Would like to go faster!

No. Not that it matters, it's not like the bike and its current motor can push it faster than 22 or 23 MPH anyway. Because, physics...
Text from one of my favorite bumper stickers:
Physics; not just a good idea…It's The Law

Also, with regard to speed sensing, my Optibike has one of these Hall effect sensors on the left chain stay and a corresponding magnet on one of the rear spokes. They tell the controller how fast the Grey Ghost is going. I've heard of folks moving the magnet and sensor to hack or trick the controller into thinking the bike is going slower than it really is, allowing the motor to push it faster. But if you do that, then your indicated speed and odometer readings on the display are wrong. I'm pretty sure a lot of eBikes use such a system. I don't know if your Rad Rovers have these or not:

IMG_0365.jpg
Allen
 
20151113_175209.jpg
Could the difference in speed be attributed to the controller? The picture is of my controller. I googled the number at the bottom and came across this thread (https://endless-sphere.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=70738).

One of the posts said "Code 16 is about 256 rpm at 48v, which is 19 mph no-load speed. With a fully charged battery, you can get a no-load speed of 21.5 mph, which would give about 20 mph on the road"

If you compare my controller specs to the specs on the Radpower's website, you'll see that my rated current is lower-11A- versus the 15A on the specs. If the speed difference is because of the different controller, not cool, Radpower.
 
That controller will allow 1 kW to the motor.. That is enough to power the bike well over 25 mph in pedal assist mode, or throttle if you could bypass governor.

Need to find out what the battery BMS limits are.. These inexpensive bikes have batteries that have limited output power.
 
@JoePah, are you saying the controller allows 1kW to the motor because of the 22A maximum current? What's the difference between the "maximum current" and "rated current?" When I gun it, the wattmeter never goes above the low 800 watts, so it seems like there is some sort of limit... I'm also one of the people that can't get above 20 mph even though I have the maximum speed of 24.85 mph.

The specs on the website say the battery is "48V 11.6Ah Li-ion with 30 Amp Continuous BMS." Shouldn't that allow even more than 1kW?
 
@JoePah, are you saying the controller allows 1kW to the motor because of the 22A maximum current? What's the difference between the "maximum current" and "rated current?" When I gun it, the wattmeter never goes above the low 800 watts, so it seems like there is some sort of limit... I'm also one of the people that can't get above 20 mph even though I have the maximum speed of 24.85 mph.

The specs on the website say the battery is "48V 11.6Ah Li-ion with 30 Amp Continuous BMS." Shouldn't that allow even more than 1kW?

From way back in high school physics, W = A x V, so at 11A output and 48V, you're looking at a normal 528 watts output. Max output of the controller looks like 1,056 watts, but you're right - there is an 800 watt limit according to my lcd display.

I'm no expert, but what is the bottleneck on making the RR faster? The battery has a 30A fuse, but it seems like a higher amp controller could use battery power faster and allow higher speeds. Anybody look into replacing the controller?
 
Not sure I believe those battery BMS specs apply to your battery, since that would allow a power output of 1.5 kW, but just assume it's correct.

Maybe Your LCD setting is limiting the current output? Time to call the manufacturer.
 
Based on our findings here:

- Controller is good for 1 KW+, so we don't need to worry about that.
- Current display has speed limit set @ 24mph (40kph on display).
- Stock battery is good for 48V @ 11.x A, or approx 800W peak output (as indicated on stock display/controller).

Potential solutions for turbocharging the existing setup:

- 52v Panasonic 11.5ah or 13.5ah Dolphin battery
- Display upgrade to a KT-LCD3 which doesn't have the speed governor (gains potential temperature reading @ motor as well)
- 11-34 7speed mega-range cassette (mechanically limits speed by not limiting human power input)

check lunacycle.com for some of these.. or ebikes.ca

So far only the cassette swap is verified - the battery should work (48V controllers have the tolerance to handle 52V batteries typically). The KT-LCD3 is the main question - it appears the default RadRover display is a cousin of the KT-LCD3.
 
Isn't all this moot because of the windings of the motor itself?

What you list sounds correct, and I think we'd see faster acceleration, but I do not think the motor is wound for more RPMs than what it currently provides. It just sort of peters out at the top end of the speed range.

Is the KT-LCD3 a plug and play controller? If so, I will order one today and let you know how it changes things.
 
See if there is an input for the tire size.. If you can change it to say a 20 inch tire you can fool the electronic governor and get it to spin faster... Of course your mph and odo indications will be all screwed up.
 
See if there is an input for the tire size.. If you can change it to say a 20 inch tire you can fool the electronic governor and get it to spin faster... Of course your mph and odo indications will be all screwed up.

I've done that, and top speed doesn't change. The speedo shows 12 mph or so, but the power drops off and the actual speed stops right where it always does at around 22-23 mph. I think the motor just won't spin any faster.
 
Well then it's a computer control issue.. That bike battery and controller should be more than capable of exceeding 25 mph. Shite, I hit 25 mph yesterday on my single speed pedal bike, and I'm an old fat guy@@!
 
Like I said before.. Time to contact the manufacturer. Your bike is capable. Or maybe call someone like Luna cycles.. They will probably want to sell you a new controller.
 
My Sondors was also doing 20mph top speed, I installed the KT-LCD3 which has a much more powerful software enabling you to set the speed limiter to 72kph I think the Radrover was 42? I set the wheel diameter to 29, enabled the maximum current draw that the controller can allow, enable cruise control, and I now have 5 level of PAS. This LCD was a total game changer for the Sondors and my top speed now is 23mph throttle only, 27mph if I pedal really hard.
 
The new KT-LCD3 arrived from Lunacycle, but I'm not having any luck with it.

It plugs in fine, but the power won't stay on. It lights up when I press the power button, but that's all. It won't remain on when I let the button go.

I'm working with Luna to see if it is a bad part or just not compatible.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpeg
    image.jpeg
    1.4 MB · Views: 894
Back