Travelanche ( Exess HP-180 ) mods for the better

[greeno]

Not sure how many people are riding an Exess HP-180 ( Wattwagon Travelanche ) but here's a few tips now to save you any grief later.

1. Make sure when you run your dropper post cable that you leave some slack ( a loop ) down low in between where it exits the seattube and enters the upper outer housing area. I originally pulled mine in tight and it rubbed against the shock collar and wore away the plastic down to the stranded wires and actually wore away the metal on the shock itself.

2. Typically run a 203 rotor up front and a 180 on the back and that works fine for me but more is better right. So when I installed a 203 on the rear the brake hose mounting screw was exactly aligned with my cadence sensor magnet on my spoke. Moving the spoke mag up or down on the spoke ( farther distance from sensor to magnet ) and trying to ride I would loose power after a minute or so. Standard result on the bafang cadence sensor. It will work for a short period of time and then shut down if it doesn't get a proper signal. So I made a adadpter bracket out of some aluminum and screwed it into the frame mounting insert after countersinking the backside of the adadpter to fit flush because of the protruding threaded insert lip and then drilled and tapped a hole for the sensor body screw to mount the sensor itself closer inside the chainstay thus allowing me to line up perfectly the spoke mag.

Love the bike. Like all builds from scratch a work in progress.

 

[FlatSix911]

Not sure how many people are riding an Exess HP-180 ( Wattwagon Travelanche ) but here's a few tips now to save you any grief later.

1. Make sure when you run your dropper post cable that you leave some slack ( a loop ) down low in between where it exits the seattube and enters the upper outer housing area. I originally pulled mine in tight and it rubbed against the shock collar and wore away the plastic down to the stranded wires and actually wore away the metal on the shock itself.
2. Typically run a 203 rotor up front and a 180 on the back and that works fine for me but more is better right. So when I installed a 203 on the rear the brake hose mounting screw was exactly aligned with my cadence sensor magnet on my spoke. Moving the spoke mag up or down on the spoke ( farther distance from sensor to magnet ) and trying to ride I would loose power after a minute or so. Standard result on the bafang cadence sensor. It will work for a short period of time and then shut down if it doesn't get a proper signal. So I made a adadpter bracket out of some aluminum and screwed it into the frame mounting insert after countersinking the backside of the adadpter to fit flush because of the protruding threaded insert lip and then drilled and tapped a hole for the sensor body screw to mount the sensor itself closer inside the chainstay thus allowing me to line up perfectly the spoke mag.
Love the bike. Like all builds from scratch a work in progress.View attachment 76572 View attachment 76573View attachment 76574View attachment 76575View attachment 76576

Well done on the mods!

 

[reed scott]

I thought the spoke magnet was supposed to line up with the flat sort of elongated part of the sensor.

 

[greeno]

Never thought of that. Maybe I'm wrong. Anyone know for sure? That would make more sense as the end is just the mounting screw.

 

[reed scott]

Gee whilikers. Hope I’m right. Little noob me actually knowing something greeno didn’t. Crazy. %^)

 

[greeno]

Tried to find some info on mounting and alignment but nada. Going to go with Reed's theory on using the flat portion to line up with the spoke mag. I still will use the spacer as it originally bolted up directly to the chainstay and had a fair bit of distance between the sensor and mag. Thanks for the tip.

 

[FlatSix911]

I thought the spoke magnet was supposed to line up with the flat sort of elongated part of the sensor.

Correct... here is a Bosch example.

 

[reed scott]

While we're on the subject. It seems to me that little magnet, held on by one screw is a definite weak point. Do any of you carry a spare? Do you use blue locktite on that screw?

 

[McCorby]

Shimano‘s alignment. They all seem to be a little different.

 

[McCorby]

While we're on the subject. It seems to me that little magnet, held on by one screw is a definite weak point. Do any of you carry a spare? Do you use blue locktite on that screw?

No spare or Loctite for me. I do check them whenever I perform chain maintenance. I have never had an issue with one coming loose or falling off. Ymmv.

 

[Deacon Blues]

I have a cheap speedo/computer on my road bike, which has a little magnet attached to one of the spokes on the front wheel and it lines up with a sending unit on the fork. It's been on the bike for 7200km and I've never had to touch it.

 

[FlatSix911]

While we're on the subject. It seems to me that little magnet, held on by one screw is a definite weak point.
Do any of you carry a spare? Do you use blue locktite on that screw?

I use blue Loctite... always a good idea.

 

[greeno]

Confirmation allways a nice thing. The sensor (Bafang) that came with my motor has no arrow so the flat portion will have to do. I did replace the screw that came with the spoke mag with an allen head screw so I could tighten it correctly. Use blue loctite also. And carry a spare in my growing bigger every day water pack bag I wear on rides.
I know with the older style I had with my hardtail (BBSHD) the sensor mount was plastic and would occasionally break. We even tiewrapped a stick on the chainstay with the sensor to get a guy home from the outback. You can jumper two of the wires together in the plug portion to defeat the sensor input as most of you know the motor will shut down after a short time if it doesent see any cadence signal. Thanks for the instruction manual pic