Canadian
Modified RadRunner
Calgary, AB
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204
Published: 2023-08-27
I bought a basic RadRunner off of Kijiji and have since modified it to be much more capable. I used the Grin video on YouTube as inspiration, and am very satisfied with how moddable the RadRunner is, and how well the Grin components have worked. I have the Rad large front basket, bag, fender kit, passenger kit, and the Superknuckle monkey bars so that I can haul groceries and my kid around easily. This bike, plus the Grin mods have really changed how I get around the city. I avoid using my car as much as possible, and this has made this so much easier.
To support the extra weight and to make the riding experience much nicer, I've done a lot of performance upgrades as well, including a custom 850 watt hour 52V battery with the negative grounded to the frame using a 100mA fuse, V6 Phaserunner, Cycle Analyst, ERider T17, Thumb Throttle, Shimano MT201 Hydraulic brakes, Diety Pedals, Raceface grips, as well as a 12V DCDC converter which currently just runs the upgraded brake light, but I may soon use it to provide power to the ERider bottom bracket so I can upgrade to a 72V system. With some field weakening I am able to hit about 45 kph, which is plenty fast for this type of bike, and I typically don't go that fast anyway, so maybe I won't bother upgrading to 72V.
I had originally used a Baserunner L10 to power the bike, but at a stop or at low speeds it would shudder when trying to get moving, which is a bit of a problem given the aggressive single speed gearing, and the all the heavy accessories + kid on the bike. I had used the Baserunner on a GMac earlier with no problems, but there's something about this heavy bike and Bafang G60 that didn't play nice. Playing around with the Phaserunner this problem disappeared when supplying 90 phase amps, so I stuck with that solution, and am super happy with the outcome.
The motor is a stock G60 motor and I am using the Z916 to L1019 adapter cable, so there is no temperature monitoring. I'm running 30A max from the battery, and am always conscious of the power I'm applying versus speed so that I don't roast the windings. I mostly need the 90 phase amps just to get going from a stop, especially on hills, so try not to push it too hard between 5 and 20 kph. I am hoping over the winter I can complete an L1019 cable swap + add a thermistor so I can run even more power and not have to worry too much about frying the motor.
I had some issues with the ERider initially, but I was able to find out that grounding the battery to the bike (with a small fuse) solved those problems. Everything works great now.
