Electric bike maintenance...

[degrom]

What kind of maintenance would you have on an electric bike?

I don't think they would need oil changes... :dodge:

Suspension will have it's normal maintenance after a few years or so.

What about the electric motor,will it need a lot of maintenance?

[bobsmith]

It would depend on what kind of motor it has?

I would think brushless motor wouldn't need any maintanence while brushed motor would need the brush changed once in a while... not often though.

[Smokin]

The extension cord would need regular inspection.

[degrom]

The extension cord would need regular inspection.

LOL... Lets say it uses proper batteries. Batteries will also be on the check list...

But if there are no real maintenance on a electric bike. What are the bike shops going to do if there is not work for them?

[Dodgyiti]

The Vetrex (or is it Vetrix?) scooter claims maintenance free with battery replacement at around 4 years.

[Coyote]

Might have to change transmission fluid if it was 2-3 speed with a clutch

[degrom]

Might have to change transmission fluid if it was 2-3 speed with a clutch

Yes... Some of them only have one gear because the torque is from start to stop... Not like a normal motor :)

[Coyote]

Yes... Some of them only have one gear because the torque is from start to stop... Not like a normal motor :)
But a good Electric bike would have a clutch that you could drop for fast starts on one wheel, and they would have a low gear and a high/overdrive gear to get the most out of the motor

[davereid]

I had a fella bring one into the shop for me to look at. Still plenty of things to maintain - tyres, brakes, bearings, etc etc. It had a brushless DC motor and a 48 volt DC battery bank. Batteries were sealed so you couldn't do anything on them. Brushless motor seemed like a good idea in theory, but I'd prefer a traditional DC motor. Thats because brushes are cheap and easy to deal with. A brushless DC motor is actually an AC motor, with expensive and un-repairable electronics doing a DC to AC conversion. Just sounded suss to me ! Had no transmission - motor was built into rear hub.

[degrom]

I had a fella bring one into the shop for me to look at. Still plenty of things to maintain - tyres, brakes, bearings, etc etc. It had a brushless DC motor and a 48 volt DC battery bank. Batteries were sealed so you couldn't do anything on them. Brushless motor seemed like a good idea in theory, but I'd prefer a traditional DC motor. Thats because brushes are cheap and easy to deal with. A brushless DC motor is actually an AC motor, with expensive and un-repairable electronics doing a DC to AC conversion. Just sounded suss to me ! Had no transmission - motor was built into rear hub.

Yes... I have seen those scooters. Isn't the AC motor's smaller or stronger?

[Hellraiser]

They would work better with an EC motor which uses power way more effishiently than both AC & DC motors

[degrom]

They would work better with an EC motor which uses power way more effishiently than both AC & DC motors

What does the E stand for?

[Smokin]

What does the E stand for?



Electronically Commutated.

Google made me sound intelligent for just a moment. :yes:

[degrom]

Electronically Commutated.

Google made me sound intelligent for just a moment. :yes:

Okay wise ass!!! What did Google say,makes this thing different?

My Google has divorced me... :shit:

[Smokin]

Ere ya go then chap.

Click me (http://www.energyideas.org/topics/default.cfm?s_qmr=20&s_qob=title&o=h,t,ts,f,fs,ds&c=h,t,18,f,1,3196)

[davereid]

Series wound DC motors are almost ideal for transport applications. They produce the most torque when they are stalled, they will spin to untold rpm - no gearbox needed, and they turn into generators when over-run, so regenerative braking is easy. I assume the EC idea would work for them.

[Jantar]

No, series wound and EC are mutually exclusive. To be series wound the field current is taken directly from the stator via brushes.

I would agree that a series wound DC motor would be best for motorcycle use and would eliminate the need for a gearbox. There is always a BUT: Controlling that DC current would require some pretty meaty electronics, so would be expensive compared to EC.

[Pixie]

Polish and lubricate the electrons every 5000 km

[Pixie]

Electronically Commutated.

Google made me sound intelligent for just a moment. :yes:

Brushless,Duh