Ruff Cycles Tango V3 Custom build

[Farmer Fpv]

This is the first time I've ever posted a build for others to follow.

I'm still waiting on parts, but I'm going to start my battery incloser here soon, Not exactly sure if I'm going to go with sheet metal, aluminium, fibreglass or buy a custom made leather bad from a guy on the endless sphere who does some nice custom made ones. I will be using leather and wood throughout the bike since I have old hardwood flooring from a barn find, I want to incorporate some on the bike, like on the battery inclosure side covers to access everything. I have a few weeks before my forks are done, have to lace a front wheel. I laced the hub motor with a fat wheel 80mm wide, as for rubber I'm going to use WTB Thickslicks 26 x 2" Some people hate that look, I love that look. I would like to go with a rootbeer colour powder coating but I'm not 100% set on that colour just yet. This is my first build post but I have been reading the threads on here for a long time now. This will be my second e-bike build.

As for the parts I'm using:

NBPower QS 205 50H pre-drilled for ferrofluid by NBPower in Korea, they have been very helpful with some of the best aftersales support. I've ever experienced buying internationally. I have been buying from them for a long time now especially stull for my solar-powered Garage/Workshop,

NBPower 150a Sabvoton Controller TFT Color screen w/Bluetooth. The Controller is Modified with the help of a buddy on YouTube. Hopefully, he will join us here.

NBPower Thumb throttle, I love their thumb throttle it's very linear and silky smooth

NBPower Alarm system

NBPower 12v step down

Ruff Cycles 144mm crankset with BB and 190mm spindle

Ruff Cycles offset rear sprocket

Ruff Cycles Basman Seatpost cut down to meet the upper tube on the Tango frame

Ruff Cycles Skully Aluminum Saddle, going to cover it with leather or use it as a templet to carve it out of wood.

Ruff Cycles Skully Chainring

Ruff Cycles Z drag bars

125cc front non-inverted forks, my friend still working on it.

Hope headset

NPower front & rear 4 piston hydraulic disc brakes with Re-gen switch built-in

203 front Hope rotor 160mm rear Hope rotor w/SSC rear bracket "it's for bikes that are not tabbed to mount callipers and only has coaster brakes" Stay away fro the cheap black ones on eBay

I haven't decided if I'm going to us my lipo's or build a 18650 lithium-ion pack. 84v 20ah

I will add more in as I go on. I'm super excited to get this one done. Spreading the chainstays from 135 to 155mm should be easy, then i will get to work on the battery encloser or might buy the custom made leather one.

Thanks for stopping by, I will post my progress on here every chance i get. hope my pictures upload.

[Speedy 1984]

Love the build bud will be a cool ride and still have good power,I'll be watching this one closely

[Farmer Fpv]

Hey bud, I hope to learn more about your build. I should have more up soon as parts come in but I'm definitely going to start on the battery box but the first thing is to spread the rear chainstays from 135 to 155mm spacing so the hub motor will fit.

Cheers bro

[Mishinn_Control]

Have seen come cool completed e-bikes like this. Can't wait to see your build! I'm int he motorcycle industry so I may end up doing a build like this myself!!!

[Farmer Fpv]

Hey bud, yeah they are nice bikes. If you decide to build one I don't think you'll be disappointed. Do you happen to have the links of the bikes you saw? It would help to see what others have done.

Thanks

[Farmer Fpv]

Just got done spreading the chainstays from 135 mm to 155 mm that was a piece of cake, before that I switched all the bearings in my Hub motor to Boca bearings, not the ceramic ones because I doubt it gets hot enough to consider using ceramic bearings as they are not as smooth as steel ball bearings. it's amazing how much smoother Boco bearings are compared to the OEM bearings you can tell a big difference any little

Next thing I'm going to do is install my bottom bracket American to English adapter conversion that way I can use a longer spindle and still use my Ruff Cycles 145 mm crank arms. Also, the flat bar washers work perfectly as beefy torque arms on the Ruff Cycles frames. You slide it on and then put another Nut and Bolt through the flat bar tighten it down I'll post a close up of that when I get there. I'm going to have to figure out how to mount a disc brake calliper on the rear as Ruff Cycles frames only support coaster brakes, what a bummer...

Here are some pics of the Hub motor installed.

Cheers.

[Farmer Fpv]

I'm coming along on my build, my aluminium sheet has come in to build my battery and controller encloser. I ordered in from onlinemetals.com they have great prices and custom cut the sheet for free.

Here is where I'm at so far. I went with the WTB 26x2 tires on my fat wheels I think it looks great and the rolling resistance is minimal with these slicks.

[Farmer Fpv]

Here is the design of the battery box out of foam board. I got my slip roller ready to roll my pre-cut aluminium, will try to get it done this week. The display fits perfect right in the middle of the bars over the stem, I went with a thumb throttle. The grips are temporary as I'm going to make my own. once I get the box built I need to decide what colour to powder coat. i don't want it too flashy. I'm thinking gunmetal grey? Any suggestions?

[Farmer Fpv]

I'm doing a test bend with the piece of cold rolled steel. Making sure I get it perfect with my template before I move on to my aluminium.

Once I get the aluminum all welded up, I'm not sure how I'm going to brace the corners, I'm also going to have to put some angle bar to put rivnuts so I can screw on the side covers. I guess it's hard to explain until I have it all welded up.

Any tips or better ideas.?

[Farmer Fpv]

This place is not very active, I guess that's better than Facebook drama, lol.

So I'm having problems with the aluminium on the slip roll it has flat spots at the ends that I cant roll out, glad I had them cut longer than i needed as i can cut the flat spots out. I would rather try to roll them out if possible as that means less cutting and waste. I didn't get the flat spot on the steel which is weird I would think the steel would be harder at the end of the sheet. They are 4 inches wide and I believe 2.5 or 3 mm thick. Maybe it's to thick for the roller as the steel is only 20 gauge I think, I don't remember might be 16 gauge I just know it's a lot thinner than the Aluminum. I just want to be done and start to tig everything together. Sorry, my run-on sentences are about 50 words longer than they should be i talk a lot. :)

[Drzdave58]

Any reason why you decided on a hub motor rather than a mid drive motor?

[Farmer Fpv]

I was lazy and it was easy way out, I plan on doing a mid Drive E-MTB to ride some single track. I built this Tango just for cruising. I like mid drives better but then I wouldn't been able to build my battery box the way I wanted. I'm actually almost done doing some wire management then going to test it take it apart again send it to powder coating and put it back together crazy

[Defjr333]

I almost swapped to a QS motor on mine. I just dont need the top speed, so not worth me doing. I am curious as to why you did not get the tank from ruff cycles for the tango?
https://store.ruff-cycles.com/ruff-f...-steel-v1.html
While I do admit Ruff-Cycles does nice work, I do not like their ethics and way they operate. Can not recommend, but can understand why one would use them.....I have.
Here is my Ruff-cycle creation.......I just did an entire disassembly and will rebuild with some upgrades over the next few weeks.

[Farmer Fpv]

I could have built the tank myself but I wanted put a lot of power 100.8v 30ah 21700 40t cells.

I'm actually almost done and I'm really stoked on how it turned out. Right now I'm putting it together so I can test ride it and make sure everything is good I don't want to have to drill anymore holes after it's powder-coated. I'll post a picture right now. And don't get me wrong I love mid drives there so much better but I think their purpose is much better for off road. Which brings me to my next build a soft tail E-MTB it's going to be a blast.

[Farmer Fpv]

The battery and controller box turned out better than I expected once I get it powder coated I'm going to have somebody airbrush battery controller box not sure what I'm going to do yet but I might do the Italian flag and American flag I'm Italian-American. But I want it ghosted just like ghost flames you can only see it in certain positions, or when you're up close. The Rush cycle frames are really cheap right now $199 I might just get another one and do a mid Drive something with less power and more just pedal assist to cruise the Boardwalk. I just finished TIG welding the battery box the other day and I spot welded studs for the battery bracket and the controller to mount to. I got stainless steel blued sleeve for all the wires

[Defjr333]

That's a lot of surface area for chain rub. What are your plans to prevent paint/ scratch damage?

[Farmer Fpv]

That's a lot of surface area for chain rub. What are your plans to prevent paint/ scratch damage?

Not a problem at all it's doesn't even come close 2 rubbing the battery box. I have an offset COG in the rear I also remove the bottom bracket shell and put a fat bike bottom bracket shell and bottom bracket. You can push the chain as hard as you want with your fingers and it will not come close to the Box already calculated all that before building. But that is a valid concern in my case it's not.

[Farmer Fpv]

That's a lot of surface area for chain rub. What are your plans to prevent paint/ scratch damage?

Now that you mention it the one thing I didn't think about was chain stretch, after riding it for a while the chain might stretch and then contact the Box. I'm either going to have to keep an eye on it or I'm going to have to use some kind of clear stick on material that will let the paint job show through and protect the paint as well for when the chain does stretch and I'm not paying attention. Your question was completely valid and something I didn't think about when it came to the chain stretching out. Right now the chain is brand new and it doesn't get close to touching but when it stretches who knows? Any ideas for material that will let the paint job still show through? Or maybe I can put a chain tensioner with a spring. Hmmm good question.

[Defjr333]

I have an offset cog on the rear of mine as well, but left the 68mm BB. Where the chain passes the seat-tube, and rear fender, I was getting chain rub pretty bad. I wound up doing as you were suggesting you may do if chain stretch occurs......the clear 3m chainstay protector. Works well. Looking nice.