you are one of those people who jump on one pedal and swing your leg over the bike as it starts moving under throttle. Kind of a "hold my beer" moment. Ask me how I know
7. Throttle control is very aggressive. 0-100% in a quarter turn. You get used to it.

Aliexpress sells the same large magnet 750W motor as Bolton for a little less including shipping. You will need a special or modified freewheel tool (big hole for cable / axle nut) to install it but connectors are the same.

 

[AHicks]

It's those big hills with the just out of sight stop signs at the bottom that will put the fear of God in you!

 

[Kyogiro]

Just (pre-)ordered a kit from Bolton as well. Since I'm upgrading to a bigger 52V battery, I just want to make sure the controller can actually use it. Not sure about the stock controller could handle it. Hopefully I'll get it before August, I'm in France.

 

[AHicks]

Sorry I'm a little confused.

Why would you be worried about stock controller if you already ordered a Bolton kit?

He doesn't want to be concerned regarding the stock controllers ability to handle 52v. That's why he ordered the Bolton kit.

 

[Kyogiro]

Maybe I didn't express myself clearly. I'm preparing a longish trip (1200 - 2000 miles) in August with my Rhino. So I decided to get an additionnal larger battery.

Yesterday night, I just got worried about the stock controller being able to handle a 52 V battery and so ended up ordering the Bolton kit (alongside the adapter towards a XT90 plug which is cheaper but quite important to the whole system).

 

[BikingBC]

Hey guys! Do any you have a Rad controller they no longer want and would like to sell?

My controller has stopped working and I want to upgrade to the Bolton one but they are out of stock "until July".

So whilst I am waiting I thought maybe someone that has done the upgrade would like to exchange their old controller for a few $$$$$$!

Thanks in advance

 

[johnz]

Although, I'd still recommend Bolton 750W motor + Bolton 35A + Bolton 52V combo. I just feel like it's the best bang for buck.
(yes, I know it's just a matter of opinion)

I really appreciate the flurry of options. Especially as it relates to Grin as they are in Vancouver (we are on Vancouver Island).

I think for now I will go the Bolton route. Depending on the results I might then strip those parts off my Rover and put them on the Wagon to give that bike a boost while I go further down the rabbit hole of even more powerful options for the Rover...

To be honest, I am really only looking for these benefits:

• Faster off the mark, the Rover's torque is a joke - maybe it's the soft start?
• Faster up hills, the Rover's limit of 500w makes it drop to 10-15km/h on hills
• Longer range, I'm yet to run out of battery but I do hope to use our bikes to take the kids on longer rides, potentially even an overnight camping trip (still need to sort out how best to attach the trailer to the Rover for this though).

Cheers,

John

 

[johnz]

I have the Bolton Mod on my 2019 Rover.

Thanks Expat, your whole post is very helpful!