Cyclone Motor Performance Testing
500 Watt Motor - 26" Mountain Bike
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Bike:
Model: Montague Hummer
Source: E-bay
Price: Approx. $500
Tire Size: 26"
Tire Pressure: 65psi
Cassette: 7 speed, 11-28
Bike Weight w/ Batteries: 73 lbs
Rider Weight: 220 lbs
Gross Weight: 293 lbs
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Motor Kit:
Model: Cyclone 500 Watt
Chainwheel: 44 Tooth
Optional Watt Meter: Watt's-Up
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Battery Pack:
Type: Li-Ion
Capacity: 24 Volt 24Ahr
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Trip Description:
Location: Santa Ana River Trail, Orange County, CA
Elevation: 100' Above sea level average
Terrain: Level, asphalt bikeway
Weather: Sunny, Wind 1mph, 68°F
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Trip Start Readings:
Voltage: 28.4
Amps: 0
Watts: 0
V-min: 28.4
A-max: 0.06
W-max: 0
AmpHours: 0
WattHours: 0
Battery Temp: 66°F
Motor Temp: 64°F
Top Speed: -
Avg. Speed: -
Total Distance: 0
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Trip End Readings:
Voltage: 25.36
Amps: 0
Watts: 0
V-min: 16.61
A-max: 39.41
W-max: 942.5
AmpHours: 18.874
WattHours: 496.2
Battery Temp: 89°F
Motor Temp: 101°F
Top Speed: 30.1mph
Avg. Speed: 16.2
Total Distance: 39.67 miles
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Calculated Values:
WattHours/Mile: 12.51
Miles/KWh: 79.95
Voltage Drop: 2.81
Actual Whrs vs Rated Whrs: 496.2 vs 576 = 86.2%
Actual Ahrs vs Rated Ahrs: 18.874 vs 24 = 78.6%
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Trip Log:
This ride was cut short because we ran out of daylight. After going nearly 40 miles
it was so late that we had to end the test before getting anywhere near the typical
battery cutoff voltages. If we had been able to continue the ride it is likely that
we would have gotten at least 5-7 additional miles. As it is, 40 miles at an average
speed of 16mph is very very good. We also used lots of battery power on a couple of
"speed runs" to see how fast we could get this bike/battery/motor combination going
- WITHOUT PEDALING. Our first run was 29.2mph and when we ran the same flat stretch
in the opposite direction we posted a top speed of 30.1mph. Our two-way average speed
was 29.65mph. Naturally this was a closed course, professional rider - do not attempt -
blah, blah, blah. During acceleration we saw current draw of 36 to 38 amps and
wattage topped out at 942.5 watts on our meter.
The performance of the 11 pound 24v 24Ahr Li-Ion battery is impressive. It seems to have
no problem putting out all the current that the 500w motor needs to really perform. it
should be noted however that toward the end of the ride, we pegged the throttle while
in 6th gear and pulled the voltage down below the motor controller cutoff point. This
caused the controller to momentarily shut the motor off which then allowed the battery
voltage to rapidly rise back up to 25v or so. Once the voltage shot back up, the controller
re-energized the motor and this cycle started over. The result was a "chattering" with
the motor turning on and off again about 3 times per second. After just 2 or 3 seconds
we realized what was happening and reduced throttle to end the problem. This
oscillation can easily be eliminated by reducing the motor's current demand either by
reducing throttle or pedaling a bit.
Conclusions:
The lightweight Li-Ion battery is a good match for the 500w motor.
While the cost would be pretty high, it is easy to imagine using two of these packs
to cruise 80 miles with very little pedaling at speeds up to 16mph. That also means
that by pedaling even 25% of the time you could easily do 100 miles with two of these
battery packs if you could afford them.
While not street legal, the top speeds we achieved on this test show that the
motor and battery combination will drive the bike to speeds that are hard to
achieve with just human power alone. Note that our test was conducted for
informational purposes only - we do not recommend or condone riding at speeds
over the legal limit of 20mph.
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