Well, the upgrade I mentioned has finally been done, in spite of many jitters along the way. I usually enjoy electrical/electronic work but for some reason this job seemed a lot more daunting than previous projects I’ve undertaken. Maybe it was the need to reinforce the tracks due to the high currents involved, and the potential for a spectacular disaster if I got it wrong, or the rather intimidating 80W soldering iron I had bought for the job (which is very painful to touch, as the scar on my finger now bears witness), but whatever the reason I found myself putting it off more often than not.
But gradually it came together, and eventually gathered momentum the closer I got to the finish. The final thrust was completed last weekend, and I was particularly pleased the initial test showed all my existing options (reverse, cruise, regen etc.) all worked exactly as before with no “debugging” necessary.
That was the centre-stand test – now it came to actually road-test it. I set the current limits really low to begin with, just in case current limiting wasn’t working properly and the thing decided to launch itself up the road! I also tested it on a straight bit of road, and not on my gravel drive for fear of pebble-dashing my garage!
All seemed well so it was time to turn the current up a bit. This has been made much easier because I’ve brought the programming interface out to a header into which I can plug my laptop so I can reprogram on the bike. I decided not to go as high as I might have done because I am still on my original 1400W Ego motor with its rather thin phase wires and I didn’t want to risk burning anything out.
The road test showed a marked improvement in acceleration and hill-climbing ability, and all available from a standstill! I checked the motor temperature after my short round-the-block run and it was stone cold – I also wanted to check the phase wires but as it was getting dark I found it difficult to locate them. However the first morning after my run into work I checked both – motor still cold, but phase wires a little warm. On the run back in after lunch I used a bit more throttle most of the way and the motor was slightly warm and the wires a bit warmer, so I’m not going to risk pushing the current up any higher for the moment.
I now have some thicker cable that I’m hoping to replace the phase wires with, which will hopefully not get warm. I can then increase the current gradually and decide totally on motor temperature when to stop increasing.
The other thing I need to do is reduce the regen a bit – I find it much fiercer than before, and although it’s not too much of an issue in the dry, because it feels like the back brake has been applied quite sharply when it cuts in I’m a bit concerned it might lock up the back wheel in the wet. I have changed the programmable “level” down to its minimum, and although it’s much more controllable it still cuts in a bit harshly which makes it difficult to ride smoothly. So when I upgrade the phase wires I also intend to change a resistor inside the controller, which should reduce the intensity of the regen.
All in all I’m really pleased with this latest upgrade – for the first time since I got the scooter I’m not riding everywhere at full throttle, and it’s great to know that I’ve got a bit of acceleration in hand!
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