After 3000mi and almost 2 years of ownership, here are the modifications I've done to my Rad Runner. I've tried to keep everything OEM+ and as minimal as possible, focusing on safety and usability.


Front Brake Caliper Setup
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cJOq8EGjvmUDCNFwiwmbjG4bkK35GMDb/view?usp=sharing

Rear Brake Caliper Setup
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V6ZLV7Z4wnNM6brJHC_zDy-mhYGgavOS/view?usp=sharing

Rear Brake Lever and Shifter Setup (same lever on both sides)


Horn Button with 3d Printed mount


Horn


Horn Electronics (battery, charge circuit)


- Tektro HD-E350 Hydraulic Brakes Left and Right
https://tektro.com/en/product/5
https://www.amazon.com/TEKTRO-HD-E350-Piston-Caliper-Control/dp/B0C6XWL6N6/

- TRP Slate T4 4 piston caliper (Front)
https://tektro.com/en/product/36

- SRAM Centerline 203mm Rotor 6 Bolt (Front)
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073S4QG4J/

- Disc Brake Caliper Mount Adapter 20mm Post Mount for 180mm Brake Caliper
https://www.amazon.com/JooFn-Brake-Caliper-Mount-Adapter/dp/B0986KK411/

- Custom Self Powered and Charging Horn
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0727VHD9J/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JHW8BPV/

- Shimano Altus SL-M315-7R 7-Speed Right Rapidfire Plus Shifter
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0833BY837/

- Waxed Chain


More info

- Tektro HD-E350 Hydraulic Brakes Left and Right
Probably the best upgrade for this bike. I was not impressed by the braking and constant adjustment from the stock mechanical disk brakes. These are what come on the other Rad bikes with hydraulic brakes, such as the Rad Runner 3. You have to run the hydraulic lines and potentially bleed the rear, so this is a job for a bike mechanic or experienced DIYer. Here's a video if you're curious what the process looks like: https://youtu.be/DgGia7f75R4

- TRP Slate T4 4 piston caliper (Front)
Not necessary but really nice braking from this. Just replaced the front since the back doesn't need it. Unfortunately I had to buy it as a set and I have no use for the lever (since it doesn't have a sensor). A Shimano 4 piston caliper would be the ideal solution since it is compatible. Increases braking power by roughly 20% over the 2 piston hydraulic caliper from what I could feel. Reduced brake fad and longer pad replacement intervals since the brake pads are significantly larger.

- SRAM Centerline 203mm Rotor 6 Bolt
Replaces the 180mm rotor on the front. Increases braking power by another roughly 20% over the 2 piston hydraulic caliper from what I could feel. Also increases cooling and reduces brake fade.

- Disc Brake Caliper Mount Adapter 20mm Post Mount for 180mm Brake Caliper
Necessary to go from 180mm -> 203mm rotor.

- Custom Self Powered and Charging Horn
Very nice for getting car's attention. Custom 3d printed case that attaches to the front rack mounts. Charges with the USB port on the display. This took a while to figure out. It has a small 500mah battery that is kept topped off by the USB port using a small LiPo charging board. The button is wired to power the horn from the 3.7v nominal battery, which powers the horn. The horn is rated for 6V, so it's not as loud as it could be.

- Shimano Altus SL-M315-7R 7-Speed Right Rapidfire Plus Shifter
Way better ergonomics compared to the stock shifter. Hard to mount because of the throttle, there's really only one position it can be mounted in. Had to bend one of the levers slightly to clear the throttle. Not perfect but way better than stock.

- Waxed Chain
Plenty of videos online about this. I use hot melt wax on all of my chains, I used to change the chain every 1000 mi, this chain has far surpassed that and is still going strong. Keeps the drivetrain smooth and super clean. Just have to wipe the chain off after wet rides to prevent rust.

I'm not answering your questions, but I like my current Rad precisely because it looks like a bike slapped together with after-market parts. If anything breaks and I can't get a replacement, I plan to buy parts from 3rd party vendors. 

After 5-10 years or when I can no longer get parts, I think it is time to retire the bike. I don't like to think like that but that is the way the world is, nothing works forever and bike technology, especially ebike technology, changes so fast. However, considering everything in that old bike seems modular, I find it hard to believe that parts, or 3rd party parts, will no longer be available in 10 years.

I think for bicycles the electric pumps are OK.

I have never had a battery powered pump last when used on car tires. They usually burn out after 6 months if I am working them hard. Working them hard means, for example, pumping up 4 tires of an SUV if they are all low. I am not blaming them, they are made for a lower price point and use tiny, even by hand pump standards, pumps no bigger than maybe 1 square inch or 16 square centimeters. The small pump concentrates the heat.

Something to think about. Why are you using a pump on the road. If your tires are low to begin with, it should have been pumped up to begin with. If you have a leak, a pump can barely help. You need a patch.  So maybe one of those fix a flat things are better.  Are you really going to patch the rear tube on the side of the road? Remember all the work required to remove the rear tire. All the work to fix a flat without removing the rear tire. I use a lot of slime (or whatever alternative) and carry a credit card and plan to use a ride service, maybe hire an SUV, to go home or go to my car if I have a flat. I also carry a cell phone and I don't even carry a pump or a patch kit.  I plan to sit in a cafe, if one is available, and wait for help. But if I am riding in a remote area, I plan to carry a fix a flat type inflation/sealing device.

Quote from: Ryan on April 15, 2024, 06:35:55 AMWe believe the attachments are all working now. Let me know if you continue to have issues.

They're baaaaack!


Thanks.

I have used the Ryobi before and I liked it, but perhaps for home use.
Thanks to both of you for the suggestions.

Quote from: ericwn on April 15, 2024, 02:46:27 PM

Quote from: Naranja_CT5+ on April 14, 2024, 11:04:18 AM

Quote from: ericwn on April 14, 2024, 06:24:00 AMTapatalk cannot find the forum anymore. Can you please make this work as usual again?

A quick Google implies the problem is with Tapatalk not Simple Machines.

A quick sharing of information rather than assumptions and a reply with attitude would have helped make this a friendlier conversation.
It worked until recently pretty well for me and conincided with changes to the forum. I am all ears for solutions though, if you have one, be my guest.

Poor choice of words on my part. I just meant that when I did a quick Google. It implied that the problem was with the Tapatalk app and not in the forum part. My bad if I sounded rude, it wasn't my intention.

Quote from: Naranja_CT5+ on April 14, 2024, 11:04:18 AM

Quote from: ericwn on April 14, 2024, 06:24:00 AMTapatalk cannot find the forum anymore. Can you please make this work as usual again?

A quick Google implies the problem is with Tapatalk not Simple Machines.

A quick sharing of information rather than assumptions and a reply with attitude would have helped make this a friendlier conversation.
It worked until recently pretty well for me and conincided with changes to the forum. I am all ears for solutions though, if you have one, be my guest.

Quote from: John Rose on April 13, 2024, 03:12:09 PMUh-oh. Photos in old posts return a "file not found" message.
For example - https://www.radowners.com/index.php/topic,9719.msg24710.html#msg24710

Also getting this red fault message in the editor, even if there aren't supposed to be any attachments (like in this post).

QuoteThe message has the following error or errors that must be corrected before continuing:
There was a problem and your attachments could not be uploaded
The attachments directory can not be located. Please notify an administrator of this problem.

On the other hand, we can now give temperatures because the degrees º symbol works. Yay!

We believe the attachments are all working now. Let me know if you continue to have issues.

I have a 2016 Radrover and I kept my original tires in the 17-22 PSI range (always put 1-2 extra psi in rear tires).  Lower PSI provide better traction for dirt/sandy/rocky trail riding at lower speeds.  The higher PSI was more efficient, less power to maintain 17-20 mph speeds, and used less battery power when I did mostly paved road riding.

I just added the Fanttik X8 Ace Bike Pump 150PSI Fast Portable Tire Inflator, $50, Amazon, to toss in my topeak rack bag for easy psi adjustment on the road or trail.

I started with the Topeak Mountain Morph Bike Pump for my fat tire ebike with a tube.  It was a little bulky to store on ebike, took around 20 pumps for one PSI increase, and can be difficult to pump and seat the tire at the same time.

I later upgraded to Ryobi P737 and then later to the P747 to use at home for my ebikes and vehicles.  The battery powered pumps are faster and easier to use.  I like the option of using battery pumps with (e)bikes and vehicles at home or away.  I usually toss the P747 in the SUV hatch for any out of town road tire w/ or w/o ebikes.

I just purchased the USB rechargeable Fanttik X8 Ace Bike Pump 150PSI Fast Portable Tire Inflator, $50, Amazon.  It has enough power to do vehicles and ebike tires.  The small compact size works way better in my Topeak MTX rack bag compared to the Topeak hand pump.  I now toss this portable air pump in the hatch for road trips.