# Electric Motor Kit For Upright Trike



## HMS_Dave (24 Aug 2019)

Hello all, Can anybody recommend a legal ebike system for a tricycle? Im a heavy guy - https://www.cyclechat.net/threads/obese-rider.252199/ and i need something that is road legal and powerful enough to help when i struggle. 

The idea behind the trike is to genuinely use it to replace a car in many cases so it will be functional and to lose weight and gain fitness. I think, if i stuck a 10000 watt motor on there from a ship winch it would struggle so my current research has lead me to a motor with as much torque as possible. Mid drive kits although more of a pain to fit than hub motors seem to hint at them having more torque but then the tricycle im looking at has a shimano nexus 7 internal hub gear so im worried about loading that with torque.

Does anybody have any suggestions can the shimano IHG do it? Is there a more torquey hub motor out there that im missing?

Thanks very much Ladies and Gents.


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## sleuthey (24 Aug 2019)

HMS_Dave said:


> I think, if i stuck a 10000 watt motor on there from a ship winch it would struggle so my current research has lead me to a motor with as much torque as possible.



10000 Watt! At typical e bike voltage (36v) that would be 278 amps! Are you working for MI6 special projects? Or will it be a stunt trike for the next Jonny English film?


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## HMS_Dave (24 Aug 2019)

sleuthey said:


> 10000 Watt! At typical e bike voltage (36v) that would be 278 amps! Are you working for MI6 special projects? Or will it be a stunt trike for the next Jonny English film?



I wish, Just being facetious. Although i think id be more Robbie Coltrane than Daniel Craig in the spy world...


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## numbnuts (24 Aug 2019)

I don't think a 250w motor is going to cut it to be honest and hills would be out of the question even with the lowest gearing.
Mine trike and all it's crap weights in at 42LB and I'm 170LB and on really steep hills 1 in 5 say I'm going up at 5-7 MPH and you can hear the motor labouring, if you tried it you may burn out the motor very quickly.


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## Pale Rider (24 Aug 2019)

Simplest conversion would be a front hub motor.

The BPM motor in this link is quite perky, some call it the Big Powerful Motor.

I've tried one in a push bike and it does pull well.

You won't know exactly what it will do for you unless you try it.

The retailer is UK based and has a good reputation.

Worth lifting the phone.

http://wooshbikes.co.uk/?hubkits


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## raleighnut (25 Aug 2019)

That BPM front wheel kit looks good, I've only got a 250w on my trike and it does 'labour' a bit on steeper hills, one thing though it only comes in 26" or 700c so you may need to fit a different fork, I had to but then the original fork ends were too thin to tighten the nut up due to the 'anti rotation' fitting on the axle.


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## HMS_Dave (25 Aug 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> Simplest conversion would be a front hub motor.
> 
> The BPM motor in this link is quite perky, some call it the Big Powerful Motor.
> 
> ...



The BPM motor looks good but it is stated as NOT road legal on their website due to it being 350 watts and it is marked as such. I understand there are those that fit big motors and never get caught, but i have a sneaking suspicion the law is going to find a way to catch up with these folk in due course due to the anti-cycling lobby being very chirpy. I know that id probably need a big motor due to weight and im unlikely to break any speed limits but as disagreeable as it is, it is still illegal. Im just wondering if there is a 250w motor that is gearing for torque rather than speed as most seem to want you to get to that 15.5 mph limit as fast as possible but i don't very much care about that...


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## raleighnut (25 Aug 2019)

HMS_Dave said:


> The BPM motor looks good but it is stated as NOT road legal on their website due to it being 350 watts and it is marked as such. I understand there are those that fit big motors and never get caught, but i have a sneaking suspicion the law is going to find a way to catch up with these folk in due course due to the anti-cycling lobby being very chirpy. I know that id probably need a big motor due to weight and im unlikely to break any speed limits but as disagreeable as it is, it is still illegal. Im just wondering if there is a 250w motor that is gearing for torque rather than speed as most seem to want you to get to that 15.5 mph limit as fast as possible but i don't very much care about that...


The XF 07 is 250w and looks similar to my 'cyclotricity' kit .


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## Pale Rider (26 Aug 2019)

HMS_Dave said:


> The BPM motor looks good but it is stated as NOT road legal on their website due to it being 350 watts and it is marked as such. I understand there are those that fit big motors and never get caught, but i have a sneaking suspicion the law is going to find a way to catch up with these folk in due course due to the anti-cycling lobby being very chirpy. I know that id probably need a big motor due to weight and im unlikely to break any speed limits but as disagreeable as it is, it is still illegal. Im just wondering if there is a 250w motor that is gearing for torque rather than speed as most seem to want you to get to that 15.5 mph limit as fast as possible but i don't very much care about that...



Staying on the right side of the law is not simple when it comes to power rating.

All motors - even nominally legal 250w ones - peak at about 600w when the controller demands full power.

That peaking is not really covered in the legislation.

The power cut-off is simpler, that must happen at 15.5mph, irrespective of the size of the motor.

Lots of 250w stickers online, there being no realistic way of checking a motor's power rating other than by looking at what, if anything, is marked on it.


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## keithmac (26 Aug 2019)

I think a Bafang BBS 02 or HD would be your best bet for a heavy rider and trike.

Although they are rated at 750w so technically not legal. 

Don't think Shimano STEPS, Bosch etc will have enough grunt..


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## voyager (26 Aug 2019)

We have just fitted this to a tadpole , 48v 12ah 250watt with torque sensors.
Impressed so far and an easy fit for under £700 from Woosh.

lots of support if needed

report below but try Woosh on line.
They will advise on fitting if you send a photo .

https://wheelsgo.net/tongsheng-tsdz2-mid-drive-motor-e-bike-conversion-kit/


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## voyager (26 Aug 2019)

our unit fitted to a tadpole


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## keithmac (26 Aug 2019)

I have a 36v 15ah TSDZ2 on my Hybrid MTB and it is a great bit of kit.


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## HMS_Dave (26 Aug 2019)

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've been doing some research on the motor ratings and its amazing that they can even come up with a wattage as a limit. It seems the watt ratings of the motors are only what they are tested at that are guaranteed not to overheat and have little to do with power for most part. Different motors have different windings which affect RPM and so torque/power and batteries and controllers.... Obviously, if on the side of the motor it says 'POWERFUL 1000W MOTOR' the police are going to nab you, but in testing, every motor is going to for a short time at least breach 250w and onwards close to a 1000w in high stress situations for some legal motors... Im no expert so if im talking rubbish please correct me but that seems crazy to me given the stringent legislation involved...


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## voyager (26 Aug 2019)

The regs are 250w continuous Peak power can go above this for short periods,
It is the controller that limits the power not the motor . A 250w max power system would be worse than useless .

Most 36v controllers are rated at 250w but with a current limit set around 15a max current limit (fold back current ) so that makes 540w max power a normal everyday viable power output.
The 15mph +/- 10% limit is the only realistically testable part of the specification.

Regards Emma


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## HMS_Dave (27 Aug 2019)

voyager said:


> The regs are 250w continuous Peak power can go above this for short periods,
> It is the controller that limits the power not the motor . A 250w max power system would be worse than useless .
> 
> Most 36v controllers are rated at 250w but with a current limit set around 15a max current limit (fold back current ) so that makes 540w max power a normal everyday viable power output.
> ...



Ahh I see, Thanks for that Emma.


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## Bad Machine (27 Aug 2019)

voyager said:


> We have just fitted this to a tadpole , 48v 12ah 250watt with torque sensors.
> Impressed so far and an easy fit for under £700 from Woosh.
> 
> lots of support if needed
> ...



+1 for Woosh being helpful. Their website of kits is here: http://wooshbikes.co.uk/cart/#/category/uid-3/cd-conversion-kits

Emma, which cables did you have to extend, and how ? The TSDZ2 kit as supplied is suited to DF frames with BB and Handlebars in "expected" places. Of course, recumbents are very different.....


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## voyager (27 Aug 2019)

to put the display low on the boom for folding we increased the speed sensors 3way cable by 80cm and the 5 way remote switch by 80cm as well . The Battery leads needed an extension just under 100cm to give enough slack for folding . The hardest part was trying to find 4" of straight 22mm bar to weld up a display mount whilst living 1/2 way up a welsh mountain


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## Bad Machine (27 Aug 2019)

SO - did you use extension cables , or did you splice the 3-way and the 5-way cables yourself >


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## voyager (27 Aug 2019)

Bad Machine said:


> SO - did you use extension cables , or did you splice the 3-way and the 5-way cables yourself >



extension cables are not available, Woosh did supply the cable and l spliced them all , we tidied it all up using spiral wrap


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