The Hub is here!

2000 watt rear hub

Today was a monumental day at Watts Up!  It has been a few weeks since we ordered the motor and controller, the anticipation was that of a child waiting to open a beautifully wrapped birthday gift.  The parts were sitting at the doorstep when I returned from work, it took me just a few minutes to rip open the boxes and make my way to the shop to begin the install. 

The new hub and controller are able to function with voltages from 36 to 72 volts DC.  I will be using 48 volts for this upgrade however if I chose, I have the ability to step up to 72 volts to increase power and reduce amperage.  The change to 72v will require two additional lithium batteries, a different charger and reprogramming the motor controller but it will make this bike a freak on wheels.  The hub was designed to deliver 40 mph at 72 volts!  After initial test rides, I can tell that the current configuration will offer more speed than I will comfortably want.

Seven speed freewheel

The stock hub had an internal seven speed shifter and one 19 tooth sprocket, however I had the new power hub shipped with a seven speed freewheel.  I currently intend to find a good sprocket combination and use it as a single speed drive.   When installed, I put the chain on the 3rd sprocket (15 tooth sprocket) just to see how this works, I may move it down to the next smaller size to increase speed while pedaling.  Lucky for me, there are not many hills to climb between my shop and client vessels, one speed should work just fine.  A derailleur system can also be added if I feel the need.

Solar charger, two AGM batteries, 4 lithium batteries,
AGM selector switch 48 v charger and the motor controller

The majority of the electrical had been installed previously, the solar panel, charge controller and the primary/secondary battery banks.  I had one glitch with my initial plan, the 1000 watt inverter that I have had in my shop failed to work when I installed it.  I will have to locate a new one before my "off grid" charging system will work as designed.

The install of the controller (Black box located at the far upper right of the photo) was fairly simple, add power from the batteries, install the throttle control (not shown) on the handle bars and install the power wires to the rear hub.  I used #10 gauge wire to insure that it could handle the amperage needed from the controller to the hub.

Tomorrow I will be doing some speed trials and endurance testing to see how she stacks up.  Stay tuned for data, more photos and some videos of the ride.  Wheee dogggie!