2001 Schwinn Black Panther - BBSHS, Ludicrus v2, Belt Drive build

[adamlivi]

Hey guys, I've got a build article on this bike coming up on electricbike.com in the next few days. Happy to answer any questions after it is published. The article will have a link back to this post.

The one thing I will give away now is just how impressive the Luna BBSHD/Steel gear/Ludicrous V2 combo is... truly world class. More to come...

[spinningmagnets]

Sorry it took so long. What an awesome build. Thanks Adam, for documenting the methods and materials you used. This build will also be added to the custom build gallery.

https://www.electricbike.com/adams-b...d-gates-drive/

Scroll down to #41 and #42

https://www.electricbike.com/custom-builds-index/

[marcos]

Site says: "Adam’s Schwinn Black Panther, with BBSHD using V2 Ludicrous 50A controller, and custom battery box"
However the V2 is a 100A controller =)

[adamlivi]

Not completely intentional but the tolerances on this build got pretty tight is a few areas.

1. Rear tire (Maxxis 2.3 DTH) clearance on the chainstays - about 2 mm.
2. Rear tire to fender clearance- about 4 mm.
3. Rear tire / under chainstay u-brake clearance about 4 mm. Had to buy a slightly longer u-brake to fit.
4. Belt / rear u-brake brake shoe bolt clearance - about 1 mm
5. Gates 55 Di2 belt ring (flipped and shimmed 1.2 mm in for perfect belt line) to BBSHD housing clearance - about .5 mm.
6. Gates belt. I choose shortest possible to keep wheel as deep into the dropouts as possible for greater strength and stiffness. Gives about 5 mm of movement. Requires removal of front belt ring to remove rear wheel but makes for stiffest possible setup. Going one up on belt length would ease the tire clearances and eliminate need to remove front belt ring for rear wheel removal and likely have minimal impact on strength/stiffness... but I’m happy with this max strength setup.
7. Front V-brake - fender clearance required a new, slightly longer brake to clear top of fender.

Going slow, thinking, measuring and researching makes for a much longer and ultimately more satisfying build.

[TNC]

How does the belt drive do with such a powerful motor? Just curious as I've had no experience with a belt drive.

[adamlivi]

Actually the weak link in this drivetrain is the 3 speed rear hub. I’ve got about 60 miles so far and all is happy. I’ve gone full power many times. It’s the perfect gear range. It’s critical for this setup to smooth out the ramp up on PAS and throttle for drivetrain longevity. When/if the rear hub blows up down the road they are easy enough to rebuild cheaply. The belt is stunningly durable. Proper tension (gates has a cool app to tune the tension) and belt line are key.

[TNC]

Interesting...thanks for the detail. I said "no experience with belt drive", and that's true for bicycles. We've used them for many years on a lot of big, heavy, torquey motorcycles, just not at the extreme performance level. I guess that alone should indicate their worthiness for appropriate bicycle applications. I just never see them in my area.

[adamlivi]

At these power levels (3,000+ watts) belt skip can be an issue. When considering gearing, I recommend the desired gearing combination that yields the largest possible rear sprocket to reduce the chance of belt skipping. And as previously stated, alignment snd tension are key. This is a bit of new ground with ebikes (in terms of power) so I’ll report my experience as I rack up miles.

[adamlivi]

...and of course there is a derailleur hanger bottle opener.

[adamlivi]

Just circling back on this build ... with about 500 miles on it I have had zero issues with any aspect of the bike including the weak link 3-speed. So impressed with the Luna BBSHD and V2 controller. Quiet, powerful and reliable.

[adamlivi]

Another year, another thousand miles or so. Bike, motor, drive train and controller have performed flawlessly.

[ncmired]

Hi adamlivi, I've always meant to congratulate you on this build - your "another year" post reminded me to.

As many come to the forum with ideas of BBSHD and Gates belts in their head, what did your actual measured belt line turn out to be - I'm guessing mid to high fifties? That number, along with the BB width, BB spacers used, belt ring model (and any spacers) numbers would help.

When Rider wrote up his Soma / BBS02 / SA CS-RK3 hub / Gates belt build, he listed some calculated belt line numbers (here and here), and IMHO they help immensely, giving a good idea of what's possible with the slimmer BBS02, and more important what's not - my impression has been, pretty much no off the shelf IGH other that the SA CS-RK3 and the Rohloff can be used in a BBSHD / Gates belt build.

Also, when the subject of Gates belts comes up, my impression has been that they require a "perfect" front to back belt line alignment. In reality, is there any flexibility in this assumption, and when the alignment is too far off is squeaking (or worse) the result?

P.S. glad to see you got your hands on a V2 controller, the Luna crown jewel IMHO.