How do I By Pass the electric controller ??

[will_start]

Hi All,

I recently purchased an electric bike:

http://www.motoredbikes.com/showthread.php?t=14681
See here for pics and details of the website.

I was told by the shop guy that its possible to bypass the speed controller.
To increase the max speed of the bike from 26km/hr up to like 50km/hr.

How would I safely do this is what I'd like to know ??

Safely being, as far as not affecting the warranty on the bike.
Safely being, how to not affect the longevity of the motor.

Any input gladly taken. I've searched for the details
of the bike online, but couldn't find them.

I'm happy to look further inside the bikes electrics if needed.

I'd rather not ask the shop guy, as he put his job on the line
by telling me in the first place.

[ozzyu812]

Without seeing it it s hard to say exactly what to do.
Maybe someone at www.endless-sphere.com has that model and has done it.

200w limit in AU. I used to want to move there. LOL
If I was there I'd have more powerful parts imported. Then gut that bike and start over. Do they have watt sniffing dogs at customs?

[will_start]

Without seeing it it s hard to say exactly what to do.
Maybe someone at www.endless-sphere.com has that model and has done it.

200w limit in AU. I used to want to move there. LOL
If I was there I'd have more powerful parts imported. Then gut that bike and start over. Do they have watt sniffing dogs at customs?

Hey Ozzy,

Thanks for the reply.
I'll search that site. I did buy a 1500W bike before, which had some issues,
whilst not legal here, there are no Wattage Dogs on the road.

The only issue with going over the wattage, is if you have an at your fault accident, then insurance won't pay you anything, as you were doing
something illegal. (thats my view, right or wrong).

I'll have to open up the cover and see if there's a model on the circuit board.

The guy at the bike shop said, "Its on the Internet..."

[skyl4rk]

You probably need to buy a new controller. He may have been talking about connecting the batteries directly to the motor, but thats not really practical.

[will_start]

Hey Skyl4rk,

I think you're right, he said you can use some relays to bypass the controller.

Why is it not practical ?
Will it burn out the motor.

The bike does hit its top speed of 26km/hr then the motor cuts out.
I know its got more in there, I'd love to get to 40km/hr,
but not at the expense of the motor...

[skyl4rk]

Hey Skyl4rk,

I think you're right, he said you can use some relays to bypass the controller.

Why is it not practical ?
Will it burn out the motor.

If you put a switch in parallel with the controller on the positive wire, to bypass the controller, you might be able to get more speed. Will it burn out your motor? Possibly. However if you are going more than 10 miles per hour it will probably be ok. Don't bypass while standing still or moving slow and you will reduce the risk of motor or controller damage.

[will_start]

Hey Sky,

Ok, that's the start of a plan. Seems like the risk is not worth the benefit.
It also seems like a controller is needed that will do what you describe,
as the switch idea is not practical for riding.

any idea where i could get a controller that will turn on at a set speed ?

[Ypedal]

First thing you need to figure out is if it's a " Brushed " or a " Brushless " motor.

If it's BRUSHED : the motor will only have 2 wires, + and - , hook these babies up to a battery directly and away she goes.. reverse the polarity and it goes in reverse.

If it's BrushLESS : You absolutely need a controller. The wires that exit the motor will be 3 x thicker wires and 5 more " Hall " position sensor wires.. 3 wires means you can't just use 2 on + and -.. it requires electronicly controlled timing only possible with a controller.

Both motors.. will spin faster if you add more voltage, ( More batteries in series ) .. Voltage = RPM

If you hook up a Brushed motor direct to a battery , with a simple ON / Off switch, the motor will suck as many amps as possible to try and get up to cruising speed.. this will drain your battery FAST if you flip the switch when you are going slow, it will heat up the motor, wear the brushes faster, and all that fun stuff.. possible.. not advisable.

Either way, you can get a higher voltage controller for both brushed and brushless motors... but lets start with what motor you got.

Report back.

[will_start]

Hey YPedal,

Thanks for the answer:

Here's the web details on the bike:

http://www.electricbicycle.com.au/cruiser_elite.html
It says its Brushless.
200W High Efficiency Brushless Motor.

I only travel short-distances at the moment, under 10km.
So battery life is not that big a deal.

Whats the next step ?

[Ypedal]

Stock 36v.. hmm..

Most. and i repeat.. " most " 36v brushless controllers will survive at 48v, this means simply adding a 12v in series ( you also need a 12v charger for the extra battery ) . Crystalyte controllers can handle this.. so do wilderness energy.

Does the throttle have an " LED " status light ? ( it will not display correctly at 48v if you have an led throttle .. you can snip the led wire to disable it )

Can you locate the controller on the bike ? ( black box.. or silver. ) any model number.. stickers of any sorts etc.. ?

Does the motor have any markings ?