Project View

Touring eTrike Build

Vancouver

293

Published: 2023-07-17

Tadpole Trike

FH212/RH212

Powerful

This is my favourite touring vehicle - a Performer JC-70 recumbent trike with a Grin kit comprising of an RH212 motor and a Baserunner L10 controller. The Baserunner allows regen braking, which is fabulous for recumbent trikes as they have very low wind resistance and quite a bit more weight, so there's plenty to be recouped in regen. The low wind resistance also allows for very low power cruising - at 30-35km/h, I get about 5Wh/km which is about half the average ebike.

These together translates into very good range - I have a theoretical 200+ km range on the 52V 19Ah battery and have done over 160km on a single charge with quite a bit to spare!

I also wired this vehicle so that I can e-brake with a single press of a button and throttle with it for proportional regen of up to 1200W. There's also a reverse feature at the press of a button, along with a 48V motorbike horn and some seriously bright headlights and taillights for safety.
I love touring on this things - it's so relaxed and covers ground so rapidly. I recently did a 2 day 260km ride on this without even feeling tired at the end of it!

This was that 160+km one charge ride. — Chilliwack and back in a day!

I was there for the recent Canada Day celebrations! — In Victoria on tour

I go *everywhere* on this baby! — Out at Fort Langley

I have buttons to operate the ebrake - together with the throttle it becomes proportional regen. Almost all my braking is using regen and when I actually use the brakes, there's regen on the back wheel as well, so I have three-wheeled braking.
Press the top button and hit the throttle and the trike starts to reverse.
Multi-function switch controls the settings on the Erider torque sensor. I'm normally only at 0.9 or 1.2X of human power. — Cockpit Details - Right Side

The all important fun lever! With a Baserunner L10 and 52V, this thing can drive up to over 40km/h in less than 5 seconds. — Cockpit Details - Left Side Part One

I have ergonomically placed buttons for my fingers to reach! One operates the headlight, which has 2 settings (like a motorcycle and about as bright) and the other tells people I'm around - a motorcycle horn that operates at 48V. Being seen and heard is very important when you are cycling this low. — Cockpit Details - Left Side Part Two

The flag pole is made up of a piece of PVC pipe with a wooden dowel inside - the combination is both flexible and strong. I have three lights on top of it all at about driver-view height - one flashing front, one flashing back and another pointed at 45 degrees to the right. Why 45 degrees? So it blinks through the side of parked cars I'm passing for cars coming off side roads between these cars to see. — Triple tail lights on the Barbershop Pole