Hi Folks,
I am considering the WE BD24-10 kit (or whatever it is) from http://www.werelectrified.com/10ampkit.htm . The problem is, there are almost no specs listed on the site, and they won't reply to emails asking about specs. I am interested mainly in the motor, especially how much I can overvolt/overamp it.
I've sent two emails so far. First was telling them their site was down, and whether they still had the BD24kit. They replied within a day, yes, they still had the kit, and the site would come back up the next day. The site came back four days later. I sent a second email, asking about detailed specifications for the motor - rpm, torque, sustained/peak wattage (400W does not really say anything, especially given their advice to "upgrade" the same motor to a BD36), any diagrams if available, etc. No reply as of a week later.
The price is pretty low, and the kit would do the job for me as a start (I am new to the entire EV field). I intend to put it into a generic 50$ mountain bike I got from Target. However, their lack of reply looks very suspicious. I have seen others exaggerate their specs quite a lot (e.g. a small Currie scooter in Target is advertised at 400W, however the motor is really a 250W sustained wattage one).
Additional note: the link above says 600W, however other pages on the same site state all BD24 kits are 400W.
Does anyone have anything good or bad to say about Wilderness Energy?
`Your aware it's not mfg by Wilderness Edge.
Don't know, if they can't reply now, what about when you have a problem?
Special Buy! BD24-10 complete kit only $199!
WeRelectrified has managed to get a limited number of 24 volt, 600 watt Brushed Hub Motor Kits that we are blowing out for the unbelievably low price of just $199.00 each... Note: these are not Wilderness Energy Kits, but they are compatible with Wilderness Energy's replacement parts.
BD24-10 Electric Bike Conversion Kit Specs
Description Motor mounted in wheel, thumb throttle, controller unit, keyswitch, battery pack, smart charger, bike rack.
Hub Motor 400 watt Brushed Hub Motor. (This motor is rated at 600 watts when used in 36 volt system.)
Throttle Type Variable Speed Thumb Throttle
Battery Pack 24 Volt sealed lead acid batteries (12volt batteries X 2)
Electronics 10 amp limit controller unit
Wheel Sizes 20, 24, and 26" wheel sizes
Top Speed/Range 15 mph on a 26" wheel. Range = 15 miles per charge.
Weight 36 lbs.
Features Sturdy Brush-ED motor (brushes will last at least 8,000 hours before they need to be replaced - 3 + years even with heavy use.). This motor will start from 0 mph without pedaling. It is the same type of motor used in Wilderness Energy's BD36 kit, and can be used with Wilderness Energy replacement parts. The 10 amp limit controller will give this kit a mellow start - don't expect it to have the starting torque of Wilderness Energy's BD36 kit, and the top speed will be around 18 mph on a 26" bike. But this controller will be much easier on your batteries, and they will give you a longer life as a result... If you want to upgrade to a 36 volt system in the future; simply replace the controller/throttle and add another battery to your battery pack, and get a 36 volt charger. Now you can have either a 600 watt/24volt system, or a 600 watt/36volt system.
Have you tried to contact Charl's Online Gift Store, with sich a nice mark up they may reply.
Charl's Online Gift Store
info [at] charlsgiftstore.com
Name BD-24 Electric conversion kit
Price 349.95
Category WHOLESALE ELECTRIC BIKES, TRIKES, MOTOR KITS,
Model BD24
Peace Out,
Gman
Now that we have clarified our beliefs, your invited to join us as we begin building on them to define our Community Mission Statement
Peace Out, <img src="http://tinyurl.com/ysafbn">
Gman
I've been using a BD36 for a couple of years now without problem. Well, without motor/controller problems anyway. I did have to go a bit uphill on the learning curve of how to treat a battery.
I have only two concerns. If this motor is not a WE, what is it exactly? The second and larger concern is if you have trouble communicating with these people about specs, how likely is it that you'll get your money back if the kit is dead on arrival? I view up-front communication as a litmus test for a well-run business. That's that easy part to get right -- talking to potential customers. I think I'd ask around about this company before couging up a credit card number.
--
Full time ebiker
BionX and Wilderness Energy
"we must be the change we wish to see in the world"
This is exactly what I am doing :)
By the way, werelectrified is exactly wilderness energy - the phone numbers and emails of werelectrified redirect to those of WE, and WE list werelectrified as their "official online dealer." I don't know why those guys keep two sites.
I'll try emailing that Charl shop, thanks for the link.
I bought one a couple of months ago and have been pretty happy with it. There were a couple of unexpected things to work out:
Almost everything they send you is printed in Chinese. I had a chinese friend translate for me.
The hub is big (and heavy) You really need the called for separation, and it has to extend some distance from the hub shaft. I ended up needing to find a new fork to fit my bike. I also had to replace one of the spokes which was broken on arrival.
The luggage rack is a bit flimsy, but sufficient. It took some tinkering to get it on there.
I was initially disappointed with the performance. I don't have a speedo on the bike but I would guess it is topping out under 15mph. It will not climb moderate hills at all without assistance, but on the other hand I sure appreciate the motor help on those hills.
After riding for a few weeks I have to say I am very happy with the set up. Of course I'd like to squeeze some more power out. What would happen if I bypass the "controller" and just hook up 24V directly to the hub. It is a brushed motor so it seems like it should do fine, but I haven't tried it yet. What I'd really like to do is get 36V or 48V on it without having to use a controller. Anyone have any idea if this is possible?
Jerry
Great info, Jerry, thanks a lot. Are you sure you got it from the werelectrified site? The link is in my topmost post in this thread.
Is it possible that you post what the Chinese things say or, even better, scan them? Lots of Chinese around (university), so no trouble with translation :)
Theoretically you should be able to remove the controller. The only thing a controller does for a brushed motor is control its voltage and amperage through PWM and under- / over- protection. If you bypass it, essentially it will be as if you're running at full throttle all the time. I'm not sure about the amperage, though - it might be a good idea to limit it. Do the documents give any specifics on the motor at all?
By the way, update on my email saga: Charles from www.charlsgiftstore.com replied within a day, saying he has no specs for the motor. Oh well, much better service than the other guys, at least. I sent them another email two days ago, not a single reply so far.
Connecting directly to the motor is not a good idea. You will be drawing max amps from the batteries at all times and they won't last long doing that. This will also increase brush ware in the motor a great deal and the motor won't last long either. From your description I am assuming you have the 10 amp controller. The better option is to get the 35amp controller and increasing you battery pack to 36-volts which will help more on the hills without killing everything and the extra voltage will give you some more speed. Another problem with removing the controller is the switch you will need to control that much current will cost almost as much as a controller. Also the extra starting torque will put a great amount of stress on the fork and might not be to safe. Well that's the cons and the only pros I know of are extra power equals more fun of course a new 35Amp controller and 36-volts will give you the same thing only better. The extra battery will also increase the range a couple of miles.
My 2 Watts Worth,
Chas S.
My Bicycle Pages
`
Whois Output for: wildernessenergy.com
Domain Name Owner:
Berrett Talega Corp.
535 W. Lambert #D
Brea, CA 92822
US
Same address as:
Berrett Pest and Termite Management
888-250-5503 (Toll-Free)
http://www.berretttalega.com/
WeRelectrified
866-573-7042 (Toll-Free)
818-982-5902
818-982-1580 (Fax)
www.werelectrified.com
Marina Cerna (818) 982-5902 North Hollywood, CA 91601
Wilderness Energy Systems
7358 Radford Ave
North Hollywood CA 91605-3714
Phone: 818-982-0560
Peace Out,
Gman
Now that we have clarified our beliefs, your invited to join us as we begin building on them to define our Community Mission Statement
Peace Out, <img src="http://tinyurl.com/ysafbn">
Gman
I have posted my comments on my experience with this kit in a new post:
Wilderness Energy BD24 Report
Jerry
I purchased this kit 2 years ago, and installled it about 6 months later. last month the wiring harnes exploded on me in a shower of sparks and electrical discharge. I recieved a couple tiny burns from the melting power connector.....
after removing the wiring harness, which was, frankly, shoddy in construction, I found several shorts going into the regulator from the battery pack, the source of the fireworks display.
when I put the repaired harness back on, the regulator just heated up to the point it could not be touched. and the motor activity was ZERO. now I know I did not miswire the harness since I repaired each wire one at a time.
in short, my bike is fried.
and I have left multiple mesages for the sellers on the website and on the toll free number. with no response. I would have just replaced the wiring harness, and hoped that would solve the problem, but now I am not so sure thses people have earned any moe of my money.