Electric Bicycle (Ver 2.oh)...
Currie Technologies - Electro Drive...
Summer/Fall 2005
This has been my
"Ride" since the spring of 2002 sporadically as the bike saw fit to
run... This is a 1974 TC-125 Prospector, truly a vintage bike...
As I've had no
drivers License since 2000 I've found a certain moral flexibility that has given
me the ability to sneak out for the occasional fishing trip, or visit to nearby
neighbours via the serpentine back roads that weave for miles in all directions.
But at this point
with a field of view that approximates less then 5 degrees, even I have
reservations on whether there was an undue risk involved, so I opted to part
with this machine for my own safety...
The problem with a
bike that can go 70 Mph is that you invariably find yourself going 70Mph, even
when you've resolved to stay between 40 and 50...
I felt that I was
pushing my luck more than was prudent, and it was just a matter of time before
"Johnny-Law" got wise to my outings as well.
The sale of the Suzuki
partly funded the purchase of a Currie Technologies - Electro Drive System for a
bike I purchased soon after losing my license.
The Suzuki was a
major influence in my NOT using the bicycle, but also the fact that we live in
very hilly country has had an impact as well.
I'd also have to
admit that a liberal amount of laziness also plays a role...
The Currie Kit,
was selected after almost a year of browsing and researching the various options
that are available... A few years back I'd built an electric bike from scratch,
with rather poor results, but I did go so far as to design the motor controller
from scratch... (Click Here for that
saga...)
But that
experience was very helpful in determining what made for a good system and what
did-not...
The main choices
were friction vs direct drive, external vs hub motors, and full drive vs pedal
assist.
The Currie
Electro-Drive is a direct drive, external motor, full assist system. I think
that the Currie kit has a mechanically solid product. The system uses a planetary
gear and chain drive reduction unit that bolts into place easily. The numerous
reviews that I'd read were generally positive and the product has been around
for long enough to have some history.
Like the Suzuki???
- it ain't... But it is a lot of fun to use but in a much quieter and slower way
(which is probably for the best, as I'd like to keep this web-site going for
awhile longer)
This bike is a
Y-Framed full-suspension unit and that has posed some minor problems in mounting
the battery & controller pack.
The solution was
to use a rear rack, but that also was problematic in that the rack I scavenged
was from a 20" wheeled British Raleigh made in the mid 70's...
The rack itself is
beautifully die cast in aluminum. light as a feather, and Swiss made.
This is the 450W
motor and drive assembly mounted in place. All parts appear to be very precisely
machined, it is quiet and freewheels un-powered without any perceptible
drag.
There are 600W,
750W and even monstrous 1Kw after-market motor's available for this
system. As well custom pinion gears that can offer great torque for hill
climbing or greater speeds for flat road riding.
This view is from
the rear side of the motor drive assy.
Also pictured are
one of the tabs that I made to extend the strut height to allow the rack to
clear the taller wheel.
As I simply wanted
to just use the unit and hit the road, I wasn't too concerned about making it
pretty (that can wait till the snow flies...)
The rear
suspension required that I fabricate the rather ugly bracket to the right to
support the front of the rack and ensure an element of rigidity (as American
Chopper is one of the few TV shows that I'll watch, I was able to put those many
hours of viewing to good use.)
This is the dis-assembled
Battery & Controller box... The controller is a marvel of compactness, 24VDC
of 40Amp pulse width modulation with thermal shut-down and
"Safe-Start" technology.
But as life is a
variable proposition at the best of times, the controller is pulled out due to a
failure rather than any curiosity on my part... Rather I'd had my fill of
tinkering with the original Ebike, and was looking forward to a reliable piece
of gear that simply worked when I needed it.
The purchase of
this kit is a web-site unto itself, but the short story is that after a summer
of supply shortages of Currie products I found a dealer in Vancouver that had
stock... In the course of negotiating the purchase, he told me that he was going
to fly to Ottawa the next weekend, and would gladly bring the kit along (saving
me $50 in shipping)...
This was just
fantastic as we were scheduled to go to Ottawa that week and the hook-up was
painless.
The only problem
was that the controller died after less than 15KM on the first charge of the
batteries... My dealer (required to get warranty coverage) was going to be on
holidays for 2 weeks...
My initial thought
was to pack the whole thing-up, and return it to the (Visiting) dealer in
Ottawa, but this didn't sit quite right with me as I know that
"out-of-box" failures are possible and the dealer would now be stuck
lugging the damn thing back to Vancouver. I opted to call Currie directly in
California to see if things could be resolved directly... Initially it appeared
to be outside the realm of "Normal Operating Procedure" but, after
calmly explaining the situation and the relative newness of the unit Currie bent
the rules and have one on it's way to me (as I write)...
Although I have to
pay the shipping to get it, I'm more than impressed that they simply didn't tell
me to wait for the dealer to return to his shop (that would have been a colossal
waste of time and transport fuel - Renfrew to Vancouver to Calif & then back
again...)
I've already
started to look for a heavier controller, but will hold-off until I see how the
replacement unit stands-up. In all fairness to Currie, I can accept that this
unit's failure was just a fluke, though the fuse is still intact, and the
thermal Shut-down circuit appears to have been a bit slow to react. I'm still committed
to giving this unit a fair shake as the mechanical drive assembly looks
bullet-proof. But my gut feeling is that once a car, motorcycle (or whatever)
has left me in a lurch, my confidence in the unit is shot and the process of
rebuilding that trust is a long road.
Anybody with
similar experience with controller failure on a Currie Electro-drive kit (2005)
please feel free to email me, as well as anybody that has found a solid
replacement they would recommend (or send !!!) ...
The cost of this
kit after taxes was $750 CDN, which is far more than I ever thought I'd spend on
what essentially may appear as a frivolous item, but it is my only form of
transport and if fully functional will be worth every cent. All of the
"Peak-Oil" and environmental hoopla are just bonus at this point...