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IS IT A 750 WATT MOTOR OR NOT???

Started by Bob Rivera, October 14, 2020, 07:31:07 PM

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Altema

Hey Jim, no worries. My first stage was just the 22A controller and the monochrome LCD display (KT-LCD3). I upgraded from the 22A to the 35A controller after that, but kept the same display, and the rest of the bike was completely stock. I never had the color display, so I have no comment on daylight visibility. My mods are on a RadMini 4 (2021 version), and the only change I made to the wiring is t extend the cable for the display. The wire coming out of the controller for this is a bit short on the RadMini, and although I made it work by suspending it with a cable ties below where it was supposed to go, I eventually ended up making the cable longer.

The 35A controller is water resistant, and with it mounted so the wires were on the bottom, I had no problems riding in the rain or spraying the controller directly with the hose. You won't "need" the box, but if you do get one, the controller is big enough to soak up lots of heat before it has any issue. Mine never overheated, and the only issue associated with it getting wet is the label coming off.

I've had no issue with the wheel taking the extra torque. The rim is double walled and the spokes are 12 gauge stainless stell, so pretty heavy duty. I did have to adjust some of the spokes, but that was due to me doing small jumps, and encountering a huge hidden hole in the grass while riding off road at high speed (my rear end hurt for hours!). Regarding torque; my new motor puts out 104nm of torque at 2000 watts, and the wheel and bike handles it fine. Rad's are overbuilt, and the only special precautions I took with the new motor is preloading the axle in the frame, and adding an extra torque washer.

Below are some pictures of the 35A controller and display on my bike.

Altema

Additional photos (would not let me post on prior message).

JimInPT

#32
Quote from: Altema on October 09, 2021, 10:06:02 PM
Below are some pictures of the 35A controller and display on my bike.

Thank you very much!  I did some more digging and turned up your review thread on this from a year or so ago - well done and informative.  Glad to find that the noise issue is somewhat improved in the 35A vs the 25A controller.   I think I'm still capable of cutting/splicing/shrinkwrapping cables, but hope I don't have to, and don't have a controller to cannibalize - will keep the existing hardware intact as spares.  I plan to pull the new cable in place of the existing one, through the inside of the frame (the ST is different from the Mini4 in that respect) and it sounds like it might be a problem, but we'll see.  If I'm lucky, the path length of the ST might even be a bit shorter than the stepover Mini4, but the ST controller mounts behind the seat post, negating some of that.   I suppose I'll know more in three months when it's supposed to ship to me.

My MiniST performs sufficiently-well for my needs; an upgrade is desirable only for those occasions where I'd like a little extra torque help doing hill climbs.  The Mini can do them now, but a couple hills in our town are a severe challenge even with 750w and pedaling to the best of my aging ability in 2nd or even 1st gear.  I usually just take different routes around them.
Shucks Ma'am, I'm no "Hero Member", I just like to wear this cape.

Altema

I also kept my original controller and display intact, just in case, and I might use it to build a new e-bike. I cleaned out our shed and garage months ago, threw away 6 partial bikes, and I regret it now!

I'm surprised the new controller is going to take that long to arrive, but once it's in, you won't need to go around those hills 😊
One of the nicer features of the 35A controller is the cruise control. Although I felt it took too long to engage, it works really well... far better than the attempted cruise control on the Phaserunner.

JimInPT

#34
Quote from: Altema on October 10, 2021, 12:32:18 PM
I also kept my original controller and display intact, just in case, and I might use it to build a new e-bike. I cleaned out our shed and garage months ago, threw away 6 partial bikes, and I regret it now!

I'm surprised the new controller is going to take that long to arrive, but once it's in, you won't need to go around those hills 😊
One of the nicer features of the 35A controller is the cruise control. Although I felt it took too long to engage, it works really well... far better than the attempted cruise control on the Phaserunner.

Yes, the Bolton website is currently quoting Jan 2022 shipments.  That's ok; I don't think I'll make the mod until after the warranty expires on the bike in March, if I can stand to wait, and I do like the option for cruise control when distance traveling.  Snow on the ground might help ease that urge to make changes before warranty expiration; so far the bike's been pretty flawless.

Maybe you can help me understand what comes with the upgrade, after I had a bit more thought   Would I re-use the existing cable that runs between the stock controller and the stock display - is the connector the same at both ends for the upgrade display and controller?  If so, no length problems for the ST model, I think, unless I'm misidentifying the cables without cutting the wireties under the frame.

Bolton's website page for the upgrade is lacking in details, I think; a photo of all the parts in the kit would be nice - if it includes a cable to run along the frame between controller and display (meaning I wouldn't be reusing the existing cable), I might indeed have a length problem.  Is that what you found in the box - a long extension cable between them, with different-from-stock connectors, or just the short pigtails on each part that reuse existing frame wiring?

It would also be nice if Bolton had a printable set of details about all the various parameters that can be set and/or changed in the programming.  Kyle helpfully includes recommended settings, and his video goes into more detail, but I think I'll be making my own reference sheet for tuning after installation.

Thanks again!
Shucks Ma'am, I'm no "Hero Member", I just like to wear this cape.

Altema

The kit has a pigtail on the display and controller, and you use the existing wiring. At one point in my testing, I had two controllers on the bike, and just turned it off and swapped connections for the tests!

If you like, I have a complete list of controller settings (more complete than the manual), and I can send those to you when you are ready. I had to experiment and find out some of their functions because nobody knew, but the bike worked very well with them.

JimInPT

#36
Quote from: Altema on October 10, 2021, 09:56:10 PM
The kit has a pigtail on the display and controller, and you use the existing wiring. At one point in my testing, I had two controllers on the bike, and just turned it off and swapped connections for the tests!

If you like, I have a complete list of controller settings (more complete than the manual), and I can send those to you when you are ready. I had to experiment and find out some of their functions because nobody knew, but the bike worked very well with them.

Well, that's a relief!  As I hoped it would be.  Should be no issue at all for the ST then, as the cable to the display exits the frame just below the controller, and the existing controller pigtail is longer than necessary, coiled up with a ziptie - the upgrade should be the same.  I recall your mention of two controllers strapped together for testing; that's about as simple as it could be - thanks for the update.

Sure, I'd love to have your info on settings, but don't make extra effort; I've watched Kyle's video from 2018 I think, and that was pretty clear, so I figured I'd rewatch it and just make notes for reference, if the controller design hasn't changed.

Thanks again.
Shucks Ma'am, I'm no "Hero Member", I just like to wear this cape.

JimInPT

#37
Quote from: Altema on October 10, 2021, 09:56:10 PM
If you like, I have a complete list of controller settings (more complete than the manual), and I can send those to you when you are ready. I had to experiment and find out some of their functions because nobody knew, but the bike worked very well with them.

Small breakthrough - I found a complete programming settings manual, I think, and it seems to be for the models we use (I expect the settings apply to your non-color display version as well):

https://www.emotoer.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/KT-LCD8H.pdf

it's linked from https://www.emotoer.com/kt-lcd8h-display/

Haven't read every page, but it looks complete albeit in "Chinglish" so a little interpretation will be needed.

The equivalent product page https://www.emotoer.com/kt-lcd3-display/ for the non-color KT-LCD3 display only links to the basic, simple 2-page settings document, not a full manual like the one above.

By the way, does the taillight-flashing feature work with the 35A controller?  You know, when you push the button on the bottom of the light assembly it flashes for visibility, whether or not the headlight is turned on?  I remember to activate that almost every time I ride, although I've also added one of these (which is terrific and HIGHLY recommended, strapped up high to the spring assembly frame on the underside of my Cloud 9 seat): https://amzn.to/30TQWpu
Shucks Ma'am, I'm no "Hero Member", I just like to wear this cape.

Altema

I believe the flashing feature does work same as stock. I tried it once or twice.

mbates50

When you receive the kit from Bolton you will find an install sheet as well as recommended settings.