stuck on three

[kmccune]

Took the Eahora out today and was very satisfied with its performance with upgrade controller, I have given this bike away and today I found out a few things.I stopped and found some bags was picking up trash and realized I want an EBike that is closer to a pickup,I like upright riding position and sub 20 mph suites me fine.I am wondering how much trouble it is to mount a lower wattage middrive on a trike plus a 500 watt front wheel( dd hopefully for ebrake).
The etrikes are so expensive it.seems my best bet is to build one.The carrying capacity is really attractive to me,I carry stuff from job to job and to be able to not have to fire up an ICE powered truck interests me. Any thoughts?

 

[kmccune]

Which trike are you talking about?
Could you post a pic or give us a model name?

It's hard to imagine without knowing which bike we're discussing about

A recumbant would be suicide around here,I was thinking about converting a Schwinn Meridan or something similar.

 

[kmccune]

Yes, you can get home on the hubmotor if the chain breaks, my budget doesn't allow me the choice that some can afford,I want a 20-25 ah brick battery,upgraded brakes.
Thats a fantastic trike you found there, the ones I looked at started at around 2.5 K and some were headed to over $3K.
I really appreciate that by the time I got the driveline I wanted, battery and works it would have cost me over$1.5 K and having to round up and install everything( priceless) you can bet I bookmarked that site,thanks again. Checked out the "Kodiak" as well. looking at the bottom bracket I believe I could add a Tdz or a bafang mid drive( these hills are steep)

 

[kmccune]

ok so you wanna build something like this?

Is that your Schwinn?

 

[harryS]

Schwinn Meridians used to be about $300, but are out of stock at Walmart and the 3rd party sellers will rip you off for $599. You can still buy a non-Schwinn adult trike for under $300 there. Throw on a front hub kit for $200. Add your 36V battery 300 bucks. I don't know that I would want an upright trike set up for more than 12 mph. Wind up upside down on a turn.

 

[rich c]

I changed the chains on my mid drives at 2,500 miles. They still weren’t skipping and had never broken. I now have 3,100 miles on a second chain. That chain has never broken. All the talk of broken mid drive chains are from people passing along something they read, not experienced. Take advice from an actual rider with 3 eBikes with mid drives who has never broken a chain.

 

[kmccune]

so you want a mid motor and also hub motor just in case you snap a chain?

I think it would be more logical to 1) carry a chain repair kit or 2) just go with hub motor.

Climbing Hills is important, cell phones may or may not work here, we are close to the "Radio Quiet zone".

Schwinn Meridians used to be about $300, but are out of stock at Walmart and the 3rd party sellers will rip you off for $599. You can still buy a non-Schwinn adult trike for under $300 there. Throw on a front hub kit for $200. Add your 36V battery 300 bucks. I don't know that I would want an upright trike set up for more than 12 mph. Wind up upside down on a turn.

Yes, thats why top speed is not important to Me,I have had it with 30 plus bike speeds, collision with a "Whitetail Deer" would be fatal, traction comes into play as well especially when only one back wheel is driving.I do not know how well a standard hub motor would do in a field.
I had the fatire bike"big orange" up to 36 mph, it was scary.I do not heal as fast as I used to.

 

[kmccune]

Have you considered Grin Technologies All Axle?
They're very lightweight and it's direct drive.
I believe it's specifically designed for front wheel.

All-Axle Hub Motor - Grin Products - Product Info

The All Axle motor takes the simplicity and robustness of the direct drive hub motor, and optimizes it for the modern bike platform. This hub is fully compatible with all quick release and thru-axle bike forks, it is over 30% lighter than standard generic hubs of similar power (4kg vs 6kg), and...

ebikes.ca

Grin tech is pretty expensive, Justin can be commended for His Work. If I had more money to throw around I would probably use their products.

 

[kmccune]

Watched Justin's review and endorsement must say He makes a good case, Kiss always comes to mind when contemplating a build. And DD hub motors are pretty straight forward bang for buck makes it hard to justify.
What I am interested in now is generic belt drives, there is simply no reason for the gates system to be so expensive. I have seen Hydraulic systems on bikes( can see no advantage) why don't we have motor gen-sets on bikes utilizing super caps and small batteries,I am just not a "cassette" lover no matter how cool they look. The big advantage on a trike as I see it, is simply more room and due to the low speeds, other issues go away. What I am afraid of is the screamer e-bikes are going to affect the whole industry with more restrictions, those youtube videos of "nuts screaming by old folks, pets and children at 30 mph is for a word scary. One of my Uncles was killed by a motorcycle hitting Him( He was hard of hearing),I realize that has little to do with the "price of rice in China" it just illustrates the fact that more paths and trails may be closed to E-Bikes in the future.
As used to be said"stay safe out there".