In case you're still thinking about a Crystalyte 5 series
Just a bit of info for anyone who's thinking about a 5 series. There's a lot of info on the net, some of which is contradictory, so maybe this will help.
I started off with a Clyte 409 kit running on a 4820 controller and a Crystalyte Lithium 38v 9A battery. Despite all the talk of torque it's prettty anaemic in Malta which is all hills. I was looking for a motorbike substitute and this wasn't it.
After looking around I thought I'd go for a bigger battery and motor. Thanks tothis site, it became clear that a bigger batter and controller using the 409 hub would not be such a good idea (glue melting and magnets falling off when using high current) so the 5 series 5304 which was said to have a good combination of spped and torque was clearly the way to go.
I got a bit confused a few times as (for instance) one importer's website stated that there isn't too much difference between the 4 series and the 5 series on a bicycle seeing that a 4 series is much lighter and can achieve similar top speeds. Well to anyone else who read that, please note that this statement is complete bollocks!
The 5 series rear motor slipped between the rear dropouts easily - I had to place a spacer between the 7 speed gear cluster and the dropout as the two were pressing against each other once I tightened the bolts. A bit of swearing there as I had to dismantle everything.
I chose a 48v 35Amp controller to go with the 48v 20Ah Ping battery (Ping is one of the most helpful sellers you'll ever come across - a genuine nice guy).
Anyway, end result is fantastic and I can't see myself needing anything else. I have no felf the need to peddle up hills including some pretty long and steep one (compare this to a 4 series hub which runs out of steam as soon as a little hill can be seen). The bike actually picks up speed going uphill even though it uses 26" wheels! 50kph on a flat is easily achievable. It's basically what I wanted - a small motorbike.
Highly recommended setup.
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Re: In case you're still thinking about a Crystalyte 5 series
I've got a crystalyte 5xx motor that I'm installing on a bike - see My latest e-bicycle build - and just got it to the point of making a test ride around the block.
It is really powerful. The speedometer wasn't hooked up but it felt like it easily exceeded 20 miles/hr and had great acceleration.
One question I have is whether a powerful electric bicycle motor will make the rider less likely to pedal. For me part of the reason to get an electric bicycle rather than a scooter is that pedaling is exercise and ghod knows I need to exercise more ;-) ...
- David Herron, The Long Tail Pipe, davidherron.com, 7gen.com, What is Reiki
Re: In case you're still thinking about a Crystalyte 5 series
with this http://www.schlumpf.ch/sd_engl.htm or http://www.srsuntour-cycling.com/SID=sie8391a8bb10cd3a75e0bf8ebdc87b5/index.php?screen=sh.detail&tnid=2651 incorporated in the bottom bracket...you can pedal with the bike at high speeds without having to spin the crank like a banana throwing
...
I found with normal bicycle gearing, it is nearly impossible to keep up with the motor at speeds above 30 mph, even if you spin the crank like a mad man.
gearing incorporated here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=foHVh8HNbL8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-b_QFIWkRk
Re: In case you're still thinking about a Crystalyte 5 series
Well I first tried using the 4020 controller with the 5304 and you would need to pedal up hills for sure - but it would still go too fast on a flat.
Basically I only need to pedal, with the current set up, on really, really steep hills.
If you simply want a pedal assist, don't buy a x5 motor... go for a 409 on 36v. That's what I had before and it does a good job of making hills flat. The x5 gets you to work without having to burn a single calorie but you can pedal back home using 1/3 of the throttle if you wish -. It all depends on what you intend to use you bike for.
Re: In case you're still thinking about a Crystalyte 5 series
By the way - the main reason I had for swapping my 409 for a 5304 was that riding a small pushbike in traffic can be scary. With a 5304, you can actually keep up with traffic when necessary. So from that point of view, I feel safer.