RadRover Upgrades - Torque Sensor / Hydraulic Brakes / More

[MysticalFists]

Upgrades To Keep In Mind!~
I originally started this thread to see if it were possible to upgrade a RadRover for two things, Torque Sensors and Hydraulic Brakes. Well, I got those questions answered, but now that I've ordered my RadRover, I want a place to keep all the upgrade ideas I have and keep watch for more. To that end, here's some upgrades and potential parts. I'm always looking for input and suggestions!~

Torque Sensors:
Note that I'm always interested in more info on Torque Sensor upgrades.

1. BeamTS torque sensor recommended by J.R. Appears to be a nice nearly plug and play Torque Sensor that connects between the battery and the throttle cable. The sensor itself detects torque in the chain. More info in J.R.'s post.

Brakes:
Note that I'm always interested in more info on brake upgrades. Got suggestions on rotors to along with these brakes?

1. TRP HY/RD Hydraulic Brakes recommended by Windmill. Another upgrade that seems almost plug and play with the RadRover. The master cylinder is part of the caliper, and can be actuated by any standard cable brake setup. More from Windmill here.

Battery Bags:
Note that I'm always interested in more info on battery bags.

1. EM3ev Triangle Battery Bag recommended by Thomas Jaszewski. Seems like a pretty good all around bag. Mounts to the frame, internally padded, fleece lining, cable access in front and top rear of the bag, added padding on the sides, and easy access to batteries. Also recommended FalconEV bags here, but couldn't find much info on their site.
2. Luna Cycles Triangle Battery Bag. Another good all around bag. Mounts to the frame, cable access, mech outside pockets on the sides, rigid plastic inserts. Personally, I'm still thinking of the EM3ev, but mainly because of aesthetics and warmer liner (I live in Minnesota).

Flat Kit
This is an area that I'm looking for more input. What do you bring with on rides in case of a flat?

1. Mr Tuffy Liners recommended by everyone. A great puncture prevention liner; however, I can't find it for purchase from them direct. Seems like you have to go through a dealer or Amazon. I'll likely buy through Amazon, but there's two different sellers called Mr Tuffy and Mr Tuffy Liners as well, lol.
2. RhinoDillo Tire Liners. I recently saw these recommended right next to Mr Tuffy. I don't have much info on em, but looks like an alright alternative (better or worse?).
3. Stans Latex Tire Sealant. I see this recommended across the board. I could find it offered a lot of places, mostly at NoTubes and so far I am using tubes, but which one should a person get? I saw at least one person recommend two 2oz bottles for fat tire bikes.
4. Wanheyao Three Spoon Motorcycle Tire Levers recommended by America94. Seems like a pretty well rounded kit to make getting the tire on/off much easier.

Got info on ease of install or use? Got feedback on current suggestions or entirely different suggestions? Keep the info coming and post! I am planning to add a lot more to this, but have to head out to work!~

 

[mrgold35]

There have been threads on upgrading to hydraulic brakes and I don't know if they did the conversion? Most upgrades for the Radrover are usually:
- tires for smoother commuting or knobby tires for better snow and off road fun
- upgrading front rotors to 203mm and/or brake pads
- suspension seat posts like thudbuster, Suntour, or bodyfloat
- upgrade of battery to plug-n-play Luna Cycles 48v/13.ah or 52v/13.5ah Dolphin battery packs
- upgrade of seat for more comfortable long distance riding
- adding adjustable handlebar stem to move handlebars to more comfortable position (Radrover is one size to fit most)
- hard wiring a brighter front lights into battery
- adding fenders, rear rack, or accessories for cell phones, locks, beer bottle openers, water bottle cages, etc...

Only being $1500+shipping+ 1 year full warranty for a complete 4" fat tire ebike give you a lot of wiggle room to make improvements. Volt Yukon 750 bike is another 4" fat tire bike that is in the same price range with very similar specs and capabilities. The Radrover is basically a 4" fat tire bike with ebike components. It would be feasible to converted the Radrover into a 1000w mid-drive down the road and reuse the battery to cut down conversion cost.

The Radrover is a jack of all trades and master of none type of bike. I can work commute very comfortably at +20 mph on main roads with all my gear (work cloths, lunch, riding gear, etc...) and detour off the road and ride single track dirt trails without missing a beat before heading back to work or home. Since the Radrover is a Class II ebike limited to 750w, I can go everywhere and on any trail/sidewalk/street a regular bike is allowed (a lot more restrictions on +750w and/or Class III ebikes). The all terrain capabilities and utility for commuting fits perfectly into the way I use my ebike.

 

[J.R.]

Howdy,
I'm curious if anyone has added a torque sensor or hydraulic brakes to a RadRover. If so, how difficult was it?

BEAMts offers torque sensors which can be installed on bikes with throttles. It plugs into the throttle port and the throttle then plugs into it. ProdecoTech was the first to use the system as a dealer installed option. In 2016 GRINtech also partnered with BEAMts to be used with GRIN's Cycle Analyst.

(Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

________

 

[MysticalFists]

@mrgold35 Thanks man, it kinda reaffirms what Ive been thinking. Like you, I'm planning to use this for my everyday work commute and off road biking in Minnesota woods. I see a lot of people recommending hydraulic brakes for these types of bikes, but figured that'd be a hard convert for the Rad and it's integrated design. I've also been looking at the Volt Yukon, Teo S Limited, HyperFat HF1000, and M2S 750, but hasn't even thought about bigger brake rotors if breaking is an issue for me after the fact. Question, I'm not looking to eek out more speed with a 52v shark pack, but do you know of any good 17+ ah batteries this could use?

@J.R. That's awesome! I knew they had an additional option to buy a torque sensor upgrade similar to that for the HyperFat HF1000 but hadn't seen any that people could confirm works with a Rad. THANKS A TON!

 

[mrgold35]

The Fat tire bike choices look like they increased 2X-3X more compared to last summer when I was looking. I was trying to pick from Sondors, Volt, and Radrover as choices back then. A lot of interesting choices now; but, the prices really start to creep up as you upgrade the factory accessories. At the Radrover price point, I purchased two Radrovers (his and hers) and had enough $$ left over to do any mods (rack, pedals, suspension seatpost, lights, new commuting gear, etc...).

I think folks are thinking about the up to 2X extra weight of the Radrover compared to a regular MTB when it comes to stopping power. I found the 180mm cable brakes worked fine for me for regular and emergency stops at any speed (260lbs+70lbs bike+20lbs of gear). I think the fat tires have a larger contact patch that helps in braking since you have more rubber on the road. I can see the front brakes being a little easier to convert compared to the rears since the rear brake cable runs inside the frame. I think I would try a cheaper route of different pad materials and/or upgrade to +200mm rotors before going with hydraulic.

One thing that pushed me over to the Radrover compared to Sondors or Volt was the standard ebike components (hub motor, charger, controller, LCD, battery). I could repair/replace/upgrade the parts from Rad Power Bikes or from a 3rd party like Luna Cycles. I could even remove all the Radrover components to turn it into a regular fat tire bike and put the e-components on full suspension MTB down the road. I like having that option down the road.

Luna Cycle have battery replacements in the 48v and 52v range (11.5ah to 13.5ah) you can purchase and they would be plug-n-play because of the beefy controller. Luna Cycle does have a 48v/17.5ah Killer Whale battery pack; but, you might need to re-wire a new battery tray to the harness (not sure if the larger battery will fit in Radrover triangle frame). Since I have two Radrovers with rear rack bags, I sometimes take my wife's battery for longer +30 miles rides (48v/11.5ahX2 = 48v/23ah).

 

[racer83l]

so I own a Rover, it has basically become my go-to bike for singletrack use. I installed Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 4.8" tires and swapped the brake rotors to Shimano SM-RT66 SLX 180mm they made an awesome difference in braking. my next upgrade I didn't even start looking at yet will be the front suspension forks.

When I run single track I keep the bike in PAS 1 and on the long up hills I will put it into PAS 2 when I feel I need to.

 

[windmill]

I upgraded the brakes on my Radwagon to TRP HY/RD cable actuated hydraulic brakes. It's basically no more involved than swapping calipers as one may retain the OE levers and cables.

 

[MysticalFists]

I upgraded the brakes on my Radwagon to TRP HY/RD cable actuated hydraulic brakes. It's basically no more involved than swapping calipers as one may retain the OE levers and cables.
View attachment 16625

Wow, I'd never even thought to look for something like that. Just to make sure I've got it straight, these are hydraulic disc brakes, but they use standard brake cables, right? That's awesome, wouldn't even need to worry about re-running the integrated cables. Awesome find!~

 

[mrgold35]

I upgraded the brakes on my Radwagon to TRP HY/RD cable actuated hydraulic brakes. It's basically no more involved than swapping calipers as one may retain the OE levers and cables.

I checked out these brakes and they have them for 140mm or 160mm size rotors. Didn't dig deeper about 180mm-200mm rotors. It seems it wouldn't make that much of a difference at 180mm?

How do the new brakes feel compared to before with the hybrid setup? Did you keep the original rotors? How easy/hard was the set up? They look almost plug-n-play out the box?

 

[windmill]

Wow, I'd never even thought to look for something like that. Just to make sure I've got it straight, these are hydraulic disc brakes, but they use standard brake cables, right? That's awesome, wouldn't even need to worry about re-running the integrated cables. Awesome find!~

That is correct, the master cylinder is part of the caliper, and can be actuated by any standard cable brake setup. They're well thought out, installation is ridiculously easy, and they work just as good as full hydraulic brakes.
The primary reason I chose them is that I could retain the OE levers with their integrated power cutoff wiring.

 

[windmill]

I checked out these brakes and they have them for 140mm or 160mm size rotors. Didn't dig deeper about 180mm-200mm rotors. It seems it wouldn't make that much of a difference at 180mm?

How do the new brakes feel compared to before with the hybrid setup? Did you keep the original rotors? How easy/hard was the set up? They look almost plug-n-play out the box?

TRP also offers 180mm and 200mm rotors for separate sale. I initially ran them the OE rotors, and they work fine, it's not necessary to change them, the only difference being a higher grade of material. FYI, TRP is Tektro Racing Products Tektro's premium product lineup.

They are plug-and-play, installation and setup is actually easier than adjusting the OE brakes. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

The difference is significant, they work and feel better in every way. With upgraded Jagwire mountain pro cables, they're every bit as good as a full hydraulic system.

 

[Tom Kriek]

TRP also offers 180mm and 200mm rotors for separate sale. I initially ran them the OE rotors, and they work fine, it's not necessary to change them, the only difference being a higher grade of material. FYI, TRP is Tektro Racing Products Tektro's premium product lineup.

They are plug-and-play, installation and setup is actually easier than adjusting the OE brakes. (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

The difference is significant, they work and feel better in every way. With upgraded Jagwire mountain pro cables, they're every bit as good as a full hydraulic system.

I am still a little confused as they make separate calipers for 140 and 160. So you are saying you can use the 160 mm model with the existing 180 mm rotors on the RadRover?

 

[mrgold35]

To add to Tom's question:

Did the TRP brakes come with pads or did you have to purchase those?

 

[windmill]

Calipers are all the same standard size, the only difference between disc sizes is the separate adapter mount one would use, both size mounts are included. As the adapters are standard sizes too, one can simply use the existing OE adapters with the new calipers.

They come complete with pads, which are the same as the OE pads, and the most common Shimano B01S size

 

[Tom Kriek]

Calipers are all the same standard size, the only difference between disc sizes is the separate adapter mount one would use, both size mounts are included. As the adapters are standard sizes too, one can simply use the existing OE adapters with the new calipers.

They come complete with pads, which are the same as the OE pads, and the most common Shimano B01S size

OK, that makes sense. One adapter site said that most forks are setup for 160. Then adapters make up the difference to the larger rotors. Thank you!

 

[Kyle Zochowski]

Does anyone know a retailer to get the beamTS torque sensor or are their any other compatible torque sensors with the rover that people reccomend?

This was the only link I found but it looks like they've been out of stock for a while.

http://www.ebikes.ca/shop/electric-bicycle-parts/torque-sensors/beamts.html

Thanks!

 

[HappyHighwayman]

I got Hydraulic disc brakes but didn;t realize the whole engine cutoff issue so I've ordered the Bafang magnetic engine cutoff.
Does the upgraded sensor make a big difference?

I've also added electric horn, X-grip for iPhone, rear lights, rack, and Maxxis Hookworms.

Finally, is it possible to add a stronger battery pack without replacing anything else?

 

[mrgold35]

Luna Cycles direct replacements with no modification that are plug and play with existing tray with standard 48v 11.5ah battery:

48V 13.5ah: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

52v 11.5ah or 13.ah: (Link Removed - No Longer Exists)

You will need to upgrade the battery charger to one that supports 52 volts if you go for the 52v version.

Standard battery: 48v X 11.5ah = 552 watts

Luna cycle 48v X 13.5ah = 648 watts (would be my choice for most bang for the buck)

Luna Cycle 52v X 11.5ah = 598 watts

Luna Cycle 52v X 13.5ah = 702 watts

 

[HappyHighwayman]

Sweet. Does 52v give "more power" vs 48 or is it all about longevity?

Just picked up my bike from shop, installed the proper 2.5" tubes and the new suspension seat post.

 

[mrgold35]

Folk said the 52V can feel a bit more powerful compared to the 48v with similar watts. The Radrover controller is strong enough to handle the extra voltage. It just having to purchase another charger for the 52v battery adds to the cost of the battery compared to just sticking with the Luna Cycle 48v+radrover charger.